Beneath the Alpha's Moon
Chapter 168: A Pack Circus

Chapter 168: A Pack Circus

LUCIAN’S P.O.V.

I leaned back against the edge of the desk, rubbing my temples as the room settled into an uneasy quiet. Serena’s lifeless body lay crumpled on the floor, her blood pooling beneath her like a tv crime scene. The metallic scent was overwhelming, but it wasn’t guilt that churned in my stomach—it was anger.

"Rylan," I said, my voice low but commanding. "Take care of it."

Rylan raised an eyebrow, his usual cocky grin replaced with a grimace. "You mean ’dispose of the body,’ right? Because I’ve always dreamed of being your personal cleanup crew."

I shot him a sharp look, and he held up his hands in mock surrender. "Fine, fine. Discreetly, I assume?"

"Discreetly," I confirmed. "And quickly. The last thing we need is for the pack to find out about this."

With a sigh loud enough to rattle the walls, Rylan grabbed Serena’s body and slung her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing. "You owe me for this one, Alpha," he muttered, dragging her out of the office.

"You’ll live," I called after him, though I couldn’t hide the smirk tugging at my lips.

As the door clicked shut behind him, I turned to Elizabeth, who was flipping through her massive spell book with a focus that bordered on obsession.

"Elizabeth," I began, stepping closer. "Can you do it? Make Teresa and Luke look human again?"

She didn’t look up, her fingers flying over the ancient pages. "Yes, but it won’t be as strong as the last spell. This will only cloak their true forms, not suppress them entirely."

I glanced at Teresa, who stood with her arms crossed, her golden glow pulsating faintly. Luke, on the other hand, was still clutching his rosary like it was a lifeline, muttering prayers under his breath.

"Luke," I said, my tone sharp enough to cut through his murmured prayers. "Put the rosary down and stand in the middle of the room. Both of you."

Teresa rolled her eyes but complied, her movements graceful as always. Luke hesitated, looking like he’d rather dive into a pit of snakes than follow my orders, but eventually shuffled into place beside her.

Elizabeth stepped forward, her spell book open in her arms. The air around her seemed to hum with energy as she began to chant, her voice melodic and otherworldly.

"Stay still," she warned, glancing at Luke, whose grip on his rosary had tightened.

"Easier said than done," he muttered, his knuckles white.

The room grew colder as Elizabeth’s incantations filled the air. Her words were like music, ancient and powerful, weaving a spell that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. A soft wind swirled around Teresa and Luke, carrying with it a faint golden light that wrapped around their forms.

Teresa’s glow began to fade, her wings shimmering out of existence until she looked entirely human again. Luke’s transformation was slower, his body trembling as the light enveloped him. When it was over, he looked down at himself, his expression a mix of awe and relief.

"Thank God," he whispered, crossing himself.

Teresa rolled her eyes again. "Don’t get too comfortable, Luke. You still look like you’re about to faint."

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, a grin spreading across my face. Ares howled with joy, his excitement echoing through my mind.

"Thank you, Elizabeth," I said, my voice softer than usual.

But Elizabeth wasn’t done. She grabbed my arm and pulled me into the corner, her expression serious.

"This spell is temporary," she said in a hushed tone. "It’s a cloak, not a solution. Their true forms are still there, just hidden. You need to stay on your toes, Lucian. If they lose control..."

"I’ll handle it," I assured her, though her words sent a shiver down my spine.

Elizabeth gave me a long look before nodding. "Good. Let’s hope you don’t have to."

Before I could respond, Adrian’s smooth, measured voice lit up the room.

"Well, this has been delightful," he said, his lips curving into a faint smile. "But Juliette and I need to check on Eldur. The last time we left him unsupervised, he turned three children into toads. Or was it shoes? I lost track."

Juliette groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "He’s four years old, Adrian. What do you expect?"

"Better decision-making skills," Adrian replied, his tone light but his expression serious. He turned to me, his gaze sharp. "I’ll meet you later, Lucian. We still need to discuss how you regained your sight."

I nodded, watching as he and Juliette prepared to leave.

"Juliette," I called out, stopping her in her tracks. "Take Luke to see his wife on your way out. And make sure he doesn’t leave the estate. He’s still unstable."

Juliette smirked. "Babysitting duty? Fine. Come on, Luke. Let’s go before I change my mind."

Luke hesitated, looking at Teresa one last time before following Juliette out of the room.

Once they were gone, the room felt quieter. It was just me and Teresa now, the tension from earlier slowly dissipating. She stood by the window, staring out at the forest, her arms crossed over her chest.

I walked over to her, hesitating for a moment before pulling her into a hug. She stiffened at first but quickly melted into my embrace, her arms wrapping around me tightly.

"I’m so proud of you," I murmured against her hair. "Everything you’ve been through... everything you’ve endured... Teresa, I don’t know how you do it."

She pulled back slightly, just enough to look up at me. Her eyes were soft, but there was a fire in them—a fierceness that hadn’t been there before. "Because I have you," she said simply. "And I love you, Lucian. I love you more than I thought I could ever love anyone. Thank you for fighting for me. For us. This was not how I thought our honeymoon period was going to go."

I cupped her face in my hands, brushing my thumb gently over her cheek. "I’ll always fight for you, Teresa. Always."

She leaned up, her lips brushing against mine in a kiss that was soft but full of emotion. When we pulled apart, she smiled, her sass returning. "Just don’t get cocky about it, Alpha."

I chuckled, the sound light and genuine. "Too late."

I thought everything was going to be fine now, but I was so wrong.

*********

Two days. Just two days since Teresa and Luke had become Faes and I was already convinced she was a ticking time bomb. I sat behind my mahogany desk, leaning back in the chair as the latest complaint rolled in from one of the enforcers. Rylan stood at the doorway, grinning to himself.

"She made leaves sprout from Elder Grayson’s body? All over him?" I repeated, pinching the bridge of my nose.

Rylan nodded, clearly enjoying my suffering. "Yep. The old man looked like a walking ficus tree. His beard was full of ivy, Lucian."

"And why, exactly, did this happen?" I asked, my tone already sharp.

"Well," Rylan drawled, "he made the mistake of calling Teresa ’inexperienced.’ She told him she’d ’give him some experience with nature,’ and bam, Elder Grayson became the forest’s newest resident."

I groaned. "And what is this complain on my table about the children?"

"Oh, that’s my favorite part," Rylan said, his grin widening. "She told them that obedience was overrated and encouraged them to ’embrace their inner rebellion.’ Now the pack’s kids are running around refusing to do chores and howling at ungodly hours. Parents are ready to riot."

I glared at him. "Anything else?"

"Luke buried a pack member alive."

I froze. "I beg your pardon?"

Rylan shrugged, as if this were the most casual thing in the world. "He saw a wolf shift for the first time, freaked out, screamed something about demons, and then used his powers to make the ground swallow the poor guy. It took hours to dig him out."

I was torn between laughing and slamming my head against the desk. "Why do I feel like my entire life is a joke?"

"Because it is," Rylan said, smirking.

I shot him a glare. "Get out of my office."

He left, still laughing, while I leaned back in my chair and stared at the ceiling. I was dealing with a Luna who was turning my pack into a circus.

With a deep breath, I stormed into our bedroom. Teresa sat cross-legged on the bed, flipping through a book like she had no care in the world. She looked up when I entered, her brown eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Lucian," she greeted, her tone saccharine sweet. "What brings you here?"

I closed the door behind me, locking it for good measure. "We need to talk."

She tilted her head, feigning innocence. "About?"

I paced the room, running a hand through my hair. "Oh, I don’t know. Maybe about the fact that you turned Elder Grayson into a human shrub? Or that you’ve incited a child rebellion? Or that your brother buried someone alive?"

Teresa blinked, then burst into laughter. "Oh, come on, Lucian. Elder Grayson had it coming. And the kids? They’re just expressing themselves."

"Expressing themselves?" I repeated, my voice rising. "They graffitied the packhouse walls with ’Luna Rules, Alpha Drools!’"

She clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh. "Okay, that’s actually funny."

"It’s not funny, Teresa!" I snapped. "This is my pack—our pack. And right now, it’s descending into chaos!"

Her expression sobered slightly, but there was still a glint of defiance in her eyes. "Maybe your pack could use a little chaos."

I stared at her, utterly baffled. This wasn’t the sweet, kind Teresa I had known. This was someone else entirely.

"What happened to you?" I asked quietly.

She shrugged. "Maybe I’m just embracing who I really am."

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose again. "I don’t know what’s going on with you, but I’m going to fix it. Even if it means finding your mother."

Teresa’s eyes narrowed. "Leave my mother out of this, Lucian."

I ignored her, stepping away as I opened the mind link to Rylan.

"Rylan."

"Yeah, boss?"

"I need you to bring Gregory Williams to me. Use force if necessary."

There was a pause, then, "Oh, this is going to be fun. On it."

As the link closed, I turned back to Teresa, who was glaring at me.

"You’re unbelievable," she said.

"And you’re uncontrollable," I shot back.

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