* * *

For Hera, the weeks slowly ticked by—But she kept up with her training well enough. Even if it was strange to be criticized by Maverick on a livelong day, but the male was professional and perhaps it was just the way their lives worked.

But finding a mate was a blessing, and neither could say they weren't warned.

The two had started texting soon after Remus revealed that he had her number in secret, and thus it made communicating easier. Yet that didn't stop Hera from demanding to hear the truth.

Prompting a very delayed conversation with her family, minus Haylee but she wasn't as in danger as Hera had been.

Remus got a call that night that Hera was in the infirmary—Another panic attack, and this was categorized as being one of the worse. It was clear living and breathing the idea of war while not knowing anything in the realm of what was happening left a massive imprint on Hera's memories.

And the healers were worried that the added distance of her mate was going to spike up the rest of them. So while Remus was about to hop on a plane to go and see her, Hayes claimed that Hera would be coming sooner than July.

As it wasn't healthy to deny two mates one another, especially if they still needed to get aquatinted in person with one another before—Well, Hayes stopped thinking after that.

It was bad enough that Haylee was already off doing goddess only knows what.

To say that Hera was feeling discouraged was an understatement, thinking that her age suddenly pushed the bounds of people from her pack and Crescent Moon trying to message her.

She had to ask Luke who Kara was, and it was suddenly made clear. Kara was Kelly's younger sister, and sure the young pup couldn't be more than twelve or thirteen. But Hera never responded well with that type of hate.

And if a little girl was saying this, she didn't want to know what those around her were saying.

Hera's mom had been the biggest influence, both her and Jade as they went over the process on how they tackled the day and it gave her the sense of what needed to be done and when. But the offer of Willow staying in Crescent Moon gave a sense of security, course Hayes said after the spar, he wouldn't be able to stay that long after—Not because he was busy, but no part of him wanted to see his youngest be that close to a male.

However, the next time Hera had been on the phone with her mate, he had been too cautious to talk to her. Always letting her lead the conversation, and it left the talk to turn boring as she hated he was walking on eggshells too.

Until he mentioned Kara at least, that's when the world felt like it was crashing down onto her. And Remus was clear that he was going to speak to the family as apparently, they've been causing a bit of trouble before.

So Hera asking if he and Kelly planning to go against the council and mate anyway caused Remus to go silent, he had no excuse. Or he did and he tried to use it, but she didn't care.

The mere idea that she would've been left alone without a mate because he was too driven elsewhere was making herself and her wolf upset that she hung up.

Childish for sure, but seeing Remus call again only prompted her to throw the damn phone against the wall—A mirror shattering at the impact.

Hayes had been in the kitchen, knowing full well his daughter was on the phone with her mate. But the years of prepping for Hera to become a target always gave him a sixth sense, so hearing the commotion in his daughter's room caused him to sprint at the ready.

Only to be completely disregarded with his daughter's tears, broken glass on the floor, and her shattered phone trying to show a call on the screen.

"Hera!" Hayes called out, but she was far down the hall that she didn't stop. "HERA!"

Instantly her body willed itself to stop, and sure enough, it attracted much more attention than it needed.

His wolf never took his daughter as being disrespectful, and he certainly wasn't going to allow it now that she found a mate. So when he did finally catch up to her he threw her up and over his shoulder.

"No! Let me go!" She growled, huffing and puffing the entire way back to their suite. Thus throwing her back down onto the couch in the living room.

Willow of course soon behind them as she felt her mate's anger. "What happened, pup?" Hera crossed her arms over her chest and sunk further into the couch, it was one thing to hear that Remus was going to just say 'fuck any fated mate I had' and just mate with Kelly.

Even if he wasn't happy with that decision, she would've been left wondering until perhaps he ever did meet Remus. But if it didn't happen now, when would it?

After he and Kelly had pups?
After he's formed a better relationship with her?

What would've happened then?

"Pup hurting...What—"
"Stop calling me a pup! I'm fine! I'm great! My mate was just going to go against the council and mate that Omega without a care on who he was hurting. It's completely fucking fine!" She cried, and Hayes growled, his wolf always used it as a term of endearment.

A claim that she was under his protection, but in hearing all of this he was on a warpath.

"Did he tell you this?"
"No. Kelly did. And he didn't deny it, I don't want to talk to him." Which caused either to turn to look at the phone in Willow's hand, and she certainly shared her displeasure as she went to place the phone back onto the counter.

"Sweetheart...It didn't happen—"
"But it almost did, she was acting Luna and she has people who want her as Luna." Hera had taken her mother's embrace as a better attempt of comfort than her father's so of course the male left the room for a minute and soon enough jumped onto the couch and sat on both of his females.

Licking away his daughter's tears away until she was left with giggles.

I will gladly beat his ass the next time I see him sweetheart, and you know what. Every year I'll do it again.

"That's a really old rule, daddyo."

It's reinstated, you were in the same room with him for a second and already he's hurt you.

While she didn't want to be called a pup, she soon stuffed herself into his neck as well as conformed into her mama's side. "I thought mates were supposed to be easy." She mumbled, running her hands through her dad's fur and he returned her tone with his own growl.

You think your mother and I had it easy? Her father was an asshole, more than I am to Remus.

"Sweetheart, you need to talk to him, your father is right...Running away and throwing your phone or breaking things is exactly what a pup would do. Not a Luna." It wasn't meant to be a scold, but it certainly felt like one.

"What am I supposed to do?! I can't do anything except hang up on him, and then he started calling and all I saw was black and—" Her father interrupted him with a whine and started licking her all over again, especially since new tears were brought up to replace the old one.

"I'm sorry I broke the mirror." Pouting up to her mom and she received a laugh and a kiss.

"You don't think I broke a few things when this one decided to do something out of bounds? You can't let the males win, even if he is your mate. That doesn't dictate how you're feeling about what he's doing or did. Remember that, Bubbles." She nodded into her mama's hold, there was less than a month left to when she would be leaving and it was so dividing that perhaps...Perhaps she could survive a bit longer.

Your mother's broken plenty of mirrors.

"Hayden!" In seeing her father's ears pin back to his head and giving his mate a very well-rehearsed pout.

"And males will always be sure to do that. Harlow too." Willow pointed and booped her mate's nose to make sure that he was in trouble later on in the day.

Course right when Hera was starting to feel a lot better, Harlow came in with a phone right to his ear. "No. She's not having a panic attack—No, I don't know if she wants to talk to you. Would you look at that, she just left the room. Talk to ya later, Remus!" Hera was thankful that her brother recognized what their dad was doing and he too joined in by kneeling down just in front of her.

"What did that male do to my sweet lil Bubbles?" At her brother's question, it relayed her emotions sprung forth once again as she hid away again. To say she was an emotional child was an understatement, she was born around her parent's stress and the stress of the pack.

And of course, now it was starting to become clear.

They talked as a family, but what truly helped was Haylee—Her relationship with Drake made Hera feel at least a little bit relieved that the stress would get anyone this worked up. Yet something in her told her it wasn't this normal.

Mom and dad didn't have this much trouble, nor did her sister or brother.

Remus and her were going to face a lot more scrutiny, and if she couldn't even deal with her own pack's views on her, how was she going to survive when the whole of America found itself frowning upon her?

Sure her mate thought it was normal, he was the one who was going to mate with an Omega and not give a further thought about it. Even now the thought was making her gag, was it being hypocritical?

Haylee said she wasn't, she was honest with Remus that she was in a small relationship before him...At least she didn't have to worry about hard feelings between Maverick and herself, she couldn't imagine Maverick's younger siblings dming Remus on stealing her.

"Anger is making you sloppy Hera, have to chann—"
"It's not anger." She said groaning into the air and letting herself fall into the grass behind her.

She had one last tier to earn, and it was the absolute worse. To gain a connection with the Moon Goddess was going to be next to impossible if she couldn't get this next step.

"What's up?" Hera looked up to him with a face that read 'really?' She huffed into her hands and just stared up to the sky in damnation.

It had been almost four days since she last spoke to Remus, not that he didn't try in his defense. Every morning and every night since she received an apology text, and all she could think about was hearing a voice as she read through it.

"Trouble in paradise?"
"Does it look like there are any palm trees and sand here, Mav? I'm not in paradise, it's just trouble." He hummed, coming down to sit beside her, distracting himself as he started to rip at the grass.

"I'm guessing dad told you?" She questioned and he nodded, which only caused her to roll over on her stomach—Further into the dirt and away from where he could see her face.

"I think you're being too hard on him."
"What?" Her voice was similar to a gasp and thus, he put his hand up in a sense that he needed to explain himself.

"You told me that he knew her since high school, right?... That's about however many times more than our two months, and I'd like to think that we grew pretty close."
"So you're going to sit there and tell me that you'd give up your mate?"
"Are you telling me that you never thought about me further than just sleeping together? That you wouldn't want to bare my mark if I asked?" While his questions rang true, and he caught the droop in her shoulders. She shook her head.

"I really like you Maverick, and I still do. And I would've loved it if we were mates. But that's not what was planned out for us, I wouldn't have wanted you to risk your position for going against the Moon Goddess and her will."
"I wouldn't have gotten in trouble."
"It would've been frowned upon in your pack, no matter who I am or who you were. Werewolves are almost as judgmental as humans." It was the truth and they both knew it, on all accounts in fact.

"So why are you outta focus, I thought you're just going to let this settle after a week?"
"I would've, but when the Beta, Delta, and Master of Arm's son all text me in worry and ask if I'm okay—It's making it harder to forget."
"Is it too late to ask if you're okay?" A growl escaped her and she threw aside punch straight to his side and he just laughed.

"Figured. But if we're thinking about this logically, Hera, he's almost 30. He's taken the position of Alpha at 18, that's not really common anymore. So eight years without an heir, that's dangerous. Especially with how hostile everyone is around him."
"He didn't even try...If I was a year or two younger I would've been too late." Her doubt and his logic had made the two silent, so he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her right under his hold.

"Uh...Maverick, I have a mate."
"This was supposed to be a friendly hug but you're the one who fell deeper. So I should be telling you that." She huffed, and he simply responded with a kiss to her temple, and just as she was about to question what the hell he was thinking—He started leaning down to kiss her properly.

"Are you nuts?!" She shouted, rolling out of his hold and wiping the grass off her leggings. "Hera wait—"
"You just said we're friends, so what the hell was that?!"
"I wasn't thinking, Hera I'm sorry—Wait!" She certainly did not wait, instead, she went straight back home.

She rather deal with her parents than a cocky male who thought that just because he talked sweet that he could try something like that.

So Hera took a long bath, slowly regretting ever going to Arctic Crest to begin with. Course she felt productive today and started generating the rest of her phase two plan of the rogue reformed.

One of which included the alterations of trying to save feral rogues rather than slaughter them, course the sicker ones were difficult—But the longer they stayed with one another the infection spreads from one to another.

That was why there were some rouges that lived on their own in the human world. Whether it be with a few other wolves or otherwise.

Just as she was about to go and ask Harlow how believable or realistic her attempt at making a proposal was, she caught the long-distance bracelet vibrating on her dresser. It was pretty hard to ignore it in fact.

Her wolf was bracing her for the next emotion, and while she was angry with him...Her wolf reminded her that he believed he didn't have a mate, that nobody in the world was destined for him.

Or that if he ever found her, that she'd reject him. Those thoughts implemented into his mind would cause unreasonable doubt, the same that she was facing about those her age.

Her thumb brushed over the screen as she tapped it three times in a bit of a hold for each. Their code for: 'I MISS YOU'

It was a moment of nothing before Hera integrated the next set of taps. 'BUSY/TALK LATER'

And she held her breath until he responded with: OK

Though that didn't stop her phone from pinging with a text, and while she could've just ignored the technology all around her—The teenager in her needed to look.

But it wasn't from Remus, it was from Jackson.

In opening it further she realized it wasn't a text nor picture like she assumed. Instead, it had the caption of 'A Luna's true power' and nothing more.

Clicking the video it was clear that Jackson was not supposed to be recording, and it was indeed a meeting with him, Eli, and Shawn...

"Why did you send me this?" She mumbled, though then he caught Remus obviously not paying attention to the conversation and tapping his bracelet.

"Alpha? What do you think about Eli's suggestion?" Jackson teased, and Remus' head rose up and he nodded.
"If you think it's the best way to keep Shadow pack and Moony Valley from throwing a hissy fit, maybe it's better if it comes from your mouth than mine." He looked bored and absent-minded for sure—Though she couldn't deny that she felt the same.

There was an emptiness that her anger created, and it was also apparent that he hadn't been getting enough sleep.

Mate sorry. Mate upset. Call Mate.

"Work first then I'll call him, he's fine I tapped—" The gasp on the video almost caused Hera to drop her phone. But it was clear that Jack caught the moment when she responded as the brightness that shined on Remus' face was captured all in that moment.

"Uh...Alpha?"

"She responded." Eli let out an annoyed scoff to the air, clearly annoyed that his Alpha wasn't paying attention to the conversation to the fullest.

"Alpha, both Hayes and Harlow said to take things slow with Hera. And no offense sir, but you had it coming. If I found my mate already with another male I would've been pissed."

"She had a male to—" Remus shot back, and it caught her by surprise that he would throw that into the conversation.

Though she never really thought what a conversation between these four males would be.

"Sir, she was completely honest with you, you even said that Monday! If you just told her before..." 
"I know. It's not something I'm proud of, 'settling for Kelly' isn't an excuse." Hera felt like he mentioned that before, that he was never really happy with her and only stayed with her out of obligation.

"Just let her come back on her own Remus, this is as hard for her as it is for you. You have to remember that."
"My wolf was prepared to run to Mystic Grimm, Eli."

"And you put Hera in another uncomfortable and painful position because you couldn't keep it together—She's affected by your emotions too. Even if you are far away. Get it together Alpha, or she's going to reign hell on you when she comes." The video cutaway and Hera was left with more questions.

Yet the printed-out documents she had in her hands already took too much of her time. Even though it looked like Beta Eli ended the meeting, Hera did not want to interrupt if they felt the need to continue after everything that was needed to be said.

Course she also wondered if Jack really meant to send the whole video, it was one thing just to see Remus obsessing over the bracelet but it got her thinking...How distraught was the male over her actions? Sure she would go to bed angry and have to take a bath the next morning because she'd wake up overheated, but what were Remus' symptoms?

The moody male looked like he wasn't getting any sleep, and it was probably true. With all the work and the constant stress, he didn't need it added because she couldn't get her emotions in line.

She caught her brother just checking on a few of their own pack numbers and she just asked a few questions here and there not to disturb his thought process entirely. Of course, Jade scolded him like a child for not paying attention, and he quickly straightened his back and listened intently from then on.

Females have a lot more power than you realize, Hera. Our males like to keep us happy and when we aren't happy their wolf starts going frantic.

Is that for everyone or just for Lunas?

Everyone, a happy female is a happy male.

______

Date: 03/31/2022

Time: 4:49

Words: 3474