Page 31 of A Luna’s Dynasty (Celestial #1)

A s they walked to the back of the house, they saw tables upon tables set up, all covered with food.

Behind that was a large pavilion with tables and chairs to accommodate the whole pack.

In the middle of it all were two large roasters, smoking whole pigs.

The pavilion was decorated with lily flowers and had small strands of lights running throughout the inside edges.

No one had ever thrown this large of a party for Lita, but this party wasn’t just for her.

It was a party in celebration of the pack finding their luna, and their alpha finding his mate.

Still, it felt welcoming to see all the efforts being made.

“Okay, the goal is to steal a few shish kabobs from that tray over there.” Caspian pointed to the far table located near the wood line.

“But why not go for the closer one?” Lita was secretly excited, feeling like a little kid about to do something that might get her into trouble.

“Focus, Lita,” Caspian chided gently, his words a blend of amusement and caution. “The thrill is in the challenge.”

She nodded, understanding the game. It wasn’t about the food, it was about having some fun.

“Alright, Caspian, you cause a scene. Lita and I will get the food.” Kristen reached out and gave Lita a fistbump.

Lita crouched behind the bushes and watched as Kristen moved to the opposite end. She stayed hidden, and they both turned and waited for Caspian to play his part.

“Look,” Caspian’s voice, light and enticing, drew their attention skyward.

The pack members looked up, searching the skies, and Lita and Kristen made their move.

Within seconds, they were safely hidden again.

“My mistake. I thought I saw a griffin.” The other pack members glanced back up at the sky and Caspian slowly backed away.

He quickly retreated back to the treeline where they’d planned to meet.

“Victory is ours!” Caspian bit into a shish kabob, his eyes closing for a brief moment as he savored the interplay of spices and charred meat.

“Victory tastes sweeter shared.” Kristen grabbed one and handed it to Lita. “We make quite the team, don’t we?”

Lita nodded, feeling the truth of those words settle into her bones.

Here, in this stolen moment, she was no outsider.

She was part of something, but as she went to hand Caspian one of the sweet rolls she stole, her fingers brushed his.

A spark of connection ignited from their brief touch.

She recoiled her hand, staring into his eyes.

Her gaze lingered on him before she decided to shrug it off.

It was probably because he was a fairy like she was. Speaking of fairies, though …

“Caspian,” she began, her voice lowering to just above a whisper. “Tell me about guardians. Are they like a monster fairy?” He had mentioned guardians and their strength but had been very vague about them.

Caspian finished his kabob and looked at Lita before glancing over at Kristen. It was clear he didn’t want to talk about it in front of her.

“Guardians … they have a bond with fairies. A special one. These are things that are usually only discussed among fairies,” he frowned a bit, trying to decide what to say.

“Well, doesn’t it change things since I’m also part werewolf? Do we not have an obligation to our pack? Where do your loyalties lie?” Lita could sense that Caspian’s loyalties did not necessarily lie with his pack and she felt the need to ask.

Caspian smirked, shrugging. “I wonder, hmm … some things will have to come into light, though, especially since you’re mated to the alpha of this pack. You’re an anomaly, Lita.”

“But my mother was with an alpha, too.”

“She was also very different, but you are the first. You’re the first alpha and fairy born.

You’re more special than you know. Soon, you’re going to realize just how special you are.

” Caspian smiled at her and shrugged again.

“Since you’re asking, I’ll tell you a few things.

Guardians are not fairies. In fact, out of their entire species, only three are elected to be guardians.

They must undergo serious training. They’re colossal in every way, unmatched in strength.

Their species are tied to fairies in an unbreakable bond. ”

“Is it because of their strength? Are they sworn to something … greater?”

Caspian smiled at Lita. “A guardian has a very unique purpose, but …” he glanced at Kristen and rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, that’s enough information on that topic for now.” He looked back at the table and wiggled his brows. “I see they added ribs to the table.”

“Are we going to steal ribs now, too?” Lita laughed as Caspian shrugged.

“We are quality testing the food.” They walked back to the pavilions, and Lita looked around the area. She felt like she was being watched … and she was. A dark silhouette stood against a tree in the shadows. Felicia stood there, staring at her, and it was obvious she wanted to talk.

“Who the hell does she think she is?!” Kristen clicked her tongue as she followed Lita’s gaze. “She just wants to fill your mind with garbage. Don’t indulge her.”

Caspian stepped closer, his proximity a shield as he angled his body subtly to block Lita’s view. His protective glare made Felicia back away and disappear. “She’s just looking for trouble,” he said, his blue eyes looking back at Lita. Trouble he would gladly give her if she crossed the line.

“Honestly, whatever she needs to say, it should be to Asher and not me.” Lita sighed.

She had seen these cat fights before. She never understood why a she-wolf would attack another she-wolf because her boyfriend cheated.

Even if the other she-wolf knew he had a girlfriend, the problem was still with the man.

He was the one who was being unfaithful.

He was the one who cheated. Unless the other lady was your best friend or family, there was no reason to care about them.

They might not have morals or even know they were the other woman. They weren’t the one who cheated.

If Felicia wanted to vent her frustration at her, then she could save them both time.

She wasn’t interested. It wasn’t her drama.

Lita was focused on Asher and how he acted in the future.

But she would be watching him for signs that he still wanted Felicia.

She didn’t want to think about any of that right now.

Felicia wanted to get in her head and plant seeds of doubt, and she wouldn’t let her.

“Okay, so we’re going for the ribs, right?”

“Those are guarded by Mrs. Langley, the hawk-eyed server. It’d be a legendary score.” Kristen grinned as she pointed out the server.

“Then it sounds like our type of challenge.” Lita looked over the area as she tried to formulate a plan.

“Seems I’ve stumbled upon the most notorious food bandits in the pack.” Caden’s deep voice rumbled from behind them.

“What do you mean?” Lita said innocently.

“Looks like you’re wearing your spoils, Lita,” Caden teased, his gaze softening around the edges as he reached out with a leaf he’d plucked from the ground, offering it to her as a makeshift napkin. He watched her cheeks turn red as she swiftly wiped the sauce off her lips.

“We have to remember to always remove all traces of the evidence.” Caspian shook his head in defeat. He then looked up at Caden. “We’ve been caught by the beta. What is our next move? Retreat or capture?”

“Or recruit.” Kristen tilted her head, smiling up at Caden.

“Join forces with the new luna? Sign me up!”

“Then, welcome to the fold, Caden,” Lita said, extending her hand in mock solemnity. “May your skills serve us well in the greatest rib snatch of our time.”

Caden laughed, “You do realize we’re allowed to simply take the food, right? It’s not like it’s contraband.”

“What would be the thrill in that?” Lita replied with what Caspian had said before, making him beam with pride. “It’s about the game, Caden. The stealth, the strategy, the sweet victory of tasting the fruit of one’s ... sneakiness.”

“Well then, let’s up the challenge.” Caden squatted to the ground and the others huddled closely. “Stealing a few pieces of food is child’s play. The real challenge would be to acquire an entire pie.”

“Then it's settled.” Kristen pointed to a stack of cream pies. “We take one of the cream ones, but if anyone grabs a key lime pie, they lose.”

“Why is that?” Lita asked as Kristen scrunched up her nose.

“Because I don’t like it.”

“Okay, no key lime pies.” Caspian rubbed his hands together. “Let’s get to it!”

Lita laughed and thoroughly enjoyed herself with her friends.

She felt like this silly moment was an important bonding experience.

It was more than just fun, though … it was a moment of working together and enjoying each other’s company.

It was something she would always remember … a memory she would always cherish.