Belonging To The Luna

Interviewing The Omegas

Charles stood behind me, surveying our work in the rec room. It was as passible as it could be for an interview space. We had moved all of the dining chairs from the kitchen and lined them along the hallway. It was lucky that Deep Fang had always served meals in the packhouse for unmated wolves and any families that wished to eat there. As selfish as Maxwell had been, denying transfers, he did take care of his people in other ways.

Charles had done most of the heavy lifting, moving the largest pieces of furniture to the far wall. We had draped cloths over the couches and game tables to try and create a more professional atmosphere, leaving me with one recliner behind a tall end table with another on the opposite side. Charles had told me he preferred to stand behind me on the left during the interviews. It would act as a visual signal to the omegas that I had the full support of Sloan and provide him with space to easily move if anyone threatened me.

Most of the interviews had been simple. None of the omegas I had interviewed had any connections to Alpha Henry and were more concerned with the current state of the packhouse. I had barely managed to get through half of my list when I caught a whiff of Sloan. Glancing toward the door through my eyelashes, I saw my mate standing in the doorway, smiling. It was obvious he was trying to be discrete, checking on me before he left to meet Sookie at the airport. I didn’t want him to know I had caught him checking in on me, so I continued the interview, forcing myself to keep my focus on the omega in front of me until he left.

“Luna, we should break for lunch. I can hear your stomach growling.” Charles said after the latest omega left the rec room.

“How many omegas are left?” I asked.

“Just two more, but we can send them for lunch so you can eat.”

“No, you go to the kitchen and grab some quick snacks and bottled waters. When you get back, we will continue. Their time should be treated with as much value as mine. It wouldn’t be right to break for lunch after they’ve sat in the hallway all morning.”

Charles nodded and slipped through the side door to the rec room. He had said two omegas were remaining to be interviewed, but I had at least a half dozen files still on my table. I wondered why the others hadn’t shown. It was something that would need to be looked into. If they were still with the pack, them not showing up could be viewed as a snub toward the new Alpha or even myself. Charles returned faster than I had expected, handing me a bottled water and granola bar before escorting the next omega in.

“Luna.” She said, bowing her head slightly. “My name is Valerie.”

“Thank you for coming Valerie, please have a water and a little snack. I’m sorry you’ve had to wait so long and that we don’t have a better offering of snacks.” I replied as I gestured for her to sit.

“Thank you.” She blushed, gingerly taking a water and granola bar from Charles before sitting down.

I ran her through the same questions I had the rest. I was surprised at how forthcoming she was with her responses. There was no hesitation in anything she said. Aside from some apparent nervousness at being called to meet with high-ranking wolves, she seemed almost at ease.

“I see from your file; your mother is a pack nurse?” I asked. “Your name sounds very familiar. Your mother wouldn’t happen to be Beth Caldwell, would she?”

“She is. I actually helped her decorate your mother’s house for your college graduation.” Valeria answered, her blush deepening. “I’m sure you don’t remember me from high school, I was a couple years behind you, but I always admired how you handled yourself with everything Marissa did to you. I always wanted to be your friend, but I was afraid of what Marissa would do to me being the beta’s – well, the old beta’s- daughter.”

“Marissa was quite the piece of work. I don’t blame you for keeping a distance.”

“I tried once, to stand up to her, I mean. She threatened to have her father make Alpha Maxwell exile me. I was just a kid, ya know. Mom was all I had left; daddy had just died the year before in a skirmish, and I was scared. You should know she’s going to do everything she can to undermine Alpha Sloan, and she still has allies in the pack.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, glancing at Charles to see if he was paying attention.

“I heard her talking not too long about how she was going to make Gregory Lemont man up and take his pack back if the Alpha didn’t name her Luna.”

“Did you happen to see who she was speaking with?” Charles asked, leaning over my shoulder toward Valerie.

“No, Beta, we were in a restaurant, and I was seated at the booth behind her. I couldn’t see who she was talking to without raising her suspicions. When I heard this morning that our Luna had been found, I was terrified it was going to be her. I can’t tell you how relieved I was when I saw it was you.” She breathed, her body visibly relaxing. “A lot of us were scared to stand against her in school, but she can’t do anything to us now. She may have allies trying to put her back into power, but so do you, Luna.”

“I appreciate your candor bringing this to our attention, Valerie.”

“It’s the least I could do. It never sat right with me, not standing up for you in school. I want to make it right.” She shrugged.

“We can call it made right.” I smiled. “Let me give you my cell. I haven’t set up my office yet, but this way, you can let me know if you hear anything else. I expect we will have you back to work in the next couple days, but in the meantime, you can call me.”

We exchanged numbers and said our goodbyes. Valerie’s confession had helped alleviate some of the fears I had been harboring about being back. I understood why she wouldn’t have wanted to challenge Marissa when we were kids. Even if her father couldn’t really have her exiled, it was the worst possible outcome for our kind. Worse than going rogue by choice.

“Luna, are you ready for the last one?” Charles asked.

“Send her in.”

My eyes widened in surprise as Tiffany strolled into the rec room. Her name had been on the files, but when Charles had said only two omegas remained to be interviewed, I had hoped she was one of the few who had opted not to show.

“Jaz?” Tiffany squealed. “Is that really you?”

“Tiffany.” I replied, keeping my face blank.

“I’m so glad that you’re back in the pack! Congratulations on being our Luna.” She smiled.

“I’m sure you’re as pleased as Marissa was.” I replied flatly, causing the smile to fall from her face.

“Jaz. –“

“It’s Luna.” Charles interrupted, sensing my discomfort. “You will use the appropriate titles when speaking to her.”

“Luna.” Tiffany started again. “I’ve spent the last several years living with my guilt over how I treated you. I don’t have any excuse for it, I was horrible, but I was wrong.”

“You know what the worst part of you joining in on Marissa’s bullshit was? It was the fact that you had been my friend, right up until she took a liking to you. You were my only friend, and you turned your back on me. For what? Popularity because you were friends with the beta’s daughter?”

“I know.” She whispered, her eyes cast down on her hands folded in her lap. “I was a horrible person, but I’ve grown. I want to make it up to you.”

“You can’t make it up to me.” I hissed. “But you can find another job. We won’t be needing your services as omega at the packhouse.”

Her mouth fell open as if she wanted to protest my decision. I didn’t give her the chance to speak, rising from my seat and storming from the rec room. Charles was right on my heels as I made my way to the Alpha quarters.

“Luna.” Charles spoke as we drew near the living area. “If you ever need to talk to someone about what happened when you were a kid, I’m happy to be an ear. Silver Pelt was a little more accepting than here from the sounds of it, but I know what it’s like growing up as a biracial hybrid in a mostly white pack.”

“Thanks, Charles. I appreciate that, but I think I just need a little time alone to sort out my thoughts. I hate to ask, but if you wouldn’t mind hanging around the packhouse and letting me know if anyone else needs me until Sloan gets home.”

“Sure thing.” He smiled, turning back toward the main rooms.

Once the sound of his footsteps had disappeared down the hall, I did what I always did when I was upset or needed to work through something. Taking a quick glance around to mentally inventory what needed to be done, I set to work making the area livable.