Page 121 of Crystal Luna

Someone had cleaned recently, leaving the scent of lemon behind. Fresh coffee brewed in the kitchen, then there was the lingering scent she knew all too well.

It was easy to ignore while they were travelling but in their home, it was overwhelming. Asher’s woodsy scent mixed with Isaiah’s earthy, rain soaked essence that permeated the entire house.

She opened her eyes when footsteps sounded on the stairs. There Isaiah stood, watching her closely. He was dressed in casual joggers and a shirt, his bare feet barely making any noise on the hardwood floors. He silently stopped in front of her and held out a hand.

She sighed and bit her inner cheek, before reluctantly accepting his hand and letting him help her step over that invisible wall.

“The master is all yours,” he explained as he guided her through the living space and up the stairs. “We’re still in our own bedrooms and will stay there unless you give us permission to enter yours.”

She swallowed hard, her voice lost somewhere in the transition from outside to inside.

“You should have everything you need for your first night here, but if anything’s missing, just let us know.”

He opened the master bedroom door and stood by her side as she stared inside. The weight on her shoulders lifted as she took in the space—she barely recognized it. The furniture had been replaced, now on the lighter, more modern side. The walls were repainted in a soft grey with soft, beige curtains.

“Vel?”

She slowly took her eyes off the walls to look at him.

“You are not the same person. We don’t see you as the same person. We’re just glad we have you back.”

He helped her over the threshold into her room, making a point not to step in himself. Then he turned and left, and Vel watched until his bedroom door shut.

Chapter Thirty-One

Velora

That night was the worst yet. She tossed and turned until she got fed up with trying to sleep. Judging by the dim moonlight streaming through the window, she was yet again up before the rest of the pack. She walked around the king-sized bed to the sitting nook where one of the twins had left her bag. After quickly changing into her workout gear, she made her way to the kitchen. As always, the fridge and pantry were stacked with food so she had no trouble finding something to grab quickly.

Just as she’d hoped, the village was still quiet and she was able to slip into the gym unnoticed. Not much had changed. At least, nothing she could see from the outside. She grabbed everything she needed for her morning routine and began to warm up. If she concentrated on the reps, it almost felt as if she was back home.

Right before she was about to finish up, the gym doors opened. Trying to hide her annoyance she turned around to see Renly, another warrior named Kelly, and—her throat tightened—Ely.

Her blood boiled, but she’d prepared for this. After all, he was beta now. She’d have to deal with him whether she liked it or not. As Rayan always liked to remind her, she wore her emotions on her face—everyone knew what she was thinking at any given time. So, she turned her back to them and finished up her last set of squats.

They took the hint and kept their distance. Isaiah had been right, as long as she didn’t want to, no one would approach her. No one would bother her, and no one would make her do anything she didn’t want to. Even with that being as clear as ever now, there was a bitter, acidic taste to it.

When she heard the door open again, she didn’t have to turn around to know it was Asher who walked in. He made his rounds to greet the other warriors before stepping up to her. “Have you had breakfast yet?”

Silently, she gestured to the wrapper from the protein bar she’d had on the walk.

He leaned against the wall next to her and watched as she added more weight to the bars. “We’ll be busy all morning catching up on everything we missed while we were gone. But… Mom asked us to have dinner tonight.”

That’s all it took for darkness to take over her features.

“We can do it another day if you like. We haven’t agreed to anything yet.”

“I’m sure we’re all in for a delightful evening,” she said sarcastically. “We can chat about all the good times we had and how much they love seeing me as the next luna.”

She was well aware that the others were listening but she didn’t care. Her past was no secret. Frustrated that her entire day was now ruined, she let the weight clatter to the floor and turned on her heel.

“I’m not cooking and definitely not cleaning,” she stated as she walked away. “And I’m not playing the happy daughter-in-law either. If they even step a toe out of line they’re going to learn who I truly am.”

Then, she stepped out of the gym and took a deep breath of the cool, fresh air. Not wanting to rip anymore clothes, she stepped to the corner of the gym before stripping down and shifting. Carefully picking up the fabrics with her muzzle, she dropped the clothes by the glass door of the main house, then disappeared into the woods.

The morning was spent out in nature, her wolf eager to explore her new surroundings. The rumble of her stomach told her it was nearing lunchtime, and that’s the only thing that made her return to the house. There, she raided the fridge and pantry, stacking her plate with whatever she saw fit.

“I was thinking of keeping it simple for tonight. A small dinner that doesn’t take up too much time.” Looking over her shoulder, she saw Isaiah enter the room. “What time did you get up this morning?”