His Human Luna

Chapter 2

Tessa

It had been years since they kicked me out of the pack. Grandma passed away a while back, and now I lived by myself in her little house on the edge of town. Life was quiet and simple. I worked as a waitress at the only restaurant in Cedarville, saving up whatever I could for college.

“Tessa, thank goodness you’re here!” my boss, Tom, said one morning, looking relieved. “The place is fully booked this week for a big meeting with some important businessmen and CEOs from the surrounding towns. I need everyone on their game.”

He gave me a warm smile. Tom had always treated me like family. “We’ve got new uniforms coming, and I’ve got a list of tasks. I’m putting you in charge of handing them out to the other girls. You know I trust you—you’re the best.”

“Of course, Tom,” I replied, smiling back. It felt good to be relied on.

“Did you hear, Tessy?” Mia, my best friend and fellow waitress, bounced over. “Some big-shot CEOs are coming to town! This is exciting!”

Mia was small and skinny with long curly hair and round glasses that gave her this cute, nerdy look. She was one of the kindest people I knew. “I’m hoping they’re young, hot, and loaded,” she added with a grin. “And I hope these new uniforms show off what I’ve got. I really need a boyfriend!”

I laughed. “I’m just hoping they have them in plus sizes and not tiny little skirts.”

“What are you talking about?” She bumped her hip against mine. “I’d kill for your curves, Tessy!”

I hadn’t changed much over the years. I was still curvy—maybe even more so now. But here in town, it didn’t bother me as much. Or at least I was working on that.

Back at home later that evening, I stood in front of the mirror, thinking about the big event coming up. My long dark-blonde hair, full chest, wide hips, and thick thighs—no one here mocked me for any of it. I was just Tessy, the waitress who lived alone near the woods.

Then I heard a noise outside. When I opened the door, two familiar faces were standing there in nothing but tiny shorts.

“Thing One and Thing Two!” I laughed and pulled my brothers into a big hug. The twins had shot up—they looked like giants now. “What are you doing here dressed like that?”

“Of course we came to see you!” Brady said, grinning.

“It’s your fault for leaving those shorts on the porch,” Brody added, pretending to be offended. “They don’t fit anymore. We’ve grown, sis!”

I looked past them and saw Dad getting out of the car. We hugged tightly. “It’s so good to see you, Dad.”

They tried to visit whenever they could. Weekends, holidays, random days—we were still a family. Those boys meant everything to me.

“My little pumpkin,” Dad said warmly. “The boys wanted to run the whole way in wolf form. They’ve been dying to see you, but they’ve had training.”

We had a nice family dinner together. While the twins got ready to crash at my place, Dad pulled me aside for a quiet talk.

“I wanted to give you a heads-up, Tessy… There’s going to be an Alpha meeting here in Cedarville.”

“Alphas?” It clicked. “So the ‘CEOs’ are actually Alphas.” Of course this little town was a neutral spot close to several packs. Just a regular human town to outsiders.

“I thought you should know,” he said, looking worried. He kissed my cheek. “Just be careful, okay? Don’t let anyone mess with you.”

“It’s just an Alpha meeting,” I told myself later, trying to fall asleep. “Most of them probably don’t even remember me.”

…

“Moon Goddess! Are you trying to eat me out of house and home?” I yelled the next morning as my brothers devoured the breakfast I’d made. They were already raiding the fridge.

“We’re growing, sis!” they said through full mouths. “Plus, your cooking is the best.”

I kissed them goodbye and headed to the restaurant to help get everything ready for the big meeting. The whole town was buzzing about these rich CEOs.

By the time the fancy cars and vans started pulling up, we were all set. The men and women stepping out looked impossibly strong and attractive. I knew why, but the regular townspeople didn’t.

“Holy crap, where did these guys come from?” Mia whispered, eyes wide. “They look like gods!”

“Maybe celebrities…” another waitress muttered, staring.

“Come on, girls, we’ve got work to do,” I said, focusing on the tables.

“I’m serious, Tessy. Have you seen those muscles? And the tattoos…” Mia fanned herself dramatically.

Tom appeared, looking a bit frazzled. “Tessa, could you handle greeting them at the entrance? We’re still sorting some tables.”

I wasn’t thrilled about it—I’d rather stay hidden in the back—but I couldn’t say no to Tom. So there I was, standing at the door in my old, worn-out uniform while these powerful werewolves looked me over like I was something unpleasant.

I went down the list, calling names and showing each group to their tables. Then my stomach dropped.

“Dominic Cole?” My voice came out shaky.

The others stepped aside as he walked forward.

There he was—Dom, all grown up and even more striking. His dark hair was perfect, those blue eyes sharp and bright. He was tanned, built like a tank, with muscles straining against his shirt and tattoos peeking out along his neck and chest. He carried himself like he knew exactly how powerful and good-looking he was. Women around the room were practically sighing.

Of course he’d be here. If every pack in the area was coming, Stonecrest wouldn’t miss it. I’d hoped his father would show up instead, but he was old enough to lead now.

The second his eyes landed on me, his face twisted in confusion, then annoyance and disgust. I started shaking and took a few steps back without thinking. Memories of him dragging me out of the territory flashed through my head.

“You… here,” he said, like I was his worst nightmare.

He didn’t say anything else, just looked me up and down. His eyes darkened and he seemed to be holding his breath, like he didn’t want to smell me. Only when his Beta, Rick, spoke did he snap out of it.

“Thanks, we’ll head to our table,” Rick said.

As they walked away, Dom kept glancing back at me, tense.

I continued with the rest of the Alphas. Then came Bloodmark Pack. Alpha Caine—Malcom’s son—stepped up. His blond hair made him easy to spot.

“Well, well,” he whispered with a nasty smirk. “If it isn’t the chubby human liar…”

I stayed quiet, just stood there feeling small and shaky.

They can’t hurt you anymore, I repeated to myself. They’ll have their meeting and leave. You’ll never see them again.

On my way to the back I ran into Tom, who looked concerned.

“You okay, honey?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Need something?”

“The new uniforms finally arrived, but this is the biggest size we have.” He handed me the outfit, and I already knew it was going to be a problem.

“Please just try it on,” he said when I hesitated. “The girls are already changed, and the CEOs need help with a few things. I’ll give you a nice bonus, Tessa.”

I gave in. Big mistake.

The second I put it on, I knew it was too tight and way too short. The skirt hugged everything, and the shirt barely buttoned over my chest. I felt exposed. Some of the Alphas, including Dom, were already giving me dirty looks. I could imagine the others laughing about the former pack member now serving them.

But why should I care? They meant nothing to me anymore. I was nothing to them. They probably didn’t even remember me.

“Go to hell, Dominic Cole,” I muttered, straightening up and fixing my hair.

As I bent down to adjust something, I heard fabric rip. I looked in the mirror—my shirt had torn.

“What the hell!”

The bathroom door flew open. I expected Tom or Mia, but instead I was face-to-face with Dom. He stood there staring at me, breathing hard as his eyes moved over my torn clothes.