Page 1 of A Luna’s Dynasty (Celestial #1)

“ W hy am I here?” Lita groaned as she got out of the car.

“You’re the alpha’s daughter. Why wouldn’t you be at the East Hearth Alpha Meeting?” Teo chuckled as he placed his hand on Lita’s head. They called it a meeting, but it was obviously more of a party. It was held in the early morning and meant to last well into the night.

“I’ve never come to these before.” Lita looked up at Teo. He was her brother’s beta and best friend. He was one of the few members of her pack who actually talked with her.

“You were in college, Miss Smarty Pants. What fourteen-year old goes to college? Your brother certainly couldn’t. The brains must have come from your mother.”

“I can hear you.” Drew shoved Teo and put him in a headlock.

“Drew!” The commanding voice of Alpha Nathon couldn’t be missed. “This isn’t the place for horseplay.”

“Dad, it isn’t exactly horseplay. They’re wolves, not centaurs.” Lita giggled as her father smiled at her.

“Are you excited for today’s event?”

“Honestly, no. I usually avoid crowds.” Lita sighed, looking at the brick building ahead.

The truth was her own pack rejected her.

It was something she rarely talked about with her father.

He didn’t use his alpha position to order them or force them to bend to his will.

Instead, he wanted members to make their own decisions. Even when it came to his own daughter.

To some, it would be strange that the alpha’s son was loved and accepted but not the daughter. But they had different mothers, and that was what separated them. Lita’s mother was not a wolf, making her a hybrid. A hybrid of what? She wasn’t sure. Her father never told her but she suspected a witch.

When she had her first shift, her wolf turned out to be enormous and black.

She was as big if not bigger than alpha wolves.

The pack immediately rejected and feared her.

In their eyes, hybrid wolves were not to be trusted.

They had mixed alliances and could never be part of a pack.

She was a bad omen, and they didn’t want any part of her. Even if she was the alpha’s daughter.

That was when Lita decided to become a healer.

She'd always had a strong drive to help others and needed a profession that was in high demand, so she dove into her studies and started college. She didn’t have to worry about friends and parties.

She wouldn’t waste her time finding a mate who would reject and hurt her. Instead, she focused on her goal.

Now at 22, she was a fully fledged healer.

With all her credentials, only her brother and Teo would come to her.

Occasionally, she would give a child a shot.

Hardly the job for a qualified healer. It was clear to her that her time at her pack was running short.

Soon, she would leave and move into the city, where she could hide the fact that she was a hybrid.

She could treat supernaturals and humans alike.

Her wolf Mira paced anxiously in her mind, which was not like her. Mira, what is it?

I don’t know. Something is making me feel uneasy.

Mira, her wolf, was a gift from the Moon Goddess.

She was part of her, and they could communicate with each other mentally.

It was like having another consciousness in your mind, which really helped her out in college, since it was really lonely at times.

One thing she knew about Mira was that she was never shy or timid. For her to act anxious was unheard of.

Do you sense something dangerous? Lita looked at the building and surrounding area.

It was a meeting for the Eastern pack alphas and their children.

Future pack officers were also permitted to attend.

Most packs had three high-ranking officers below their alpha and luna.

Their beta, who was second in command, their gamma, who was third, and their delta, who was fourth. A complete hierarchy system.

The idea of this was to secure lasting alliances for the next generation of leaders.

These leaders would go on to host mating parties to try to encourage fated mates for their pack members.

It was common knowledge that fated mates produced stronger pups.

Most packs wanted to be stronger, so finding your mate was ideal.

“You belong here, and it's important for you to make an appearance. Speaking of appearance, Drew, where is your future luna?” It wasn’t hard to miss the irritation in Dad's voice.

“She’s coming. She had to finish primping.”

“Not an admirable quality for your luna … being late.” Nathon took in a calming breath, then looked ahead.

“We can’t wait for her out here. She will have to come find you when she arrives.

” Lita’s brother’s mate, Kennedy, was your typical princess of the pack.

It was no shock when Drew announced she was his fated mate.

The pack was over-the-moon excited for them.

She tolerated Lita’s presence, but only for Drew’s sake.

He was waiting for the next full moon to take her as his official mate.

Once he did, Lita knew she wouldn’t feel as welcome in her own home.

She needed to start looking for a new place.

Her father would object, and this was why she had to keep her plans secret until the day she left.

Her father and Drew walked ahead while Lita dragged her feet. If her father didn’t sense danger, then there wasn’t any. Still, Mira was certain something was wrong. “What is it, Lita?” Teo asked as he fixed his hair, which her brother had messed up.

“I don’t know … Mira is anxious.”

“You two have avoided large gatherings and pack life. It’s only natural that this would make her apprehensive. You can feel the powerful auras radiating out of the building.”

“I wonder if Grayson and Luke will be here from the Cedar Pack,” she murmured out loud.

They were twin alpha wolves who she had spent the summer with when she was a teenager.

She used to talk with Grayson all the time but lost contact with him when she started college.

It was unfortunate, because he was one of the few friends she'd ever had.

“I don’t think they’ll be here. They’re more of the Middle conference.

We haven’t seen the Cedar Pack for a few years ourselves.

” Teo wrapped his arm around Lita’s shoulders, leaning his head down so that his hot breath tickled her ear.

“Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.” To him, Lita was a wonderful person.

He hated how the pack reacted to her. They never took the chance to know how amazing she was.

No wonder she was afraid of finding her fated mate.

Though, to be honest, he didn’t mind that part.

The feelings he had hidden deep inside him were becoming stronger.

“I guess no one here knows me, so you won’t be risking social suicide.” Lita chuckled as his brows furrowed.

“The pack are morons. They just don’t know you, and they don’t give you a chance. But I do, Little Lita. I know you, and you know I care about you … more than you realize.” He trailed off quietly, his gaze lingering on her face.

“I know, Teo, and I appreciate you. You’re really the only one in Red Grove Pack, besides my brother and father, who talk to me as if they won’t catch the plague.”

Suddenly, he turned her to his chest. “If you had the plague, then I would gladly catch it just to be close to you.”

She giggled and looked up at him. “You want to die a martyr?”

He let out a sigh as he stared into her na?ve eyes.

Her fresh-faced innocence only added to her charm, though it pained him that she seemed oblivious to his true feelings.

She had a way of brightening his day with just a simple smile, and his thoughts were constantly consumed by her.

Being near her brought him a sense of peace and contentment that he couldn’t find anywhere else.

She didn’t look at him that way. To her, he was just a friend, like an older brother.

The pack’s tradition held strong—find your fated mate, not a chosen one.

The idea of being bound to someone by fate was exhilarating.

To find that special person who would make you stronger and who you would produce stronger pups with.

This type of love was not simply a choice, but a divine gift bestowed upon those who were meant to be together.

Because of this, most kept things casual or had friends with benefits.

They attended mating parties regularly to allow everyone the chance to find their mates.

Lita never went to the parties because she said she didn’t care to find her mate.

And he was getting tired of waiting for his fated mate, especially when everything he wanted was right in front of him.

So maybe … maybe she would consider him.

“This is nice … having you all to myself for a few moments.” Teo rubbed her shoulders as he stared into her beautiful emerald eyes.

“It’s nice like this,” Lita said with a content smile. “It’s peaceful … I wish it could be like this all the time.”

Teo wrapped his arm lightly around her. “Why can’t it be?” he asked, his breath stirring her hair.

Lita shook her head, unable to meet his gaze. “You know why,” she said, fighting to keep her voice steady. “Drew’s going to claim his mate soon, and then you’ll—” She broke off, swallowing hard against the lump in her throat.

“I’ll what?” Teo prompted gently.

“You’ll both move on. Find your mates, start your own families. And I’ll be … well, who knows what the future holds,” she said quietly.

“What does that mean?” Teo slowly began to play with her hair.

“Just some things I’ve been thinking about. My place in this world … Dad will travel the world, and … with you and Drew having families, my little world will vanish. I don’t know if there’s a place for me here.”

“Lita!”

“Teo, I’ll be alone. Let’s face it. Your mate won’t want you to talk to me anymore and you know it.”

“Who says I’ll find my fated mate?” he said softly, his fingers absently tracing patterns on her arm.

Lita’s brow furrowed, her green eyes searching his face. “What do you mean? Everyone has a fated mate, don’t they?”

A wry smile played at the corners of Teo’s mouth. “Maybe. But what if … what if I’ve already found someone I care about? Someone who isn’t my fated mate?”

“Wow, really? Who is it? Do you think they like you too? But what about your fated mate? And her fated mate? I don’t know, Teo … you know how the pack feels about that. And you don’t want to rob her of finding her fated mate, either.”

Teo let out a quiet laugh. How did she not understand his feelings?

“You’re missing the point, Lita.” He stared into her green eyes.

Teo’s expression softened, and he leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a near-whisper.

“What if she doesn’t want her fated mate and avoids trying to find him?

Do you think I should tell her how I feel then?

” He hoped that, with this puzzle piece, she would finally put it together and see that she was the person he cared about.