Chapter 178

Ava

The grand foyer of Crescent Mansion was dimly lit and smelled sweetly of pine as we entered, causing both Chris and me to inhale deeply on instinct. The butler, a slender man wearing a crisp black tuxedo with coattails down the back, turned to us as the doors shut behind us.

“Alpha Chris, Luna Ava,” he said with a slight bow, “Alpha Bernard will be with you shortly. Please, make yourselves comfortable while you wait.”

Once we were alone, Chris leaned in close, keeping his voice low so as not to be overheard. “Did you see the view from the driveway?” he whispered. “Not a single tree left standing.”

I nodded, my stomach churning at the thought. Even Crescent Moon’s prized redwood tree, which was once so large you could see the base of it peeking out from behind both sides of the mansion, was gone.

“Whatever this beetle infestation is, it must be devastating. Crescent Moon has always been so proud of their forests.”

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Chris murmured. “Even logging camps in the human world wouldn’t cut down this many trees in such a short time.”

We fell silent as footsteps approached. The butler reappeared, gesturing for us to follow him. “Alpha Bernard will see you now.”

As we walked through the halls, I couldn’t help but glance out the large windows looking into the lush gardens surrounding the mansion. It used to be so dense out there that you could hardly see outside. But now…

The parlor door opened, revealing Alpha Bernard. He was a tall, imposing man with silver-streaked hair and piercing blue eyes. His face was set in a grim expression as he nodded to us.

“Alpha Chris, Luna Ava,” he said, his voice gruff. “Welcome to Crescent Moon.”

Chris stepped forward and offered Bernard his hand. “Thank you for having us, Alpha Bernard. We appreciate your hospitality, especially during such trying times.”

Bernard shook Chris’s hand briefly before turning away, clearly put off by Chris’s insinuation. Even I cringed a bit; clearly, the man didn’t want to think about it. Who could blame him?

“The maid will show you to your rooms,” he said almost dismissively. “There will be a small banquet tonight. I expect you’ll want to rest before then.”

On cue, a young maid in a clean black and white uniform appeared in the doorway. “Right this way,” she said.

As Chris and I turned to leave, however, I stopped and looked at him. “Alpha Bernard, we couldn’t help but notice the state of your forests. If there’s anything we can do to help—”

He cut me off with a sharp look. “We’re handling it. Now, if you will excuse me, I have matters to attend to.”

Before we could say anything else, he was moving toward the opposite door, leaving us standing awkwardly in the middle of the parlor.

As the door closed behind him, Chris and I exchanged worried glances.

“Well, that was... brief,” I said, trying to keep my voice light as we turned to follow the maid. She led us through the labyrinthine hallways and up a set of marble stairs, eventually stopping in front of a large oak door.

Our private rooms were spacious and luxurious, with a small balcony overlooking the back gardens—or rather, what used to be the gardens—and a private en suite bathroom. Once she was gone, I sank down onto the edge of the bed and watched as Chris paced the room.

“What are you thinking?” I asked.

Chris pursed his lips. “He seems upset. Not that I can blame him, given the state of things around here.”

I nodded, remembering something else that might be contributing to Bernard’s cold demeanor. “His daughter, Patricia, was one of the bachelorettes, wasn’t she? And she wasn’t even really considered.”

Chris winced at the memory. “I’d almost forgotten about that. No wonder he’s not thrilled to see us.”

“You should apologize to Patricia tonight,” I suggested quietly. “It might help smooth things over a bit. We need all the goodwill we can get if we’re going to ask for their help with our own problems.”

“Good idea,” Chris agreed. “What about you? Any plans for the evening?”

I bit my lip, considering. “I think I’ll try to ask around about the beetle infestation. Maybe there’s something we can do to help. If we can assist them with their problem, they might be more inclined to help us with ours.”

Chris nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. “Always trying to save the day, aren’t you?”

“That’s why we’re here, isn’t it?”

…

Later that evening, we made our way downstairs to the banquet hall. The room was elegantly decorated, but I couldn’t help but notice the lack of floral arrangements that would normally adorn such an event in Crescent Moon.

Alpha Bernard stood near the entrance, greeting guests with the same cold politeness he had shown us earlier. Perhaps it wasn’t that he was upset with us, but rather that he was just upset in general.

But as we approached, he barely met our eyes.

“Alpha Chris, Luna Ava,” he said, his voice flat. “I hope you find the evening... satisfactory.”

Before we could respond, he had already turned to greet the next guests. Chris and I shared a look before moving into the room.

“I’m going to try to find Patricia,” Chris murmured as he accepted two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter, one of which he handed to me. “Wish me luck.”

I clinked my glass with his. “Good luck. I’ll see what I can find out about the infestation. Meet back here in an hour?”

Chris nodded, then disappeared into the crowd. I took a deep breath and made my way to a group of locals engaged in quiet conversation. They fell silent as I approached, eyeing me warily.

“Good evening,” I said, trying to sound friendly. “I’m Luna Ava from Moonstone pack. I hope you don’t mind if I join you?”

An older woman with kind eyes, who was standing next to an old man with a curled mustache, smiled at me. “Of course not, dear. We’re always happy to welcome guests to Crescent Moon.”

I shook hands with them both, noting the calluses on the man’s palms. Maybe he was a forester; and maybe this old couple would be the perfect type for a little bit of gossip.

“It’s lovely to meet you,” I said with a pleasant smile. “It’s truly lovely here. Although, I couldn’t help but notice the... changes to your forest on our way here. The beetle infestation must be devastating for the pack.”

The woman’s smile faltered, and the man’s expression darkened. “It has indeed been a trying time,” the woman said softly. “We’ve never seen anything like it.”

“How long has it been going on?” I asked.

The old man cleared his throat. “It started about three months ago. At first, we thought it was just a normal cycle, you know? Beetles come and go. But this... this is different.”

“Different how?”

The woman glanced around before leaning in closer. “These beetles, they’re not like anything we’ve seen in our lifetimes. They’re bigger, more aggressive. And nothing seems to stop them. My husband—” she gestured to the old man— “is a forester himself. Just ask him.”

The old man nodded. “We’ve tried everything. Pesticides, controlled burns, even some experimental treatments. Nothing works. It’s like these damnable bugs are immune to everything.”

I felt my blood run cold at that, although I tried to keep my expression schooled as I sipped my champagne. This was awfully similar, in a lot of ways, to our own blight problem. Almost too similar.

“How has it affected the pack, if you don’t mind me asking?” I said.

The woman’s eyes darted across the room, landing on Alpha Bernard. “It’s been hard on everyone, but especially on our Alpha. He takes his role as protector of the forest very seriously, you know.”

I nodded, following her gaze. Bernard stood alone now, a glass of whiskey in his hand as he stared out a window at the barren landscape beyond.

“How has he been handling it?” I asked, keeping my voice low.

The man shook his head sadly. “Not well, I’m afraid. He’s been working himself to the bone trying to find a solution. Barely sleeps, hardly eats.”

The woman nodded in agreement. “It’s like watching him wither away along with his forest…”