Mara and Kim joined them. Lucette smiled at Hannah's reaction who stiffened when her sister sat beside her. Then she pouted at her shifting her gaze to meet her sister's stony stare. They stared at each other for a while, then Hannah retracted her gaze, sighing in defeat.
Funny, Lucette thought.
The four of them talked about various matters, and Kim won the first prize in speaking. Lucette talked a lot but nothing compared to Kim.
At least Kim didn't mention her while blabbering.
"Luna, why aren't you living at the packhouse? Sorry if I'm being direct," Mara suddenly asked her.
That was an unexpected question.
Lucette straiten her poster. "Living here is the best. You know I'm a vampire, and I can't go in the daylight, so the house was more suitable," she answered. She couldn't tell them possibly the alpha threw her here and left. Living here alone was perfect for hiding her identity. She feared when acting like her usual self, people around her would discover her secret.
"If you locked yourself here, then how you will be a true Luna?" Mara asked.
She had a point! Hiding wasn't a solution.
"Sister!" Hannah cried out as she shot her sister an angry look.
Lucette tried to calm the two sisters from arguing over the words Mara said. The first time she saw Hannah angry.
"Excuse me for a second," Mara said as she walked to the door to take a call.
"Don't take my sister's words to your heart. She keeps nagging me to be a better beta, commanding me to follow her steps," Hannah apologized, but her tone was cold. She was still angry.
"Her words make sense," Kim sounded from her side.
"Who asked about your opinion?" Lucette asked, looking at the young vampiress' smug face.
"Cousin, shouldn't you be the one to take control over your territory?" Kim suggested.
Was she advising her? She couldn't tell. Their interaction before always led to misfortune befalling her while Kin would come out untouched.
She was the Luna. The idea of her being the ruler intrigued her, but the same idea sent a chill to her bones. She wanted to prove herself, but didn't it mean having more flaws appearing within her, causing her doom?
"What should I do to prove myself as a Luna?" Lucette asked. She wouldn't chicken out! Playing in a safe zone, that was her aim. Mara came in after making a call. She smiled while Hannah shook her head helplessly.
A few hours later. "How am I looking?" Lucette asked, looking at her beautiful white dress, then her curly hair and her face. Her appearance satisfied her. She was going to meet the women from the pack so, she had to be sure she was looking good.
"Nice," Hannah answered, pursing her lips. Lucette noticed it and asked what was wrong with her attitude.
"I couldn't believe you listened to my sister's words!" she exclaimed.
Lucette tucked her hair behind her ear. "That's because what she said seemed more reliable."
"Reliable? Look, if you care about all the pack's members like your family and treat them with sincerity, they would give you the respect you deserve, not a forceful one."
"That's why I planned this dinner with some of them," Lucette asked. She didn't know what she did wrong. In the vampire kingdom, there were parties for nobles to show their influence and power.
"But you shouldn't do that only for a handful of the pack. All the pack members are equal," Hannah stated.
Lucette turned to face Hannah. "I didn't imply the opposite. The meeting was to know them better."
Hannah opened her mouth, but once the door opened, she didn't talk. Mara came in and complimented both of their dresses. Then they all walked to the garden, in the house's backyard.
Lucette sat on the head chair, looking at the twelve women presented, including Kim, Hannah and her sister. Mara insisted on meeting these women who had a notable role in the pack.
Two elderly women were over one century years old but looked as if they were fifty years old. Hannah told her that werewolves aged slowly. The other woman looked much younger. The doctor's pack was present as well.
"Thank you for accepting my invitation," Lucette said, looking at the reaction of the women who seemed pleased by the dinner.
"We have the honour of being invited by the Luna herself," one elderly woman said, and the other smiled in improvement, except for the woman sitting on her right side, the one with the short black hair who sat with an expressionless face.
Lucette asked for their names, and the women responded. For the woman with short black hair, she didn't speak. The elderly woman introduced her. Athea, a female warrior.
She focused on the woman whose brown eyes looked sharp as they stared at her. The woman at her side nudged her, but she kept looking at her. Lucette smiled and raised a brow proactively.
She looked at the woman's face becoming redder, and then she stood. "Don't think by this invitation, we will accept you and clap at your fake generosity and kindness. You are nothing but an enemy who came here for the sake of peace. How can you be a Luna when the Alpha didn't mark you or even acknowledge you? When the Alpha would find a new mate, he would toss you a—" she shot her words towards Lucette.
"Athea, she is the Luna, have respect—" one woman tried to stop her from speaking.
"She is your Luna, not mine," she interrupted.
Lucette's smile didn't go. She learned this tactic facing the vampiress. When she would punish her, she would smile, and the vampiress would erupt and punish her more, but her smile was there because she didn't want to give Sophie the pleasure of seeing her crying or begging. Lucette's fist balled under the table. She wanted to unleash her anger but not before she would prove herself. That would be her victory.
"Athea, stop!" Hannah ordered that woman who stopped.
Wow, she didn't believe her friend. The sweetest person ever would be this fierce.
"The Luna wanted to do something for the pack, selecting a few members to know more about our lives and traditions. How could you burst out saying nonsense and belittling her? The Alpha King chooses her as the Luna. Do you want to go against his order?"
"No," Athea whispered.
'The wolf turned out to be a cat!' Lucette thought.
"It's good that you know that. And…" Hannah waited for Athea to answer.
"I'm sorry," Athea apologized to Hannah.
"I don't think I'm the one who should you apologize to," Hannah said. The fierce look suited her better, Lucette thought.
"I'm sorry," Athea looked at Lucette, who glanced at her, "What did you say?" then the woman repeated her apology, "My hearing isn't as sharp as yours, so can you repeat once again?"
"I apologize to you," Athea said for the third time while gritting her teeth.
"You don't have to, I like it when people speak their thoughts freely. She did not offend me at all," Lucette chuckled, signalling for them to eat.
The dinner passed silently. After that Lucette went to her room and lay on her bed.
She failed terribly. If not for Hannah, she would just make things worse. One of them stated clearly that the pack did not consider her a Luna. And many others ran away in fright when she passed them.
She needed to think of something big to impress all the pack at once.