Luna

**Dimitri**

"Why did you choose to defend her?" Haizel asked, and I rolled my eyes, not wanting to answer her questions.

Her eyes met mine, but she quickly looked down at her feet, avoiding my gaze, knowing that I didn't want to talk to her.

"Dimitri, are we going to keep ignoring each other for much longer?" she asked, lowering her voice, softening her attitude. "I've missed your presence with me, and lately, all I've been doing is trying to fix things I don't even know..."

"You know very well that I don't turn against you unless necessary. But considering the fact that you don't seem to know me very well, then we can both choose to stay away from each other..."

"I don't want to stay away from you, Dimitri," she said, and I smiled, knowing it was because of Angel's presence here. If it were another day, and if she knew there was no "competition" against her, the woman wouldn't have cared. She never did before; I doubt she should be doing this now.

"We've gone days without talking before. You even chose to ignore me for months before. Should I believe this...?"

"You cheated on me, Dimitri. I saw you kissing one of your mistresses. What was I supposed to do? Forgive and forget because of a diamond necklace and some flowers?" She asked, stopping me. I looked away from her, and she looked down at her feet, avoiding my eyes. "I'm sorry. I'll go check on our daughter."

She took a step back before I wrapped my hand around her arm, pulling her to my chest. I hugged her, catching her by surprise, and she froze for a moment, processing what was happening, before wrapping her arms around me, allowing herself to give in to my embrace.

"I know I've been hard on you. But I have a lot on my mind, and you keep pressuring me." I said, my voice softening as I looked at her. I knew she was going to end up trying to cause a problem with Angel, and now, at least until I could get custody of Lowrence, I needed to make sure things went smoothly.

"You could at least talk to me, Dimitri. I can't guess that you have so much on your mind." She said, and I nodded. We've been married for five years, and yet the woman couldn't even understand my facial expressions when I spoke to her. I shouldn't expect her to know when I was angry and when I wasn't.

"Don't worry, dear. Just go and take care of Antonia. We haven't seen her since she got back from school, and after what happened at the ceremony, I'm still very disappointed with her." I said, making it clear that this wasn't something I was going to ignore. She nodded, and I saw how she took a step back, giving me the 'space' I needed without responding. She left the room, and I rolled my eyes as they hardened again.

I went out to the balcony and lit a cigarette, inhaling deeply before blowing the smoke into the air. And when I spotted Angel walking in the garden with Lowrence, I couldn't help but remember that man she was with.

My new partner.

Alpha Locke.

What that man was doing with her, I didn't know.

But I knew I was going to clip her wings before she started flying with another man again. I wasn't going to let her take my son away from me, and I certainly wasn't going to let another man raise him as his own.

"I'll wait to see what you're planning, Angel," I murmured, keeping my eyes on her and Lowrence as she carried him in her arms. A moment I rarely saw between Haizel and Antonia. "Until then, I'll make sure to keep you grounded..."

**Angel**

"Mom, are we going to play here alone? Don't they have people in the pack?" Lowrence asked, and I laughed, shaking my head at my son's beautiful innocence. It was something I loved about him—the way he thought, spoke, and even expressed himself. I always found his manner genuinely sweet.

"No, there are other pack members. But you know, they have school and work. We need to wait for them to come back from school so you can meet them. You know, considering the fact that you don't know them very well, they need to know who you are and how things work." I said, my voice softening for him. He pouted, and I placed my finger on his chin, gently squeezing it, making him laugh before lifting him into my arms.

"I assume your son is bored," Haizel said, breaking our moment. I had to force myself to stay calm, remembering that the last thing I wanted was for my son to see us arguing. I didn't want that image in his head, and I knew that if it came to that, we would have more trouble, and that wasn't something I wanted.

"This place is new for him. As you must know, this is the first time he's been away from home." I said, and she gave a cold smile before nodding. I knew the woman wasn't there for a friendly visit, but whatever she had to say to me, I hoped she kept in mind that my son was present. The last thing I wanted was for him to start learning bad manners right after we arrived.

"Your room is ready. Alpha Dimitri chose it, and it's a connected room so your son can sleep next to you. At least until he's old enough to move into his own room." She said, and I nodded.

"That's very kind of him. Thank you," I said, and she nodded, crossing her arms over her chest before stepping back. I looked at her, not saying a word for a few seconds before smiling at my son.

"We have our own room?" he asked, lowering his voice to a whisper. I had to stifle a laugh, knowing Haizel would still hear his whispers. But I still found it sweet that he was doing it so she wouldn't hear him asking.

"Yes, of course we do!" I said, and his eyes sparkled.

"Can I have toys in my room like at home?" He asked, and I nodded, smiling at him.

"Of course," I said, and he smiled, clapping his hands despite me carrying him. I put him down and took his hand in mine as we both walked into the house. Two maids were waiting for us, and I raised an eyebrow at them.

"We've been assigned to your service. There are two other girls still preparing your bedding. We are here to take care of anything you need, Miss Angel," one of the girls, Cecília, whom I knew very well from before Dimitri and I separated, said, and I smiled at her.

"How are you, Cecília?" I asked, and she smiled. The fact that she had been chosen to work with me indicated that either Haizel didn't like her presence, considering she was one of my maids, or Dimitri knew she was someone I trusted. Either way, I was grateful she had been chosen to be with me.

"I'm well, Luna, and it's good to see you finally back home," she said, making my heart swell. This was no longer my home, I knew that, but her genuine words made my day. At least I knew my presence here wasn't neglected.

"Who are you calling Luna?" Haizel asked, making me frown. Cecília looked at her feet, knowing she shouldn't respond, her heart racing at being reprimanded by the woman who was supposedly the Luna of the pack. She grabbed the maid's arm, causing her to flinch and look down. "If I hear you addressing her as Luna again, I promise you that I will...

I looked at Lowrence and covered his ears, not wanting him to hear such vulgarity. His eyes met mine, and I nodded to reassure him before letting out a warning growl, making Haizel step back without saying a word. Hell, she didn't even turn to face me.

"Show her the room, and I expect you in mine afterward, understand?" She asked, stepping back. Haizel looked at her feet as she passed me, avoiding my gaze, knowing things would turn against her if she dared speak to me.

"Cecília..."

"Please, Miss Angel, let me show you to your room. I'm sure the girls have finished preparing it by now." The woman said, stopping me. I was about to speak when my son caught my attention, looking at me. I was grateful I had instinctively covered his ears, but the way she grabbed the maid's arm must have caught him off guard.

I knew this wasn't something he should have seen on his first day here. His eyes met mine, and I ran my fingers through his hair for a second, murmuring words of comfort. He smiled and nodded back at me, gaining courage from his mother.

"Alright, let's go..."