Chapter 0240

"Has this ever occurred before?" The elder girl glanced at her younger sister before turning to me with a nod.

"Where are your guardians?"

"Gone. We're alone in this world."

"Who's responsible for you?"

Their fingers pointed straight at Reginald. That arrangement ends now.

I rose and returned to Seraphina, brushing my lips against her temple. "What consequence would you deem appropriate for Reginald?"

Her eyes widened at my question. "You're the future Luna who caught him red-handed."

I didn't miss how Reginald flinched when I mentioned her title. Had he truly been oblivious? My mark adorned her neck, for moon's sake.

"What's the customary penalty for abusing pack members—especially minors under one's care?" she countered.

"Strip all rank. In this case, he'd lose his Lead Omega status and revert to basic Omega. Typically followed by two to four weeks in confinement."

Her next question made Nathaniel inhale sharply. "And the punishment for calling his future Luna a rogue slut?"

My reaction was instinctive. One hand locked around Reginald's throat, lifting him off the ground. "Disrespecting one's Luna warrants death or exile."

"Too merciful," Seraphina declared. She knelt before the girls with a conspiratorial smile. "What's the most dreaded chore in the packhouse?"

"Scrubbing toilets," they chorused.

"Perfect." She straightened, meeting my gaze as understanding dawned. "Permanent sanitation duty."

"You heard your Luna. After your cell time, you'll report to the lavatories." I released him, watching him scramble backward. Nathaniel seized his arm, hauling him toward detention.

The dining hall remained packed with silent observers.

"Show's over," I announced. Turning to Nathaniel, I asked, "Who can foster these girls?"

"I'll take them, Alpha." A petite woman approached, her gaze fixed on the sisters.

"Gwendolyn?"

She met my eyes. "My mate and I have longed for children. We'd cherish them as our own."

Crouching before the girls again, I asked, "Would you like to live with Gwendolyn and her partner?"

After exchanging glances, they nodded. I kept hold of their small hands. "Your names?" I might not know every pup in the pack, but these two would forever be etched in my memory.

"Isabelle," said the elder. "This is Rosalind."

"From today onward," I promised, "if anyone troubles you, come directly to me, to Seraphina,"—I gestured to Nathaniel—"or your Beta. No one can deny you that right. Understood?"

"Yes, Alpha," they whispered before joining Gwendolyn.

"Get them settled," I instructed. "Find replacements for kitchen duty." Nathaniel was already summoning Omegas to resume breakfast service.

Before leaving, the sisters dashed back to embrace Seraphina. "Thank you, Luna," they breathed before retreating to Gwendolyn.

I pulled Seraphina against me. "Quite the power display, little Guardian. Next time, perhaps less theatrics? Command respect without inducing terror."

"I lost control," she admitted. "If this was pack tradition, Valeria and I wouldn't tolerate it."

"Nor would I." My lips found hers. "Later, you'll demonstrate how you shielded those girls with your aura. That was extraordinary." Breaking apart, I nodded toward the exit. "Gather what we need. The city awaits."