Luna's Replacement | Completed

02 - The Treasure Hunt

*** Naomi's POV ***

My mate is here! Somewhere behind these doors is my one and only. I can't stop to wonder what type of person he may be or if he will like us. What if he rejects us? I felt my heart rate spike at the thought of rejection. There is an undeniable magnetic pull towards the mansion and a hint of coffee and cinnamon in the air.

- "Does anyone else smell coffee?"- I ask out loud.

Lee looks at me and pokes my nose, saying:

- "I can't smell anything, but knowing your addiction to coffee, I wouldn't be surprised if you can smell it all the way out here from the mansion's kitchen." Lee and everyone else laugh at his comment.

- "Hey!" I gently slap Lee's shoulder, causing him to lift both his hands up in surrender. "Without coffee, I can't function. Coffee for life!" I giggled. "But jokes aside, no one else smells it? It has a hint of cinnamon too." I add.

No one seems to pay attention to me, except my brother Gabriel, or Gabe for short.

- "Mom, how many times did you drop her on her head again?"

- "Oh Hun, it wasn't me. It was your father." They both laugh.

- "I can only smell apple crumble, and it's making me hungry."- Gabe says while placing a hand on my head and messing up my hair. -"Midget."

- "Hey, my hair! And what did you call me?"

- "Midget." Gabe makes sure I hear it this time.

-"I am 5"4', not a midget!"

Gabe sticks his tongue out at me. I go after him trying to kick his butt. Well, I won't be able to since he is six feet tall. No one calls me a midget and lives to tell the story, though. Gabe uses Lee as a shield and sticks his tongue out every time I come into his field of vision. Poor Lee put his hands up as a sign of surrender but is of no use. We continue to circle him.

- "Can you two please behave? Remember, you represent our pack. We might be here for a birthday party, but we are also here to show respect and reinforce our alliance with the Crescent Moon Pack. You know, with all the rogue attacks, we can't afford to break alliances. So please act like the two adults I know you are. Or your father will put you to train morning and night for a month!" My mother closes the mind link and stands next to my father, who checks our invites by the two Crescent Moon warriors.

Rogues are wolves who have been banished or rejected from their packs. The majority of rogues are criminals; they have no rules or morals.  They attack at the slightest sign of weakness, raping women and killing anyone in their path. In other words, they cause chaos and destruction.

I quickly exchange looks with Gabriel, who somehow has become pale and sweaty. He loosens his red tie slightly as if he is struggling to breathe. I guess dad must have told him off too through the mind link. Since he is the pack's future Alpha, there is a lot of weight on his shoulders. I reach out, giving him a light pat on his back. I want him to know he is not alone. Lee and I are here for him.

As we enter the mansion, a butler leads us to the main room. Just like the outside, the interior follows a Victorian style. It felt like being in a castle, to be honest. The room was spacious but with beautiful paintings, vases, and sculptures adorning the walls and corners. Entering the ballroom, I spin around, taking in all the beautiful designs and colors that decorate the room, the flowers and candles that enhance its charm, and the food wonderfully arranged at the table. Everything is so breathtakingly beautiful. 

Opposite the room's entrance, coming from the second floor, are two staircases starting across from each other and merging halfway into a single and broader staircase, which then descends into the big ballroom. Just like in the movie Beauty and the Beast, where Belle descends from the left and the Beast descends from the right to meet in the middle and make their way together to the end of the staircase – that kind of staircase.