Chapter 8
"She had blue skin, And so did he. He kept it hid And so did she. They searched for blue, Their whole life through. Then passed right by– And never knew." —Masks by Shel Silverstein
Rose’s POV
“Now, Rose,” Josie instructed me as we sat cross-legged on the floor of the Moon Goddess temple.
It was small, nestled deep within pack territory.
The scent of burning incense lingered in the air, curling around us in lazy tendrils.
Ancient carvings were etched into the gray stone walls, whispering of the past. In front of us lay an open book, its words written in a language long lost to man.
Josie’s gaze was steady as she spoke. “You know that I can no longer tap into my latent power of conversing with the elders because my mate, the alpha, has died. My son is now the new alpha, and since you are his mate, that responsibility falls on your shoulders.”
Her eyes flicked to my upper left arm, where the dark red phoenix-shaped birthmark stood out starkly against my pale skin. “Can you tell me what happens if the current alpha is overthrown by a new alpha?”
I took a slow breath, reciting from memory.
“If an alpha is challenged and defeated, the old mate bond breaks. The new luna is always the mate of the victorious alpha. Mates are gifts from the Moon Goddess, but she set different rules for our pack because our ancestors were among the first werewolves to walk the Earth. The mark on my arm signifies that I am the most fit to be luna. The luna of the Bloodfire Phoenix Pack is always a female born on this land, chosen by the ancestors who have passed on.”
Josie nodded approvingly. “What other qualities does a good luna possess?”
I hesitated before answering, my voice softer this time.
“The ability to calm her alpha and make him see reason when he’s being irrational.
She must protect the women and children of the pack if her alpha is out in battle.
She has to be willing to risk her life for any member of her pack.
That is the responsibility of a good luna. ”
“Good job, Rose!” Josie beamed. “But you forgot one thing—the luna is also the most fertile she-wolf in the pack so that she can give the alpha lots of pups.”
My face heated instantly. I had not forgotten, I just hadn’t thought it important.
Josie snickered at my embarrassment. “Oh, Rose. As animalistic as it sounds, and as much as I’d like to say brains over beauty, we are still primal beings at our core.
Mating is instinctual. Males are always drawn to the most fertile females of the lot.
Look at glow worms—the males always go for the ones that glow the brightest.”
I frowned. “We’re not worms, Josie. We’re humans who just happen to shift into wolves.”
Josie waved a dismissive hand, unconcerned.
“Fine. Then take birds and peacocks—the females choose the most brightly colored males so their offspring inherit the strongest traits. It’s the same with wolves.
The alpha will mate with the strongest female of the pack.
In our case, that means the one with the power to help the pack survive.
And to ensure the mating process, nature has gifted the future lunas of our pack with strong, fertile genes and,” —she smirked, eyeing my bust line— “the assets needed to turn their men on.”
I shifted uncomfortably. Ever since my turn neared, my body had developed more…
womanly curves. But I wasn’t graceful or striking like the other she-wolves.
I was short and soft, with love handles and thick thighs that stubbornly refused to disappear.
There was no way Alpha Aiden would ever be attracted to me. No one would.
Even this morning, I just sat in my car, inhaling his lingering scent and reliving the memory of his kiss, knowing it was foolish.
“The stronger your wolves become, the stronger the mate pull gets,” Josie mused, giving me a knowing wink. “Besides, from what I heard, my son rather liked what he saw last night.”
I stiffened. “What you heard?” I repeated, my voice sharper than I intended. My stomach twisted. Had Aiden told her about the kiss?
The urge to disappear into the floor had never been stronger as Josie watched my reaction with an assessing gaze.
“Jake called me last night,” she explained. “Told me Aiden announced to the entire diner that you were his mate.”
I exhaled in relief. So that was what she meant.
Josie arched a brow. “I know my nephew is attending the university nearby. Who do you think recommended he apply here?”
I blinked. “Jake?” My shoulders sagged. “Oh.”
Josie’s expression sharpened. “Did something else happen last night?” Her voice was neutral, but I knew better.
I shook my head quickly. Too quickly. “It was embarrassing, that’s all. I think it was just his wolf instinct taking over. It wasn’t really Aiden speaking.”
I had to believe that. Because no matter what his wolf wanted, Aiden—the man—wanted to be with Lexia.
Josie studied me for a moment but didn’t push.
“Alright,” she said lightly. “Next, let’s go over the chants and incantations a luna can use to invoke our ancestors.”
The rest of the day passed in a blur. Josie’s teachings deepened my understanding of our pack, and I found myself appreciating our traditions more.
Our pack name wasn’t just symbolic—the elders who passed on were reborn as spirits, guiding us from the other side.
Only the most loyal and high-ranking pack members became our spiritual guides.
It was a cycle, much like the rebirth of a phoenix.
By the time we walked back to the alpha residence, I was exhausted. My stomach rumbled in anticipation of dinner, but my steps faltered as we neared the mansion.
“I…maybe I should just go home,” I said hesitantly.
“Nonsense.” Josie swatted my arm like I was being ridiculous.
I chewed my lip. “Alpha Aiden is back. You probably want some alone time with your son.”
Josie gave me a knowing look. “We had our alone time last night and this morning. Rose, he lives here. It’s not like your presence will interfere. Besides, you’re practically family already!”
I stared at her, startled. Family already?
Did she still believe Aiden and I would mate?
Josie must have noticed my expression because she quickly added, “I mean, we’re all so familiar with you. Having dinner together is normal for us.”
I wasn’t sure I believed her.
She grinned. “And besides, Lorraine made spaghetti and meatballs. You love her homemade tomato sauce.”
I sighed, glancing toward the mansion again. My heart pounded at the thought of seeing Aiden, but it was unavoidable.
Resigned, I followed Josie inside.
Lorraine was an omega wolf and the cook for Josie’s household.
Traditionally, a luna was too busy with pack responsibilities to cook, so preparing meals for the family usually fell to a hired omega.
A few times a week, though, Josie would give Lorraine the day off, leaving everyone to fend for themselves with leftovers—or suffer through Josie’s cooking.
No one looked forward to Josie’s cooking.
Her children had long since learned that their mother simply lacked the ability to make anything remotely edible.
Tony, the pack beta, told me that when Alpha Austin had been alive, he’d dutifully chewed through her unappetizing concoctions out of pure love, all while giving his children stern looks and whispered promises of a late-night pizza run if they managed a few bites.
Now that he was gone, the children were far more vocal about their distaste.
I had stepped in a few times, whipping something up in the kitchen, and all four of Aiden’s younger brothers had loved it. But Tanya, the youngest at just six years old, was a different story altogether. She was an extremely picky eater, surviving mostly on chocolate.
Tanya was an adorable little girl with black curly hair always tied into two bouncy ponytails. Her deep blue eyes crinkled at the corners when she smiled.
Then there was Bradley, twelve years old and perpetually hungry. No matter how much he ate, he never seemed to gain weight, always managing to stay lean and fit. Kyle, thirteen, was the troublemaker of the bunch. He was always looking for the next adventure, often getting into scraps.
Dylan, at seventeen, was different. He was quiet, introspective, and had a deep love for books. He was brilliant at math and had known from an early age that he wanted to become an accountant.
And then there was Anthony—Tony for short. He was only a year younger than Aiden. We had gone to high school together. He was a ladies man. A total player. But he was kind and sweet, always ready to lend a helping hand.
Growing up without any siblings of my own, being part of such a large, lively family made me happy. I loved the constant motion in the house, the way life buzzed around me. To me, this was what a home should feel like.
Josie often joked that once Aiden got married, she and the younger kids would be kicked out to make room for his brood. Aiden would always respond with a casual, “Lexia doesn’t want a lot of kids".
I admired Aiden for respecting Lexia’s wishes. He was strong enough to fight that primal urge of every alpha to have as many pups as possible.
Perhaps that’s why he was able to fight the mate bond as well.
My pulse quickened at the mere thought of sitting across from him at dinner.
Tony was standing in the foyer, making a beeline for the dining room. He stopped though when his eyes fell on me.
“What’s up, Rosie?” Tony greeted, ruffling my hair affectionately. “I see I arrived just in time for dinner.”
Tony had, instead of opting for the beta residences closer to here, built a three-bedroom cottage on the perimeter of pack territory, right before the woods started.
“Not much,” I said, smoothing my hair back into place. “How does it feel to be relieved of your additional alpha duties?”
Tony let out an exaggerated sigh. “Finally, I can sleep peacefully again. I love my pack, but there’s a reason Aiden was born first. The Moon Goddess knew I wasn’t meant for all that responsibility.”
“You did a wonderful job,” I argued as we made our way toward the dining room.
The scent of homemade spaghetti filled the house, making my stomach grumble in anticipation.
A gruff voice from the stairs shattered the warm atmosphere, making me freeze in the doorframe that led into the dining room.
“What’s she doing here?”
My stomach dropped.
Aiden stood at the top of the stairs, shirtless.