It was their instinct to give their Luna the best treatment and protection. But they also shouldn't be too close to her, as their Alpha might actually kill them if they dared to overstep their boundaries.
Thus, Andrew kept his mouth shut, silently watching the interaction between their youngest member, Marc, and their Alpha's mate, Celine, ready to step in and stop them if they got too intimate.
Celine chuckled as she was at ease without Calhoun around. She immediately became friendly towards Marc and Andrew, especially Marc, who was joyful and active.
"Well, I was born and raised with my sister in a suburb of Sacramento. I graduated with honors from California State University and then got a well-paying job in Los Angeles as an accountant," Celine highlighted a few important parts of her life, though still hiding a few secrets, such as her parents' divorce.
She also hid the fact that she had to take care of her drug-addicted mother. It was taboo for her, as she didn't want anyone to know that she grew up in a shitty household.
"I sent money to my sister in Sacramento while she was studying at University. I thought she would come with me to Los Angeles after graduation, but she suddenly wanted to move out after a bad breakup and ended up in Helen's Creek, working as a barmaid," Celine said. Her smile began to falter as she talked about Monica. "And now I'm here, trying to find my sister after she disappeared three months ago…"
Celine lowered her head as she suddenly lost her joy, knowing Monica was still out there, suffering without her protection.
Marc felt obliged to appease his Luna, wanting her to know the truth. But Andrew glared at him, shaking his head as a warning before he made a terrible mistake that might cost his life.
Thus, Marc could only suppress his desire to help by saying, "Ah, I remember that I have an assignment. I'll go to my room now."
After Marc returned to his room, there was only Celine and Andrew left.
"Well, you should eat the risotto before it gets cold, Miss," Andrew said. "I'm going to stand guard outside. You're not allowed to leave until Calhoun returns. So tell me if you need anything."
Celine knew that she couldn't just leave right now, since the only way to find Monica was through Calhoun. So, rather than struggling to run away for no reason, she tried to adapt to her current situation and waited for a way to reach Monica closer.
So she said, "I need my suitcase. It's inside my car, not far from the mansion."
"Okay, I will tow the car here. Just eat your risotto first and come out after you're done," Andrew said before leaving.
Celine ate the delicious risotto and relished the taste. It had been a while since she had a good meal.
She lost her appetite for three months because she kept thinking about Monica's fate. She might sound obsessive, but her sister was truly the only person she cared about in this world.
But now that she got a glimpse of hope from Calhoun, she desperately clung to it.
As long as Monica was still alive, she could push through anything.
Celine finished the risotto, drank a glass of water, and left the mansion through the front door.
She saw Andrew towing the car by literally dragging it with one hand through the mansion's driveway. He didn't seem to break a sweat and complained as he carefully put the car down, "I think you need a new car, Miss. This is a bit too old for someone as important as you."
Celine chuckled, "First, I'm not important. Second, this car has been with me for five years. I'm not going to discard it for no reason!"
Celine unlocked the door with the car key, grabbed all her belongings from the backseat, and opened the car trunk to take out her suitcase.
Andrew helped her by carrying the suitcase inside. He headed towards Calhoun's room to put the suitcase in, but Celine stopped him. "Wait, why did you put my suitcase there? That's Calhoun's room, right?"
"Ah?" Andrew looked confused. "Indeed, this is Calhoun's room. But he is your mate. You two should live in the same room for easy procreation."
Celine's cheeks turned tomato red instantly, "T—There is no procreation or something else between us. I'm here to find my sister, not make babies with him. Please give me another room in this mansion. Surely there are other empty rooms, right?"
"We do, but… are you sure Calhoun will be happy about this?" Andrew asked hesitantly. "Usually, an Alpha would want to stay close to his mate. Sometimes, they can't be separated at all—if you know what I mean."
"Oh, don't worry, he doesn't care about me that way," Celine said, thinking of how Calhoun had rejected her advances.
Somehow, she still felt bitter about the rejection, even though she should've been happy that Calhoun had no interest in her body.
"Well, if you think so, Miss. Don't point your finger at me if Calhoun got angry because of this," Andrew said, shrugging as he walked across the foyer toward the door beside the fireplace.
He swung the door open, placing the suitcase inside and giving the room a quick dust-off. "Alright, everything's clean and working. Please make yourself at home," he chuckled. "Who am I kidding? This is your home now. Have a good rest, Miss Seymour."