Chapter 11

Vance's POV 

The next pack meeting is in a few minutes. 

It's where I officially declare Nadia, as my new Luna, the Luna of Moonstone Pack. 

The pack has not come to terms with the loss of Talia. 

It hurts that she had to go like that. I would have wished it some other way, or maybe not at all, but I definitely do not wish it was me instead. 

Pack members have become too sentimental and are beginning to skip meetings. 

Today is the day I set everything straight. Things have to go back to normal. 

Nadia turns in her sleep, reminding me that I am not alone here. 

 "Hey babe,". It's usually the first thing Nadia says to me every morning, I swear I was startled the first morning we woke up together. It's usually me waking up to Talia's soft hum while she's changing out of her nightgown into her fluffy bathroom robe. 

I'm getting used to not waking up to sweet songs or breakfast, or even my Luna's naked body in all its glory. 

 "How are you?" Nadia asks, staring at me. I realized I didn't reply to the first thing she said. 

I take her head into my arms and plant a kiss on her glistening forehead. I'm not sure about anything, not even about her being my Luna, but it feels like the right thing to do. 

 "I'm happy." I say, in response to her still creased face. "Today we become one in Luna's eyes." I do not believe what I'm saying. Thankfully she does. 

It's surprising how I thought that up, more surprising too is that I did not choke on my words. 

 "I'm more than happy." She says, grinning. It's actually very obvious her morning breath blows against my face in her excitement. 

Nadia was never really my choice. I mean, we've had flings, here and there, but we were never for each other. 

However, I don't want to navigate life as the Alpha of Moonstone without a Luna. 

The pack is filled with ambitious wolves, ravenous both as humans and wolves, ready to snatch whatever you leave hanging out and overthrow if need be. 

 "Are you even here with me?" Nadia disrupts my reverie. She gets up off the bed without waiting for an answer and heads to the bathroom. 

I have just my wolf on days like these for company. 

 "Hey wolfie…" 

 "It's 'Alex'. Use proper nouns." He says back. 

Alex could be salty, playfully salty, but he's my day one. 

 "What do you think about Nadia?" It's something I'm putting both of us through, I might as well get his opinion. 

 "That's your problem. I could only speak for Tyla." He sounds flirty, annoying but funnily flirty. 

 *Alright, alright. What do you think about Tyla?" I rephrase my question. 

 "She pretty as fuck, maybe a little bit smart, crafty too I'd say… " I drift off at his mention of 'crafty', "... but I'm not so attracted. I don't feel her as much as I did Kara." I feel bad for not listening to most of what he said, but I think I got enough to validate the strange feeling that is creeping up on me today of all days. 

 "I can't afford to feel any funny way." The good thing about Alex is that he listens. "Today is the day I present her to the pack." 

 "You don't think that's too soon?" He asks. "Kara's body is barely cold."

 "Talia, you mean." I chip in. 

 "Same difference. I'm speaking for me bruh." 

 "Sorry I interrupted." Conversations like this with Alex makes me laugh when people use all sorts of adjectives with me, including but not restricted to "egotistic, proud and dominant." Have you met my wolf? 

 "I think you should chill on Nadia though." Alex says. "I feel she has game up her sleeve, I'm just not certain, but it's your choice to make."

 "I know that." Hearing Alex say this somehow makes me feel stupid, like in the dark or something. "Well be ready for whatever, right?" I think I'm done with Alex for this morning. 

 "Yeah buddy." He says without even considering it. 

 "I'll talk to you whenever."

Phew! Today is gonna be something. 

I'm not exactly nervous, I'm the Alpha and the pack bends and shifts to my whims and caprices, but there's this guttural feeling, things always kinda go wrong when I feel this way. 

The last time I felt like this was watching Nadia go to the bathroom after Talia at the games. What could go wrong? I thought. We had barely left the game when she told me what Talia was up to. 

This time, I'm going to make sure things are in order. I'm not fighting fate, I'm just leading my destiny. 

 "Your food is served, Vance." Tracy snaps me out of my musings. 

 "I'll be down as soon as I can." She turns back right after without uttering another word. "Thank you."

Tracy does a 180° in her tracks and looks at me like she heard wrong. My smile reassures her that I said what she heard. She nods, and gets on her way. 

Why does everything seem so weird? 

Another thing that bothers me is how Tracy doesn't seem to miss Talia. We spent three years in this house together and it kinda seemed like they had something going on for a while. 

It's enough of all the stalling. 

I get ready to head to the bathroom to get started for today. It's gonna be a strictly packed business day, no work. 

 "I could make you wetter…" I tease Nadia as she walks out of the bathroom. She rolls her eyes, I know she's somewhere in between annoyed and humored, so I press on. 

 "I want to be left alone." She says finally, with very little conviction. 

 "It's our freaking wedding, don't be funny." I'm drawing close to her, but she's backing off. Thankfully, there's a wall in sight. 

 "You did not look so excited just a few minutes ago." Nadia throws me an angry stare. 

 "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. Can we start over?" She's up against the wall with my body brushing hers lightly. I'm gradually closing the hair's breadth between us. 

 "What exactly?" I know the game she is playing, I'm familiar with it, and most importantly, I'm up for it. 

 "The morning? What do you think?" I quizzed her in return. 

 "Why do you want today so solemn? There's barely any decorations, none in fact. It does not feel like my big day." The way Nadia sounds, I know it's been something she has been thinking about for a while. "And it's not so befitting of you either." Oh wow! I'm secondary. 

 "What matters is getting married in the presence of Luna and other pack members, none of which requires all the paparazzi you want." I'm drawing gentle strokes on her face. 

 "My satisfaction doesn't?" she queried. 

 "It does. Come on! You know that's not what I meant." She's fighting me off now. With Nadia, it could go from zero to hundred real fast. 

 "Have it however you want to." She walks out on me to her room.

 "But it's our wedding." I called out after her. 

 "Vance, do whatever. I'm going to be in my room, let me know if it's still going to hold, or if your highness changes his mind." Nadia bangs to the door as her footsteps retreat.