Her Delicate Blue Eyes

Chapter 4

Chapter 4~ Luca

Graham, Luca, and Cain all lay panting in the tall grass surrounding the Alpha Mansion. It was a fairly hot day to begin with, but after sprinting the rest of the way home, the trio was exhausted and dehydrated.

Somehow, Cain had managed to carry the deer back with them and it was lying on a nearby wooden picnic table that was near the beginning of forestry on the outside of Alpha Mansion property.

"We should probably get up before Mom or Dad comes out here and notices..." Cain panted through the mind-link. All three of them had been so exhausted from the sprint home that they were resting before they shifted back into their human forms.

"Good idea," Luca mind-linked back.

Cain was the first one to shift back into human form, and then the others followed. The three of them slipped their way into the back door of the Alpha Mansion, where extra clothes were stored for after hunting trips.

Luca found a large grey hoodie and some black shorts and slipped them casually on as her brothers looked for extra clothes.

"What are you going to do with that deer?" Graham mumbled to Cain.

"Brag about how I caught him in the woods to Dad," Cain smirked and Luca rolled her eyes.

As good as venison was, Luca hated eating it. She hated eating meat in general. It wasn't the taste of meat, or the texture, or the smell; it was the thought of killing that she hated. She hated the fact that the baby deer's life had been stolen in a selfish attempt to boast by her own brother. But, she would never tell her parents that. Especially not her father.

She could just imagine the conversation:

"How am I supposed to let you lead this pack if you can't even kill an animal for food? What are you going to do when were in war and the soldiers need to kill other soldiers from other packs?" Luca imagined Alpha Joel yelling.

"How am I supposed to hand over the pack to you if you can't even bear with the thought of using an animal for food? How will the pack members survive without the protein and nutrients supplied by the Moon Goddess in our meat?" She could just see her father shaking his head disapprovingly at her.

"But, it's not fair. For the animals, I mean." She would retort back to her father.

Alpha Joel would snort. "But, it's fair for wolves to die of starvation." And then he would repeat his signature line: "Life's not fair, Luca."

Luca thought back to real life. She finished dressing herself and then wandered throughout the huge Alpha Mansion, which was sort of like a winding maze.

Cain and Graham went back outside to gather the deer and present it to the servants for that night's meal.

Luca began to way upstairs when she caught glance of her father in his study.

Alpha Joel had his fingertips pressed against his temples. He moaned with agony as he brought himself to face the bright screen of the only computer that was present in the Alpha Mansion.

Luca paused for a moment, knowing that it wasn't right to eavesdrop, but something was compelling her and the study door had been left wide open as if the Moon Goddess wanted her to see whatever her father was so stressed out about.

After all, Luca would be in charge of the pack soon enough and she had to start learning what to do sooner or later. But, it didn't seem like Alpha Joel was that interested in teaching her, yet.

Luca tiptoed away from the base of the large wooden stairs and towards her father's study room.

The whole past week Alpha Joel had hardly even left his study. Luca had even begun to wonder if he had been sleeping in there, too!

Alpha Joel leaned back in his soft, plush, black desk chair making Luca shriek back away from the doorway, fearful of getting caught in the act of eavesdropping.

Alpha Joel paused for a moment, staring at the bright desktop screen. He placed his index finger to his lips, thinking. He let out a long sigh and began to ruffle his fingers through his hair.

Alpha Joel groaned again, this time with frustration and lightly slammed his fist against the glass top of the desk, slightly cracking it. He looked down at the crack and grumbled something lightly, probably a curse word, which was ironic since Luca, Cain, and Graham were all forbidden from cursing.

Alpha Joel began to bite at his thumb nail, a bad habit that unfortunately Luca had inherited.

He leaned back in his chair again and turned around slightly, feeling as if someone was watching him, which indeed someone was.

Luca ducked back behind the doorway again, this time even more fearful of getting caught in the act of eavesdropping.

She began to fight with herself in her mind whether spying on her father was the right thing to do or not.

Finally realizing that she wouldn't figure out much information by hiding behind the doorway anyway, Luca began to get up and just as she reached the bottom of the stairwell, her father's stern voice echoed throughout the Alpha Mansion. Luca gulped. He must have heard her.

"Luca, I know you're there," The Alpha said, his eyes not leaving the computer screen. "Come here."

Luca swallowed and began to walk into her father's study.

"Yes, father?" She said as sweetly as possible trying to hide that she had been eavesdropping on his business.

Alpha Joel closed out of whatever he had been working on the computer, swiveled around in his desk chair, and faced his waiting daughter.

"I know you were spying on me." He said his face blank and surprisingly calm.

Luca looked at the ground trying to avoid her father's gaze.

"But, I can understand why."

Luca looked back up from the ground at her father, hope fleeing into her bright blue eyes.

"I haven't exactly been fair lately. But, life isn't fair." The Alpha continued, quoting his favorite piece of advice: Life isn't fair.

"I haven't been telling you about pack business, I haven't been joining you and the rest of the family for dinner, and I haven't exactly been spending much time with my family. I'm sorry."

Luca nodded.

"It's fine. I understand the stress it takes to be Alpha." She said sweetly.

Alpha Joel nodded and returned back to his lecture.

"And obviously, you are wondering what I have been doing."

Luca nodded. Alpha Joel rubbed his hand through his hair again.

"And I would tell you, and I will tell you soon, but now is not the time. I still need to talk things over with your mother regarding this pack business."

Luca nodded again, feeling like a bobble head.

"But, eavesdropping is not the right way to the truth, Luca."

Luca nodded to make it look like she understood and was deserving of his apology.

"Yes, father."

Alpha Joel got up from his chair and looked his daughter in the eyes, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I understand you want to know what's going on, but please, this is not something regarding you right now. If it did I would tell you." Alpha Joel concluded.

"Now, I heard that Cain caught us dinner tonight. Let's forget about this and join the family. Deal?" Alpha Joel stuck out his hand and Luca shook it.

"Deal."

Both of them headed into the kitchen, where the Luna and Graham were busy serving Venison.

Alpha Joel gave a warm smile to his Luna and kissed her cheek lightly.

Luca sat down, and with Alpha Joel at the table that night for dinner, things finally felt like they were back to normal.