Dead Luna
Chapter 27

Amelia's

POV

The next two days are basically the same. I eat breakfast, then spend the morning in the Luna's office, meeting with the unmated wolves. Luna Veronica, however, is extremely busy planning the luna ceremony to be preformed at the end of the week, so she really isn't quite as fascinated by what Ambrosia and I are doing at this point, and she spends a fair amount of time elsewhere.

I also come across 2 more she wolves that were rejected by their mates due to Alpha Zachary's perfidious behavior, as well as the wolves who had rejected them. I'm able to get one couple to reconcile, but the other couple wasn't going to budge because the she wolf had also slept with several other wolves after Zachary and had pups from 2 of them. I made no promises in these cases, but thought it might be wise to pair her with someone from another pack where she might not have such a bad reputation. I have to shake my head at the double standards. Why is it socially acceptable for the men to sleep around, but not the women? It's especially bad with werewolves, since wolves mate for life.

Just after dinner after my second day of appointments, I quietly ask Alpha Zachary how many more of his girlfriends I was likely to come across, and he assured me that the rest had either been accepted by their mates already, had left the pack for their own reasons, or were from other packs to start with, so he wasn't entirely certain of their current status.

We sure did dodge a bullet on that one, Ambrosia says. I have a mind to talk to Selene about dangling him along until L or M.

I would agree with you, I add, if it didn't also affect Miranda and Grace. They aren't entirely blameless in this scenario, of course. They were willing participants. But they were also both promised to be made Luna. Any young girl might be swayed against their better judgment by such a young, charming and attractive Alpha.

After I finish my appointments on the third day, I begin to help Luna Veronica and Zachary's sister Allison with preparations for the Luna Ceremony. Naturally, Luna Veronica wanted everything to be "perfect". Miranda and Grace were not much help. If they were helping to chose something even as simple as a napkin color, they would both choose something opposite of what the other one chose. So I was the tie breaker in some cases, or the one helping to come to a compromise.

With much discussion we decided on both blue and beige napkins, pale blue and beige tablecloths with cream color China and gold flat wear, and blue, cream, and gold balloons to decorate. Calla Lilies were of course the flower of choice for the centerpieces Luna Veronica insisted, despite both future Luna's preference being roses. So they would each get their own bouquet of white roses. The future Luna's would wear gowns of shimmering pale blue, but in wildly different styles. Luna Veronica would wear cream, and the mothers of Miranda and Grace would wear beige.

And then it was deciding on the menu, music, photos, and putting together a program. It was hours of discussion, arguments, and compromises.

I wish them well, but I suspect there will be a lot of conflict over the years between the three Lunas. But in such a large pack, there will be plenty of things to keep them all occupied and out of each others hair, more or less.

After a dinner of coq au vin that evening, I decide on a walk in the ornamental flower gardens. It's all very lovely and fragrant on this balmy evening in late July. I replace a comfortable iron bench nestled among the purple and yellow iris, and take a seat. Leo sits down beside me. I realize I've hardly said a word to him all day.

"How do you like Iron Peak?" I ask him after a few minute's silence.

"I don't." Leo says quietly. After a moment's reflection he elaborates. "I suspect once the twins brothers replace their second chance mates, they will split off from the pack, and I suspect quite a few will follow them. Alpha Zachary has caused quite a bit of discontent within this pack. And I don't think it's gone unnoticed that the former Alpha and Luna are still the ones running the pack, despite passing on the title. His 2 Lunas constant bickering will also hinder the governance of the pack, unless he can get them to work together for the common good."

"I believe you are right." I agree. I lean in to Leo and rest my head on his shoulder. He stiffens at first, but then drapes his arm across my shoulder and snuggles me in closer. "Just one more pack to visit, and then we can go home for a bit. I've been gone for way too long."

Leo agrees, and we stay like that in comfortable companionship for some time enjoying the fragrant flowers and the soft summer breeze. Only leaving when it starts to cool off for the night and I begin to nod off. Leo's POV

I've begun to feel dead inside. I spend my days feeling like a ghost, haunting Amelia, following along wherever she goes. Hardly anyone acknowledges me these days, so I may as well be dead. And I welcome the dead feeling, as it's so much easier to endure than the pain.

After dinner I follow her to the garden. It's an exceptionally lovely summer evening, but it barely registers in my brain. She walks along oblivious to my presence, bending down occasionally to smell a particular flower. I vaguely recall stargazer lilies are her favorites, and she is delighted when she replaces some.

Then we set off across to vast lawn to the other side of the gardens where she replaces an iron bench surrounded by colorful iris, and she sits down and stares up at the cloudless sky into the vast universe of stars. I sit down beside her, suddenly feeling exhausted by my life.

We sit there silently for sometime before Amelia asks my opinion on the Iron Peak pack. At first I was surprised that she spoke to me at all, but then I pulled myself out of the depths of my head, and gave her my honest opinion. Then suddenly Amelia was cuddling up against me, and I nearly panicked when I felt no more of the lingering sparks from our mate bond. My heart was now completely free of Amelia, so I suppose whatever I do or feel for her from this point on was of my own free will. Moon goddess would no longer punish me with the mate bond that I had broken.

I put my arm across her shoulder and let her snuggle in closer as she talked about missing her home. Soon Amelia was asleep in my arms, and tears silently fell down my cheeks as I thanked moon goddess.

Some time later I dried my tears and then woke Amelia, saying that we should head back to the pack house.