The Eclipsed Life of Luna Mischa (by Jennifer Francis) novel Chapter 97

The days passed at the conference a little slowly for Mischa, but that was to be expected. She’d gotten to walk through the central garden twice, once in the day and another at night. It was stunning, all lit up with the lights on, and she’d really liked it there. She’d gotten caught in the sprinkler system and laughed, found it very amusing.

She wasn’t the only one to get caught out in it either. Some of the Obsidian children had been out there waiting for it, and had run about laughing under the sprinkles playing in the water together. It had been a lovely sight to see as she’d headed back to her room, smiling the entire time. A part of her wondered if it was done like that on purpose; no warning given, or if it was just that those that lived here knew when the sprinklers would go off; those children knew, that was obvious to her.

There was nothing from Dana at all other than the delivery of papers for her to sign herself up to a study. That group who’d done the original study were going to redo it with, hopefully, more wolves willing to participate. They were also going to include all in the Mate–bond in the study as well, and Dana herself was attached to that study now too.

Everyone’s answers would be kept private and confidential, even from their own Mate or Mates, as a way to encourage them into being willing participants. She didn’t think that Christy would want to be a part of it at all. Anthony… She didn’t know, he’d likely think about it and then decide against it because it would show that he, an Alpha, had left his Luna’s heat

unattended.

She’d read through the criteria; a history of the participants was going to be collected and used for a comparison to the first study. A part of Mischa wondered if this was a way of trying to get that male Mate to not abandon one of his Mates heat in preference for the other, to kind of make him have to acknowledge it and make him split his time equally between the two she–wolves that were his Mates.

She sat in her suite that night and filled out her forms with as much detail as they requested and then sealed it in the envelope with her name written on it and walked it back to Dana’s office and slipped it under the door.

She would take the other two home and hand them over just to see what they would do with them. That could be fun for her to watch. Christy would just be completely dismissive of it

and toss it in the bin stating, “No.” she could well imagine.

Anthony would look at Mischa and be torn, she thought, by having to make the decision. Knowing that if he said no and didn’t want to participate, then he was clearly not willing to help her, or others like her, from having to suffer this affliction, something he’d made her

suffer himself.

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Proving to her, he didn’t actually care, and not only for herself but about wanting to help others, like herself as well. Which, again, wasn’t very Alphaly of him because, as an Alpha, he should want to help fix something like this, for not only his own Mate but all that could be afflicted.

Though having him agree, and him having to fill in all that information from his own point of view of what and how it came about; would he be honest about it or lie about it? There were

three tick boxes there at the top of the papers that stated tick one to show the privacy you want for yourself.

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1. Complete privacy, nothing to be shared with either Mate

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2. Semi–private, share information with only one Mate, write that Mate’s name here:
3. No privacy. Share information with both Mates, write both names here:

Mischa had ticked box 3, she had no need for privacy and would give everything to the study. Something Anthony wouldn’t know what she would choose, but she would tell him what she opted for, stating, “I thought you’d want to know my thoughts and feelings in depth.”

It would or should force his hand to join that study, and tick the share box so she could read his account of things as he saw them. Know if he lied about it in full, or in part, or did he actually state the complete and whole truth. He wasn’t going to like it because yet again, it

would show her if he cared or not.

It wasn’t a small set of forms and questions to be filled in, and it took her half the night. She’d included her name and rank, actual bloodline, the years mated without Christy in the bond,

and then the years Christy was in it.

She added both their names to it, as was on the list of things if one was willing to share, also their rank and bloodlines. All of their ages as well. She left nothing out. She even ticked the box at the very bottom that all her information was allowed to be public knowledge when the results were out. She had nothing to hide, so would hide nothing.

She was just packing her suitcase the morning they were due to leave the conference and go back to Night Whispers. When Dana came to her room and smiled at her, Mischa invited her in and Dana stated, “It was an interesting read and with all I saw, because I watched all the footage, I also believe that your Mate’s second Luna was prepped in advance.

“The way she stood out there in the hall annoyed and angry. The way, she left the Alpha Suite and went to the Luna Suite, which is where she keeps her stored Pheromones. I think she only waited until the next day for one of two reasons. 1, she was in two minds about actually doing it, and having to suffer the consequences if she knew what they were.

“2, putting it off until a time as it wouldn’t be seen that it was the exact same time as your

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heat or within an hour or so, because that would be too obvious. Seeing as she only has one heat, I also think she did the research to some degree, knew that going into your room would also be seen as a way to set off a heat in a bond like you have, and that’s why she insisted on being taken into your room while you were in heat, covered all the bases.”

Mischa frowned. “I don’t think she’s that smart to be honest.”

“Doesn’t have to be smart, just has to know what to search for on the wolfen intranet, get the answer, and there are only two to that very specific question. I think she just plays at being dumb to be honest,” Dana stated.

“Or she’s got someone outside the pack helping her. She’s not from an allied pack, just a neutral pack and was only in it a few months prior to turning 18. Her school grades were average, so…” Mischa shrugged.

“Mm, but don’t underestimate one that is determined to take everything from you and have it be seen as her Mate’s doing, and not hers. I bet deep down Christy resents Anthony just enough to be uncaring of his bond with you. Because if she truly and wholeheartedly loved him and cherished their bond, she wouldn’t do anything to make him unhappy, including getting between you and him.

“That would also age her too, and she does look like she’s about 30 and is 20 going on 21. That is indicative of her going against either her own bond or her tearing at her Mate’s bond with you. You don’t get in the way, do you. Step aside to make your Mate happy?” Dana

asked.

“I did, but I simply no longer care,” Mischa answered.

“That, right there, is why you look healthy and unaffected. You’ve never actively sabotaged your Mate’s bond with his second Mate. Still aren’t. You might be setting things up for them to dig holes for themselves, but they don’t have to fall into them, they can choose not to take that route open to them. You’re actively giving them choices of their own, and if they take the wrong one, that is not seen as you harming the bond. Because you didn’t make the choice for

them.”

“That is my conclusion.” Mischa agreed.

“I’ve tailored pain relief to your otherworldly markers in your blood, so it will be more effective in reducing pain when your heat comes, if you have to suffer it alone.” She handed her a box she’d come in with. “Give this to Brent all the instructions are in there, they will only work for yourself, if Christy self induces her heat a second time, she will either have to suffer the effects of it again or use regular drugs if Anthony leaves her to tend to you, to get through it.”

Mischa nodded, “Thank you for this,” she stated as Brent walked through the adjoining door,

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but then held whatever words he was about to say, though from the suitcase in his hand it was likely he was just ready to leave.

Dana nodded to him. “I’ve given the drugs to Mischa, instructions included,” she told him, and then turned back to Mischa. “I’ve passed everything I think is relevant on to Madison, the tech prodigy I know. I’ll let you know when she gets back to me. She responded to my e–mail that she was interested in helping solve this if she could. Then added it was already itching her brain.” Dana smiled. “So, more people working on it now too.”

“Feel free to e–mail her and tell her I’m happy to be her guinea pig for her experiments,” Mischa stated.

“I will do.” Dana nodded. “She’ll likely be happy about that.”

“I did not hear that.” Brent muttered as he walked over and sat down.

“I thought he was in the know? Why you came with him?” Dana asked her now.

“On everything bar what I actually want done. That gives him plausible deniability,” Mischa

stated.

“Keep me in the dark, Anthony’s beast has a temper. I’ve seen it. I also don’t want it aimed at me either,” Brent commented.

“Fair enough,” Dana nodded. “I guess no Alpha would want their Luna offering herself up for experimentation.”

Mischa shrugged it off, “It’s my body, so my choice. And if I can help others in my situation, then I don’t see a problem with it. I also think as a Luna, it’s something I should do to help protect other she–wolves from being in pain and agony, from becoming one of the 3%

statistics.”

“And I thank you for that,” Dana nodded. “I’ll call Madison and let her know. She may want to contact you directly.”

“That’s fine, but just me and no one else,” Mischa told her.

Dana nodded. “Of course.” Then she stood, “Continue to document as you have been, that will be helpful for that new study, and feel free to come back for other conferences with Brent, so we can discuss future developments in person. Use the conferences to give you a valid reason to come here without your Mate.” Dana told her and headed off.

They were on the bus down to the ferry 15 minutes later, and as they were getting off the ferry, one of the Obsidian pack members called out to her. “Luna Mischa, please wait… Dana, asked I stop you from leaving, said to tell you she has something. Will you take her call now?

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There will be no service on the way out for an hour or so?”

“I will.” Mischa nodded. She answered the call when it rang with an unknown number and

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“Mischa, it’s Dana, sorry to hold you up. I just got off the phone with Madison, and she said she’s got something you could try. Would you be willing to make a stop on your way home? To Arizona, call into her pack and speak with her.”

“What pack?” Mischa asked. “We’re not affiliated with anyone out this way.”

“No, I suppose you’re not, but you’d have gotten, as did all packs, the Wolfen Council’s notification about her pack and the goings–on there once, a few years back; it’s the Forest of Light.”

Mischa nearly laughed, Selena you work in mysterious ways. “I’ll take the detour and stop in,

call and let her know.”

“I will, I am looking at flights right now on my computer. Wolf Airlines has a flight to Phoenix with available seats from San Francisco tomorrow.”

“Excellent, thanks for checking on that, and let Madison know I’ll come tomorrow.”

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