"It is good to see you, Alpha Jake and Luna Kelly," Adam stated as he exited the villa and approached them. He did not expect to see Garrett's parents, as they had not visited him since he exiled himself.
"Oh Adam! You look well!" Luna Kelly said it excitedly, causing Adam to smile. He missed her cheery disposition.
"Thank you, Luna. I would love to catch up over coffee; however, you are not permitted to be here without permission," Adam said. He had decided that this conversation needed to be in person versus over the intercom due to how volatile Jack could be when he was denied what he wanted, as well as the fact that he still had respect for them even though he no longer was loyal to them.
"I paid for this villa. I can go where I please," Alpha Jack responded.
"Not here; you can't. This is Alpha Garrett's home. It is my job that his sanctuary remains his sanctuary," Adam countered.
Alpha Jake scoffed and said, "Alpha of what? That boy has no pack."
"Regardless. He is still an Alpha; he is my Alpha," Adam said firmly as Alpha Jack stepped in front of him aggressively. As he had feared, Alpha Jack still held some resentment for swearing his loyalty to his son. It was still a betrayal that cut deep.
Kelly, sensing the mounting tension, intervened to silence the now-growling men on both sides. Kelly put her hand on Alpha Jack's chest and said, "Now, now, you promised you would behave if I allowed you to come along." She pushed him back from Adam. She looked at Adam and said, "I apologize for our intrusion. I am sure you are very busy. Garrett said it was okay if I came to talk to Lily. The young she-wolf obviously never learned the ways of the Luna. My goal is to serve as her mentor."
Adam nodded and remembered that Garrett had mentioned this. Garrett's voice flooded Adam's mind through the pack link. 'Let them through and escort my father to me.'
'As you wish,' Adam responded to Garrett before saying to his parents, "Please come in. Alpha Jack, Alpha Garrett has requested your appearance. Luna Kelly, Lily is going to be out in the garden. Do you remember how to get there?"
"Of course I do. Thank you, Adam. Jake, remember your promise. Keep your temper in check," Luna Kelly stated as she made her way to the garden.
Lily sat at the table, sipping on hot cocoa while reading a book. The afternoon sunlight cast a warm glow on her face. An unfamiliar scent was on the breeze, and Lily looked up from her book to see a woman with flowing auburn hair and sparkling blue eyes.
'I wonder who she is,' Lily thought.
'You don't remember? That is Luna Kelly. She is Garrett's mother,' Dina explained, and then Lily remembered. She barely looked at her during the rejection ceremony.
"Hello Lily. I am happy that we finally get to meet under better circumstances," Luna Kelly said, her excitement palpable.
"Hello Luna. It is good to see you again," Lily responded, dipping her head in respect. "What are you doing here?"
"To speak with you, of course. I thought I would come to help you prepare for your new role as Luna," Luna Kelly explained.
Lily frowned slightly and said, "Well, no. I think you may have me confused with my half sister. Brandy will be Luna, not me."
"Well, that is yet to be determined. Both of my boys have mates. And I will not relinquish my position until I know my successor is worthy of the role," Luna Kelly explained.
"I am an Omega," Lily said.
"And? Why does that matter?" Luna Kelly asked, tilting her head to the side.
"Alpha Jack and my father believe an Omega can't be a Luna," Lily responded.
"And do you believe that?" Luna Kelly asked.
"At first I didn't. But now I am not so sure. With what happened with Daniel, Garrett is training me, but what if it is not enough?" Lily responded.
Luna Kelly chuckled, causing Lily to frown. Why was she laughing at her? Was she not taking her seriously?
"I don't mean to offend you. It is just funny. You have the Luna position all wrong, and it is not your fault," Luna Kelly stated. "It is Luna's responsibility to be the backbone and mother figure for the pack. A Luna keeps her Alpha-level head and provides wise counsel on pack decisions. She is the voice of reason, mercy, and even execution. A Luna needs more mental strength than anything else. If she feels like she is in danger, she can choose to have her own personal Delta and sometimes Beta. So, Lily, it doesn't matter that you're an Omega."
"Then, why the rejection ceremony? Why did Matthew cheat on me?" Lily asked.
"Unfortunately, my youngest son is a fickle idiot, much like my mate. The Moon Goddess set everything in motion, and I truly believe that you were not meant for Matthew, but the only way to get you to Garrett would be through his betrayal," Luna Kelly answered. "You are making him a better man."
Lily blushed, not knowing what to say. She wasn't used to this type of attention and realized how much she craved appreciation from a motherly figure.
'She will need us more than we originally thought. She has been neglected for so long,' Nina, Luna Kelly's wolf, said.
'Yes, it is a shame. We will do what we can to help her. Garrett will have to do the rest,' Luna Kelly responded.
"Then, Luna Kelly, please tutor me. I want to learn. I want to make sure I am the proper Luna for Garrett," Lily said firmly, causing Luna Kelly to smile. "Eventually Garrett may want a pack of his own; I want to be ready for that."
Luna Kelly sat down next to Lily and leaned forward, her voice gentle yet determined. "First and foremost, Lily, remember to stay true to yourself. The Luna role comes with expectations and traditions, but don't lose sight of who you are. We will start slow. You will need to learn the basics before the Wintermoon Celebration. You will need to know how to act amongst the other Lunas."