MOONLIGHT: ORIGINAL EDITION

Luca woke up on Monday morning. He realised that his mate and Luna, Rosa, had already been here for a week but also that Gabriel was leaving after breakfast and was returning home. Luca then went into the bathroom after getting a change of clothes and a shower. He came out of the bathroom dressed and ready for the day. He approached Rosa’s bed, kissed her forehead, and said good morning. After spending a few minutes with his mate, Luca heads towards the pack house for breakfast and the meeting afterwards. Luca arrives at the pack house ten minutes later, enters the dining room, and sees everyone seated at the table, including the guest of honour, Gabriel. Luca said good morning to everyone as they returned the greeting to their Alpha. Luca reminds everyone in the meeting hall of the pack meeting after breakfast. They all replied, “Yes, Alpha.” The food was served fifteen minutes later. Luca lets Gabriel serve himself before him; it’s Stefano’s and Constantino’s turn. Then, the rest of the pack members helped themselves. Everyone spoke and ate quietly. Luca dismissed them when everyone had finished eating, but not until everyone had thanked the kitchen staff for the beautiful food they had prepared. Luca and the others were still finishing their food. When they finally finished eating, they headed towards the meeting hall for the meeting and to say goodbye to the Elder.

They arrived at the meeting hall five minutes later. Everyone else was already sitting and waiting for the meeting to start. Stefano, Constantino, Giovanni, Lorenzo, Tommaso and the twins, Riccardo and Dominic Vittori, were standing behind their Alpha and Gabriel on the podium as Luca started to speak,” Welcome everyone l have called this meeting to say not goodbye but farewell to Elder Gabriel as he returns home and we wish him a safe journey home” he tells his pack members who clap and cheer. Luca continues, “Gabriel will be back when our Luna has fully recovered, and she needs help to adjust. Add more information about our way of life when she finally wakes. She needs it. So please put your hands together in thanks for Elder Gabriel Lombardi,” he asks his pack members, who get to their feet, clap, and cheer even louder. Gabriel then says to everyone, “Thank you, Luca, for those kind words. Even though I’m leaving today, you will all be in my thoughts and prayers, especially your precious Luna, who l hope recovers quickly. Also, l would like to thank you all for your hospitality. You made me feel like l was home, so l thank you for that. As your Alpha said, l will be back and updated on your Luna’s recovery. So this is not a goodbye, but see you all later because I will be back, thanks,” he said to them. Luca informs the pack that Gabriel will see Luna before he leaves. So if they want to say anything to him, now is the time.

One of the senior members stands up and says to the Elder, “Elder Gabriel, my name is Marco Caruso. On behalf of the pack members that are here and myself, we would like to wish you a safe journey home and also to let you know that if it’s okay with our Alpha” as he looks over at Luca who nods his head in agreement with him as he continues “that you would like to think of this pack as your second home and please call me Marco,” he asked the Elder while holding his breath in waiting for the Elder to reply. Gabriel answers him and the pack members by saying, “Marco and the Ferrera Pack, it would be my honour to make this pack my second home as you made me feel like l am already home. Thank you once again; l appreciate it”, he said to them. They all clapped and cheered. Luca replies to the pack members, “If that’s everything, then you are dismissed to attend to your duties”, he tells them. The pack heads out of the meeting hall but not before saying farewell to Elder Gabriel, who farewells them back. Luca then takes Gabriel towards the pack hospital to farewell Rosa and the two doctors.

They arrive at the hospital ten minutes later. As they entered through the door and into Rosa’s room, they found the two doctors already there waiting for them. The Elder asks, “How is she?” Cristian replies, “She is doing great, Gabriel and Luca; it shouldn’t be much longer before her scent comes through once the scent blockers wear off and are out of her system,” he explained. Gabriel replied, “That’s good to hear,” he told them. Arianna tells him, “We hope that you have enjoyed your stay even under the circumstances, and we hope that you would like to come back,” She asks him. Gabriel answers by saying to both of them, “Yes, l have enjoyed my time here even under the circumstances and will be back. You have made this pack my second home as you made me feel like l was home”, he said back. They both held their hands out to shake with the Elder, who then shook their hands in return as they farewelled each other and left the room, leaving the Elder and Luca alone with Rosa.

Gabriel then turns to Luca and says to him, “Well, I’d better get moving,” he said to him. Luca replies to him, saying, “Okay, let me see you out.” Gabriel answers by saying to him, “Thanks, I appreciate it.” Luca replies, “No worries,” as they walk out of the room, but not before Gabriel takes one last look at Rosa before leaving the room. Then, they both left the room. As Luca walked with the Elder, he asked, “I forgot to ask you how you got here. Did you drive, or were you driven here?” Gabriel replies, “No, l drove here by myself. Why?” Luca replies, “Nothing, just wondered, that’s all,” he said to him. Gabriel said, “I don’t like to put anyone out. l just like to drive anywhere by myself. I can still drive”, he said. Luca replies, “No, it’s good that you can still get around by yourself. You like being independent. I’m hoping that l will be independent when l get around a certain age,” he said in a cheeky tone.

Gabriel laughed in amusement at that, and so did Luca. As they walked back to the front of the pack house, some of the pack members came and shook his hands, wishing him a safe journey home and to return soon. Gabriel thanked them for their kind words and said he would return quickly. They kept walking until they reached the Elder’s car, which was already packed and parked in front of the pack house. Gabriel turns around and shakes hands with Stefano, Constantino, Giovanni, Lorenzo and Tommaso, thanking them for their quick thinking in helping Luna Rosa after being attacked. Giovanni replies to him, saying, “It was an honour to help our Luna, and we will continue to be for our Luna,” he says on behalf of the others, who nodded in agreement. Luca is very proud of his men and his pack.

Gabriel then turns to Luca as Luca holds out his hand to shake the Elder’s hand, but Gabriel pulls him in for a hug and then says to him, “Hang in there, Luca won’t be long now”; he says to him. Luca answered, “I will, Gabriel.” The Elder then heads towards his car after they stop hugging, opens the door, gets in and closes the door, then winds down the window and says to Luca, “I will be back when l hear from either you or one of the doctors on your mate’s condition no matter what time of the day or night it is l will be here” he tells him. Luca replies, “Thanks, Gabriel”, as the Elder starts his car up, “No worries, Luca”, as they shake hands through the car’s window.“I will be seeing you all soon,” he tells Alph, who replies, “Y, as we will be seeing you soon.” Then the Elder left the pack and the pack grounds as Luca and the others waved. Gabriel put his arm out of the car’s window and waved back in return.

They watched his car go down the driveway, disappearing around the corner and out of their eyesight. Luca then turned around and told the others to return to their duties. They replied, “Yes, Alpha!” Luca informed them that he would be with his mate until it was time for lunch and headed towards the hospital. He arrived twenty minutes later and went to Rosa’s room. He started on the paperwork on his table.

The day went quickly, and it was time for lunch. Luca stops at part of the paperwork he was doing and goes to the pack house and the dining room for lunch. He washes his hands in the spare sink in the mudroom before heading into the dining room, where everyone else sits at the table. The food was served fifteen minutes later. Luca, Stefano, and Constantino served themselves, and then everybody else helped themselves with a plate of food. When everyone had finished eating their food, they went back to finish their duties before the afternoon training session and dinnertime came around, including Luca. Three hours later, Luca had completed his first pile of paperwork, which seemed to get more prominent daily. He then left and went to the training grounds.

As Luca headed towards the training grounds, he saw that everybody was already there with both trainers and had just started training. Luca joined in, enjoying himself and having fun with his pack members. After training, they all went to shower and change for dinner. After cleaning themselves up, they headed to the dining room for dinner, served within ten minutes. Everyone helped themselves after Luca, Stefano, and Constantino made a plate. After dinner, everyone went their way before settling in for the night while Luca and the others went to his office to catch up on pack matters.

Luca and the others entered his office and sat down on the leather chairs around the desk as they discussed the pack matters that needed attention. Two hours later, they were done talking. Stefano and Constantino then say goodnight to him, and Luca says it back to them both. They both left Lucas’s office as he headed towards the hospital. When he gets there, he sees both doctors checking on Rosa. They both had finished their rounds and came to check on Luna. As they examined Luna, Luca entered the bathroom and got ready for bed. Once he had changed, he exited the bathroom and sat on his bed, waiting for them to finish. Arianna told him she was doing well and that waiting shouldn’t be long. Luca thanked the doctors as Cristian agreed while writing their notes into her chart. Arianna told him they would see him tomorrow when they checked on her again. Luca then thanks them, wishing them both a good night. The doctors both say the same to him and leave the room. Luca then went over to her bed, kissing her cheek while caressing her other cheek and saying good night to her. After spending a few minutes with Rosa, he returns to his bed and slips between the sheets. As he gets comfortable in bed, he thanks the Moon Goddess. Luca then falls slowly and drifts off to sleep as soon as his head hits the pillow with a big smile on his face.