Blessed By The Moon

Chapter 14

Axe had to leave to meet with other Alphas, uniting forces against Alpha Daniel and his unfounded attack. But he'd returned briefly to help Kaiden with wedding preparations. His logic? Bringing the wedding forward would settle the pack's nerves after the rogue attack. And as much as I hated to admit it, it worked. The whole pack was buzzing with anticipation—well, most of them.

The storytime I'd planned with him would have to wait.

The morning started with Axe knocking on my door and his voice cutting through my sleep: a reminder of the day's torture—wedding errands for Kaiden and Samantha's big day. I groaned, wishing I could stay hidden under the covers, but soon I was up and dressed, barely alert enough for what lay ahead. 

 Instead of joining him, I made my way to Gem's room, feeling the weight of the news I was bringing. The second she opened the door, she noticed the envelope in my hand.

I placed it on the table between us. "This came this morning." It was an invitation to Samantha and Kaiden's wedding, scheduled for next week. Gem tried to act unfazed, pushing it away and attempting a nonchalant shrug. But when I added the next part, I saw the flicker of pain in her eyes.

 I said quietly. "To make the wolves comfortable talking, howling and whatever... They're using pack members as the staff, servers, cleaners—all of it." I hesitated. "They've assigned you to work it, Gem. You'll be in charge of serving drinks."

She swallowed hard, her face paling as she looked down at her hands. I squeezed her shoulder gently. "If you want to back out, just let me know, okay?"

She lifted her chin, forcing a smile. "No, I want to be there, we're planning an epic wedding objection remember? I'll be fine, really."

Hey," I said, an idea popping into my head. "You and I are skipping town for a few hours."

"What?" She blinked. "Is that even allowed?"

"Well I'm the Luna" I smiled 

"But I have work to do" Gem sighed

I gave her a wicked grin. "That's just an excuse. Come on, I'll finish some duties and then.. throw on something you don't mind getting ice cream on, we're going to have a girls' day."

.

Gem and I walked in comfortable silence, the world around us blissfully far from the chaos back home. As we strolled past shops and cafes, Gem got her nails done, and bought a bit of makeup. I did the same. 

I noticed how much lighter she seemed, her shoulders relaxed and her eyes clear. It was rare to see her like this, and I wanted to do everything I could to keep that look on her face.

After a while, I took a breath and looked over at her. "You know, Gem," I began, choosing my words carefully, "You don't have to stay in all this mess if you don't want to."

She frowned, her steps slowing. "What do you mean?"

"This life," I said, gesturing back toward the direction of the pack house. "You can leave. You have a choice."

Gem's eyes widened, her lips parting as if the thought had never crossed her mind. A slow, hopeful smile crept onto her face, and she let out a breathy laugh. "You think I could really just... leave? Like it's some kind of nightmare I can wake up from?"

"Why not?" I shrugged, smiling softly. "If you wanted to walk away, I'd help you. It'll be a Luna-issued order, Axe wouldn't say no to me and risk angering me beyond repair."

Her eyes sparkled with a sudden resolve, and without a second thought, she darted toward a nearby payphone. Her hands fumbled as she dug for the remaining coins in her purse (which she also just bought), then picked up the receiver and dialed a number, her face bright with a hopeful, desperate kind of joy. I stayed back, giving her privacy as she waited for the call to connect.