Kaene
~~
Work was a headache as usual. But probably not as much of a headache as when I came back to the mansion.
I met Phoebe seething outside, looking like she was about to barge out of the compound before I drove in.
After taunting her on all the reasons why escaping was a bad idea, I fixed my gaze on the mansion when she mentioned her reason for being upset in the first place.
"Mother, we need to talk privately. Now." I blurted as soon as I walked into the dining room.
My mother was drinking a glass of wine ever so innocently like she hadn't tried starting a fire a few minutes ago, while Elsa tried welcoming me with her fake ass smile.
But I hushed the latter, fixing my gaze on my mother until she reluctantly dropped her glass of wine and followed me to a corner.
"This better be important." She sneered, folding her arms in front of her chest.
I placed my hands in front of my face, rubbing them together and trying to calm myself down before I spoke. "What is it I'm hearing about you telling Phoebe she wouldn't be attending the Luna Ball?"
She remained silent, looking away from me like she didn't hear what I just said.
Ugh, if she wasn't my mother I swear to the moon...
"Heck, mother, I'm trying to make an effort to accept this girl but you're ruining everything." I snapped, keeping my tone hushed. "Do you realize what canceling the Luna Ball will do to my reputation? To–"
"Oh, please!" My mother suddenly snapped with a more charged-up tone. "Reputation? That went out the window last night when that maid was brought into this house as the 'Moon's Chosen'. And now you want to confirm to several other packs with this Ball that she's, in fact, your..."
She paused, placing her hand on her mouth. "Dear, Lord, I can't even complete that sentence without wanting to throw up."
I clenched my fists, glaring at my mother and her unnecessarily dramatic display. It seemed there would be no reasoning with her.
"What do you want, mother?" I asked calmly, studying her facial expression.
She scoffed, turning her gaze to me before she spoke. "Easy. If this is the Moon goddess's will, then I suggest you keep Phoebe locked in this mansion while taking Elsa Thatcher out there as your true Luna. No one will have to know. We can just cover it up as a m–"
"Mistake?" I completed her sentence, sniggering to myself. "The Moon goddess doesn't make mistakes, Mother. That's blasphemy."
I watched her eyes twitch before she shut them, taking in a deep breath. "I'm not saying it's a mistake. I'm just saying we have to cover it up to protect our family's name. What are you not understanding from this?!"
At this point, I grew tired and ignored her. "There will be a Luna Ball and Phoebe will be attending it as well as all the planned guests. I don't know what else to say to you mother, but please stop meddling in my life."
Without another word, I walked away from her.
However, to my surprise, she walked past me at a much faster pace, snatching her glass of wine from the dining table before barging out of there.
Good... Now it was time to prepare Phoebe for the Ball.
.
.
The night of the Luna Ball finally arrived after much preparation, with all the guests arriving as planned.
Ever since our last talk, my mother seemed rather calm, even tagging along with me to the venue of the Ball.
"Hmph... And there's your mate." She scoffed when we got down from the car and approached the hall.
I dimmed my eyes, fixing my gaze on the entrance of the hall where Phoebe stood, laughing and shaking hands with... Negan?
"They seem oddly close." My mother remarked with a mocking tone, only adding to the growing suspicion inside me.
Was I being paranoid or was she right for once? Negan did seem quite defensive of Phoebe the other night against Elsa.
Just then, my mother sighed, adjusting her dress. "Let's get this night over with."
She took the lead, stepping forward without uttering another word to me.
I trailed behind her at first until I noticed the laughing between Negan and Phoebe stop and got replaced by the former staring fondly at her.
What games were they playing?
Gritting my teeth, I increased my pace, walking past my mother.
Negan was the first one to notice me, glancing at me with a welcoming smile on his face. Phoebe soon followed, turning to look at me with a flustered expression.
After a brief interaction with Negan, I grabbed Phoebe's hand and led her into the hall.
The dimly lit hall was massive— unnecessarily massive if you ask me. We were only hosting a few high-ranking werewolves, not an entire pack.
Anyway, there were several luxurious tables and chairs arranged at the side surrounding a space reserved for dancing.
There was also a makeshift stage up ahead and the seats reserved for Alphas and Lunas close to the stage.
"So, what were you and Negan laughing about?" I asked curiously, glancing at her from the corner of my eyes as we went to our seats.
Her expression froze at first, some unreadable emotions passing through her eyes before she responded. "Uh, nothing much. We were just joking around about how silly titles are."
Oh?
Negan thought titles were 'silly', huh?
"Uh, Kaene?" Phoebe suddenly tapped me lightly on the shoulder, drawing me back to reality. "You're squeezing my hand."
My gaze went to our interlocked hands and I realized that I was indeed using too much strength to hold on to her.
I loosened my grip, not saying anything as we finally got to our seats where her maids were waiting behind.
They seemed to be talking about something before they noticed our arrival, bowing their heads with nervous expressions when Phoebe and I took our seats.
No good gossipers.
"If you may all be seated, the Ball is about to commence." Elder Gita, who'd mounted the stage, spoke into a microphone, wearing her usual flowy white gown.
Finally...