Chapter 36
I carried the tray into the pack cafeteria, where tables had been set up for the food.
“You really don’t have to help, Luna,” Melodie said, arranging the wire holder that we’d place the warm food on tomorrow. In the middle of the wire rack was a burner ready to be lit.
I made sure the rack was lined up perfectly with the rest of them. The feast for this Blood Moon seemed more elaborate than last time.
“You should be telling yourself that, Melodie. Why are you here on your day off?”
She shrugged. “There’s like, nothing to do, plus, I like being here on Blood Moons. I’m antsy all day.”
“While we’re here, who handles the clinic?”
“We hire some humans during the Blood Moons.”
“Ah,” I retorted, falling into step with her.
“Can I ask you why the Alpha keeps following you around, looking like that?” I frowned and looked over my shoulder. Lucian perked up, and I glared at him. His mouth pursed, and his eyebrows furrowed.
“Annoyed?”
“No, like a kicked puppy.”
I scoffed and swung back around to study him closely. He straightened. Shit, he’d seen me looking at him and taken it as a sign to approach.
“I don’t want to talk right now.” I turned, and my sneakers squeaked. Melodie had already skedaddled.
He caught my arm.
“Now, Josephine,” he ordered, tightening his hold on my wrist. He was taking me to the storage area attached to the cafeteria.
The door swung open, and my jaw dropped.
Verity and Alex were making out, her hand shoved down the front of his pants.
Her eyes widened, and Lucian slammed the door shut before anything could be said.
“Disgusting,” Lucian muttered. He started pulling me again.
I dug the heels of my sneaker into the tile.
“Stop.” I snapped, putting more force behind it. “ Enough .”
He stopped and turned to me, dropping my arm.
“Stop being angry at me.” He cupped my jaw.
“Let’s talk about this later,” I gritted out between teeth.
“Josephine,” he frowned. “I understand why you’re angry.”
“Do you though?” I narrowed my eyes. “You realize, I was in more danger not knowing than knowing?”
“I realize that,” he shouted. His voice echoed off the cafeteria walls.
I swept my eyes to the few people setting up the tables.
They quickly looked away, eyes wide. “That wasn’t directed at you.
” He said in a much more even tone and raked his hand through his hair, mussing it up.
“I’m just frustrated. I fucked up. I keep fucking up. ”
He sounded so tired. I studied his earnest expression. I believed him, but just because he recognized his fault didn’t mean I’d be all hugs now.
“Fine, I’ll take your apology under consideration.” I turned on my heel, turning away from him, but he snagged my arm again before I could take a step.
“Where are you going?”
“To help with the Blood Moon preparations.”
“You don’t have to,” he muttered. “They’ve handled it before?—”
“I want to,” I insisted, turning toward him and setting my mouth in a stubborn line.
His cell phone dinged like a sign from the Moon. “There you go, you have things to do.”
He sighed, and I finally managed to slip out of his grip. He growled frustratedly.
I crossed the cafeteria to the doors leading to the industrial-sized kitchen.
Sasha and Galina puttered around the counter, helping with the food prep. They hadn’t directed anything other than fearful looks at me. Which was fine. I preferred no fake pleasantries. We wouldn’t ever be friends, and the acceptance was peaceful.
The silver doors leading to the dining area swung open.
Verity entered, her face flushed and her scent very much indicating she had been claimed. It was a slight shift from the normal woodsy scent of shifters, a bit more bitter at the end.
“He claimed you,” I gasped and ran to her. We both jumped in place, squealing like little girls.
“He did,” she giggled, sounding more carefree than I’d ever heard her.
We stopped squealing and hugged each other.
“A little help over here,” Galina called. I turned in time to see her struggling to balance the tray of food while trying to open the door. The tray was too large.
I dashed forward to steady the tray of pasta before it spilled over. Verity went around and opened the fridge. Galina and I slid it in.
“Thank you, Luna,” she mumbled and backed up to return to prepping the rest of the pans.
“Fuck me, then,” Verity muttered. Galina hadn’t even turned to look at her.
“I expected a bit of solidarity since she’s human,” I mused.
“Maybe she’s shy?” Verity raised an eyebrow with her comment, and I mimicked it. Neither of us believed it.
“Anyway,” I drawled and shuffled closer to her.
“Will you be here for the Blood Moon tomorrow?”
“I just need to call Deedee and let her know I can’t work.” She frowned. “It’s the second time I’ve done it last minute, hopefully she doesn’t fire me.”
“If you want to work with the pack, I can ask Lucian what jobs they have available?”
Verity screwed her lips into a contemplative pout.
“I’ll think about it.”
The doors swung open with extra force. Lucian strode in, and the entire room stilled. I didn’t miss the hitches in breath behind me.
“Come here.” Lucian pulled me by my wrist, and I stumbled after him.
“What—wait, Lucian,” I complained. “Stop.” I twisted my wrist and slipped out of his hold. The doors creaked as they closed behind me. “Why is there blood all over you?”
Lucian raked both hands through his hair.
“In my effort to protect you, I made you feel like you had no say, correct?” My eyebrows furrowed together, and I slowly nodded.
“I should have told you about having a lead on Cierra.” He gripped my non-injured arm.
“I keep fucking up, but I’m trying, even though it goes against my nature to protect you with every fiber of my being. ” He sighed. “Please, follow me.”
I studied him for a few moments. The expectant look on his face and tension lining his body only worsened by the second.
He seemed much more serious than earlier.
“Okay.” With the single word, he took my hand and pulled me after him. I trailed after him, walking through the hallway until he guided me out of the Community Center.
In the gravel parking area, Bruno stood over a huddled, bloody form. It took me a moment to make out the face I’d only seen once.
Stools was lying on his side, blood and bruises all over his face.
“He was one of the ones who helped Cierra,” Lucian said, arm sliding around my waist. Stools raised his head, eyes so wide I could only see the whites of them.
They kept flicking back and forth. Our conversation in Gideon Drake’s bar rushed to the forefront.
His pleas echoed in my thoughts. He’d mentioned a daughter and wife . . .
“Let him go.” Lucian’s hand flexed on my waist.
“What?” Lucian bit out, head whipping toward me.
“Let him go,” I repeated. “If he hadn’t recommended your hotel to my case worker, I never would have ended up there.”
Lucian’s gaze flicked from me to Stools.
“You two have spoken about this?”
His eyebrows rose high on his forehead.
“That day Drake tricked us onto his land. I did manage to speak with him.”
“But—”
“No.” I raised my eyes to Lucian’s. “The Luna, the woman who should have had her pack’s best interests in mind, ordered him to do something. What else was he to do?”
Lucian growled, and he started pacing, raking his hands through his hair.
“He could have come to me,” Lucian shouted.
“After you rejected me?” I matched his tone. “How could he think you’d care?” I spat.
He flinched, and his head turned to the side, his eyes shutting so I couldn’t tell what he felt. He did this when he felt especially guilty.
I took a deep breath, knowing arguing like this was counterproductive.
“He didn’t have to try to make things right, but he did.”
The corners of Lucian’s mouth twitched downward. He finally opened his eyes, meeting my gaze with piercing focus.
“Is this truly what you want?” I nodded. “I don’t want him in my pack.” Lucian’s chin lifted like he was daring me to go against him. I shrugged.
“Free him. He can join Drake’s pack, or be a Rogue.” Stools watched me, no longer visibly shaking. He remained quiet, but tears filled his eyes.
I turned back to Lucian and crossed my arms. The muscle in his jaw bunched. Finally, he lowered his eyes, inclining his head to me, taking me by complete surprise. He was submitting to me. Alphas never submitted to anyone.
“As the Luna says, Bruno.” Lucian jerked his chin toward the prostrate male.
“Thank you, Luna,” Stools said, voice strangled. All I could do was nod curtly because I was still reeling from Lucian’s submission. I couldn’t let him get me off track, even though he’d already softened me.
I forced a glare.
“If you had told me you knew Cierra was still in town, I would have been able to keep on alert.” He sighed, closed his eyes tight, and when he opened them again, they were full of love and reverence.
My heart throbbed.
Damn him.
“I know.” He cleared his throat. “I learned my lesson.”
“Did you really?” I sniped, tipping my chin up. He dropped his eyes from mine, giving dominance to me. I inhaled curtly. Alphas didn’t give in to anyone and Lucian had now done it twice .
My heart thrummed. The rapid thud of my pulse pounding in my ears.
“I’m going back to the kitchen to finish preparations for tomorrow.”
He rolled his shoulders but he said nothing. I walked away, slowly, watching Lucian say something to Bruno, who helped Stools up and guided him to a sports car I assumed belonged to him.
I hesitated near the door. Lucian stayed watching them, his head bent forward, his shoulders jerking with a loud exhale. I hated it when he looked sad.
My heart literally ached.
I ran back to him; he was in the process of turning toward me.
I threw my arms around his waist.
“Thank you for listening to me.”
His hand smoothed the hair that had escaped from the ponytail.
“Always.”