Chapter 48 #2
“Nadia, about the Luna ceremony. Have you thought about it?” I broke the silence. I’ve been thinking about this after the calls I made. Maybe if we could finally have her as my Luna and my official mate through the union, I wouldn’t be bothered anymore by Benedict’s presence.
“I’ve been here not even a month yet. Is it important to have it right away?” She asked in a low voice, and my heart dropped. She was still not ready for it.
“No. I was just wondering why you’re holding off.”
“I just don’t feel that I am ready to be a Luna just yet. Give me a little more time, Riley.”
Her words keep ringing in my head. I wanted to understand her, but a part of me felt that she didn’t want to be officially a part of me. But I didn’t voice my concern. Maybe she just really needed time to get used to everything.
So I tried my best to shove off any bad thoughts running in my head, especially the one telling me that she didn’t want to stay here for good.
“Do you want more?” Nadia asked, snapping me out of my thoughts, and my eyes darted to her, meeting her dark brown eyes before I lowered my gaze to my plate. I didn’t even notice she had been placing food on my plate.
“More…” I smiled at her and she obliged, placing more meat on my plate before covering it with sauce.
“Thank you,” I told her in a low voice, and she just smiled back at me before placing food on her plate.
Lady Katarina and Lady Sofia stayed for dinner, but my Gamma couple were not with us since it was Gamma Sebastian’s mother’s birthday.
“Riley, we were wondering if you had an idea about Katarina’s Claiming?”
My eyes squinted as I stared at Nadia, forcing the meat into my mouth as I waited for her to continue.
“What do you know about it?” She asked.
I shrugged my shoulders and answered nonchalantly, “Aeon will claim Katarina on the next Claiming. That’s all I know.”
“Is there a way out?”
“I seriously have no idea. I never dwell on the Claiming so I’m no use when it comes to that.”
“Why? You’re an Alpha. You didn’t even think of attending a Claiming just in case you ended up not having a mate or a Luna?”
“No. I never considered Alpha Females.”
“And why?” Three mouths blurted out the same question, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“I don’t think I need to explain, but I will explain to you later.” I winked at Nadia before darting my eyes to the other females around the dining table. “You both don’t need to know about it.”
My Beta butted in and asked Katarina a question. “Are you having second thoughts, Lady Katarina?”
“I never wanted to.”
“Do you think you can help her?” Nadia asked me, and I felt useless because I knew I couldn’t.
I shook my head, my lips pursing into a thin line. “I can’t. This is between Katarina and Darvin. And Aeon. I don’t meddle with family affairs, especially of another Alpha.”
“Maybe your Beta can claim me, just for a show,” Katarina said, her eyes went to my Beta and my Beta’s mouth just dropped open.
I swallowed. Caspian wasn’t lying when he told me Katarina came to him to ask if he could claim her and I mistook them for having an affair. She really wanted out of this Claiming with Aeon.
“Him?” Sofia asked, snapping me from my thoughts. Her eyes widened as if she was too surprised. I just watched her forehead crease before her fork pointed at my Beta. “He has a girlfriend. You can’t just take someone’s boyfriend and claim it as yours.”
“Sofia!” Katarina exclaimed in a hushed tone. “Don’t point your fork at someone. Where are your manners?”
I laughed while my finger was moving in circles on my mate’s thigh under the table. “My Beta doesn’t have a girlfriend.”
“He told me he has,” Sofia answered, her brows furrowing.
“It was a joke. I didn’t know you couldn’t tell a joke from a real one.” Dominic added, snickering in his seat.
“I’m finally convinced you’re a terrible person.” Sofia sneered, and I just shook my head at their exchange, my eyes staring at Nadia, who seemed to be amazed looking at them.
“Ouch! That was straight to the heart.”
“Alpha Riley, did you know that the first time I met Beta Dominic, he told me he was Alpha Jacob? And I believed him. You should reconsider him for a Beta post. I think he’s just making up stories with everything.”
“Well, that’s interesting. I thought I knew my Beta well. I didn’t know he lies a lot.” I answered in a calm tone, but I was doing my best not to laugh because I might offend Sofia.
“Oh, he does. And Katarina, please, choose someone else. I don’t think the Beta can make you happy.”
“That’s already below the belt.” My Beta replied, a playful smile plastered on his lips. I was under the impression that he enjoyed riling up Sofia’s anger.
“I’m desperate. I don’t know how to tell Darvin I don’t want this without putting him in a bad light.” Katarina said.
“Yeah, and then I’m next.” Sofia added.
“You too?” Nadia asked.
“Yes, but I hope at least Darvin will give me a chance to choose who will claim me because I’m not going on a blind Claiming. I will run away.”
“Call me. I’ll pick you up.” Dominic butted in.
“You’ll help me?”
“If my Alpha allows me.”
“Then I guess it’s a no.”
“Is there really no way out of this?” Nadia’s question took my attention away from Dominic and Sofia.
“I have no idea what agreement they had with Aeon’s pack, so I can’t really tell,” I answered my mate before shifting my eyes to Katarina. “But if anything, Aeon is a good man. Maybe give him a chance, get to know him.”
“Well, that’s the problem. I’ve been betrothed to this Alpha for more than six months now, but I haven’t seen him even once. It’s either he looks scary or he’s not interested in me.”
“I reckoned it was the latter,” Sofia said in a nonchalant manner. “Because I’ve heard from my friends that he’s good-looking, as in hot, hot!”
“When are you turning eighteen?” Dominic asked her.
“Eight months from now. And why should I expect a gift from you?”
He chuckled. “Too bad, I’m thinking since it looks like you’re smitten by Alpha Aeon, maybe you can take Lady Katarina’s place in the Claiming but then you’re not yet eighteen by then...”
My brow raised as I listened to my Beta. He made it sound like he was teasing the young female, but I could sense the annoyance in his voice. I felt there was more than what he was trying to show.