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No one questioned their reason for not marking each other, knowing that Alpha Denzel had rejected her before. The bond was broken, so it was right for the Moon Goddess to have mercy and pair them again for a new bond to be formed.

The corner of Alpha Denzel’s lips curled up with a proud smile as he announced, "Everyone in this pack, she is your Luna, but she will not be coronated yet. Like I said, the reason is personal."

There were confused murmurs among the warriors since they wanted other packs to know that they now had a Luna. Valerie not being coronated meant that although the Evergreen pack accepted her, other packs would not accept that she was a Luna because she was not coronated.

That issue would only pop-up during gatherings, so they were hopeful that Alpha Denzel would know how to handle things like that.

"However, she will not be joining us during wolf training. That will be handled by me, Burke, and Gandolf. Does anyone have any questions?" Alpha Denzel asked, noticing the displeased look on their faces.

Expectantly, one of them lifted their hand and asked, "Alpha, why won’t our Luna train with us during wolf training?"

Alpha Denzel could not disclose the reason, and Valerie was equally uncomfortable with the subject, but as the Alpha, he could only use his position to brush it aside.

"Because I don’t want anyone to see what her wolf looks like. We still have enemies among other packs, and they will be in for a surprise from our Luna if they dare to attack."

Valerie sighed with relief, happy that the pack warriors bought Alpha Denzel’s explanation. It was also clear to her the extent he was going to make her comfortable without her wolf. He wanted her to live like a normal pack member and not feel any different about it.

"Alpha, does that mean you have accepted Luna Valerie? What about the rejection?" Another warrior asked. Alpha Denzel explained it to him.

"My rejection broke the bond between us, but she is still my mate by decision. Once the bond returns, other things will follow." His brief explanation garnered sympathy from the mated warriors.

Marking each other was a fulfilling part of finding one’s mate, as it made it possible for them to feel each other’s emotions and much more. It was unfortunate that their Alpha and Luna were missing this part, but as the Alpha said, he hoped that the bond would return.

"Our pack has the prettiest and fiercest Luna," Kailani exclaimed, and everybody cheered as Alpha Denzel turned to Valerie.

"Babe, take over."

Valerie paled at the instruction and was stunned at how Alpha Denzel addressed her in front of the pack warriors.

Training in the open arena was much different from training in the room. Here, the sun’s rays shone directly on them. The arena was in the middle of the pack, far from the woods and away from trees.

What was Alpha Denzel up to again? His announcement that she was going to be in charge of training was well heard, but why now?

She was not accustomed to his style of leading training, and yet he just dropped the responsibility on her shoulders like that. How could she accept it? She might just end up embarrassing herself.

Bracing herself, she walked up to him with a brazen face. "I can’t take over training now. I don’t know how things are done here."

Alpha Denzel’s brows raised slightly, but his gaze on her was the softest she had ever seen. "Just do as you do in your pack."

Valerie sighed. He was not understanding her. "You don’t understand. This pack is three times larger than mine. Three times more warriors than I have ever trained." Her voice was a little shaky, so Alpha Denzel pulled her into his arms.

The pack members’ eyes widened. It was rare to see Alpha Denzel’s romantic side. Pulling away, he cupped her cheeks in the palms of his hands. "That is your challenge, so what do you want to do about it?" He asked seriously, his gaze unwavering.

This was not new to Valerie, but this was not the pack she was born into. She could end up embarrassing herself.

"Lead today and let me learn. I can take over from tomorrow."

Having a strong woman was a great privilege for Alpha Denzel. Having trained with her as Ryker, he knew that she was more than capable and would not allow fear to consume her.

"That won’t happen. You want to steal my style as much as I want to steal yours," he smirked, hinting that he would rather learn from her. Valerie was nervous.

"You..." she leaned in a bit, biting him hard on the chest. He screeched, "ouch! Wild dog," and ran away from her.

Valerie was gritting her teeth from embarrassment, but as the pack members watched their interaction, they were amazed. Even without a bond, the Alpha and Luna looked like the happiest couple. Alpha Denzel stood away from Valerie, going far behind the warriors, and leaving her on her own.

Valerie felt lost initially, but Alpha Denzel’s gaze never left her from the back, though she could not see it. With much given, much was expected. For the strong, capable Luna she was, he had a lot of trust, respect, and expectations for her.

Alessia wanted to suggest a few things, but Alpha Denzel’s glare was enough to keep her quiet.

Valerie finally accepted her fate after a short while. "Training is going to take a different turn today," she said, gaining everyone’s attention, except those at the far end. In the arena, half of her voice was being swallowed by the wind.

Alpha Denzel began to incite some of the warriors against her, and one of them yelled from the back, "Luna, we can’t hear you."

Not bothering to look in that direction, her response rendered him speechless. As she yelled back...