The Eclipsed Life of Luna Mischa (by Jennifer Francis) novel Chapter 37

Those days Anthony was on the shaming post passed quietly for her. She’d had the Alpha Unit attend to all the human world business as they normally would, while she had sat in the Luna’s office and attended to Luna Duties. Nothing really changed inside the pack for her, and

the unit went about things as if Anthony was tending to one of his Luna’s heats.

She was sitting at her desk right that minute looking at the upcoming full moon. There was a mating ball to be held here inside this very pack, but with Luna Christy in the pack cells for the next eight weeks. She didn’t know if that mating ball should continue, because all their allies would ask either herself or Anthony where his other Luna was.

Mischa didn’t think it was a good idea to have either one of them state she wasn’t there due to being under full pack punishment. That would just lead to more questions about why she was being punished. Which would see them all know what Christy had done, that she had shown traitorous tendencies, and that Anthony had pleaded for her life and excused those

tendencies.

Those very things could well have some, if not all, of their allies cut ties with them over it. No Alpha should let another try and bring about harm to his Luna, in such a manner. So, it was a dilemma that she needed to really consider. But it wasn’t just something for her to consider, Anthony would come off that shaming post today.

Seeing as he’d refused to give Christy up, begged not to have her banished, and offered himself up to take some of her punishment. That also meant he didn’t want their allies to look at her and know she had traitorous tendencies against his other Luna.

She got up from her desk after much thought and made her way to the cells. It was the first time she’d come out here since the day Christy had been put in that cell, and they’d had their

last conversation.

Christy hadn’t claimed Mischa had tried to harm her, she’d done nothing other than just sit in there and eat the meals provided for her. Maybe those words she’d had with her had finally made her see the light and would see her change her ways.

One could only hope so. Christy sat there on the cot at the back of the cell, curled up with a blanket around her. There was no heating in here, nor any windows. But she knew every time that door at the top of the stairs was opened, the cold wind would blow into the cells.

That blanket wasn’t exactly thick and fluffy either, it was only warm enough to keep one from freezing to death while in there. She stood at the front of the cell and looked at her through the bars; she’d never seen Christy look so unkempt and unclean before. She turned and looked at the guard who’d followed her inside but was standing by the base of the stairs with

a steaming cup of coffee in his hands.

“No baths for her?” she asked curiously.

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“She can have one anytime she likes,” he told her, sipped that coffee and then smiled. “There, however, is no hot water out here. The water for this place is fed directly from the lake, so…” he shrugged.

She understood; it would be ice-cold at this time of year. She turned back to Christy, who was now glaring at her. “What do you want?” Christy bit out.

“To inform you that there is a mating ball to be held on this full moon. I, as the one currently seated in the Alpha’s chair, have the right to rescind it, but… to be completely honest with you, I don’t really want to.” She smiled just a little.

“Do as you please. I don’t care what you do,” Christy stated.

Mischa heard the cell guard snort, “Luna, I think the cold has killed her brain cells.”

“It does appear that way.” Mischa nodded and then stated, “As you wish, Christy, just remember you agreed to let it be held, by making that statement.” Then she turned and headed out of the cells. If Christy didn’t understand the meaning of her being in the cells, and the allies knowing that, that was her problem. It was also clear that Christy didn’t understand that they were going to ask why she wasn’t about and would have to be informed of the truth due to their Allied Agreements. Which stated none were to lie to the other.

Not telling them something directly like this, if they didn’t ask about it, wasn’t seen as a lie, all packs kept varying things under the table. As long as it wasn’t detrimental to their allies, that was a given. But if one was asked something directly by an Allied Alpha, then the question had to be answered within reason and truthfully so.

Everyone knew Anthony had two Lunas and if one wasn’t there and was asked where she was, he would have to answer that. Most would check his filigree to see if he’d been rejected or perhaps lost a Luna to a rogue attack. Then, seeing that his filigree hadn’t changed from the last time they’d seen him, they’d know he still had two Lunas.

But one not being there at a function like that, it would be seen as either something was wrong with his other Luna or she’d done something to warrant not being there on his arm. So, of course, their curiosity would be pricked and they’d ask questions. It was just a natural thing in their world to ask about an Alpha’s Mate; it was considered a common curtesy.

She walked into the packhouse and found a very haggard looking Anthony standing in the foyer. She’d known he was going to come off that shaming post this morning. Kendrick had informed her last night that Anthony’s last lashing had been dished out at 10pm. That he would be released this morning, and she’d thanked him for the notice and told him to attend

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it as per pack protocol dictated it be done.

He’d still been on that shaming post when she’d walked herself off to the cells, and he was likely keeping track of her as she moved about to attend pack-related things. She’d not said a single word to him during the course of his punishment. He’d not been allowed to speak to anyone himself, knew the rules of one being out there on the shaming post.

She looked at him now as he stood there, clearly waiting for her to return. He couldn’t go and visit Christy out there in the cells. Any pack member or rogue or enemy caught from this moment on, would be dealt with by the Unit or the pack Elders. Not him because Christy was down in the cells, and he wasn’t allowed in there until her punishment was over, and she was let out.

“Go and clean yourself up,” she murmured after only a moments’ pause at seeing him. He’d also not had a bath in the entire time he’d been out there.

But prompted him anyway. “Go on, finish that sentence,” she stated and leaned back in her chair and watched him remain silent. So, she answered for him. “If you can see what the allies will make of what happened, and will sever ties with you because of it, then I guess. regardless of the fact, that you still love her and want her. They won’t in fact see her as anything other than a traitor.

“I think Alpha Nicholas will be the first to cancel a pack alliance, don’t you! Considering all he went through with a traitorous she-wolf trying to destroy his and Lucinda’s bond. Yes? He was very decisive in dealing with one that would intentionally harm his Mate through himself,

she put right to him exactly what Christy had done.

“Yes, Anthony, make the first thing you ask of me after being punished, be to plead for the woman who tried to have you kill me.” She nodded. “That’s pretty much what I was expecting from you. Glad you didn’t disappoint.” She stated flatly, “But just to inform you, I have already gone and spoken to Christy about this. I have just returned from doing so now. She told me to hold it anyway… So, if Christy doesn’t care how the pack’s allies see her… or you.” She shrugged. “Then why should I?” she asked.

“You may mind-link to the cell guards on duty. Ricco was the one that followed me into the cells and listened to the conversation.” She informed him, “You can also ask him or any of them how many times I’ve been out there and spoken to Christy. I don’t care. I have nothing to hide. But think about it, Anthony, two years she’s been your Mate, and clearly she’s learned very little.” She opened her Luna desk draw and got out the pack’s rule book and tossed it at him.

He caught it so it didn’t hit himself, “Go and have her knowledge tested, and see exactly how little she has. Simply because she’s not interested in learning them, let alone from me… On that note, Debbie is going to take over that Luna training when Christy gets out of the cells. I don’t want anything to do with that other Mate of yours. I’m certain you can understand why.

“So I’ve arranged for Debbie to attend it. She, I believe, stated it would be five days a week, eight hours a day. Seeing as she knows nothing other than what she believes, you need to see her doing in order to make you think she’s learned everything and doing a great job.”

She watched as his frown deepened even further. “I’ve seen her…”

“Doing all the major things,” Mischa cut him off. “Luna blessings, organizing mating balls and things that revolve around them, and using her Luna calm. Anything else at all?” she asked him and gave him a moment to think about that very thing, “Have you ever seen her console a grieving she-wolf, give advice to a pack teen on which university they should study at, depending on what they want to study.

“Sit down and discuss teen issues to resolve in-house fighting? Has she ever attended a mummy and pups’ class, or helped out with pack-related chores? When was the last time she wrote a report?” She directed at him all the things she herself did that Christy never did.

“Go and shower, as you mull over just how lacking she is of everything other than sating your sexual needs. You’re stinking up my office.” She waved him away and although his frown turned to annoyance at her last words and her dismissing of him, he did turn and walk away.

Walked out of her office and right into his, she wasn’t going to be playing nice with him. He’d

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stated he wanted to see her, but all he really did was want to speak with her about Christy and resolve that issue. He now knew was going to see Christy in a bad light, nothing had changed at all.

He, now also had to consider that what Christy had done would lose them allies if that Mating ball was held, and how to explain what she’d done to them to stop that.

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