Into The Orchard

Prologue

- Buck shouldn't let Max go to Karkarom. - Said Aurelia while chewing on a piece of bread with caviar on top. - Will you hire a new chauffeur?

- There's no need for one Aurelia. - Replied Gregory while slicing his portion of bread with caviar. - It's good that they want to clear up any misunderstandings with each other right away. It seems that they have really become friends. - The man smiled at the disgusted teenager.

"If you only knew how much" - Luna thought.

Tonight's dinner for Luna was extremely stressful. While she had nothing against homosexual relationships, she felt that a potential relationship between Kevin and Max would sooner or later contribute to a lot of trouble that she preferred to avoid. The woman was in a difficult position. On the one hand, she had given her word to Kevin that no one would find out from her about his homosexual tendencies towards the eighteen-year-old Max, on the other hand, she was aware that if the secret came out right away everyone would find out that Luna had known all along what was going on between the boys. Luna believed that even if Gregory accepted her son's nature, he would never accept a relationship between half-brothers. It was obvious to her, she herself didn't allow that possibility to exist. On the other hand, she was horrified by the thought that after Kevin's childless death, the only heir to the family estate would be her daughter. With that thought, the woman glanced at Aurelia out of the corner of her eye and then immediately pulled out a pack of thin cigarettes from her glossy black purse. Luna loved smoking, it was the only way to relatively survive with her family in her right mind. She loved her loved ones, but more than once she found them to be short-sighted, shallow, expressionless, and without an interesting personality. It seemed ironic to her that a breath of fresh air in this old house was brought with it by Maxwell Porter. It was even more ironic that she had previously thought the boy would be as dull and gray as his mother Catleyn. Luna hoped that after Gregory and Catleyn's wedding, the latter would finally find something to do to give the black wolf a break.

- Back to the question of the wedding. - Gregory began when the master details were given. - It should take place at the end of April. What am I saying, it has to be at the end of April. - He corrected himself.

- And why is that? - The German Shepherd bride asked.

- We will hold the ceremony in the orchard by the house, you will see how beautiful it will be when all the cherry trees, apple trees and pear trees are in bloom. It will be more beautiful than in Japan during spring. - Gregory assured.

Luna was surprised how neither Gregory nor Catleyn noticed the chemistry blossoming between their children. They were so wrapped up in each other that it made her vomit more than once. The she-wolf could only wonder how soon the couple would get a divorce. Their relationship was too perfect and the wedding ceremony, which was already slowly being arranged, too fairytale-like.

"And life, after all, is not a fairy tale," - she thought.

The fact that Kevin and Max were attracted to each other was something Aurelia knew for sure. At least, that's what the she-wolf thought. Her daughter had inherited her nosiness from her. Luna did not think it was a bad thing. In her opinion it was always better to be too much informed than too little. The mystery, of course, was grandmother Apolonia. If she sent any signals during Max's birthday party that she knew everything, it was during the birthday wishes. Luna couldn't be sure of that, however. Apolonia could be incredibly subtle if she wanted to be. The she-wolf regretted that Apolonia didn't talk to anyone in the house. If things were different, perhaps Luna could exchange the information she had with her grandmother regarding the boys. Ultimately, she wasn't sure what had happened between the two. Although Kevin had assured her during their conversation in the kitchen on Saturday night that nothing real had happened between them, the woman couldn't be sure. She wished she had been sharper with the boys then. Apparently they had completely ignored her warnings, since barely two days after that, Max had left to visit his half-brother. She could still learn this and that from her daughter. However, out of sheer envy and spite, she would not tell her mother anything. Luna knew that a few weeks ago, Myra's maid had caught Max and Kevin watching a movie in the dark. However, that didn't have to mean anything at all. Plus, her daughter was there too. I guess they weren't impulsive enough to do anything in Aurelia's presence?