Chapter Three

"I need to make sure the new floral arrangements are going to be here by three pm tomorrow. The event is at six pm, and we need time to set up."

"Yes Mrs. Hunt, they'll be there well before then."

"Good." I hung up my phone, sliding it back into my pocket and resuming what I had been doing before the florist for May's pack swearing in ceremony had called to tell me they were out of the Rafflesias I'd ordered.

"Can you flip the switch on these lights?" I ask the pack member who has been assisting me today. Her name was Ana, she helped maintain the landscape around the area, but was pulled away from her normal duties to help set up for what is apparently set to be a large event.

We were using our pack's meeting hall, which had been cleared of the folding chairs and water coolers lining the walls.

Now, there was a temporary stage set up in the front of the room, sitting at about six feet high above the ground, and with lights hanging across the top. I had gotten nicer chairs, with padding on the seats and white in color, to line up in straight rows for people. I'd had to get an extra fifty, for outsiders who were set to join us tomorrow.

I watch from the ground as Ana bends down by the stage and does as I ask. I jump a little when a bunch of the bulbs turn on for a second, then start popping and blowing up. 

"Shit." I mutter under my breath when the entire room goes dark and I hear an explosion outside. We must have overloaded the circuits.

"I'm so sorry, Luna." My eyes adjust to the dark after a second, and I approach Ana. I can hear people who had been helping set up the room with us asking what happened.

"It isn't your fault. But I think we may have just messed up power for the whole pack, so we need to get this fixed. Can you go get Andrew? He's off duty right now so he should be in his room." Andrew was kind of like the pack's electrician.

"Right away." Ana nods and quickly turns around to rush off.

I sigh a little and jump up so I can sit on the edge of the stage until Ana returns. 

Fifteen minutes later, Ana comes running back into the very dark meeting hall, a slightly disheveled and sleepy looking Andrew in tow.

"Sorry to disrupt you." I say to Andrew once I've jumped off the stage to greet them. He shakes his head quickly.

"This is my job, to make sure our pack has power. Let me look at how you've got this stage rigged up and I'll see if something got overloaded." I nod, moving aside so he can crouch beside where Ana has turned the lights on before.

"Uhm... Luna?" I turn and smile a little at Ana. "I just... wanted to ask. You and the Alpha, you're doing okay?"

"What do you mean?" I furrow my brow a little.

"Well I just... I don't mean to gossip." She blushes a little and I raise a brow at her. "But when I was waiting for Andrew outside his room, I happened to see the Alpha going into another pack member's room."

Another pack member's room, huh? 

I never knew him to ever even go see where the regular members lived. I was always the one to make sure they had everything they needed and that the living quarters were up and working correctly. I wasn't even sure he knew what the inside of a regular pack members room looked like.

"Do you know whose room it was?" I swallow a little, trying to calm my heart rate.

"Yes... it was May's."

"Oh, they're just friends." I give her a too big smile, and quickly brush past, leaving her stammering and asking me to wait.

They were just friends. 

There was no way Killian would betray me.

Even though my mind is in turmoil, I keep trying to convince myself that it was all just a misunderstanding and bury myself in work to numb the pain. 

The stifling heat of the torrid afternoon slowly rolls away at the approaching touch of a cool midnight summer. I'm lying in bed alone, fighting back tears and telling myself it's going to be alright. Killian didn't show himself to me the entire night until I got up and put on my makeup the next day.

My ears perk a little at the sound of the front door opening and closing. Footsteps quickly approach where I am in our bathroom, carefully lining my eyelids with liner. 

"Killian?" I call when I hear the steps coming even closer. They falter for a second, then resume.

I smile at my husband when he comes through the door a few seconds later, but it falls quickly when I see his tight one in return. 

"I need to take a shower. I have to get ready for tonight." I nod a little, turning back to looking at my eyes in the mirror. He hesitates for a second, and I turn back to him.

"What's wrong?" I watch his gaze fall to my neck, which is exposed currently from the hair clip holding my hair out of my face. His eyes linger on the right side, where the mate mark he gave me on our wedding night lives.

"Nothing." His lips curl in disdain, shaking his head and peeling his shirt off over his head. He pulls the shower curtain back, turning the hot water on and keeping his back to me. I return to drawing on my eyes, completely aware of the hesitation my husband is displaying in undressing in front of me.

When he finally sighs in frustration and takes the remainder of his clothes off to stomp into the shower, I have to stop drawing my eye liner on.

My hands are shaking. 

I don't know what's wrong with us lately, but I have to get Killian and I back on track.

"Luna, you look beautiful tonight." I smile warmly at a pack member who compliments me as I walk through the crowd to get to the stage. I had tried extra hard to look nice this evening. I was wearing a black dress that hugged my body nicely, and even put myself through the torture of wearing heels. My makeup was done perfectly, and I had pinned my hair up to show off the mark and declare ownership to Killian.

"Thank you! Feel free to start taking your seats, we'll be starting shortly." They nod and quickly turn to start telling the people around them to sit, and by the time I've walked up the stairs to stand on the stage, the entire pack is already sitting down. The only ones standing are the ones holding giant cameras, all pointed directly at the stage. I wonder if they're rolling already.

"Welcome." I say once I'm front and center on the stage. I smile at the crowd before continuing. "Tonight is a special night, because for the first time in a long time, we are welcoming a new pack member. Please welcome, May Durand, our soon to be newest member." I smile and step to the side a little, holding my arms out in a sweeping motion as May comes onto the stage.

I blink a little at the dress she's wearing, a white one covered in shiny pearl colored sequins. Her makeup was soft and light, unlike my own, which was bold and dark.

We were kind of like opposites, to be honest. 

"Thank you, Luna." She says once she's stopped in front of me. I watch her carefully as she bows a little, her eyes never leaving mine. "I'm honored to be welcomed to this pack by you." She smiles sweetly at me once she's stood up again.

"And thank you, for taking time out of your days, to celebrate my day." I keep the fake smile on my face as I watch May turn and start addressing the crowd. They clap a little and whoop, only settling down once I raise my hand to begin the swearing in.

May turns back and we position ourselves in front of each other. 

"Right hand up please." I instruct. "Do you, May Durand, swear on your life, to protect this pack, uphold its values, and never betray its Alpha and Luna?"

"I swear."

"Do you swear to never leave it as long as it stands, and to never double cross its members?" I hear a few whispers from the crowd at my insertion of an impromptu promise.

"I swear." She gives me that sickly sweet smile again.

"Then by the power invested in me by the committee and our Alpha, I declare you are now a member of the Hunt pack. Welcome." I swallow my pride and lean in to give her a hug, to show I'm truly being welcoming to our new member.

Everyone is watching, after all.

"Watch out!" My ears prickle at the sound of metal creaking, and I quickly jump away from May, pushing her as I do.

Wait, no. 

"Oh shit." I mutter as I watch in horror as one of the metal scaffolds Andrew had been using earlier to replace all the lights falls from its spot above the stage and lands on top of May. She's now laying on her stomach, eyes closed on the stage.

I hurriedly rush to pull the scaffold off, but am very surprised when I'm pushed away onto the floor by my own husband.

"Don't touch her!" He growls at me as I watch in shock from the ground.

I can already hear the crowd whispering behind us as Killian pulls the scaffold off and scoops May up into his arms.

Did you see that?

Do you think that was really an accident?

Even I could feel the tension between the two of them. 

The Luna definitely did this.