The Luna is a Royal Guardsman

Difference between yours and mine

When I came out of my bath, which I hate to admit that I dozed off one or twice in, the boxes from my house and the keys to the Mustang were waiting for me in the living area. I let Dora and Penny know which boxes were "safe" to open, and they put my things away. I, on the other hand, eagerly connected the Howlbox Gaming console to my new TV. I played a few rounds of Red Cry II and was not impressed with the lag. I threw the controller beside me on the couch in frustration.

Rather than stewing about being in a tech dead zone, I looked over the rifles James had sent. I broke them down on the coffee table and inspected them. There wasn't much to clean, since James had already done it. I thought it best just to put them away in the closet. I was pleased that the door had already been replaced with a heavy-duty steel door. It had 2 deadbolts and a locking doorknob on it. It made me wonder how long I was in the bath for. Dora had handed me the key with shaking hands. I guess these girls are not used to seeing firearms.

After the guns were put away, the girls told me more about the room. Apparently it was soundproofed, which gave me relief about my nighttime screaming routine. The mini-bar was stocked with top-shelf alcohol as well as were-alcohol that was 10 times stronger than most human alcohol. I did giggle to myself when I saw what was in the bar, since the Royal guardsmen have home-brewed stuff that would make all the liquor in the bar smell and taste like iced tea.

Soon after, it was time for dinner, and Alpha Meyer texted me to join him in the dining hall in thirty minutes. He wanted to introduce me to the rest of the pack formally. Thank Eostre that I had the boxes delivered to me since I didn't bring anything "nice" to wear in the ALICE pack.

I decided to go semi-casual and put on some nice slacks and a green cashmere sweater. I didn't put on makeup since it wasn't my thing, and besides, I really wasn't here to impress anyone. Becca would blow her top if she knew that the Bloodstone pack was about to meet their future Luna, who was barefaced. Sweet Hera, she would have spent an hour dressing me up and polishing all my "rough" corners.

Dora and Penny guided me through the packhouse and into the dining area. They pointed out the main table on a slightly raised platform and told me where to sit. I sniffed the delicious aromas coming from the kitchen and eagerly awaited the chance to taste what it had to offer. I tried ignoring the curious glances from the other wolves gathering in the dining hall. I nodded to the few who recognized me and greeted me.

I was starting to wonder if I was being ditched when the ranked wolves finally made an appearance. I gave them a small smile as they approached the table. They seemed surprised that I was already seated and ready.

"I wanted to pick you up at your room, but you were already gone," said Alpha Cole, with an arched eyebrow.

"I'm used to showing up 15 minutes early to everything. It's a military thing," I replied.

"I see. You're not armed right now, are you?" he asked warily, looking me up and down to spot any concealed weapons.

"No, no…maybe, I'm just kidding. I only do that when I'm on duty or traveling," I explained after teasing a bit. "Besides, I'm not dependent on my weapons to defend myself. They are just more convenient sometimes. Also, they help me if I get in a bind."

"I see," said Alpha Cole skeptically. Yeah, this one is gonna be fun...

He took a seat next to me on my right. Beta Spence sat on the other side of Alpha Cole. Trisha sat on the other side of me and Delta Simmons next to her. Finally, Gamma Benner sat next to Beta Spence. I felt like we were posing for a DaVinci fresco. The other wolves in the dining hall settled into their seats as well. One by one, the kitchen Omegas started pouring out of the double doors holding trays of food. They set the trays on the heated buffet tables along each side of the hall. The aroma from the large trays of sides and meats made my mouth water. This looked and smelled superb. Suddenly, everyone became quiet and looked at the Ranked wolves' table. Alpha Cole stood up and began to speak.

"Everyone, tonight is quite special. We are joined by our Future Luna, LtCol Min Larson. Treat her with the respect that comes with the title. If I hear that she is insulted in any way, I will punish those who disrespect her myself," he announced, waving his hand toward my general area. "Now, because of the nature of her work at the palace, we will have visiting wolves and contractors on the pack lands. Our Future Luna has guaranteed your safety and told me these visitors can be trusted. Do not cause trouble for this pack by inciting trouble with them. Again, severe punishments will be given to those who choose to ignore this first and only warning. Now that you all have been informed, let's e…."

"Actually, I have a few words to say if you don't mind, Alpha Cole." I interrupt without a show. His face turns to me in a scowl but nods.

"I want to start by saying thank you to the people who greeted me earlier today. You made my welcome easy and allowed me to de-stress after an eventful day." I acknowledge the Omegas, Trisha and Beta Spence. "And to Delta Simmons and Gamma Benner, thank you for bringing my things from Crystal Falls and for being so patient when we had a miscommunication. And to everyone here, I will try my best to learn so I can fulfill my Luna duties to the best of my ability. Please feel free to come and talk to me about any concerns you are having. That is all for now. Let us eat and be happy."

With that, the wolves start forming two lines on each side of the hall. I step away to join the line, but Alpha Cole grabs my hand and stops me. I yank my hand out of his grasp, asking with my eyes, "Why?"

"Ranked wolves are served at the table." He answered my unspoken question. I didn't like how matter-of-fact he was about this. I sighed and sat back down. I was not really used to living like this. It made me uncomfortable to be waited on, while everyone else stood in line for their turn for food. Even in the Palace, I stood in line at the Chow Hall like everyone else. When I took over the vice-commander role, I had gotten rid of the priority line for officers, despite all the protests.

A moment later, a few Omegas came with our plates and set them at our places. It was Prime Rib with mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, and a side of steamed vegetables. There was a puffy, bread-like pastry served with the main dish. I tore off a piece and tried it. It was good and went well with everything there.

"It's a Yorkshire Pudding. Denise, the Head Omega's mother, was from the UK, "Alpha Cole explained when I tried it tentatively.

"I see, it's very good," I said simply. Despite the food being great, it didn't sit well with me that the food the ranked wolves were getting was of higher quality than the rest of the pack. I had looked over between bites at the nearest table from ours. The other pack members were being served barbecue ribs, mashed potatoes, corn, mac and cheese, and a simple dinner roll. Not slop, but it wasn't the same level. One thing that satisfied me was that the women and children were served first. I would have been livid if I saw a child get scraps. I looked over at the buffet lines, and it seemed they had plenty of food being served. The Omegas would replenish the trays before they got too empty. As the end of the line neared, it seemed there would be plenty of food for everyone.

"Denise and I always make sure there's plenty for everyone, "explained Trisha. "There's usually leftovers that we pack for wolves on patrol that can't make lunch or dinner time."

"That's great. I have visited packs that don't manage their food very well, leaving a few members hungry at mealtimes, "I said. "It's always a shame every time I see it."

"That's so sad. I would cry if I saw that. No one deserves to go hungry," said Trisha. I think I'm starting to like this girl. I may keep her on the kitchen staff. "So how are things run at your former pack?"

I cringed a little at the words "former pack". The fact that I left everyone I love behind hit me like a wall. I knew in my brain that being the Luna of Bloodstone meant that I had to cut ties with Crystal Falls, but my heart wasn't really ready to do that. I suddenly got homesick. I steeled myself and plastered on the "Luna" smile that Becca taught me.

"At Crystal Falls we don't dine en masse like this. There's too many wolves to do so," I described, while stuffing down the ache in my heart. "We do make sure everyone has plenty of food, though. We do have a dining hall, but it's usually for packhouse residents and packhouse staff."

"Interesting, I suppose a pack that has more than triple our numbers would have to make adjustments," said Alpha Cole, who had been listening in. He seemed very invested in learning how Crystal Falls runs. "How do you manage to keep all your members fed?"

"Well, first of all, everyone gets a fair wage if they work for the pack. We have a few who have decided to run business on the pack lands or find jobs outside of the pack. The nearest human city is only an hour's commute away. Those who work outside of the pack pay a tax of sorts to the pack while they remain members. The tax is a fair percentage of their income. Crystal Falls has 3 supermarkets on our land that our pack members can buy from. It's always stocked, and each member can choose what they want," I explained.

"Why have a dining hall then? And what do you do about wolves that can't work or won't work?" asked Alpha Cole, leaning in. I saw that Beta Spence, Delta Simmons, and Gamma Benner were also listening attentively.

"Well, the dining hall is there to feed wolves who simply can't cook or are too busy to cook. Most of our residents in the pack house are unmated wolves, mostly bachelors, underage orphans, and staff members," I explained. "The elderly wolves without families are given rooms too, if they so desire. The dining hall is open to all of our senior pack members. Those who wish to eat in the dining hall but are not seniors or packhouse residents can pay to eat a meal there. As far as wolves that cannot work. We have a system that's similar to the welfare system in the human world. We give them credit for the meals they earned at the supermarket or in the dining hall. As for wolves that refuse to work, we have never had a case of an able-bodied wolf not wanting to work. Everyone in our pack prides themselves on helping the pack in whatever ways needed."

"You meant your former pack," Alpha Cole commented at my slip. I tightened my mouth without frowning too hard.

"Yes…my former pack," I replied casually. I continued with the explanation, "The pack currently owns only 3 corporations that are in different fields of business. Most of the pack members work at the headquarters in the packlands. Crystal Falls Inc.'s workforce is a mix of humans and wolves from other packs, living in branches outside their packlands. There are plenty of jobs available, and corporate revenue actually helps maintain the pack. "

"Other wolves…are you not afraid that they will steal secrets and tell their Alphas?" asked Beta Spence with honest curiosity.

"Actually, day-to-day dealings in the outside branches are pretty low security. Plus, the benefits given to the employees are substantial enough that they eventually end up joining Crystal Falls. Of course, background checks are run on everyone before they are hired. Most of the time, it is unaffiliated wolves that are trying to get jobs with the corporations anyway."

"Unaffiliated wolves…Do you mean rogues!" shouted Delta Simmons. The once-boisterous hall suddenly fell silent with Delta Simmons's outburst. Alpha Cole waved off the unwanted attention from the other wolves in the hall, who in turn continued their previous activities. He then gave Delta Simmons a warning look to get him to behave.

"Yes, Delta Simmons," I replied. "Commonly known as rogues, Crystal Falls uses the term "unaffiliated wolves." Most of the time, it's not their fault that they were kicked out of their former pack. Most investigations find that it's an abusive alpha that banishes them, or they are banished because of the deeds of a family member that they have no involvement with. Sometimes it's the unfortunate circumstance of being born into a rogue family. Crystal Falls conducts a thorough review of why they were banished before hiring, and they have a minimum 1-year probationary period before they can request to join Crystal Falls. They have to prove that they can be a productive member of the pack."

"Interesting. I would never have guessed that Crystal Falls' numbers were from unaffiliated wolves joining," commented Alpha Cole.

"Well, not exactly. Crystal Falls was already a big pack before my Father and Chris introduced those policies. They are very selective about which Unaffiliated Wolf joins the pack. Most of the time, they have to wait 3–5 years before they are accepted. Most of our population growth comes from mates choosing to join Crystal Falls and from children born of those unions. The average size of a family in Crystal Falls is 6 members," I reply.

"Wow, it must be so different here. I don't know how you dealt with being surrounded by so many wolves all the time," commented Trisha. I'm really liking her, honest and sweet.

"Actually, this is the first time I've lived in a building with so many residents," I confessed. "Ranked members don't live in the pack house in Crystal Falls. I grew up in a house separate from the pack house."

"I'd hardly call the home you grew up in a house," commented Alpha Cole. "It was a sizable mansion."

"Yeah, the pack members went overboard when they built the house for my mother and father," I said. "The original plans for the house were supposed to be a simple two-story, 3-bedroom house. The pack members surprised my mother and father with it when they came back from their honeymoon."

"Honeymoon?" asked Gamma Benner, who had been quiet for most of this dinner. I smiled brightly at him, which seemed to make Alpha Cole bristle.

"Yes, a honeymoon is a tradition in the human world where they take a vacation after the wedding…their version of a mating ceremony. I believe they were gone a month and a half." I said, thinking back to the stories of my parents. "They liked doing weird things from other cultures that showed everyone how much they love and are committed to each other. It's actually kinda disturbing how lovey-dovey they still are."

"Interesting. I can't see how the pack ran while they were gone for so long," commented Alpha Cole without malice.

"Crystal Falls has a good leadership protocol in place; in emergencies or events like my parents vacationing, the pack runs just like any other day," I said. "Actually, Alpha Chris and Luna Becca had both a Honeymoon and a Babymoon. The pack ran just fine each time."

"Babymoon?" asked the confused Gamma again. He seemed very unaware of human traditions. I wonder how educated the rest of the pack is about the human world.

"Apparently, it's a new thing in the human world for new parents to take a vacation before the child is born. I guess it's so parents can have a romantic time to themselves before their lives are consumed with their children," I explained with an internal shudder. No matter how old I am, I don't like to think about my brother getting it on with anyone. "But getting back to the subject, I've spent most of my time in the last ten years living in military barracks of some sort. Even the officers' barracks are not that populated, especially the female side. It's going to take some getting used to being around so many scents at the same time."

As we continued our conversation, it became very clear to me that Bloodstone had very little interaction with the human world. This is going to be a problem for my plans if I do become Luna of this pack. I will have to look into what kind of education this pack taught, and maybe it'll help Bloodstone in the future.