Chapter 166

Carol’s POV

I wasn’t really sure what I was expecting when it came to spending time with Aiden’s mother. I knew she hated me, but after finding out that my father was the Alpha King, I really wasn’t sure where I stood with her now. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit nervous about this, but Aiden insisted that I needed to start Luna training and there was no better woman for the job than the former Luna.

I couldn’t even argue with him. He was right. It was about time I started this training, which meant I needed to hang out with Miranda Cruz.

I went to the packhouse early the next morning, the day after I was informed that I would be starting my Luna training. I spent most of the night terrified about what my day was going to be like, but Aiden held me in his arms and assured me that it was going to be okay. I was due at the hockey rink later this afternoon to start my job there as well. I knew I was going to be exhausted by the end of the day.

“Carol,” Miranda greeted as soon as I walked into the packhouse. “Come with me.”

She didn’t look pleased, but she didn’t look upset either. Her face was indifferent, and I found myself more nervous than ever. Aiden was already somewhere in the packhouse performing his Alpha duties. I thought about going to find him before starting work with his mother, but I decided against it. His mother was looking impatient, and I probably shouldn’t test the waters now.

I followed Miranda down the long hallway until she reached a door. I wasn’t super familiar with this packhouse, so I wasn’t sure where anything was or where these doors led. She pushed the door open and walked into the wide space.

My mouth nearly dropped open at the gorgeous office. The walls were made from a gorgeous oak and there were pictures of flowers and pretty landscaping hung up on the walls. The window was huge with transparent pink curtains that fell to the ground delicately. The window gave the office plenty of natural lighting and it overlooked the packhouse gardens.

There was a giant crystal chandelier in the middle of the office and a soft pink rug on the hardwood floors. There was a white couch with light pink cushions on the far side of the room along with a glass coffee table and a TV that was on the wall, and a white brick fireplace with a couple of pictures of the Luna and her family.

The desk in front of the window, facing the doorway, was glass like the coffee table and it had a really nice computer on top of it.

“What is this place?” I asked in awe, unable to look away from all the pretty things. There were bookshelves of books with pretty antiques that sat on them.

“The Luna’s office,” she answered. “I suppose now it’s your office.”

I raised my brows as I looked at her.

“I wasn’t aware a Luna had an office,” I told her.

“Where do you think I did my work?” She asked, narrowing her eyes at me. “Seriously, Carol. Are you usually this dense?”

My mouth nearly dropped open at her bold words. But I quickly shut my mouth; now was not the time to argue with her.

“A Luna is just as important as an Alpha, if not more important,” she said, folding her arms across her chest. “Without a Luna, the pack would fall apart.”

“What exactly is the Luna’s job?” I asked.

She gave me a pointed look and sighed.

“You are in charge of all the women and children in this pack,” she surprised me by saying. “It’s up to the Luna to maintain the population and stability. You are their nurture, teacher, and protector. You are to help with gathering and hunting, making sure they get the medical attention they need. You help with financial needs and take care of the pack issues that are too minor for the Alpha to deal with.”

“I didn’t realize the Luna had so much responsibility,” I admitted.

She rolled her eyes.

“Did you think I stood around and looked pretty?” She asked, raising her brows. “Luna’s are also in charge of all the events in a pack. You also need to maintain an appearance; especially around here.”

She glanced at the jeans and blouse I was wearing. I thought I looked pretty good, but by how she looked at me, I was starting to guess my outfit choice second. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I glanced at my outfit before lifting my gaze to meet hers.

I understood now why she was so adamant about having a strong Luna.

“Look, Mrs. Cruz. I know you don’t like me, and I get it. You think I’m just a weak human and I’m not good enough for your son. Sometimes I don’t think I’m good enough for him either. But I love him. He’s my world… he’s my mate, and now he’s my husband. I would do anything for him and I know his pack is a package deal, which means I would do anything for this pack. As you know, I’m not just a weak human. I have powers that I’m still trying to understand. I’m learning how to use and control them. I want to learn everything I can about being a Luna so I can ensure the pack’s safety. Not just the women and children, but everyone.”

Miranda stared at me for a long while as she processed my words. Then, she huffed and walked over to the desk.

“You don’t know how I feel about you,” she muttered.

I wasn’t sure what she meant by that, but I followed her to the computer, keeping my mouth shut on the subject. She sat at the desk and turned on the computer; as it came to life, she grabbed some documents from the drawer and started to go through them.

“These are request forms from the hospital. It’s up to us to check our budget and then get these supplies ordered for next week's shipment. Businesses tell us what they need, and we make it happen,” Miranda said. “I’ll get you signed into the database, so you keep track of the pack finances and supply orders.”

I nodded, sitting in the seat beside her.

“Right now, in the pack, we have three pregnant she-wolves. Two of them are doing pretty good. However, there is one who is at high risk. Her husband left her a few months ago and nobody had heard from him. As far as we are concerned, he went rogue. He cut off all connections with the pack and his mate. She’s been a mess, and the baby might be in jeopardy because of it. She already has two kids and no support system. She needs a Luna to help.”

I nodded as I took in her words. That poor woman: I had a strong desire to go to her and make sure she and her children were okay.

The school is also in need of some attention as well. Not only do they need more supplies, which we can order today, but they will need the Luna present a couple of times at least. The Luna creates the curriculum for the teachers and helps teach. It’s important to make yourself known,” she continued.

“Understood,” I said.

“Make sure you check your emails continuously. I’ll give you access to the account. Packmates will email when they need something or have a complaint,” she explained.

She spent the next hour teaching me the computer platforms, and how to order things for certain businesses, and how to check the budget for each business along with the total income for the pack. My mouth dropped when I saw the number in the pack’s business fund account. I had never seen so much money in my life and it was a little nerve-wracking being in control of all of it.

“They will email order requests so it’s crucial to keep a look out for those emails as well,” she explained, showing me the emails once she put me on the account. “Now, we need to make an appearance at Cassidy’s apartment. She’s the pregnant she-wolf at high risk. Her kids will be coming home from school around now and she’s going to need some help.”

She stood up from the desk and motioned for me to come with her. At this point, I was used to hanging around her after spending a few hours in the office with her, so I followed her without hesitation.

It took about 20 minutes to get to Cassidy’s apartment. I was not prepared for what I was about to walk into. As soon as I stepped in, the entire house looked trashed, and it smelled like something was dying. I nearly gagged as soon as I walked in.

“Cassidy?” Miranda called through the small space. There was no answer.

Something was wrong.

Telling from the look on Miranda’s face, she could feel it too. We walked through the apartment, dodging the trash on the ground, and walked into her bedroom. I gasped when I saw Cassidy lying on the bed… covered in blood.