Page 17 of A Luna's Dynasty
“Thank you.” She then turned to look at Caden. “Thank you for the sandwich, it was delicious.”
“Anytime!”
As she moved toward the stairs, Lita caught sight of Asher's face. His silver eyes were clouded with worry and his brow furrowed in a deep frown. The sight made her heart clench. The mate pull urged her to reassure him.
“We’ll talk later.” With each step up the stairs, she felt the weight of Asher's gaze on her back. What would happen when he learned the truth? It would be just like her pack. She would be rejected and left alone. Not to mention the fact that he needed to be completely sure about his decision to leave his fiancée.
It wasn’t fair to either of them to prolong the inevitable, even if she had only just realized how badly she wanted this.
“What do you think that’s about?” Asher glanced over at Caden. “I’ve never heard of someone having to battle their wolf so fiercely.” Caden appeared to be deep in thought as he watched Lita walk away, and Asher turned to him with a questioning look. “What aren't you telling me?"
Caden ran a hand through his tousled chestnut hair, his expression guarded. "I have my suspicions, but I can't be certain yet. It's ... complicated."
"Complicated how?" Asher pressed, his voice tinged with a growl. He watched as Caden shrugged, and he raised an eyebrow at him. “You aren’t going to tell me?”
Caden shook his head with an apologetic smile. He was fiercely loyal to Asher, but he was also developing a strong loyalty toward his future luna. Whatever he suspected, he was keeping it to himself in order to protect her. Asher understood and didn't press the issue any further. If it was important, Caden would share it with him eventually. For now, he would respect Lita's privacy and let Caden keep her secret safe.
"I'll do whatever it takes to help her. She's everything to me."
Caden's eyes softened, a hint of sadness flickering across his face. "I know, brother. I know. Come on, it’s getting late. Let’s get some sleep. It’s been an interesting day.”
“That it has been. That it has.”
Lita collapsed onto her bed, the silken sheets cool against her skin. Her heart raced and her thoughts swirled like a tempest. She looked out toward the window with a sigh. How could she expect him to give her an honest answer when she hadn’t told him everything about herself? He didn’t tell her about Felicia … well, she didn’t tell him what her secret was, either.
She could imagine a life with him. Waking up to his silver eyes gazing at her with love. Being by his side and helping him lead. But when he found out the truth … that gaze would turn into disgust and fear, just like her own pack. She knew she had to tell him. Tomorrow, she would end the dream and get back to reality.
“It was nice while it lasted,” she whispered, closing her eyes.
Lita struggled to find a comfortable position in bed, her thoughts racing and keeping her from sleep. She let out a frustrated groan.
"This is ridiculous," she muttered, sitting up and swinging her legs over the side of the bed. Her bare feet met the cool, wooden floor, grounding her. "I need to calm down."
The idea of herbal tea flitted through her mind, a comforting remedy she'd learned in her healing studies. With a determined nod, Lita stood, wrapping herself in a soft robe.
"Just a quick cup," she whispered to herself, "then maybe I can finally sleep."
Padding silently down the hallway, Lita made her way to the kitchen. As she approached, the faint sound of rustling reached her ears.
Peering down the stairs, she spotted a broad-shouldered man she'd never seen before, his back to her as he rummaged through the refrigerator.
Lita hesitated, unsure whether to announce her presence or retreat. Before she could decide, the man turned, a half-eaten sandwich in his hand. His eyes widened slightly in surprise, then crinkled with amusement as he grinned, his cheeks bulging with food.
"Mmph!" he exclaimed, quickly chewing and swallowing. "You must be the new luna!" His voice was warm and jovial, despite being muffled by the remnants of his midnight snack.
Lita blinked, taken aback by his friendly demeanor. "I ... well, prospective luna," she replied, coming down fully into the kitchen.
The man wiped his hand on his jeans before extending it to her. "Garrett," he introduced himself. "The gamma. Just got done with patrol." He glanced at the clock on the wall. "Well, a while ago, actually. Got a bit peckish."
Lita shook his hand with a smile. "Nice to meet you, Garrett. I'm Lita. Though I suppose you already knew that, given the 'new luna' comment."
Garrett chuckled, his eyes twinkling. "Sharp as a tack, aren't you? I can see why Asher's so smitten."
“Well, smitten is yet to be decided. But the mate pull is at play.”
“I know all about that. I didn’t have the courage to act on my feelings before the mate pull. Then we were welded together. I can’t imagine my life without her. I loved her instantly. So yeah … smitten is accurate.” He grinned, a few crumbs falling from his chin. “Trouble sleeping?”
“Yes, I was going to make a cup of tea.” Lita frowned, her gaze drifting to the clock on the wall. The glowing numbers read 2:37 AM. A pang of concern tugged at her heart as she turned backto Garrett. "Do you always work such late hours?" she asked, her voice laced with a mixture of curiosity and worry.
