Chapter 181

Ava

“Rise and shine…”

I was awoken by the gentle sensation of light kisses along my neck and collar bone. Soft lips grazed over my skin, eyelashes fluttering against my cheek. Before even opening my eyes, a small smile tugged at my lips.

“Five more minutes…?” I murmured, feeling Chris nuzzle into the crook of my neck.

Chris chuckled against my skin, his voice low and gravelly from sleep. “Now, now,” he said quietly, slipping his hand beneath the covers to graze across my chest and down my waist, “we’ve got a big day ahead of us, Luna. No time to laze around in bed.”

I let out a soft groan as his fingers finally came to rest between my legs, right over the soft cotton of my panties. We had been so stressed and busy lately that it had been a while since…

But before it could go any further, he pulled away and threw the covers off. Only then did I finally snap my eyes open, suddenly cold and exposed in the chilly morning air.

“Jerk,” I grumbled, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. Chris merely gave me a lopsided grin and a kiss on my forehead before crossing the room.

“There will be time for that later. Get dressed.”

A little while later, Chris and I made our way downstairs for breakfast. As we approached the small dining room, the sound of soft voices and clinking glasses met our ears. The butler opened the doors to reveal a lovely little greenhouse dining room with lush plants scattered around, green vines hanging from the glass ceiling, and a bountiful breakfast spread waiting for us.

Patricia and her mother, Clara, were already seated. Clara greeted us warmly, her smile genuine and welcoming. “Good morning, Alpha Chris, Luna Ava. I hope you slept well.”

“We did, thank you,” I replied, taking a seat next to Patricia. Chris sat across from me, nodding his thanks to Clara. “The guest rooms are lovely.”

“Oh, good. I’m so glad,” Clara said as she poured coffee into delicate china cups. “Please, help yourselves to breakfast. We have quite a spread this morning.”

Patricia offered me the tiniest smile, which I returned. The tension from the previous night seemed to have eased somewhat, although it was still a bit awkward.

We had just begun to serve ourselves when Bernard arrived, striding into the room without a word. He sat at the head of the table, his face a mask of indifference.

With nothing more than a grumbled, “Morning,” he picked up a nearby newspaper and flipped it open—effectively blocking us out. The article on the front page made my stomach twist slightly: “Alpha Chris and Luna Ava: Doomed or Destiny?”

“The weather is lovely this morning, isn’t it?” Clara said cheerfully, clearly trying to keep the atmosphere light. “Perfect for a walk in the gardens later, perhaps.”

Bernard scoffed from behind his newspaper and flipped the page. “There are no gardens left, Clara.”

Clara’s eyes dimmed slightly at that, causing Chris and I to exchange wary glances. He had assured me that whatever plan he had today would be effective, and I hoped that was the case. If not, then this was going to be one awkward visit.

Returning my attention to the breakfast spread, my eyes scanned the vibrant array of fruits before I landed on some juicy-looking orange slices.

“Oh, oranges!” I exclaimed, reaching for one. “I love these. They remind me of home.”

Chris chuckled. “Ava is an orange fiend. Careful, she might eat that whole bowl.”

Patricia’s eyes lit up slightly. “I love oranges, too. They’re my favorite. The scent alone is always enough to brighten my mood.”

As we chatted about oranges, I noticed Chris watching us with a small smile. Even Bernard seemed to be listening, although he pretended to be focused on his newspaper. Clara sipped her coffee, her eyes sparkling again.

“You know,” I said, “I have an orange tree in my garden back home.”

“That tree is her pride and joy,” Chris chimed in. “And the oranges are the best, too. I don’t know how she does it.”

Patricia raised her eyebrows. “You grow your own? I’d love to share some techniques with each other. My specialty here is... well, was fruit trees.”

I caught the slip and saw the pain flash across her face. “Was?” I prompted gently.

She nodded, her smile fading. “All of my fruit trees died during the infestation. I’m most upset about my prized lemon tree. I always loved making fresh lemonade from it.”

“That must have been devastating,” I said softly, glancing over at Clara, who nodded sadly from behind her coffee cup.

“It was. Is. I feel like I’ve lost a part of myself,” Patricia said with a sigh. “Those trees were more than just plants to me, you know? They were like old friends. I’m sure you understand, if you take pride in your own garden.”

“Of course I understand,” I replied gently. “But you know, from what I’ve seen and heard, you clearly have a gentle touch with plants. I’m sure you’ll be able to cultivate new trees in no time.”

“You think so?” Patricia asked. “It’s just…”

“She’s had those trees since she was a baby,” Clara interjected. “In fact, Bernard planted the seeds for her the day she was born.”

My eyebrows shot up, and I glanced over at Bernard. His eyes met mine briefly over the top of his newspaper, but then he cleared his throw and snapped the paper, hiding his expression again.

Patricia nodded and let out another heavy sigh. “It’s true. Starting over seems so daunting after cultivating the same trees my entire life.”

“Well…” I paused, chewing my lower lip for a moment. “I’d be happy to send you some seeds from my orange tree to help you get started again. Maybe we could start a new tradition of sharing seeds between our packs.”

Patricia’s smile returned, a little brighter this time. “That sounds… Nice. Thank you, Ava. That’s really kind of you.”

Clara beamed at us. “What a wonderful idea! Isn’t it, Bernard?” she said, turning to her husband.

Bernard grunted noncommittally from behind his newspaper, but I couldn’t help but notice the approving nudge against my ankle from Chris beneath the table. Breaking the ice, one orange at a time, I supposed.

I was about to ask Patricia more about her lemon tree when the butler entered the room, carrying a package. “Excuse me, Alpha Chris. This just arrived for you.”

Chris thanked him, taking the package. To my surprise, he immediately handed it to Bernard. “Actually, Alpha Bernard, I think you should be the one to open this.”

Bernard slowly lowered his newspaper, eyeing the package warily. “What is this?”

“Please,” Chris said, his voice earnest. “Open it. I think you’ll find it interesting.”

With a sigh, Bernard set down his paper and took the package. He unwrapped it slowly, revealing an ornate wooden box. The room fell silent as he opened it and reached inside, pulling out... a single seed.

Bernard’s eyes widened, and he looked up at Chris. “Where did you get this?” he asked, his voice uncharacteristically soft.

Chris leaned forward, his expression serious. “Moonstone and Crescent Moon were once friends, Alpha Bernard. This seed is proof of that. Many years ago, when my great-grandfather was Alpha, the Alpha of Crescent Moon—your grandfather—visited Moonstone. They exchanged gifts, and this seed from your mighty redwood tree was given to my family.”

Clara gasped slightly, her hand fluttering over her mouth. Patricia sipped her coffee with an intrigued look in her eyes, and I thought I noticed her lean a little closer to me.

“We never planted it,” Chris said. “Instead, we preserved it, knowing its significance. Now, I think it’s finally time for it to be planted. Here, where it belongs.”

“But… how?” Patricia whispered, her eyes fixed on the seed. “How did it survive all these years?”

Chris smiled. “Our pack has always valued our connections with other packs. We kept this seed as a symbol of our friendship with Crescent Moon. It’s been carefully preserved through the generations.”

Bernard was silent for a long moment, turning the seed over in his hand. So this was the grand plan that Chris had… and I had to say, it was brilliant. I held my breath, hoping this gesture would be the olive branch we needed. Clara and Patricia watched Bernard intently.

Finally, Bernard looked up. His face was unreadable as he placed the seed back in the box and roughly pushed it toward Chris.

“You think I didn’t have seeds saved from that tree?” he said, his voice gruff.

Without another word, he stood up and left the room, leaving the rest of us in stunned silence. The door closed behind him with a soft click that seemed to echo in the quiet room.