Moonlight lovers, bonded by fate

Chapter 15

Henry was angry as he had just been with his father downstairs in the meeting hall.

His father was still gathering armies and training them in preparation to launch an attack on the Eastern Wood Pack.

Henry was not pleased with the idea and tried to persuade his father against it, but Alpha Collins dismissed him.

Feeling frustrated, Henry went back upstairs to his bedroom, not expecting to see Camila in his bathroom.

"What are you doing in here? Have you suddenly gone crazy?" Henry asked Camila as he strode toward her.

Camila was scared; she had not expected Henry to return so quickly.

"I am sorry, I just..."

"Shut your mouth, put on your clothes quickly, and get out!" Henry spat as he wrestled with his own demons.

He had seen Camila's nàked body before, and seeing her naked again was sending him into a whirlwind of crazy fantasies.

Camila had already rubbed a lot of soap on her body, and she pleaded, "Wait, let me rinse off the soap."

"Hmm..." Henry growled, his wolf fighting him internally to claim and mark Camila.

Henry pulled the bathroom door open and walked out, pacing about in his bedroom as he heard his mother's voice.

Henry quickly went back into the bathroom and warned Camila, "Shush... Don't speak."

Camila gulped hard; never had she thought she would be standing so closely with a male.

She felt uncomfortable, but then she heard Luna Ruth's voice, "Henry, where are you?"

"Mom, I am in the bathroom. I will come to see you later."

"Why is there a mopping bucket in here? Who is the maid that left it?" Luna Ruth asked, perceiving a familiar scent in Henry's room.

Luna Ruth was wearing a long white gown, and her bare feet told Henry she was closer to the door.

"Mom, I don't know. The maid left to get something. I will come to see you later; I am taking my bath now."

Henry sounded almost annoyed. Luna Ruth sighed and responded, "Alright, meet me in the dining room downstairs when you're finished."

"Okay, Mom."

Henry heard the sound of the door closing, realizing he hadn’t locked it properly; he had been distracted by Camila's scent.

Camila rinsed off the soap from her body, feeling refreshed after a good bath. However, as she finished, she noticed the Alpha's son still standing in the bathroom, staring at her.

Embarrassed, she quickly grabbed his towel to dry herself.

She dried her body and quickly slipped on her pants.

Henry exited his bathroom and went downstairs to meet his mother.

When he stepped downstairs, he saw Luna Ruth seated in the dining room, waiting for him.

"Mom, good morning. What did you want to see me about?"

Henry settled into a chair across from his mother at the dining table.

Luna Ruth replied, "It’s about the upcoming full wolf moon festival. I want our pack to start preparations for the festival activities, including dance training and other functions."

"Alright, Mom. But are you aware that Dad is also planning to take over the Eastern Wood Pack? Don’t you think it’s best for you to talk to him about retreating from that idea?"

"I don't get involved in council matters, Henry. You're in a better position to speak to your father about it."

"But Dad doesn’t want to listen to me," Henry replied, frustrated.

"Hmm, let’s just watch and see how it goes. The wolf moon ceremony is only a month away, and before you know it, the day will arrive," Luna Ruth said, smiling brightly.

"Alright, Mom. You can handle all that. I’m not really interested in the mating ceremony," Henry stated as he stood.

"Why?" His mother asked, surprised.

"Nothing. I am not ready for all that," Henry replied, stepping away from the dining chair. "I will be outside hunting."

"Okay, just be careful out there," Luna Ruth advised.

The Western Wood Pack had developed a lot of entertainment centers, clubhouses, and cozy places to hang out, aside from the Alpha's mansion and the refugee house.

Being born of royal Alpha blood, Henry still felt like a beast; it was very common for him and his siblings to hunt in the forest.

Most of the pack members respected them, not only because they ruled the pack, but also because they were stronger than the ordinary werewolves in their pack.

Henry got into his car and drove away from the mansion. The human world lay farther ahead of them and out of reach. He arrived at his favorite hunting spot in the forest and decided to search for bush meat to roast.

***

Camila finished putting on her clothes in the bathroom. She stepped out and began tidying up the room immediately, not wanting to be caught by Henry using his shower.

"He seems nice," Camila said to herself as she hurriedly mopped the room again.

She removed the old linens on the bed and replaced them with fresh ones.

Once she was through, she gathered all the dirty clothes into a basket and exited his bedroom.

Juliet was in the sitting room with her best friend, Victoria Elliott, discussing the upcoming full wolf moon festival.

"I can't wait for your older brother to choose me. Up until now, I haven't found my mate, and I am already 19 years old," Victoria said. She was wearing a red short gown, and her eyes burned with irritation as she spotted Camila walking down the staircase with the basket of dirty clothes.

Victoria turned back to Juliet and asked, "Who is this white bumpkin?"

Juliet, chewing on a carrot that morning as she skipped breakfast with her mother, laughed and replied, "She is who you just called her, Victoria—a white bumpkin. I can’t imagine the Eastern Wood Pack having white creatures like her."

Both Juliet and Victoria glared at Camila with irritation.

Camila lowered her head and walked away, not wanting to provoke either of the young ladies.

"Come here! Can't you greet?" Victoria stood up in her red dress and called Camila back.

Camila was stunned to see a young lady about her age calling her back.

She hesitated, remembering the Alpha's warning that every foreigner was below the members of the Western Wood Pack, whether in the palace or among commoners.

"I am sorry, but I already greeted Princess Juliet," Camila said, and added, "Good morning."

"Hmm..." Victoria's eyes still burned at Camila.

She glanced back at Juliet, who was still busy chewing her carrot, and asked, "Is she your personal slave?"

"No, Vic. She's working for the entire mansion under my brother's supervision. Why are you asking about her? She's a nobody; come sit down," Juliet said, not bothering to look at Camila.

Victoria could perceive Henry's scent on Camila—the fresh, woody aroma—and asked Juliet again, "But why does she smell like your brother?"

Juliet immediately rose from her seat. She looked at Victoria and then at Camila, who had bowed her head lower. She replied, "There is no possible way she would smell like Henry! What nonsense are you implying, Victoria? Henry left the mansion; didn’t you see his car driving out before you came in here? Or maybe it’s Henry's dirty clothes in that basket you’re smelling."