CHAPTER 6

**Cassie’s POV**

I am currently in our kitchen. I'm making cookies for a light breakfast. I must also prepare because this is the day we have been looking forward to. Today is the Moonlight Festival. Though I am aware that this day will be different from others. 

I received a message from our current alpha, informing me that they will send the dress I need to wear tonight in order to introduce me to the soon-to-be Luna. I'm concerned about it. I am impervious to certain criticism since many people, both human and nonhuman, despise me for reasons I do not understand. The majority of them are female.

I mean, I understand why people despise me. That could be because I'm so close to Kaiden. I can understand their rage at times. I'm not going to pretend to be innocent here. I used to wish I could grip the neck of one of the girls he used to date. Because I was envious of them. But, returning to my work, someone gets to hug me behind my back, and I smell the familiar aroma that I adore. It's his aroma that makes me think of him.

"Smells nice," he said quickly as I took the cookies out of the oven.

“Really?” I questioned him again, even though the answer was obvious.

"Hmm yeah, let me take a bite," he responded, grabbing a cookie and shoveling it into his lips. But he also realizes that the cookie just came out of the oven.

"Aww!" he shouted, pushing his tongue out to relieve the pain.

I'm laughing so hard right now since that is the result of his eating so quickly. He's a real thief.

"You know that was hot and you shoved it straight from your mouth," I said matter-of-factly as I poured cold water into his glass.

"You are hotter, bomb and fire," he teased.

I break his head, but it doesn't mean he's my friend, and as the alpha of this pack, he'll be able to tease me like that. Everyone, not with my rules.

"Aww, you're so violent!" "Do you intend to convert me as your battered husband?" He said this while acting with puppy eyes. Despite the fact that he is the alpha wolf.

"You know what, you can eat broccoli too for the rest of your life," I cautioned him.

He has a terrified expression on his face as he looks at me, and said, "Ah, let us change the subject."

I also described what transpired on the night of my vengeance on my family. He burst out laughing when he heard their reaction to my brilliant plan.

"I will make a mental note not to irritate you in the future," he sighed.

"You made a good decision, my mate," I told him, and we both laughed.

Kaiden chose to go since he needed to assist with the next festival. They must scout our area to ensure the protection of our people. We are aware of a growing number of rogues on our domain. Several of our pack mates were hurt.

Not all werewolves can protect themselves from the impending threat, especially if a renegade battle breaks out. So, to the greatest extent feasible, we are mitigating any potential territorial dispute and destroying those monsters, I mean those bloodthirsty rogues.

I came upon a handful of them. I also trained to be a pack fighter in order to protect myself. I despise the thought of someone protecting me, especially if I can protect myself without the assistance of others. I prepared myself, emotionally and mentally, for the event tonight after feeding the lads, and they had to do the customary reconnaissance.

Someone has knocked on our front door, and I am currently alone because Dad is outdoors doing something. I made it right to the door and found Mr. Tucker, our alpha's current Beta, holding a nicely wrapped box. That may be the dress that the Clarks sent me.

"Hi, Mr. Tucker!" I couldn't stop myself from squealing with delight. I am completely overjoyed.

"Good morning, Cassie. This is intended for you. This dress will undoubtedly fit you perfectly. You are just as lovely as everyone says. "I haven't seen you in years," he explained. I recall him being dispatched to the other pack's territory for diplomatic purposes.

"I'm glad you came back," I told him. I recall how he taught me how to be a pack soldier.

He taught me many combat postures and techniques. He laughed. This aging man is still in his prime. I learned that his wife had died. I hope he is still content. I've heard that losing a mate is the most frightening nightmare that any werewolf can have.  It describes anguish that cannot be simple to bear. Like a never-ending burning, like the soul crushing into nothingness. According to what I've heard, most of them commit suicide or die as a result of loneliness and unhappiness. Our spouse is the best gift we've ever received. It was like a present from our Luna that we should treasure because they are our other half. We have a similar bond.

"Yeah, I'm back, but I think it's too late," he remarked, his eyes a little melancholy. He's smiling to mask the anguish he's in.

To console this old man, I embrace him in a hug. He is more than simply a teacher to me. He, too, became a buddy. I recall telling him how much I adore Kaiden and why fate is so cruel and against me at the time. Because all I want is to be happy, but I am constantly reminded that it is not always the suffering that make us happy.  I recall him telling me that I would do well. I can do better, and if I wait patiently, a miracle may occur. And herein lies my miracle.

"She's in good hands; Annie is now in our goddess' paradise. She'll live there happily," I assured him. He is in excruciating discomfort. I can see it in his eyes. Losing a friend is no laughing matter.

A tear fell from his eye. "I hope so, and I know she'll be waiting for me there," he responded firmly.

"But we still need you now." A wise and courageous man. If Luna decides to take you, I'm sure you'll see Annie again and do some mating there," I said, and he chuckled.

"I appreciate you soothing me. I recall that I am the one who constantly consoles you. Because the young master was continuously breaking your heart. And now miracles do occur. He is now your partner, and I am delighted that both of the wonderful young children I witnessed in my younger days have found happiness."

"Thank you for your words of encouragement!" If it wasn't for you, I would have given up that moment."

He smiled at me and said something to me that I will remember for the rest of my life. "Keep this in mind, Cassie: you will be a kind, strong, brave Luna of this lack who will lead this territory to prosperity."

"You are just the sweetest!" I burst out laughing.

"I am always the sweetest."

"I will agree to that," I told him.

He also bit his farewell to me. He still needs to talk to the alpha about the growing number of rogues. This is concerning because the last renegade war occurred 100 years ago. That was a violent war, and the four largest and most powerful packs had to sacrifice several warriors to bring it to an end. I shut the door and walked directly to our living room sofa. I gulped as I unwrapped the box slowly. However, because I am a naturally impatient woman, I ended up breaking the box and grabbing what was inside.

A lovely white gown with blue accents at the hem. It appears to be something that will glow in the dark when worn in the evening. There's also a lovely pair of sandals. This is stunning! My concerned sentiments about the forthcoming event this evening shift. Now I'm overjoyed and overjoyed. Everything will change for me starting tonight. From now on, I shall be on his side.

NIGHT came so quickly that I can't believe it.  If this event can be postponed, I will beg to postpone the announcement of the Blue Moon Pack's soon-to-be alpha and Luna. But I have to accept that this is a now-or-never situation. I know I should quit overthinking things right now. I can't doubt myself because if I do, I might be disappointed in him as well. That is the last thing on my mind.

Kaiden had waited far too long to be titled as the aloha. It is his destiny, and his ambition is to take up this enormous burden with his Luna. I shall be his light now that he has discovered me. I will assist him in every manner that I am able. I will remove the darkness and heal every anguish, and I will bear the weight if he is unable to do so. I looked up at the black sky and saw an infinite number of stars. The moon shines brightly in every region of the sky, and not a single cloud can dim it.  It is the month of Luna, and today is the day to honor her.

My brothers are now in serious mode and accompanying me to the location. With lanterns and decorations, the entire pack territory exudes festival emotions. We are now in the midst of a massive throng, with a stage in the center to introduce the alpha's family. I observed our current alpha's magnificent stature. He still has the appearance of someone who can frighten anyone with a single gaze, but he is a kind, caring, and modest alpha. We are fortunate to have him. And I know his son is exactly like him.

"Tonight is a special night," began the alpha's statement.

"I am aware that there are lingering issues on our territory. My leadership is not flawless, but I tried my best, and we can still maintain the wealth and peace that we want. And I know that sooner or later, I will step down from my position and hand it over to my eldest son, Kaiden. Fortunately, he had already found his mate.  My son is indeed lucky, just like me," the alpha joked. “I am delighted to introduce you to Cassie Anderson, the brave and soon-to-be Luna of this pack."

The crowd parted in half to allow me to pass. Because I am terrified, I walk as fast as I can without staring them in the eyes. Nobody applauded, and I'm not sure what to think at this point. I'm simply trying hard not to cry. Because I will never provide them with the satisfaction they want. But the alpha's family, the Clarks, clasped their hands and smiled.

 I am delighted when the audience began to applaud. Soon, I'll show them that I'm worthy of being the pack's Luna. I'll put in my effort, and I'll fulfill my role as Kaiden's soon-to-be wife. I will never go out of my way to disappoint him.

Tucker extends his hand to shake mine, a smile on his lips.

“Congratulations! This pack will undoubtedly fall into the right hand. You deserve it, and let us prove it to you."

I am extremely grateful that people like him believe in me and my ability. Perhaps the other members of the pack see me as nothing more than a pretty face, and some of them still doubted me. But I will tell them that they are all mistaken.

Kaiden walks over to me and hugs me hard.

"I am really proud of you, and I am glad we were able to finally introduce you. Let us both demonstrate our worth to them. They are experiencing deja vu, according to my father. Others appear to doubt them, but he shows them incorrect."

"Let us do the same! We can do it!"

"Yes, we can do this."

And when he kissed me in front of many of our pack members, I felt at ease.   I felt a rush of excitement as he took my hand and led me out into the clearing. We were surrounded by the rest of the pack, all of them watching us with curious and excited expressions. 

As we stood there, my heart racing with anticipation, he turned to me and took me into his arms. And then he kissed me, right there in front of everyone. It was a simple gesture, but it meant the world to me. I felt a surge of love and affection, knowing that he was willing to show his affection for me in front of the entire pack.

The other wolves cheered and hollered, their approval ringing through the clearing. I felt a sense of belonging, of being part of something bigger than myself. As we pulled away from the kiss, he looked at me with a smile, his eyes sparkling with love.

"I love you," he whispered, and I knew that he meant it.

From that moment on, I knew that we were meant to be together. And I felt grateful to be a part of the pack, surrounded by a community of wolves who supported and loved us both. Suddenly, I felt a jolt of fear as I sensed the explosion from the other region. It was a feeling that I had felt before, and one that always filled me with dread and anxiety.

As a gifted individual, I had the ability to sense trouble from a distance. And this time, the feeling was intense and overwhelming. I immediately got up from my chair and headed to the window, trying to get a better view of the region. In the distance, I could see a plume of smoke rising into the air, and my heart sank.

I knew that I had to act fast. I grabbed my phone and started calling my friends and colleagues, hoping to get more information about what had happened. As the news started to come in, I felt a sense of panic and despair. There had been a massive explosion in the nearby city, and it had caused widespread damage and destruction.

I knew that I had to do something to help!  So I transformed into my werewolf form as quickly as I could. It's a massive light brown wolf with a strong odor of blood.

"What are you up to? Go and evacuate, it's not safe here," Kaiden advised through telepathy. We were both in werewolf mode.

"I can handle it. Remember? I joined a special unit of elite pack warriors 5 months ago."

“Don’t be stubborn, Cassie!”

“Let’s argue about this next time,” I told him, and he could only snort when I took the lead in going to the site that exploded.

As I arrived at the site of the explosion, I was met with chaos and devastation. The air was thick with smoke and dust, and people were running in every direction, trying to escape the wreckage. I used my abilities to help locate survivors and guide rescue teams to those in need. It was a difficult and emotional task, but I knew that it was my duty to help in any way that I could.

“Kaiden…,” I mumbled my mate’s name as soon as I realized what was going on.