Chapter 89 Serena’s Jealousy Grows 1

Chapter 89: Chapter 89 Serena’s Jealousy Grows 1

Talia’s POV

The next morning, I woke up alone.

Kaelen was already gone. His side of the bed was cold, and his pillow was still indented from where his head had rested. He had left without waking me.

I sat up and stretched my arms above my head. The room was quiet, the fire had died during the night, and the morning light filtered through the window, pale and soft.

I climbed out of bed and made it, smoothing the sheets and arranging the pillows the way I had learned to do in Cresswood. These were old habits, and they were hard to break.

I fluffed the pillows and pulled the blanket tight, making sure every corner was tucked in neatly. My mother had taught me how to make a bed when I was small, before the fire, and before everything changed. She said a neat room meant a neat mind.

I wondered if she would be proud of me now. If she was watching from somewhere, wherever she was.

I really hoped she was.

I smoothed the last wrinkle and stepped back. The bed looked clean and orderly, and I knew it was a small thing, but it made me feel like I had some control over my life.

I walked to the bathroom and took a quick shower. The warm water helped clear the fog from my mind, and the steam filled the room, washing away the last traces of sleep.

I stood under the spray for longer than necessary, letting the water run over my face and shoulders. The heat seeped into my muscles, loosening the knots that had formed during the journey.

I thought about the power that had surged through me in Alpha Stone’s hall. The way my voice had echoed like thunder, and the way everyone had frozen.

I still did not understand it, but I knew I could not ignore it.

I turned off the water and stepped out, drying myself with a towel that smelled like lavender.

When I came out, wrapped in a towel, a knock came at the door.

"Luna," a servant called. "I have brought your breakfast."

I dried myself quickly and pulled on a pair of jeans and a soft blue top. Thankfully, the fabric was comfortable and easy to move in.

I opened the door, and the servant carried the tray to the desk. There was a bowl of oatmeal topped with fresh berries, a side of crispy bacon, a slice of buttered bread, and a cup of hot tea.

The servant bowed and left, and I sat down and ate, but my mind was elsewhere. I thought about the night before, the way Kaelen had watched me, and the way he had not turned away.

When the tray was empty, I stood up, picked up the tray, and carried it with me as I walked out of the room.

I wanted to return the plates myself today. Also, I wanted to see Nora, and I wanted to know how she and Piper were doing, because I had not seen either of them since we returned from Mooncrest Hall.

The pack house was quiet in the morning. Wolves were already moving through the hallways, but no one paid me any attention.

I walked toward the kitchen, with the tray balanced in my hands. A few wolves glanced at me as I passed, but no one stopped me or offered to take the tray, like they were too shocked to speak. I understood their reactions, because servants carried trays, not Lunas. But I did not care.

When I pushed open the kitchen door, the room went quiet. The cooks and servants stopped what they were doing and stared at me. One of them, a woman with flour on her apron, looked at the tray in my hands and then back at my face.

"Luna," she said. "You should not be carrying that. You should have called for one of us."

"It is fine," I said. "I wanted to bring it myself."

She still looked uncomfortable, but she did not argue.

I looked around the kitchen and spotted Nora near the sink, washing vegetables. She looked up when she heard my voice, and her eyes widened.

I walked over to her and set the tray on the counter. "May I have a word in private, please?"

She looked at the cook, then back at me.

"It’s okay, Nora. Attending to the Luna is a priority," the Chief Cook said.

"Thank you, ma’am," I said.

"No need to thank me, Luna," she said, smiling.

We walked outside the kitchen and stopped at a quiet corner.

"Nora," I said. "I wanted to thank you. For everything you did at Mooncrest Hall. You, Piper, and Elara risked everything and saved me. I could not have done it without you."

Nora’s face softened. "You do not need to thank me, Luna. That is what friends are for."

I smiled. "Still. I wanted you to know."

She nodded, and I turned to leave. I walked through the doors and out to the garden.

The sun was warm on my face, and the flowers were blooming in neat rows along the stone paths. The fountain bubbled in the center, and the water sparkled in the morning light.

Kaelen was sitting on a stone bench with Jax and Silas. They were talking, with their voices low, but they looked up when I approached.

Kaelen’s gray eyes found mine, and they softened, just a little.

I walked to the bench and sat down beside him.

"Good morning," he said. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did," I answered. "And you?"

He nodded. "Well enough."

He reached beside him and picked up a book. The cover was old and worn, and the pages were yellowed with age.

"I found this," he said, holding it out to me. "I thought you might like it."

I took it from his hands and looked at the title. It was a book about the history of werewolf magic, ancient spells, forgotten powers, and the kind of knowledge that had been lost to most packs.

"Thank you," I said.