Chapter 21

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Braxton clears his throat, looking uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"I've heard like ten different people refer to me as Luna," I explain. "It wasn't hard to catch on."

Braxton sighs. "A Luna is what we call the Alpha female of a pack."

I stare at him in confusion for a few seconds until it clicks. "Is the Alpha female of a pack the Alpha male's mate?"

Braxton nods, gauging my reaction.

I swallow nervously. This whole situation just got a lot more complicated and intimidating. "What does that mean for me?"

"It means that you're my equal. You lead this pack alongside me," Braxton says slowly.

"Everyone just... listens to me?" I ask, confused.

"Yes," Braxton replies. "Well, unless whatever you say contradicts one of my orders."

I furrow my eyebrows. "You just said that I am your equal."

"You are. But an Alpha's command will always come first."

"Then what is even the point of a Luna?" I question angrily. "Just to sit beside you and look pretty?" That idea doesn't sit too well with me.

"No. An Alpha is born to lead a pack. That means strength, intelligence, leadership. Unfortunately, things like empathy, comfort, or kindness are not included in that."

I look at him in confusion when he mentions not having kindness. Is he joking? He has literally been nothing but kind to me since I've been here. A little moody and temperamental sometimes, sure, but I admit that I did several things that provoked him.

"You are kind," I blurt, interrupting him.

Braxton chuckles lightly, but he doesn't look very amused. "You mistake my feelings for you and the way I am with you as being the same as how I act when I am not around you."

"So you're saying that you're a douchebag to everyone but me?"

Braxton smiles slightly. "You could say that."

"Okay, but what does the fact that you're an asshole have to do with me being a Luna?" I ask, giggling quietly when Braxton looks mildly offended at my words.

"Alphas have the ability to lead a pack physically. They do not have the ability to lead one mentally. They can't comfort and reassure pack members very well. They can't fully connect with them; they are just too aggressive, too intimidating. A Luna, being an Alpha's mate, is their perfect match. A Luna has all of the characteristics that an Alpha lacks. You have all of the characteristics that I lack."

"So you're saying that I can... connect with the pack members?" I question.

"Yes. A Luna is like a link between the Alpha and the rest of the pack, especially the lower members. I do not have the time to speak to all of my pack, and most of them are too intimidated to speak to me directly anyway," Braxton explains.

"What did you do?" I ask, eyes widening.

Braxton looks at me with confusion. "What do you mean?"

"What did you do to make them so scared of you?"

Braxton shakes his head, smiling slightly. "They are not scared of me. An Alpha wolf is very powerful, and many weaker wolves are intimidated by it. It is because of the aggression that I mentioned before."

"Oh," I say softly. It makes sense. I can't even become a wolf and I can feel the power that his presence holds.

"But a Luna is drastically less intimidating than an Alpha. You can bring the pack together in a way that I physically can't. Lunas are vital to a pack; one could collapse without a Luna."

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