Luna Rising by Sloane Murphy
Chapter Eight
After a weekend at Maddox’s, my house feels empty and quiet. On one hand, it’s fucking wondrous. But on the other hand, I kinda miss the big family unit. I never knew that was something that might appeal to me before, but apparently I’m learning a lot about myself lately.
To be honest, I’m mostly just glad that I didn’t make an ass of myself while I was training. Either with Remy, Maddox, or Raze. I didn’t accidentally shoot or stab myself, or anyone else for that matter, so I’m taking it as a win.
I know I should go for a run today, but I’m still fucking sore from the weekend. Even the thought of it makes me want to die a little. I’m sitting at the kitchen table, sipping on a mug of coffee, watching the sun come up when Dad appears, yawning as he heads toward the coffee maker. “Morning, sweetheart, you have a good weekend?”
“Yeah, it was loads of fun. Remy is crazy good at literally everything.” He pours himself a mug and sits with me, and I enjoy the comfortable silence, even if it is a complete one-eighty from the last few days.
“That she is,” he chuckles. He takes a long draw from his mug before pinning me with an assessing stare. After a moment, a small grin quirks up the edge of his lip. “She’s a good teacher for you, and I honestly kind of wish that I’d thought of it myself. Even if I don’t necessarily agree with the use of weapons, it makes sense for you to have every resource possible available to you.”
“She was a great teacher, and she said I can go back whenever I like to learn more too.” He nods, and hope blossoms in my chest. I might actually die if he’s on board with it.
“We’ll see. Now, how about you spend the day with me today? I’m sorry that everything that went down with the rogues kept us from doing it before, but I still want to spend the time with you showing you what being Alpha really means.”
I grin at him, and even though I don’t want anything to do with being an Alpha, I still think it’ll be fun to chill with him for the day. “Sure thing, Pops. I could probably use a day off from training. Though I’m gonna be real with you, Thatch’s drills don’t have shit on Remy’s… But please don’t tell him that.”
He barks out a laugh, and my momentary minor panic notches back down. “Secret’s safe with me, sweetheart.”
We finish our coffee in silence until Mom appears, like the bouncy sunshine morning person that she is. “French toast, anyone?”
My stomach growls just at the thought of food, making my dad chuckle beside me. “Yes please,” I tell her with an enthusiastic grin. I hadn’t even really thought about food, but apparently it’s definitely something that should be on my radar.
My phone chimes on the table, and messages from Nova take over my phone.
Nova: Bish, are you back yet?
Nova: You better be back. I need you
Nova: Save me from these kids, please, I’ll beg any Gods that might exist. Save me.
I can’t help but laugh at her dramatics. She totally slays me.
Me: French toast?
Nova: Yes! I’ll be there in 5.
“Mom, is it okay if Nova comes over for breakfast?” I ask sheepishly, aware that I probably should’ve asked first, but I also know Mom would never turn any Lycan away from her table. It’s just one of those things. While the pack is family, as an Alpha’s mate, the entire pack are like her kids. Even the ones older than her. She will literally feed them until she drops if they need it.
“Sure thing, sweetheart.”
“Thanks, Mom.” She’s kind of awesome to literally the entire pack. I’ve heard some horror stories about other packs and their hierarchies. I know Roman has tried to make changes, but some things are embedded so deep, it’s not a quick fix.
“Is Nova going to be joining us today?” I turn to Dad and shake my head.
“Nah, there’s no way she’ll miss training. You know how bad she wants to be an enforcer.” I hear the front door open and close before my friend in question shows her face in the doorway.
“I hear good things from Thatch about her.”
“That’s because I’m a badass, Mr. Winters.” Nova grins as she slides onto the chair next to me. “Imma run the enforcers one day, you’ll see.”
“Oh, I have no doubt.” My dad chuckles before taking his coffee mug to the sink and hugging my mom from behind while she cooks. They are way too fucking cutesy.
“So, how was your weekend?” Nova asks, practically starry-eyed. “Was it everything you hoped it would be?”
“Remy is a brutal trainer, but I’m glad I went. I definitely learned a lot, and she invited me back. You should come next time.”
Nova blushes as she looks down into her lap. “Honestly, I don’t think I can. I don’t want to make an ass of myself in front of her, and you know how tongue-tied I can get.”
“You’d be fine, she’s honestly so nice.” I smile softly, trying to reassure her. She seems super uncomfortable, so I decide to change the topic. “But anyway, onto better gossip, how was your weekend?”
She drops her chin onto her hand and sighs. “Uneventful.”
“What?” I exclaim, eyes wide. That’s not the answer I expected at all. “How?”
“Let’s just say the new guy isn’t into my advances… or anyone's for that matter.” She looks so dejected, I want to straight up throat-punch that asshole.
“He’s mated?”
“I have no idea, but something’s going on with him. Either he’s found his mate and she’s gone, or he’s just not interested in anyone but his mate. He was nice about it, well, kind of. As nice as a brush off can be anyway.” She shrugs and leans back in her chair just as Mom slides two plates of French toast and bacon onto the table before us. “At least your mom’s cooking makes everything right in the world.”
“Are you okay, Nova?” The concern on Mom's face makes my heart warm. I know that everyone in the pack is family, but Nova is truly like the sister I never had. She’s been through so much, and she deserves all the love the world has to offer.
“I’m good, Mrs. Winters, thank you.” She beams a smile up at my mom, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. I hope she finds her mate as soon as she can. She deserves that kind of unconditional love. I know she still has over a year to wait, but still. Throw a girl a bone.
Mom squeezes her shoulder and heads back toward the stove where Dad is already trying to eat the half-cooked bacon. “Do you have plans today?”
Nova looks up at me, syrup running down her chin, and I can’t help but laugh a little. She swallows before wiping her face and grinning at me. “Just training, but that's about it.”
“Well, I’m shadowing Dad today, but do you want to head down to the beach tonight?”
“Hell yes!” The smile on her face brings me such joy, and my mission settles in my heart. Tonight is officially Operation Bring Nova Joy.
* * *
I’ve been with my dad all freaking morning, and this Alpha stuff is even more involved and convoluted than I thought. He’s been working on plans to expand the compound some more, and the price of buying more of the land behind the compound makes my eyes water. The land wraps around the compound, which means we can expand the living area so the pack can grow more if needed.
Personally, I’m asking for a pool to be built and a new gym, plus a track, because as awesome as training is, our current gym kind of sucks. I mean, it’s okay for the meatheads in the pack, but it really could be more extensive so people who aren’t enforcers can work out if they want.
Dad brushes me off a little, saying a new gym is an Alpha decision before offering me a smug-ass smile. I narrow my eyes but refuse to rise to his bait, opting instead to look over the blueprints he had drawn up for the expansion.
I’m lost in the blueprints for some time, fingers tracing lines on the papers and trying to picture the changes to our compound as a result of the new land. My head snaps up when I hear Dad saying goodbye, and I watch as he hangs up the phone and smiles at me. “This suits you, you know? You’re the perfect Alpha, because you don’t want to be one.”
“Dad,” I groan, “please don’t.”
“I know, I know. I said I wouldn’t push. It’s just nice seeing you getting invested and being involved.”
I sag a little, despair welling inside of my stomach like a lead weight. I kind of hoped that shadowing him would keep him off my back, but it seems that I should’ve known better. I get my stubbornness from my dad. The thought lightens the sadness in my stomach, and a small grin stretches over my face. At the end of the day, I’ve had a good time with Dad. Even with all of the issues that have cropped up and distracted us from going through these plans. Like a small fire in the orphan housing, and a Lycan shifting for the first time early—someone no one expected to have enough power to shift early, let alone without the moon.
It’s all been interesting and engaging. But mostly, the thoughts of expanding. Of building a better med space, or even a small hospital. Potentially even expanding the school and investing in our pack. This is the stuff that keeps me way more interested than I thought it would.
“Getting involved in this stuff,” I wave at the plans I’ve been poring over, “this stuff is the shit I like. It’s dealing with all the people, and the thought of having all of those lives as my responsibility, that freaks me out.”
“I understand that. Because you’re still young, that’s the stuff that feels daunting. But look at how well you did under pressure when the attack happened. You stepped up, you took care of people, and did things you never thought you would. You are going to be an amazing Alpha one day.” I groan at his praise, but only half-regret shadowing him today. I have to admit that it hasn’t been all bad. It still doesn’t mean that I’m ready to just jump in and accept my pre-destined path, though.
“Thanks, Dad.” I don’t want to argue with him about it any more today. It’s been a good day, and I don’t want to ruin it now.
“Theron, we need you.” The radio crackles on my dad’s desk, and he sighs.
He picks it up and says, “Coming,” before turning to me with a tight smile. “The day is never truly over. Come on, let’s go find out what’s going on at the gate.”
We head out of his office in the business center and jog over to the gate, where we find three Lycans I’ve never seen before arguing with Jackson and Jacob. The gate opens, I guess someone is still in the guard hut, and then closes once we duck through.
“What the fuck is going on here?” my dad roars, drawing the argument to a quick close. The power in his shout ripples across me, and I’m real glad he’s not yelling at me like that.
“These three are asking for refuge from their pack,” Jacob informs my dad, and the smallest of the Lycans steps forward.
“My name is Arrow, and this is my family. We are seeking refuge from the Timber pack. Our Alpha, Zero, still follows the old ways, and my daughter is coming of age. We’re not as powerful as some, which means we’re near the base of the hierarchy, and I know you know what that means for her.” The sadness in the man’s eyes makes my heart practically stop.
My dad looks down at me before asking, “What do you think, Luna?”
“Who else do you have with you?” I question the Lycan who stepped forward.
“These are my two brothers, both who have wives and children. Our parents and in-laws are in the cars with the kids and our wives too. There are twenty of us in total.” He looks at me with respect, and there’s something about the way he looks at me, like I can change his life, that settles something inside of me that’s been swirling around my chest in an untamed whirlwind.
I guess this is what my dad meant when he said I can help people by being here. That I don’t have to be out in the world to do what I always wanted to.
“Have any of you had any issues with your pack other than this?” I ask, trying to portray the confidence I always see in my dad when he deals with pack issues. This might not be something I asked for, but I’m not about to fuck up our pack by not being thorough.
“No, Ma’am. We try to keep our heads down for the most part. As I said, we’re at the bottom end of the hierarchy, so we try to keep to ourselves,” the same man answers. His brothers look ready to throw down if that’s what it takes to keep their families safe.
I turn to my dad, whose face is impossible to read right now and say, “I say we let them in and give them a six month trial period before revisiting the issue.”
I have no idea if that's even a thing, but my dad just nods while Jackson glares at me. Clearly, someone pissed in his cornflakes today, because I have no idea why he’s irritated about me giving these people a break.
“You heard her, let the people in,” my dad says to Jackson and Jacob
The Lycan who was just speaking approaches me. He kneels before me, taking my hand and bowing his head. “Thank you so much.”
I look to my dad, unsure of what the hell is happening. He has the nerve to look amused as fuck.
“You’re welcome, let’s get you back to your family and then we can find a place to get you all settled.” I help the man get back to his feet. I have no idea how old he is because Lycans physically only barely age past thirty. It takes a really long time to look older than that, but it feels weird to have a fully grown man kneeling at my feet.
He rushes back to his convoy with his brothers, and Jacob takes a grumbling Jackson back into the guard hut before opening the gate.
“Come on.” Dad pulls me back through the gates, and we run back to the main square. It doesn’t take too long because we cut through the buildings, and since the road loops around the outside of the compound before getting here, we beat the convoy here. “You did well, Luna. I’m so proud of you.”
My chest swells at his words. I don’t know if he’s ever told me that before. “Thanks, Dad. Now where the fuck are we going to put them? I totally didn’t think that through.”
“We can put them all up in the spare rooms of the community center for now, and we’ll get some housing built immediately so they can settle in properly. There’s always an answer to these things.” I grin up at him, happy that we’re helping these people. I just really hope it doesn’t come back and bite me in the ass.
* * *
After getting the family settled into the community center and getting way more thank yous than I’m comfortable with, I finally manage an escape. Though I must not be as stealthy as I thought because Lacey snags me almost immediately, reminding me about my shift at the cafe.
Two hours later, and I feel like I’ve been run my feet off since everyone seems to want to come in and order as a flimsy sort of charade. No one wants coffee. They just want to ask me questions about the newcomers.
I don’t know how many times I can tell these people that I don’t actually have all the answers to their questions. They just seem to think I’m withholding. Why anyone would think I have all of the information they want to know is beyond me, but the amount of sideways comments I’ve heard about me finally stepping up to my rightful position during my shift has me on the precipice of committing murder with a cake slice.
Thanks to Remy, I now know the squishiest parts of the body to actually do enough damage with one too.
I let out a deep breath and resist the urge to bang my head on the espresso machine when the bell above the door rings once more. I turn around with a fake smile painted on my lips and come face-to-face with the permanently scowling Jackson.
Mr. Grump Extraordinaire himself.
“I didn’t know you worked here,” he snaps, and my smile drops. I really wish I knew what this guy’s problem was with me. I’ve noticed him around with others in the pack, and I mean, he’s still a miserable fuck, but he’s nowhere near as snappy with them as he is with me.
“Well, now you do, I guess,” I tell him, lifting my arms in a dramatic shrug. “What can I get you?”
“Two coffees—one black, one cream—and a latte.”
“Sure thing. You on the coffee run for the gate?” I turn my back on him and start pulling the coffee ground for the espresso shots for his order. I let the routine of steaming the milk while the shots steep soothe my irritation over his constant bad mood. He grunts a ‘yeah’ behind me, and I roll my eyes where he can’t see.
Since I know he’s working with Jacob, I pack up three raspberry blondies to go with the coffee. I pour them out and pop the cups in a tray before handing them to him followed by the bag with the blondies. “What’s that?”
His growled words just make my hackles rise, and I slam the bag he refuses to take from me on the counter. “It’s just a bag of raspberry blondies—they’re Jacob's favorite. You don’t have to eat one if you don’t want to.”
He looks at the bag like it has somehow personally offended him before sliding his money across the counter toward me. I roll my eyes and take it, but he turns to leave without the blondies, which only pisses me off more. “Don’t forget them! If you don’t take them, Jacob will be pissed at me, and I’m not having that.”
“Fine,” he grunts, grabbing the bag and storming from the cafe. What a fucking asshole, it was just some fucking cake!
“What was that?” Lacey asks as she approaches me from the back.
“I have no fucking idea.” I wish I knew what his problem was, but I guess that’s not going to happen anytime soon.
Lacey looks at me as puzzled as I feel. Her confusion lasts for all of a second before she offers me a downright lascivious smile. “Sweetie, either that man wants to dick you or you wronged him. Those are the only reasons a man gets himself worked up like that.”
She shakes her head and glides back into the kitchen at the back of the store, leaving me even more perplexed than before. There’s no way he wants me, and we haven’t even interacted enough for me to have somehow wronged him. I know my dad killed his Alpha, but surely that’s not enough reason for him to hate me as much as he seems to? I can’t control something my dad did in the past any more than he can control what his Alpha did to earn his fate.
I shake the weird interaction off and turn my attention back to the line that’s managed to form in the couple of minutes that Lacey was up here. I dive into the monotony of making drinks and serving cake. At least this part of my day is simple, even if the entire cafe is now whispering about my interaction with Jackson. This is exactly what I don’t need… more whispers about me.
Fates give me the strength I need to survive my pack.
All of the happiness that came from helping Arrow and his family has pretty much disappeared since the start of my shift. I know I’m a pack animal, but fuck me, I hate people. I mean, not all people all the time, but there are a lot of shitty people in the world.
I take a deep breath and keep pumping out drinks and slinging slices of cakes and other sweets. I square my shoulders and push through like I can’t hear them. Like their side-eye glances and whispered conversations don’t bother me.
I resort to reminding myself over and over again that I just have another hour to get through until my night of hanging out with Nova.
* * *
I drop onto the giant pillows on the floor at the end of my bed. They were a gift from Mom while I was gone over the weekend, and I don’t think I’ve ever loved any decor more than them. They’re cute, comfy, and I can’t stop my contented sigh as Nova sinks down beside me. It’s a double-edged sword, though. I wish Mom would respect my space and let me make my own decisions, even if it is just about what I want in my room.
“I really need to get my own place.”
Her eyes go wide, and she grips the neck of her hoodie as she lifts it over her chin. “I thought you were leaving? That's why you were still living here?”
“I am… I think. I’m so confused about everything. All I’ve ever wanted is to get out of here, but with everything that's been happening, there’s a part of me that thinks maybe I should stay. Maybe being Alpha won’t be so bad, and it's not like I have to do it right now. I’ll just have to work with Dad.” I chew on the inside of my cheek, pondering my rambling words. I’ve spent so long fighting against all of the expectations that I’ve never really taken the time to consider what that life might actually look like. Maybe it won’t be as bad as I’ve imagined.
“You think that’s something you want? I thought you wanted to see the world? Travel, be independent?” I understand her train of thought. I’m doing a total one-eighty here. But the questions don’t make me feel any better about just how confused I am. I really need someone to just… talk all of this shit out with me because I can’t seem to keep my thoughts straight in my head.
I let out a sigh and grab a cushion, clutching it in my arms and holding it to my chest. If I can’t talk all of the feelings out, maybe I should just push them all back in. Ugh. Why is this all so confusing? I should be able to make decisions about my future without feeling like I’m being torn in completely different directions over it. “Honestly, I have no idea. Would it be so bad to stay and live the life of an Alpha heir? I can still travel, right? Plus I can get a job, either here or out in the real world, and get my own place. Don’t you think that will give me the independence I’ve been craving?”
She pulls a package of Twizzlers from her pocket, tearing the plastic in a swift, practiced motion. She yanks one of the candies from the package and bites down on it before offering the pack to me. She shrugs before finally offering me a half-cocked smile. “Maybe,” she sighs. “You know I’ll support you no matter what you choose to do, but what brought all this on all of a sudden?”
I take a Twizzler, chewing on it thoughtfully while telling her all about Arrow and his family. Getting them settled in, making plans to work with Dad on expanding the compound, and I feel so much joy just from talking about it again that I think I already know what I’m going to do. I just need to work out how to eat some crow without losing too much face.
“I mean, you hanging around here sounds pretty awesome to me. We both know I’m sticking to this pack like glue. I’ve trained too hard to leave. The enforcer life is all I want, and I fully intend to have Thatch’s job one day. That’s it, the beginning and end of my life goals. If I find my mate, he’s going to have to get on board.” She barks out a laugh before making grabby hands for the candy. I offer it to her, and she snags another Twizzler and begins chewing before continuing, “You staying here just means one day you’ll be my Alpha, and I’m not at all sad about that.”
I can’t find the words to express my gratitude. A simple “thank you” doesn’t feel quite big enough, so I turn on the TV to a music station, and we just sit quietly for a while, eating the candy and quietly contemplating our own shit.
I glance at my best friend to see her chewing absentmindedly on a Twizzler and staring blankly toward my bedroom window. Whatever she’s thinking, she’s not letting me in on it. “So do you want to talk about your weekend?” I finally ask when she doesn’t offer up any kind of conversation. I’m not sure what happened, but she was quick to dismiss me earlier when I asked.
She shrugs at me before stuffing the empty wrapper back in her hoodie pocket. “Not really much to tell. I played a move, got shot down in a nice enough way that I can’t even call him a dick, and that's the end of it.”
“Seems fishy to me. If he’s holding it against you that you’re my friend, and that's why, I’ll nut punch him.”
She barks out a laugh, shaking her head with her mirth, before looking at me with full-on crazy eyes. “If that’s why he shot me down so quickly, I’ll nut punch him my own damn self. But I honestly don’t think that's it.”
“Did you hear he was a giant bag of ass to me at work today?”
“I did, and I still don’t understand what his problem is with you. I know your dad took out his Alpha, but that has nothing to do with you.”
“Lacey thinks he wants to dick me,” I tell her, and she bites her lip hard. I can’t help my own giggle as she grips her stomach and bursts into laughter. “It’s ridiculous, I know. Her other thought is that maybe I’ve wronged him?”
“Dude, I have no idea what’s going on, but Lacey is batshit fucking crazy.” She laughs until she grips her stomach hard, complaining that her sides hurt. I can’t help but laugh with her. It’s weird and fucked up, which is pretty par for the course lately.
This is why I don’t care about finding my mate. Men are such assholes. They say we have mood swings, but I swear guys PMS harder than any woman I’ve ever known.
“Maybe my mate will be a woman. That would solve some issues, right?” I joke, and she starts laughing again.
“At least you can’t miss peen if you’ve never had it.” She pauses for a moment, dramatically putting a finger on her chin and squinting her eyes as if she’s thinking very, very hard. “Though I guess that doesn’t really work for you either, does it?”
“Nope,” I say, popping my p with all the sass I can muster, and it only makes her laugh that much harder. Considering the unfortunate experience I did have with a penis, I’m not sure I’ll miss it anyway. “That's what book boyfriends and B.O.Bs are for.”
“Luna, I so needed this. I haven’t laughed like this in forever. I’m just sorry it's at your expense. Kind of.”
“Laugh away. Some days it's laugh or cry.” I shrug, just as my bedroom door opens and Mom pops her head through the small opening.
“Do you girls want any dinner? I’m making wings and ribs.”
Nova groans, her jaw hanging open. “Yes, please, Mrs. Winters.”
“Sounds amazing, Mom.” My stomach growls at the thought of food, and Mom shakes her head. Lycan appetites are something else, I shit you not. I could out-eat any teenage human boy any day of the week.
“It’ll be done in about ten.” She ducks back out of the door, and Nova dramatically flings herself backward to lie down. She clutches her stomach and rolls around with a groan.
“How will I ever cope with my starvation?” she asks before she stills and sniffs the air. “And now I can smell it. Luna, I might starve to death.”
“Come on, drama queen, let's head down now.” She grins up at me before flipping me the bird.
The more I think about not leaving here, the more it cements in my mind. I’m not sure what I’d do without her anyway.
