Vivica's POV

Moon-Crescent was something out of the ordinary.The tall towers, tarred streets, and lush greeneries gave the pack, which looked more like a city, a sophisticated and  tranquil atmosphere.I moved in my seat, my eyes roaming the environment in utter awe as the car passed through gate after gate, finally halting in front of a massive white mansion.

"Welcome to your new home," Adrian announced.

I looked away from the window, staring at him for the first time since we entered his territory."You own all of this?" I asked, unable to hide my astonishment.

"Mhm" he nodded. "Let's go inside.The elders are waiting for us."

"The elders? Why?"

"Why not?" He squinted. "You are my mate, and I'm the Alpha. It's only normal that you meet them." 

"Well...I..."

"I know this is all new, and probably overwhelming. But I want you to know that you aren't the same Vivica from an hour ago. You are with me now, and whoever is with me gets nothing but respect and honor. You are special, Viv. Embrace it."

My eyes welled up at his words.I hid my face and quickly wiped my tears.

"Shall we?" 

"Yes," I nodded.

Again, Adrian opened the door for me, an act that made me uneasy.But if that was all it took to fit into this new world and never go back to Red-Bone then I'd do it.

"Your Majesty," the guards positioned at the fleet of stairs leading to the main entrance bowed.

Adrian only gave them a curt glance before leading me  inside.

My eyes accessed the interior- a mix of modern design and the renaissance. The walls were incredibly high. Expansive artifacts and oil paintings hung against  cream-colored  walls, and the marble floors were  so clean I could see my own reflection. 

Suddenly, a  girl with bouncy black curls and sparkly brown eyes ran toward us.

"Dane!" her shrill voice cried out as threw herself at Adrian. 

Tisha, my wolf, churned inside-a clear indicator that her territory had been bridged and she didn't like it. As much as I was happy she had finally awakened, it bothered me that she might land me in trouble if I didn't control her. Why was she getting jealous over a man we barely knew? 

"It doesn't matter how long we've known him," Tisha growled in my mind. "He's ours."

"Who is this?" The questioned, unable to hide her disgust.

Adrian pulled away from her, something he should have done immediately.

"This is Vivica Hale. My mate" The statement rolled off his tongue so effortlessly.I suppressed the silly smile that threatened to break out on my face."Vivica, this is Arella, my cousin"

Oh. She's his cousin.

"Your what?!" Arella shouted, startling me. "Is this a joke of some sort?" she scoffed.

"It's not a joke, Arella. We'll finally be having a Luna," Adrian stated proudly.

"Your Highness" A male voice called out, and a man who was almost the same height as Adrian came into view.

"The elders have been waiting for a while now" he stopped, then quickly added. "You must be Vivica Hale."

With a subtle hint of confusion I peeked at Adrian's face for answers.

"This is  Theo Reeds, my Beta," Adrian introduced him.

"Nice to meet you," I mumbled.

"Same here." He  gave me a toothless smile and stepped aside. "Shall we?"

"Sure," Adrian took my hand in his without warning, and I flinched. He gazed at me-a stare  meant to reassure me that he had everything under control.

Guards were positioned throughout the expansive hallway; every single one of them gave a bow as we passed.We arrived at the entrance of the council room. I exhaled loudly, a breath I didn't even realize I was holding. 

"Relax. As long as we are together no one is going to harm you."

I nodded, and his Beta pushed the door open. The room suddenly went quiet  as every eye landed on us,m-on me, to be precise.

"Your Majesty!" They chorused.

"I apologize for the delay," he  muttered.

I just stood there, awkward and clueless. The only times I had  ever been to the gathering of pack elders were when I needed to serve drinks or food, and it had ended in chaos every time. Adrian pulled me toward the table, drawing out a chair right next to the  seat of honor at the head.

I sat down uneasily, every fibre of my being  screaming at me to get up and flee.You don't belong here. You have to leave! The voice persisted.

Adrian took his seat, and immediately one of the elders spoke.

"We were told you went to the mating ceremony at the other pack," the man-whom  I later found out was named Tristan- said,  his eyes strained on me even though i

He was talking to Adrian.

"Yes. And as fate would have it, I came back with my mate," Adrian announced gleefully.

"A mate? From a rival pack? Your Highness, is this a-"

"I have told you a million times that Red-Bone  does not possess what it takes to be tagged a 'rival' pack." Adrian snarled. "Do not piss me off, Elder Santos."

"Forgive me, Your Highness. It's just that marrying outside of our perimeter is unsafe for us. You have spent years building this ethereal territory; why risk losing it by bringing in an intruder?"

The rest of the elders mumbled their approval of Elder Santos. 

"Vivica is not an intruder. She is my mate, my fated one," Adrian emphasized, his voice echoing through the room. "It might take you all a while to adjust, but you have no choice but to accept her."

"But Your Highness-"

"One more word and I'll have you out of this territory for good." His voice was calm, but  it carried an underlying tone that sent shivers down my spine.

"This gathering is over," he declared.

The elders grumbled  among themselves, but no one dared to speak out.They all rose and were about to leave when the door flung open and Adrian's cousin marched in.

"Wait!" she yelled. "That woman!" She pointed at me.

My heart sank into my stomach at  her words, and every head in the room  spun in my direction.

"That woman isn't just some lowly intruder like you all think" Arella sneered, her fingers pointing at me accusingly. "That's Vivica Hale! The daughter of a renowned traitor from two decades ago!"

Adrian's POV

I lurked in the shadows, watching her every move. I saw it all, from the moment  she walked into the hall with her shoulders slumped and her eyes filled with uncertainty, to the moment Jason proposed to Arnold's daughter and the hall went crazy with excitement. A girl took her hand and dragged her  through the crowd-to see their Alpha and his mate obviously- and I lost sight of her.

Moments later, my ears picked up her voice, it slit  through the noise, blurring  everyone else out.

"Celia...I can't breathe." she winced in agony. Then came the realization that her wolf had finally surfaced. "My wolf...Celia, I have a wolf." And finally, the part that changed everything. "Jason. I need to tell Jason!"

She went quiet again until she saw them- Arnold's  daughter and Jason.

"You are my...mate, Jason. What are you doing with her?!" Her voice pierced the silence 

the moment she called him her mate.

In a fit of rage, she called Jason out-a brave move I must say-screaming and asking why he had waited for her if he was only playing her all along. Long story short, Jason, being the doucheback he was, severed the bond without blinking-Twenty-five years of love and friendship, gone.

I clenched my fist, unable to stand Jason having yet another thing he didn't deserve. But my fury vanished almost immediately, replaced by a sly smile as I stood up. Before I could get to her, the crowd had already encircled her, hurling  demeaning insults.

I threw off the hat that aided my disguise.They recognized me instantly, and a  wave of fear spread across the room.I didn't spare any of them, I just walked toward her- the one I had come for. The crowd moved out of the way without being told, revealing her collapsed on the floor.

As I got closer, my chest constricted as if something was forcefully tugging at my heart. Even though the pain was intense, I didn't stop. I kept walking until I heard my wolf call her my  mate in my mind.

The Moon Goddess was indeed bored. That was the only logical reason I could find for such a sudden miscalculation. How could she and I be mates? First,  it was Jason, and barely ten minutes later, I was Vivica's second-chance mate?

When I got to Vivica, she froze. Her body language told me she felt it too.She crawled back, creating as much space as possible between us.I dropped to one knee in front of her.

"You feel it too, don't you?" 

After a moment of hesitation she looked at me and nodded.I offered her my hand. "Then come with me. Let's get you out of this hellhole."

____

"That woman isn't just some lowly intruder like you all think,"Arella blurted, taking a sharp breath before continuing. "She is Vivica Hale, daughter of Xavier Hales-the  traitor from two decades ago."

My eyes narrowed in absolute horror. The elders slowly turned to me, their expressions screaming for answers.But I was too concerned about Vivica, who was trembling violently beside me, to care.In a swift motion, bolted out of the room.

I followed suit.

"Dane, you don't..." Arella tried to stop me, but a hard glare was all it took to shut her up.I sprinted after Vivica, catching up to her in the archway.

"Where are you going?" I grabbed her hand.

"Anywhere but here!" she yelled.

"Vivica, look at me." 

"There's nothing you can say to make me change my mind" she spat. She was already crying on her first day in my territory.

"Forget everything Arella said in there. It doesn't change anything," I assured her. "And about your father,I'm sure he didn't betray your pack."

She whirled to face me the moment I said that.

"What did you just say?" For the first time, her red-rimmed eyes peered into mine with flinching.

"I believe your father is innocent. We just need to find the actual culprit and vindicate him."

"Is that  possible? I mean... I know it is, but I've been digging for years without any luck." she explained with a sudden burst of enthusiasm.

Something about the way her eyes twinkled with hope made my chest tighten. I felt a strong urge to cup her face and kiss her senseless, but I'd be ruining my plans. I couldn't love her, I shouldn't love her. Everything must be strictly business if I must reach my goal.

"That's because you've been digging in the wrong places," I sighed, taking a step forward. "From now on, I'll do the digging.Your father will be vindicated, and you'll have no reason to ever run again."

Her eyes pooled with tears. She pressed her lips together to keep from crying. I cupped her face in my palms. "You are safe here. Stop trying to run away."

She nodded, a streak of tears streaming down her cheeks.

"We have collectively decided not to accept this...this traitor as one of us," One of the elders interrupted.I turned to find them standing at the door.

"Theo."

"Yes, Your  Highness?"

"Get the necessary documents ready. Vivica will be ascending the throne in two weeks."

Vivica's POV

"Get the necessary documents ready. Vivica is ascending the throne in two weeks." 

When those words left Adrian's mouth, the hallway went dead. My eyes widened.I tried to object, but my words came out as  a helpless stutter. What was wrong with Adrian? Was this some sort of a joke ?

"Adrian...I mean, Alpha Adria-"

"Call me Adrian," his deep voice urged, his gaze  dropping to mine.

"Isn't this too-" 

He placed a finger on my lips before I could finish. "I told you already. You aren't the same woman you were hours ago," he whispered. 

When he turned to address pack elders who were too stunned to speak, his face hardened.

"The meeting is over, Elders."

"Of course," they chorused, before walking away heavy  in silence.

Theo pressed his lips together and gave Adrian a curt nod before heading out himself.

"Okay, Ms. Hale. How about I show you to your suite?"

"Mmm" I mumbled, letting him lead the way.

We walked toward an elevator at the far left. Adrian pressed a button  and the door slid  open. Once inside, he punched the floor number -fourth floor-and the elevator lurched upward.

"Thank you," I muttered, averting my gaze to hide the tears threatening to spill over.

"For what?" He tilted his head toward me.

"Everything," I said, pausing for a moment. "I don't know where I would have gone after such an embarrassing moment at the Full Moon party."

"It's nothing, Vivica. I should have come for you long ago but I was-" He stopped halfway, he must have realized he said something he shouldn't have. 

My head shot up instantly. "You knew all along? That we were mates?"

"No. It's not about our mate bond," he said, his face softening. "I just wanted to get you out of that place. For your father's sake."

"My father? You knew him?" A smile glinted

 on my face.

"Who doesn't know Xavier Hale? The greatest warlord to ever exist." He made a face-a playful exaggeration that I found genuinely funny. 

I chuckled awkwardly. "That's not what I meant."

"Mhm. I get you"He dipped his hands into his Jean pockets and looked ahead. "I got my first training from him. At first, I thought Vane wanted him to kill me and was just using the  training as a cover"

I gave a small laugh. "Why would you think that?"

"Because I was too young for the things he was making me do" He stressed, a subtle smile growing on his face. "But it turned out it was all for my own good"

The elevator dinged and we stepped out. My eyes scanned the fourth floor, which looked even more luxurious than the ground floor.

"This feels like...heaven" I whispered, the words escaped my mouth before I could stop them. 

"I'm glad you like it.  It's your home from now on," he said. "Let's get you to your suite."

We walked down the hallway and a girl who looked to be in her early twenties approached us.

 "Good day, Alpha." She greeted, bowing her head lightly. 

"Good day, Melissa." Adrian replied. 

Melissa walked toward the  elevator, but her gaze must have dug  deep into my back, because I spun instinctively. I caught her staring just before she looked away. 

"Give me your hand," he requested.

I offered my hand without thinking. He pressed my thumb onto the fingerprint scanner. When the smart door beeped and  a green light flashed, a digital voice echoed, "Finger print saved."

He typed something into his phone, then looked at me. "Speak after the door handle blinks yellow."

"What do I say?" 

"Anything. I just  need to capture your voice."

The handle blinked yellow. I cleared my throat and spoke. "My name is Vivica Hale."

He looked at me and nodded with a lopsided smile. "Correct."

Again, the handle blinked green. He twisted it and ushered me  into the most surreal apartment I'd ever seen in my life. 

The suite was cozy-the perfect place to be after a hellish day. It felt like the kind of place you can run back to after tanning to escape the heat. Rich wood veneers covered the corner walls of the massive living room. A large flat screen television sat in a pristine white console, and sets of light brown couches faced the television, with a simple yet beautiful dining area at the back. 

"Hey Crisy, open the blinds," Adrian said.

 I started to hurry toward the cream-colored curtains when he caught my hand and  pulled me back. "Not you."

"Oh..." I whisper, my cheeks heating up in embarrassment. 

The curtains opened on their own, revealing a floor-to-ceiling window. Outside, the shadows of trees danced  to the wind while the moon cast its warm glow on the water.

"I'll ask Elena to help you settle in.  I've got work to finish." 

"Sure."

"Ok. See you in a bit," he said casually, before turning around  and  walking out of the suite. 

The moment he left, I dropped onto  one of the plush sofas and looked around in absolute disbelief.

I eventually left the living room to check out the rest of the suite. The bedroom, restroom and walk-in  closet were just as massive and opulent, with mirrors of various artistic cuts hanging in all the right places. 

"open the curtains" I whispered uncertainly, and they didn't budge.

I cleared my throat and tried again."Crisy, open the curtains."

A few seconds passed before the curtains parted, exposing yet another alluring night view through the floor to ceiling glass window. 

"This is beautiful," I gasped, forgetting the turmoil of the day as I walked toward the glass. 

I stood there for a moment, admiring the body of water below. Everything happening was too beautiful to be true. From Adrian's nurturing words to his abrupt decision to make me Luna, and now, a whole suite to myself? Back at Red-Bone, I was given the worst of everything: food, bedding and clothes. Even healthcare had been an issue. But here, Adrian Ladi everything in front of me as if I were royalty. What blew my mind the most was how he stood up against his pack members for me-a nobody. 

I exhaled and began to nibble on my fingernails. "You have to be careful, Vivica. This is too good to be true,"

'You need to relax. This might just be the Moon Goddess' way of compensating you for all the troubles you've been through,' my wolf, Tisha, said. 

"Oh please. Why did it  take her this long to do it?"

A alarm went off, startling the shit out of me as it notified me of someone at the door. I rushed out of the bedroom to get the door. When I opened it, a  servant girl, I could tell from her uniform, was standing outside. 

"Come in," I said, holding  the door open for her.

"It's almost time for dinner. His majesty asked me to accompany you to the dining hall." Her tone was rigid and direct. I didn't need a soothsayer to tell me she didn't like me.

"The thing is...I  don't have anything to change into," I sounded like a kid who was too scared to voice an  opinion.

"That has been sorted by the Alpha. I'll help you prepare your bath before your outfit arrives." 

With that, she disappeared into the bathroom. The sound of running water echoed in the background shortly. She came out a few moments later and told me I could go in.

"Thank you,"

I entered into the bathroom and locked the door. One by one, I stripped off my clothes. I dipped  my toe into the water, before fully soaking my body in the scented liquid.

As soon as I  settled in and rested  my back against the tub, I closed my eyes and exhaled loudly. 

"This feels so good."

I was so worn out from working day and night that the only thing I wanted was to sleep. As I close my eyes I gradually drifted off until I heard a knock. 

"Your clothes are on the bed. I need to go to Lady Arella," the girl announced.

"Okay!" I shouted, loud enough for her to hear. "Thank you for your help!"

No response came. 

***

After almost an hour in the shower, I stepped into the cozy bedroom draped in a white towel with my hair in a wrap. The white fur rug  at the vanity table squished under my feet as I sat in front of the mirror.  One of the drawers contained a hair dryer; I blew it over my damp head and wild strands of auburn hair flew in all direction.

I finished my hair and ran a lip gloss  on my lips. I almost bolted out of the room when I realized I hadn't used any body spray. I might have spent more than an hour in the shower, but the stench of hardship wouldn't disappear overnight. The least I could do for Adrian was to look my best, that way it wouldn't be obvious at  first glance that he made a terrible mistake.