Chapter 13: The Scent of Awakening

She stirred. The wolf whispered. The mate bond pulsed. The Moon Goddess watched. And beneath the hush of night, Rosa turned her head, and the awakening began.

A week had passed before anyone realised it. It was now Saturday morning. It had been seven days since the attack on their Luna. Everyone was on the edge of their seats, waiting for Luna to wake up or for their Alpha to pick up her scent once the scent blockers wore off and left her system. Nobody knew when it would happen. It was anyone's guess. Life in the pack continued as usual until that day arrived, or so they thought. The day they had been waiting for finally arrived.

Luca woke up on Saturday morning, and then he realised it had been a week since the attack on his mate. He sighs as he gets out of bed and heads toward the bathroom. After grabbing a change of clothes, he steps into the shower. Once showered, dressed, and ready for the day, Luca exits the bathroom and makes his way to his mate's bed. As he neared it, a distinct fragrance stood out among the room's many scents – it was like vanilla-infused roses. Luca quickly realised that the aroma came from his mate, as there were no flowers in her room. He realised that the scent blockers had finally withdrawn from her body.

Luca felt so excited and happy; he couldn't wait to tell the pack and Gabriel. He even had a bit of fun with the doctors when they arrived to check on his mate.

He didn't have to wait long before Cristian and Arianna, the two doctors, came to see his mate and entered the room. Let the fun begin, he thought as they headed towards his mate and greeted him. Luca returned the greeting to both doctors. Arianna asked him if he'd had a good night.

He replied, "Yes, I did, but this morning's even better," with amusement.

Cristian then asks, "Oh, why, what's happened?" as Arianna looks at Luca.

He answers, even though he already knows the answer, "Can you scent anything in the room?"

Cristian looks at him strangely, but then Arianna speaks up, finally understanding but not surprised at what Luca asks. "The scent blockers have finally withdrawn from her system, haven't they?"

Luca answers, "Yes, they have," he tells them.

Cristian asks him, "What can you scent now that they are out of her system?"

Luca says, "Yes, I can subtly scent vanilla-scented roses." He smiles as he describes the scent coming from her body to the two of them.

The doctors are excited to hear this news, knowing that everyone in the pack is waiting to hear when, or if, it will happen.

At last, it has happened. The pack will be ecstatic about the news.

Arianna then asks him, "When will you inform the pack?"

Luca replies, "I was thinking about having a pack meeting later this morning to inform them of the latest development after I call Gabriel and tell him. Why?"

Arianna answers, "Oh, nothing, but the pack will be ecstatic to hear the news about Luna Rosa," she tells him.

Luca responds, "Yes, they will be ecstatic about the news of Luna. I can't wait to tell them and Gabriel," he says to both.

Cristian and Arianna smile as they say together, "Me too!" and then add,

"And to see their reactions to the news."

Luca smiled back at them as he asked, "How is she otherwise?"

"Cristian replied, "She is doing well, Luca. It shouldn't be much longer now. I think it's time you get something for breakfast, and the morning training session begins."

Arianna writes her notes in Rosa's chart and nods in agreement. Just then, Luca's stomach growled. They all laughed at the sound, and Luca chuckled along. He told them he would see one of them later at the pack meeting. Arianna mentioned she would be coming to the forum. Luca then said to her, "Okay, I'll see you then," as she nodded. He left the room, heading for the packhouse for breakfast, and caught up with his pack.

Luca arrives at the packhouse ten minutes late, enters the dining room, and sits at the table where everyone is waiting for him. As soon as he sits down, the food is already on the tables by the kitchen staff. Everyone waits until Luca, Stefano, and his brother, Constantino, have finished eating, and then the rest help themselves. Luca enjoys thinking about the news he will share at the pack meeting. When breakfast is over, Luca announces there will be a pack meeting after the morning training session. He has something to tell the entire pack, but first, he needs to call Elder Gabriel about it. The pack members, including Stefano and Constantino, look at him, hoping the news involves their Luna. Luca sees the hopeful expressions on their faces but tells them that everyone will learn what the announcement is at the meeting. Until then, they should focus on their duties.

They all reply, "Yes, Alpha!"

Luca then dismisses them from the table once they have finished eating. After eating, he thanks the kitchen staff and heads to his office to call the Elder.

Luca sat behind his desk. He dialled the elder numbers, and the caller answered after two rings. "Hello, Elder Gabriel Lombardi speaking; how may I help you?" he inquired.

Luca responded to the Elder, "Gabriel, it's Luca calling, and

Gabriel then asked, "Is it, Rosa?"

Luca replied, "Yes, it concerns Rosa. It was when I woke up this morning. I could smell a subtle scent in the room. Then I looked around, but there were no flowers in her room. I realised then that the scent was coming from Rosa, and the scent blockers had completely withdrawn from her system," he explained to the Elder.

Gabriel responded, "Luca, that's fantastic news," replying to the Alpha.

Luca said, "Yes, it's good news, and I'm about to announce it to the pack after the morning training session," sharing his plans with the Elder.

Gabriel asked, "Okay, will you keep me updated on anything else that happens?"

Luca said, "Of course, I will let you know."

The Elder replied, "Good, and hopefully I'll hear more from you soon."

Luca responded, "Yes, hopefully there will be more news for you soon, and you can see it for yourself," he said.

Elder Gabriel told the Alpha, "Until then, look after her and your pack, and I'll see you soon."

The Alpha replied, "I will, Gabriel, I will, and we'll see each other soon; bye," as the Elder said, "Bye."

Luca saw the time on his watch; this morning's training session was over. He reminded everyone of the meeting and headed to the hall to make his small but hopeful announcement to the pack.

Everybody replied, "Yes, Alpha!"

Luca arrived alone at the meeting hall. As he entered, pack members followed him, swiftly leaving their seats only to sit again. He approached the platform where Stefano and his brother waited, ready for him to share the news with the pack. Luca shared that the scent blockers that Luna Rosa had been taking had finally cleared from Luna Rosa's system, and her fragrance had been slowly drifting from her skin since this morning.

The pack responded with cheers and applause.

Then Stefano asked him, "What is her scent like for future reference?"

Luca responded, "Her scent is of vanilla-scented roses." He told everyone so they could hear, before continuing his announcement: "I have also spoken with Elder Gabriel about the development and would like to be updated when anything else happens," he said. Luca then dismissed them to freshen up for lunch, which would be out in thirty minutes.

Everyone obeyed their Alpha, including himself. The pack members left the meeting hall and headed home or to the packhouse to freshen up. Once refreshed, they gathered in the dining room, which had been set up just before their arrival. Luca and the others took their seats, served themselves, and others helped themselves to the food. After everyone finished their meal, they left. Before thanking the kitchen staff, they returned to their duties while Luca and the others finished eating. When Luca finished, he told Stefano and his brother he would be at the hospital with his mate, doing paperwork. He then left the dining room and headed towards the pack hospital and his mate.

He arrived ten minutes late and got stuck in the pile of paperwork on his desk, waiting for him. As he worked through it, the rest of the day passed quickly, and before long, it was time for the afternoon training session and dinner. Luca stayed at the hospital and kept working to finish as much of the paperwork as possible. There was a soft knock on the door, and Luca told the person to enter. Stefano had a plate and a drink in each hand as he informed his Alpha that the kitchen staff had kept a plate for him.

Luca thanked him for bringing it over.

Stefano said, "No worries, Alpha; it was good news today about Luna," he told him.

Luca smiled. "Yes, it is good news; how was training this afternoon?" he asked as he ate his dinner.

According to Giovanni, Stefano replied, "Well, everyone is going great and has improved a lot, especially the young ones," acknowledging their progress.

Luca replied, "That's good to hear. I'm glad they're doing well." He finished his meal.

Stefano said, "Since her scent has come through, it's just a matter of time before she wakes up."

Luca responded, "Yes, it could be a matter of days, and we need to be ready when it happens."

Stefano replied, "Yes, we will anyway; I'll leave you to it. I'm heading off to bed, so I'll see you in the morning if you don't need anything else," he asked his Alpha.

Luca replied, "No, nothing for now. I'll see you in the morning."

Beta Stefano said, "Okay, Alpha. See you in the morning. Good night to you and Luna," as he walked to the door to leave.

Luca said, "Goodnight, Stefano," as he left the room.

Luca sighed and went into the bathroom to get ready for bed. After changing into his nightclothes, he waited for the doctors to arrive for the final check-up on his mate before retiring for the night.

They came in within the next few minutes and entered the room. Cristian examined Rosa while Arianna and Luca discussed what happened at the meeting. When Arianna and Luca finished talking, Cristian logged her notes into her chart.

Cristian asks the Alpha, "Rosa is the same as this morning; how is her scent?" he inquires.

Luca replies, "Still there but subtle, like this morning."

"Okay, that's all for tonight, and we'll see you both in the morning," Cristian says.

Luca responds, "Okay, and thanks. Goodnight to you both, and we'll see you tomorrow," he says.

They both reply, "Goodnight, Alpha," and leave the room.

Luca goes over to Rosa and says goodnight. He kisses her on the forehead and gently touches her cheek. After spending five minutes with his mate, Luca turns around and heads for bed. He quietly slips between the sheets, and as soon as his head hits the pillow, he falls asleep, thinking about what happened this morning.

The pack heard the news of Luna's developing scent as the days passed. They knew it would not be long before Luna finally stood beside their Alpha, helping him lead the pack.

They couldn't wait to see the colour of her wolf when she shifts for the first time — not when she should have gone at sixteen, but when she is twenty-three and finds out what her wolf's name will be. The first shift will be painful, but even more so because Rosa cannot shift due to the scent blockers she unknowingly took. Since the scent blockers had been withdrawing from her system, they counted down the days until she received her wolf and shifted for the first time.

The Moon Goddess Selene watched the young Alpha sleeping. "Not much longer," she said to herself. Another week's wait, and then the fun begins. In the meantime, "Mia! It is time for you to wake up," the Moon Goddess said. Yes, the Moon Goddess is at it again, but who is this mysterious Mia? We wonder.

In the meantime, Mia heard a voice say, "Mia!" It's time for you to wake up, the voice said.

Mia whispers weakly, "Who's there?"

The voice told her, "I am the Moon Goddess. You may know me as Selene," she explained.

Mia replied, "Yes, what can I do for you, Moon Goddess?"

The Moon Goddess replies, First, you can call me Selene. Second, you need to prioritise your health, both for yourself and for your human side. I can help you there. Another thing: when you are feeling better, I will require you to help your human counterpart, Rosa, with any questions she has. She does not know that she is part wolf; her father, for safety reasons, had her on scent blockers from the age of thirteen until a week ago, after a pack of wild wolves attacked near her family's old property, where she has been living. I could heal her cuts and bruises, and now her scent has broken through; it will not be much longer.

With my help, it will even be less than necessary, as she has already met her mate's wolf form. He's been staying with her as she heals. She is strengthening the bond with her mate, she explained to me.

Mia replies to the Moon Goddess, "Yes, please, anything to strengthen us both. "She whispers her plea for help.

The Moon Goddess told the wolf, No need to worry, my child. Between you and her mate's wolf, Diego and his human half, Luca, the pack, and Elder Gabriel, she has all the support she will need to answer all her questions. Plus, there is a letter from her late father addressed to her.

Rosa, your other half, will now move and hear you, as well as everyone else who comes and goes from her room. You, Mia, will connect to your other half, Diego, Luca's wolf, as you both are mates, and he will help you explain what mates are. The week will soon be over, and Rosa must wake up. You must talk to her and tell her that she is not alone and that people are waiting for her to wake up. I will be back to see how you both are doing, said the Moon Goddess, sending her white light into Mia's and Rosa's bodies to help them.

Mia thanked the Moon Goddess for her help.

And she replies, You're welcome, my child. Bye, my dear Mia, the Moon Goddess said before her voice left.

Mia said goodbye to Selene and whispered back to the Moon Goddess. She then tried to connect to her human part and called, "Rosa, are you there?" Mia waited and waited.

Rosa

Rosa heard a voice calling out to her and wondered where it was coming from. She answered, "Hello, who's there?"

The person replies, "My name is Mia, and I am your wolf half."

Rosa thought that thought was as weird as it sounds, "You're, my what!" Rosa exclaimed.

Mia sighed. "I am your wolf half, and no, you are not crazy; you just don't know everything yet, but everything will make sense soon, I promise," she told her other half.

Rosa replies curiously, "Okay, how soon?" Rosa asked.

Then Mia answered, "When we are both better and stronger, for now, which could be days according to the Moon Goddess," she explained. Until then, you will talk to me like this, but for now, I think we need to rest more because we both have to wake up after the next few days. It will be hectic," she informed Rosa, who then asked, "Why?"

Mia replied, "Because there are many people who have been waiting to meet you for a long time," she said to her. But don't worry; some people are there to help and support you and to answer any questions you might have," she explained to the other part of herself. Curious, Mia asked Rosa, "Have you heard of the Moon Goddess before?"

Rosa replies, "No, not that I know of, but I have heard a woman's voice speaking to me before; why?"

Mia replied, "That would be the Moon Goddess's voice you heard," she revealed.

Rosa answers, "Really, her voice was so nice to hear in all this darkness," said Rosa.

Mia replies, "You won't be in the dark for much longer; someone will reveal everything soon. Rest and talk with me when you need to, to get to know each other, er, because we will be together for a long time," she said.

Rosa replied, "Okay, and thanks to you, Mia, for telling me this much," Rosa said to her wolf.

Mia replied, "No worries, and you're welcome." They ended their conversation for another day or later.

Rosa was still reviewing the information that Mia had shared with her. Was it true that she was half-human? The half-wolf thought that if that was the case, her family was, too. Why did they hide the truth from her? Rosa wondered. I will find out, and soon. Hoping and praying that it would be soon? Rosa could move her fingers; she was so excited because even a tiny movement was better than not moving as she had been before. Hence, Rosa concentrated on moving her fingers more, trying to exercise them. She could not wait for the rest of her body to follow suit. For once, Rosa was excited, scared, and a little curious.

Diego

In the meantime, Mia calls out for her wolf's mate, Diego. "Diego, are you there?" the voice said, repeating it when no answer came. "Diego, are you there?" for the second time.

While Luca and I were asleep, I thought I heard someone calling my name. I felt I was hearing a voice in my head. Then I heard it for the third time, only more sharply. "Diego! Are you there?" the spokesperson said more forcefully, so I answered.

"Yes, I am here. May I ask who this is?"

Mia replied, "Yes, my name is Mia. I am Rosa's wolf," she said to him.

Diego reacts, "Your Rosa's wolf?"

Mia replies, "Yes, I am. From what the Moon Goddess has told me, I understand that you and your human half are our mates. Is that true?"

Diego then answers Mia, "Yes, we are indeed mates."

Then Mia asks him, "How do you know we are mates?" she inquires.

Diego then explained to her that he and his human half had known they were mates from the moment they first met, a week and a half ago, when Rosa rented her family's old property. On that one night, his human side, but in his wolf half, their eyes met.

He and his human half could feel the mate bond between them, even if she couldn't at the time, but hopefully, she could do so without the scent blockers in her system. Mia could not believe what she heard, so she asked him, "How can I know what you are saying is true?"

Diego told Mia, "Ask Rosa about what she felt that night and hear what she has to say about it; it probably felt like a certain feeling. Rosa will tell you more about that night."

Mia replied, "Okay, I will thank you, Diego, for telling me what you could," she told him.

Diego reacts. "No worries, and you're welcome; we had better get some sleep. Can I let my human, Lucas, know we spoke? It would make him happy that you are finally here with us," as he asks for her permission.

Mia replies to Diego, "Yes to both. I am still tired even though the Moon Goddesses helped us both by lending some of their strength to get better and stronger," she informs him.

Diego said, "Wow, and here, Luca, my human thought he was the only one hearing or talking to the Moon Goddess speaking to them. Wait until he hears this," he said to her with awe.

Mia replied, "Okay, I had better go; I need to sleep. Can we talk later if I need more information?"

Diego replied, "Yes, we can get anything you need. Just call out to me, and I will answer, okay?"

Mia replies, "Yes, I will, and thank you again. Talk to you soon," she says to him, who then replies, "As I said before, no worries, and you're welcome, and yes, we will talk more soon so, for now, talk to you later, bye," he said to her as she replied, "Sure, talk to you later, bye," she said back before he left.

Mia thought about what Diego had told her and could not wait. She asked Rosa about that night and how she had felt when their eyes met. She could not wait to find out the answers as she settled back down and fell asleep again.

Another day passed, and everyone was doing their business as usual. Excitement filled the air as their Luna could wake up any day. The Alpha was spending all his time with his mate. Rosa tried to move more of her body, and she succeeded. She could move everything else but her head. Frightened, Rosa tried her best anyway. Rosa slowly moved her head to the left, then tried to the right with the wolf's encouragement to keep trying until she could do it. She had finally accepted that she was, in fact, part wolf when she was talking to Mia the other day after another week had passed.

Mia had asked her about that night, and Rosa had told her that the feeling was more compelling, like a compulsion, making her go outside. She discovered it was exactly as she had dreamed, and she saw the golden eyes hidden in the bushes. It was the same again when he came to her, when the wild wolf pack attacked her. He was in his wolf form with fur the colour of dark chocolate and those gold-ringed eyes.

Rosa also told Mia to feel and tell when something was wrong or felt right, like that night. She said she felt they meant something to each other, and now, after finding out what Diego had told Mia and knowing they were, in fact, mates, it felt right, and she had made the right decision coming here.

Rosa did not feel entirely comfortable yet about being a Luna of the pack, but she was slowly getting there. Rosa could also feel and hear when Luca touched and spoke to her with tenderness and love. She felt his passion for her when he woke up in the morning and at night, and kissed her on the forehead or caressed her cheek. Talking to each other about different things made Rosa feel more secure. She could also hear what the doctors were saying about her recovery. Hopefully, the day will come when she can open her eyes and see him again.

Rosa was getting tired and called Mia, saying that she was calling it a night and wished her sweet dreams of meeting Diego soon. Mia returned the greeting but wished her sweet dreams for her mate, Luca. Rosa then went to sleep.

Mia stayed awake. Why? What was keeping her up? She had no clue until she heard the Moon Goddess inside her head again, declaring, "It's time for you and Rosa to wake up." Mia agreed with the Moon Goddess as she nodded her head in acknowledgment.