Page 55 of A Luna's Dynasty
“Lita?” Asher’s voice interrupted her thoughts.
“Hmm?” She listened as he chuckled.
“Don’t be nervous. You’ve already met everyone. And by the taste on your lips, you’ve already been snacking on the food?” He arched a brow at her with a crooked grin.
“Quality testing the food.” Lita smiled and pushed her insecurities to the back of her mind. It was something she needed to do better with. The damage from her old pack didn’t have to stay with her forever. She would need to overcome it and realize her own worth.
“Let’s not keep them waiting any longer,” Asher said, his voice a gentle rumble that grounded her like a stone in the midst of a churning river. He wrapped his arm around her waist and guided her toward the pavilions.
“…and guardians are not just myths, they say. They’re tied to the fairies, some sort of protectors, and they can be terrifyingly strong …” Lita’s breath hitched as she saw Felicia standing in the middle of the pavilion, talking. She must have overheard Caspian talking to them and was now using it to cause fear and misunderstanding.
Lita glanced over the pack and found Caspian. His eyes were narrowed at Felicia and she could see he was struggling against himself. As they got closer, Felicia turned and whipped her hand toward Lita.
“And she is part fairy!” Felicia's lips curled into a knowing smirk, the triumph in her gaze searing into Lita.
So this was her tactic? Since Lita was already marked, she would use the pack. She would turn them against their new luna by making them afraid of her.
“Is this true?” someone from the crowd asked.
“Yes, I am part fairy. Though I wouldn’t let someone’s ramblings be your source of education on the subject.” Lita’s eyes flashed to Felicia. “What I am doesn’t change the fact that I’m the luna here. And what you were saying could be taken as vicious slander against your luna. You need to be careful about what you say in the future.” Her eyes narrowed as she challenged Felicia to continue.
Asher glared at Felicia for a moment, mentally planning to deal with her later. He kissed the top of Lita’s head and looked out over his pack. “Isn’t she amazing? Our luna, my mate, is part fairy and an incredible healer. Like Felicia said, fairies can be strong. They’re not a weak species. Who knows, maybe our luna is stronger than me. What an incredible asset to our pack!” As he finished his speech, the pack erupted in loud cheers. Lita watched as Felicia walked off, clearly not interested in staying for the celebration.
Asher led her around the pack. They all took their turn greeting their luna. Everyone was kind and friendly, but what she kept hearing over and over was strength.
“Our pack is so much stronger now.”
“If you’re a fairy, you have magic! Wow, this will be great for the strength of the pack.”
“Black Ice is now a powerhouse. A fated mate who is also part fairy.”
These were the things she heard, and each time, she felt the crack of insecurity growing.
“Lita, are you okay?” Caspian asked as he came up to her side. Asher had walked over to where the children were sitting and was taking the time to answer their questions.
“I’m still learning things, and this pack … it seems like all they really care about is being stronger.”
Caspian nodded his head. “They never want to suffer a loss like they did before. For years now, the focus has been on becoming a stronger pack. They’re a good bunch for the most part.”
Lita nodded her head. Being stronger wasn’t a bad thing. Even if Asher wanted her because it made the pack stronger, he also cared for her. She could feel their connection, and it wasn’t fake, right?
“I’ll be right back. I just need to use the restroom.”
“I’ll walk you—”
“To the restroom?” Lita laughed and shook her head. “Caspy, the house is right there. I’m pretty sure I won’t get lost. If I’m not back in five minutes, send a search party,” she teased, listening to his sheepish chuckle as she walked away.
Lita had just gotten to the pack house porch when she saw Felicia standing by a path near the woods. She stared at Lita, her arms folded across her chest. With a heavy sigh, Lita walked up to her. It seemed this moment was inevitable and needed to happen right now.
“Felicia, do you want to speak with me?”
“Yes, let’s take a walk so we won’t be interrupted.”
Lita had missed out on a lot of things in life, and now it seemed like she was catching up on all of them. It looked like she was about to have her first cat fight.
Chapter 33
“I guess we really haven’t spoken.” Felicia started looking down at the path they were walking on. “You’ll have to forgive me for that. But talking to you was too painful.” She turnedand looked at her. “You barely know him. I grew up loving him. Everything was perfect … we were perfect together. We were inseparable. We loved each other before we knew what love meant. Even now, he loves me … but you’re his fated mate.”
