Victoria
The morning after our leadership council eting, I stood on the back terrace of Howlthorne Manor, watching as the gardeners tended to my mother’s beloved rose garden. Despite my exhaustion from days of crisis managent, I’d risen with the dawn, drawn to this peaceful corner of the estate where my mother had spent so many happy hours. The gentle spring breeze carried the scent of freshly blood flowers, montarily washing away the stress of leadership.
"I thought I’d find you here," Leo’s deep voice ca from behind .
I turned to see him approaching, casual in dark jeans and a simple black button-down with the sleeves rolled to his elbows—a rare departure from his usual intimidating suits. Even dressed down, he radiated the unmistakable energy of an Alpha, drawing the instinctive glances of every werewolf on the grounds.
His hand found mine, our fingers intertwining naturally. "You’ve done remarkably well these past few days. The pack is responding to your leadership."
"Even Garrett seems to be coming around," I said with a small smile, still surprised by how effectively bringing my forr antagonist into the leadership circle had neutralized his opposition. "His proposal for reorganizing the security patrols actually makes sense."
"Keep your enemies closer," Leo murmured, echoing my earlier strategy. "Though I still don’t trust him completely."
I nodded, gazing out at the sprawling grounds. "Neither do I. That’s why I’ve assigned Lilith to handle external communications. She’s ambitious enough to take pride in the role, but she’ll have no real power to undermine us."
Leo’s lips quirked into an appreciative smile. "Clever mate. You’re playing the ga like you were born to it."
"Maybe I was," I replied, my thumb absently stroking the Howlthorne pendant at my throat. "I just never had the chance to play before."
*We’ve always been stronger than they knew,* Ava whispered within , my wolf spirit radiating pride and satisfaction.
An elderly man with gnarled hands and a weathered face approached us then, carrying a basket of freshly cut roses. I recognized him imdiately—Thomas, the head gardener who had tended these grounds for over forty years.
"Good morning, Alpha Victoria," he said, bowing his head respectfully. The title still sounded strange to my ears, but I was gradually growing accustod to it. "Alpha Moretti."
"Thomas," I greeted warmly. "The garden looks beautiful. Mother would be pleased."
His weathered face creased into a smile. "Luna Elisabeth always said roses need love as much as sunshine. I’ve tried to give them both in her absence."
"You’ve succeeded wonderfully," I assured him, touched by his dedication.
Thomas glanced between Leo and , his eyes crinkling with sothing like approval. "You remind of her, you know."
"Did you know her well?" I asked, hungry for any connection to the mother I’d lost too young.
"As well as anyone outside your father, I suppose," Thomas replied. "She spent hours out here, docunting every plant, experinting with new varieties." He hesitated, then added more softly, "Not like the other one—Lady Aurora. She ordered half the dicinal herbs ripped out to make room for more decorative varieties. Said they were ’common weeds.’"
I felt Leo tense slightly beside at the ntion of Aurora, but Thomas seed oblivious to the effect of his words.
"Luna Elisabeth was a true botanist," Thomas continued, setting down his basket. "Always taking notes, pressing specins. Had her own study filled with books and plants. I don’t think anyone’s really been in there since... well, since she passed."
My heart quickened. "Her study? Where is it?"
"East wing, second floor. The small solarium that overlooks this garden." Thomas pointed to a rounded glass extension I could just make out from our position. "Lady Aurora wanted to convert it to a tea room, but your father wouldn’t hear of it. Kept it locked up after Miss Elisabeth died."
I exchanged a glance with Leo, seeing my own curiosity reflected in his eyes.
"Thank you, Thomas," I said sincerely. "Would you mind preparing a bouquet for my room later? From mother’s favorites?"
"It would be my pleasure, Alpha," he replied with another respectful bow before returning to his work.
As soon as he was out of earshot, I turned to Leo. "I’ve lived here my entire life and never knew my mother had a private study."
"Your father must have wanted to preserve it," Leo said, his hand coming to rest at the small of my back. "Are you ready to see it now?"
I nodded, suddenly eager to discover this hidden piece of my mother’s life—a connection to the woman I barely rembered.
---
The door to the solarium was indeed locked, but the household manager, Mrs. Collins, provided the key with a wistful smile. "It’s about ti soone breathed life back into that room," she said. "Luna Elisabeth would have wanted you to have it."
Standing before the ornate wooden door, key in hand, I hesitated.
"Do you want privacy for this?" Leo asked, his voice gentle.
I shook my head. "No. I want you with ."
The key turned easily despite years of disuse, and the door swung open with a soft creak. Sunlight stread through the curved glass walls and ceiling, illuminating a space frozen in ti. A fine layer of dust covered everything, but the room had been ticulously preserved—botanical illustrations lined the walls, dried plants hung in bundles from the ceiling beams, and a beautiful oak desk stood in the center, scattered with papers and notebooks as if their owner had just stepped away for a mont.
"It’s exactly as she left it," I whispered, emotion tightening my throat.
Leo squeezed my hand before releasing it, allowing to move through the space on my own. I trailed my fingers over the spines of botanical texts, touched the delicate petals of dried flowers, breathed in the lingering scent of herbs and old paper.
"Your mother was serious about her work," Leo observed, examining the detailed illustrations and carefully labeled specin jars. "These aren’t just a hobbyist’s notes."
"My father always said she was brilliant," I replied, opening one of the notebooks to find pages filled with ticulous observations and sketches. "But I never knew the extent of her studies."
As I moved around the desk, sothing caught my eye—a frad photograph I’d never seen before. It showed my mother and father, much younger, sitting together on a blanket in this very garden. My mother’s head rested on my father’s shoulder, and they both looked blissfully happy, unaware of the cara. I picked it up, my vision blurring with unexpected tears.
"They really loved each other," I said softly.
Leo ca to stand behind , his arms encircling my waist as he looked at the photograph over my shoulder. "So of us are fortunate enough to find both power and love in the sa mate," he murmured, his lips brushing my temple.
I leaned back against his solid chest, drawing strength from his presence. "I wonder what she would think of all this. Of becoming Alpha, of you..."
"She would be proud of your strength," he said with certainty. "And she would approve of any mate who recognized your worth."
Setting the photo down, I continued exploring, pulling open desk drawers filled with more notebooks, dried seed packets, and botanical tools. The bottom drawer, however, stuck slightly. When I tugged harder, the false bottom shifted, revealing a hidden compartnt.
"Leo," I called, my pulse quickening. "Look at this."
Inside was a small leather-bound journal, different from the botanical notebooks, and a tiny brass key. I carefully extracted both, setting them on the desk.
"A hidden compartnt," Leo observed, his expression intrigued. "Your mother had secrets."
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