Chapter 165

Chris

“Thank you so much, James. I really appreciate everything you’ve done to help us out.”

“No problem, man. You know I’m always here if you ever need anything. Sometimes these older human execs are… well, stuffy and outdated. It’s about time someone stands up to them.”

I leaned back in my office chair, a sense of relief washing over me as I ended the video call with James, the human executive and old friend I had been working with on Moonrise’s moontea issue. The familiar face of my old friend disappeared from the screen, replaced by my own reflection.

“Well, that’s one more problem solved,” I muttered to myself as I rubbed my temples.

The past few weeks had been a whirlwind of negotiations and paperwork to try and convince the humans that it wasn’t the moontea that was the problem but rather their overconsumption of it, but it had finally paid off. The moontea trade was set to be reinstated between Moonrise and the human world, which would save Moonrise’s economy from collapse—and it would save our relationship, as well.

It felt good to help Edward, Lily, and their pack, especially after everything they had done for us. I was sure they would be thrilled once they received the news, and it would strengthen our bond. And with the tour of the packs and the summit coming up soon, we needed all of the good karma we could get.

Just as I was about to close my laptop, a message popped up from James: “Oh, Chris, I almost forgot; I hope you didn’t forget about my wedding invitation! It would mean a lot to have you there.”

Right, I thought to myself. James’s wedding to his high school sweetheart was in a week; I had received his invitation not long ago, but had gotten so caught up in other things that I had almost completely forgotten. I intended to go, though—with Ava by my side, of course.

After all, with the wedding location set at a beautiful vineyard in the human countryside, it would be the perfect opportunity for the two of us to get away. I had promised to take her on dates; and I intended to keep that promise.

I chuckled, quickly typing out a response to James: “Wouldn’t miss it for the world, old friend. See you in a week.”

With that taken care of, I turned my attention to the stack of papers on my desk. On top was the itinerary Ava had put together for our upcoming tour of the packs. I couldn’t help but smile as I looked over her neat handwriting and detailed plans.

Our first stop was set to be New Moon pack. It was a bold move, considering the rumors that Alpha Winston was incredibly unhappy with us, but Ava had insisted that it was the right thing to do.

“We need to make amends,” she had said just yesterday when we had discussed our upcoming tour. “If we want to unite the packs, we have to start by healing old wounds.”

She was right, of course; Alpha Winston of New Moon pack probably had the most tension with other packs out of everyone. He was a rather abrasive old Alpha, one who was stuck in his ways and vengeful as hell.

But if we could get him on our side, well… then we could get anyone on our side.

Maybe even Olivia.

No, I thought to myself bitterly. I wouldn’t think about Olivia; she still had yet to be found, but we had the moonstone and her little cohort, Dedrick. If she knew what was good for her, she would run away to the human world and never return.

And if she did return… Well, I didn’t know if I could find it in me to show her mercy.

The blight still had yet to fade on its own. Of course, our GMO was doing its job, but it was a little disappointing. I supposed some part of me hoped, naively, that it would simply poof and disappear now that the moonstone was back in my possession.

But nothing was ever that simple.

Sighing, I returned my attention to the folder in my hand. As I flipped through the pages of Ava’s work, I marveled at the thought and care she had put into every aspect of the trip. From scheduling meetings with each pack’s leadership to arranging cultural exchanges, Ava had thought of everything.

“What did I do to deserve someone like her?” I wondered out loud, shaking my head in amazement.

Almost unconsciously, my hand slipped into my pocket, my fingers wrapping around the small velvet box I had been carrying around for days. I pulled it out, opening it to reveal the ring I’d had made for Ava.

The tiny moonstone at its center caught the light, seeming to glow despite the bright afternoon. I could only imagine how lovely it would look at night when the moon was out; it was surrounded by small diamonds, arranged in a pattern that resembled the phases of the moon. The band itself was made of white gold, simple but classy.

She would love it. I was sure of it.

As I admired the ring, my mind wandered to thoughts of proposing. I had been waiting for the perfect moment, and with the summit coming up, I couldn’t help but think it might be the ideal opportunity. Surrounded by all five packs, declaring our love and commitment to each other…

Suddenly, a knock at the door startled me out of my reverie. Before I could put the ring away, Elise walked in, her eyes immediately drawn to the small box in my hand.

Her eyebrows shot up, and I could see the protest forming on her lips. But before she could speak, I quickly closed the box and slipped it back into my pocket.

“Elise,” I said, closing the folder that contained Ava’s summit plans. “What can I do for you?”

She hesitated for a moment, clearly thrown off by what she had seen. But to her credit, she composed herself quickly.

“I have a letter for you, Alpha,” she said, holding out an envelope as she strode up to my desk. “It’s from Alpha Winston of New Moon pack.”

My heart skipped a beat at the sight of the envelope. This had to be the response to our request to visit. I took the envelope from Elise, noting the official seal of New Moon pack on the front.

“Thank you, Elise,” I said, already breaking the seal. “Was there anything else?”

She shook her head, but I could see the questions burning in her eyes. “No, Alpha. That’s all for now.”

As she turned to leave, I called out, “Elder Elise?”

She paused at the door, looking back at me. “Yes?”

I met her gaze steadily. “I know you have concerns about Ava. But she has proven herself time and time again. I hope you can see that at this point.”

Elise’s lips pressed themselves into a firm line, and she eyed me for a moment, her gaze flickering to the pocket where I had stowed the ring, before she nodded. “I see what’s in front of me,” she said cryptically.

I wanted to tell her to explain herself, but decided better of it; I was more interested in Alpha Winston’s letter right now. “You may go,” I said with a wave of my hand.

With a nod, she left, closing the door behind her. I turned my attention back to the letter, unfolding it with a feeling of apprehension coiling in my chest. And as it turned out, my apprehension was well founded.

As I read the contents of the letter, my heart sank.

“To Alpha Chris of Moonstone Pack: We have received your request to visit New Moon and have carefully considered the implications. However, given recent events, we…”

I felt my stomach flip. The carefully crafted words couldn’t disguise the underlying venom in Winston’s message: our request to visit New Moon pack had been denied.