The Ancient Blood Luna

Nebula's point of view. 10! 9! 8! 7! 6! The crowd of workers below my podium, screamed the numbers projected on the large screen with enthusiasm. 5! 4! 3! 2! 1! "Now here are the top ten companies ranked in this year's Global Golden Awards," a calm male voice spoke from the projection. The crowd turned dead silent, and all eyes were glued to the list of names projected on the screen. I wasn't excluded, my eyes scanned the list from top to bottom. Got it. My gaze locked on a particular name. "4th place, Black Woods Firm," I whispered into the microphone in front of me. It resonated my voice from the speakers around the hall. Screams, cheers, and applause broke out from all corners of the hall. The workers danced and jumped, happy at our latest achievement. A smile tinged my lips as I watched them. My gaze landed on the list again and I observed the other names on it. 'Crystal Jade Corp's should have fallen a little lower, and we would be in the top three,' I whispered. 'Nebula, you should be at least grateful for what you got,' Scarlett, my wolf's voice sounded in my mind. 'Who told you I wasn't?' She rolled her eyes in my mind. 'But who wouldn't want a better rank?' I asked mentally. We both giggled. My delicate fingers tapped on the microphone, drawing the crowd's attention. I held their gazes for a while, until the entire hall was silent. "You all have done well," I said. "The Black Woods Firm is proud of you. The Black Woods Pack is also proud of you. And I, I'm almost proud of you—almost." The workers burst into laughter. "For the next six months, all your salaries would be increased by thirty percent," I said. "Keep up the good work, we are aiming for first rank next year." Another round of cheers and applause began. I left the hall in solid steps, wearing my pride like a garment. My female assistants flanked me on both sides. We entered the private elevator and rode it to the topmost office. "Should we organise a party, Luna Nebula?" Diane, one of them asked. "What for? I pay you all to work, not to throw a party in my company," I replied. "I'm sorry, my Luna." "Contact those manufacturers and suppliers that refused our partnership previously. I'm sure they will be quick to accept our offer now," I smirked. "Yes, my Luna." "Draft a plan to step up our marketing and advertising outreach. Also, increase their budget by fifteen percent," I said to my other assistant. "We need to maximise the influence of the Global Golden Awards while it lasts." The elevator opened with a ding, and we walked into my office. The glass walls reflected my red-coloured hair and my black suit. Scent of flora and polished mahogany filled the air. "What are those?" I asked, startled. A large pile of documents were neatly stacked near my table. "It's the contracts you asked to proofread yourself, ma," my other assistant replied. "Oh, fantastic. Another workload. Just what I needed," I said. "We can handle it if—" "Not, another, word," I interrupted her. "I won't make the same mistake twice." "Yes Luna," they both replied, their heads lowered. 'Cut them some slack would you?' Scarlett said internally. 'Stop talking nonsense,' I replied mentally. My steps echoed around the room as I walked towards the clear window. The scenery of a busy street adorned my view, with high-rise buildings everywhere. Snowflakes drizzled from the sky, with heaps of snow on both sides of the road. A group of beggars sat just after my company's gate. "Call the Finance department. Tell them to wrap up something nice for each of the beggars outside," I said to Diane. The elevator opened and a worker stepped in. "Greetings, my Luna. Reporting from the Mailroom Department," the worker said. I nodded and he continued. "You have mail from the Pack Hospital. It's signed with the name, Miss Helen," he brought out an envelope, handling it to me. I took the white envelope from him, my eyes fixed on it. "You're all dismissed," I said without sparing them a glance. They left for the elevator in a single file. Silence filled the room, except for the sound of my loud heartbeat. 'What are you waiting for? Open it!' Scarlett hurried mentally. 'Stop making this harder.' I walked back to my table and sat down. My lips released a deep breath, as I calmed myself. I opened the envelope, gently unfolding the paper placed inside. 'It’s positive. We will be mothers soon!' Scarlett shouted before I could speak. "It's a girl!" I said aloud. My heart tightened, and the smile on my face shone brighter. "The goddess had indeed blessed us." 'Now this calls for a party,' Scarlett said. 'You always want to party. Lillian's influence is rubbing off on you,' I rolled my eyes. 'I will let you have your party, just this once,' I said. ‘Now you're talking,’ she replied. Adrian would be so proud. I was bringing back home a baby and a prize today. What more could a mate ask for? This was great news for the entire Black Woods Pack. The sound of the elevator interrupted my thoughts. The same worker who brought the envelope walked into the office accompanied by Diane, my assistant. "I thought I dismissed you both?" My brows furrowed. "There are some documents for you, sent from the Alpha's office," the worker said. I sent a glare at my Diane. "I'm sorry Luna. I only allowed him in because the said documents were personally delivered by the Beta," she added. "It better be worth my time," I said. "Read out the title." Diane took the file. "It says, resources of the Black Woods Firm allocated for the new pack projects." 'It should be the projects Adrian talked about last night,' I thought. I took the file from her, my fingers signing the pages half-heartedly. Towards the middle of the file, I stopped suddenly, my intuition ringing warning bells. My gaze sharpened, and I focused my cyan coloured eyes on the page I was currently signing. My signature was already etched halfway on the paper, but I couldn't bring myself to complete it. I felt like I would lose something important if I did—something very significant. "Is anything... wrong my Luna?" Diane asked. I didn't reply. Instead, I took out the mysterious page from the rest of the file. It looked identical to the rest of the pages, but my mind said something else. My eyes quickly spotted the problem. "How audacious!" I shouted, fuming. "What shady scheme?" My fists slammed against the table and I stood up. A flame ignited in my chest, like a heating cauldron was burning inside of me. I could smell deceit in the air. My menacing gaze swept across the room, causing Diane and the worker to shiver in fright. "Was this file accessed by another before it was brought here?" I asked, my voice a restrained calm. "No... my Luna, no one did," the worker replied, fidgeting. "You said the Beta delivered it himself, right?" "Yes, ma'am." I nodded slowly, pacing around the room. Someone wanted me out now. After all I've done for the pack. But who? Who had I offended this time? And who dared to plot a scheme against me? It couldn't be Adrian. It should be someone close to him. His Beta perhaps. "Luna Nebula, please what's wrong?" Diane asked, still shivering. "Take a look at yourself," I said. She picked up the page. "This deed is to ascertain that Luna Nebula Cleffox agrees to the transfer of all her shares, position, and status within the Black Woods Pack and Firm to... Miss Stones," she said. The paper dropped from her hand immediately, and her body stiffened. The worker from the Mailroom Department was covered in sweat. They had realised the dark storm that was already brewing. The storm they were already engulfed in. 'Whose Miss Stones?' Scarlett asked mentally. 'We would find out soon,' I replied. 'Please tread with caution, who knows what else they might have in store,' she implied. 'Their efforts have been... noted. Not impressive, but noted. I would be sure to repay their gratitude in the best possible way,' I said internally. "Put a call to the Alpha's office," I told Diane. She brought out her phone and dialled a number. The seconds ticked by and I waited, still pacing around. "There's no response, my Luna," she said. I glanced at my wrist. "Cancel all my appointments for today. Get my driver, we are leaving for the Alpha's office in five minutes. I must get to the bottom of this." "Yes, Luna," she replied.