Lunar Temptations

Ch 24

A few days passed, and eventually, my wound completely healed. Zayden would mostly be gone during the day, and the few interactions we had were mostly outside of our room, so we had to be quite affectionate then. The last real conversation we had was several nights ago when I had taken over his room and bed. We hadn't talked much since, and he mostly seemed occupied with work. I had asked him to let me help with the pack's matters, but he declined, saying I had to recover first and it was more important. At night, he would mostly come in late, and I would either be asleep or he'd be too tired to talk. A week had passed today since I had moved in, and my bandage finally came off.

It was a relief, and I felt happier now that I would be able to actively participate in pack duties. The Night Walkers hadn't met their future Luna yet, and if I wanted to leave a good impression on them, then I might have to do it soon before they could start to feel neglected. It was a fine day, and the pack doctor, Alecia, came to visit me. She was the one who had been treating me, and she indirectly assured me that my medical information would not be shared with anyone except the Alpha. I could tell that she knew we hadn't mated, and my wolf's healing abilities were weak due to that. She didn't ask questions but simply reassured me.

"And you're healed," she said as she took off the bandage. My face lit up, and I audibly sighed. She had me move around my neck, and after she declared my mobility fine, she took one last look and recommended me some creams to prevent scarring, but thankfully, the scars were almost gone already.

"Thank you, Alecia," I said to her as she left.

Mom was planning on visiting today, but Dad was not feeling well, so she had to cancel. My heart sank to hear it, but I was bound and unable to go back. It would be like luring danger to me and my family. The whole week, I convinced myself not to overthink and that I would take care of my attack and the culprits behind it once I had recovered.

I was lost in thought when a knock resounded on my bedroom door. It was Danna, since Zayden was off to work, and she was the only one who would come to me to ask anything. I got up and opened the door to find her standing there. What caught my attention was her heavy breathing and a thin layer of sweat on her forehead.

"What is it? Are you alright?" I instantly opened the door wider and helped her in. She shook her head hastily. "It's Mrs Castillo—she's on her way here!" Her words hit me like a ton of bricks.

"This doesn't sound good," I murmured.

"It truly isn't." Danna was shaken as if she had seen a ghost, but once she had broken the news to me, her attention was elsewhere.

"How do you know, though?" I eyed her suspiciously.

"Dear, I have connections in the Castillo Estate. It was merely a matter of a call," she waved her hand, and I would have been impressed if we weren't in this situation.

Mrs Castillo, Zayden's mother, was one of the most influential women in the lycan world. Her words used to hold the most power as the Luna of her pack, and people admired her for who she truly was. I always admired her for her leadership capabilities, but it was until I had grown up and realized how she had always treated Zayden. He was a perfect child indeed, but a lot was going on behind closed curtains. He never completely opened up to me about his relationship with his mother, but from what I had witnessed at the engagement party, she wasn't his ideal anymore.

"But Zayden's usually not home at this hour. Why is she coming over?" I thought out loud.

Beside me, Danna eyed me weirdly. "Of course, she wants to meet you."

I gulped slowly. I may have been living here for a week, but that didn't mean I was anywhere near prepared to meet his mother. From what I could guess, she wasn't going to be a fan of me after the engagement party.

"Oh no," I murmured as the woman beside me made her way out.

"Just get changed; I will handle the rest," she assured me before heading out.

These past few days, I couldn't thank Danna enough for her services. She was really a lifesaver. I always sucked at cooking, and with her around, I would barely even have to visit the kitchen. She would always make sure to feed me something now and then, saying I needed to become stronger, even though the only thing I would be becoming was fatter.

I nodded.

"And wear something semi-formal, preferably a dress," she advised. "Mrs Castillo follows a dressing code, and she would be impressed if you show up in a dress."

I guess I might be returning her sentiments of unlikeliness if she thought that women shouldn't wear jeans or anything other than a dress, but for now, I wasn't going to take any risks. I nodded again and shut the door, sighing out loud. Just this once, I would wear a dress because I didn't want to mess this up behind Zayden's back. Not that I wanted to impress her or anything, but I haven't exactly made a first impression on her yet, and showing up in jeans or any casual attire wasn't my plan either.

I rushed to my cupboard and opened it. Mom had made sure to get my stuff sent to me a few days back, and I scanned to find a lilac-coloured dress lying around. I took a quick shower and put on the dress and light makeup. After I was done putting on mascara, some blush, and a light shade of lipstick, I hurried downstairs.

I better not be late for this, I thought nervously, making my way.

Just as I approached the end of the stairs, voices reached my ears.

"This is a duty you must fulfil as quickly as possible. I expect no failure," a familiar hushed voice came. My brows furrowed, and I threw a look towards the kitchen, which was at the other end of the lounge, and Danna stood there, busy arranging cups on a tray.

Who was Mrs Castillo talking to? I thought, heading to the sitting area to find out.