His Abandoned Luna, Her Disabled Alpha

CHAPTER 11

The man was Arlo Vance, the Beta of Moonfall pack, a man whose presence commanded nearly as much respect as the Alpha himself. His influence ran deep not just within the pack, but over the Alpha as well.

Trained as an enforcer from a young age, Arlo had sacrificed his childhood to become Beta worthy of fear.

Not only Jaxon, but even his father, the former Alpha, admired his strength and kept him close. He was a weapon, carefully concealed in the Alpha's sleeve. Rarely displayed, but always decisive.

Mason feared him as much as the next person. He acted like a wolf without its claws as soon as Arlo showed up.

Jaxon rolled his eyes at his reaction. He invited the Beta inside, making a casual excuse about the mess.

"I lost control for a moment." Jaxon said dismissively. "Take a seat. I'll call someone to clean it up."

Taking the opportunity, Mason quietly slipped away. The door shut behind him with a soft click.

Arlo's sharp gaze lingered on Mason's retreating back for a moment before he turned away. He settled onto the couch and placed a thick file on the coffee table.

Jaxon frowned at the sight of it.

The stack waiting on his now broken) desk was enough to keep him occupied for days. Before Jaxon could voice his irritation, Arlo spoke.

"This requires priority." He said evenly. "It's for the alliance meeting next week. Five Alphas allied with Moonfall will be visiting next week. The arrangement needs to be approved by tomorrow."

The alliance meeting was an annual tradition in Moonfall. A formal gathering to honor those who stood besides the pack in times of need.

Jaxon had watched his father host these events with flawless precision, each one more impression than the last. Anything low would be seen as a failure.

And that was someone Jaxon couldn't afford.

Arlo watched him in silence. Jaxon was a bit flustered by that stare, as if he was being seen through.

He moved past the couch, deliberately casual as he poured himself a cup of dark coffee.

"I trust you've handled it." He said. "Just approve it."

"I understand."

Arlo stood up and reached for a cup of his own. Jaxon stiffened slightly, his lips pursed as if he tasted something bitter.

"I received a message from Silver mane pack." He said casually, blowing on the dark, steaming liquid. "Miss Emma has met with an unfortunate accident."

Jaxon's head snapped up, "What accident?"

Arlo's brows lifted faintly, a hint of amusement flickering in his pale gaze. "She fell down the stairs. Would you like to pay a visit?"

"Yes." Jaxon replied without hesitation. "I should."

"I would advice against it, Alpha." Arlo shook his head, his tone calm, though his eyes held a hint of curiousity. "I heard Miss Ivy pushed her...in retaliation."

"What?" Jaxon's voice rose sharply.

Arlo took the first sip of his coffee with satisfaction. "A maid accused her. There is no concrete proof. He paused. "Still, the situation is far from ideal for her. Your presence may only make it worse."

His gaze sharpened slightly. " After all, you are, at the very least, a contributing factor. If not the cause of the conflict."

Jaxon's expression hardened. After a brief pause, he muttered, "I'm going."

Arlo inclined his head. "Very well. I'll have the car prepared."

At the curious age of ten, Ivy had climbed a tree just to prove that she could. Getting up there has been easy, but the world beneath her feet suddenly seemed far too frightening.

Luke wasn't around to help her, nor was Jaxon and the other children quickly began calling her a coward for being afraid. Prideful as she was, little Ivy made her decision and jumped.

She returned home with an angry bump on her head, bruises in places she couldn't even feel and a bleeding knee that sent the entire pack house into chaos.

Luna Doris cried herself into hiccups, Luke berated himself for not being there and even her father wore tracks into the floor from his restless pacing. Jaxon tried to make up for it by getting her the limited edition watch that she'd been saving up for an entire year.

As Ivy leaned back against the corner wall of Emma's room, the present began to blur with that memory. The panic, the tears, the doctor; everything felt the same.

Except the person in the centre of that love had changed.

Emma lay unconscious on the bed, with Luna Doris and Luke seated on either side of her. Their constant questions and anxious glances made the doctor visibly uneasy as he carried out his examination.

After a moment, he removed his stethoscope and spoke, "Miss Emma has a sprained wrist and a mild concussion. Rest assured, it looks worse than it is. She'll need some extra care while she recovers, but her wolf is strong. It shouldn't take more than two days to heal."

Luke frowned, still unconvinced, "Emma lost a lot of blood. What about that? And the bruises on her neck? Did you examine her properly?"

"I did." The doctor replied, maintaining his composure. "As I mentioned, it appears more serious than it actually is. That much blood loss isn't significant. As for bruising, I've prescribed an ointment to ensure it doesn't leave any marks."

He handed over a prescription as he finished. Luke examined the paper and handed it to a maid waiting outside.

When he walked in again, he saw their mother still clutching onto Emma's hand and hurling questions at the doctor.

"Doctor, how long until she wakes up?" Luna Doris asked, her voice tight with worry.

To her, Emma was still the fragile little girl who had appeared at their doorstep three years ago.

Back then Emma had been nothing more than skin and bones. It had taken Luna Doris an entire year of relentless care to bring life back into her; nourishing her body and just as importantly, surrounding her with love.

Moreover, her heart was pressed with guilt. One that made her hold onto Emma even tighter, as if making up for something unspoken.

Now, even the smallest injury on Emma weighed heavily on her. Seeing her felt as though someone had reached into her chest and torn her heart out without mercy.

Perhaps that was why, in that moment, a faint resentment towards Ivy began to take root in her.

'We gave you everything. Loved you without condition. So why are you being so cruel to her?'

It was a question she never voiced but displayed with her actions.

A fleeting glare. A doubtful glance. The subtle way her eyes would turn away whenever Ivy came into view as the doctor tended to Emma.

Luna Doris thought Ivy didn't notice. That, in time, this resentment would fade and she would return to treating her the same as before.

But Ivy noticed everything. And her heart remained as still as water.

The display of tenderness kept her on edge the entire time. Not because Ivy envied the love and care Emma received, but because her own defences itched to rise, to lay themselves bare before them.