The Luna and the Alpha CEO

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

My sweet sleep was rudely interrupted by the sound of my alarm. After deciding to "punch it off," I awoke and stood up slowly, stretching my muscles.

I greeted Lance with a gentle smile and a kiss on my necklace. It's the last thing I have to remind me of my genuine love. I slipped on my slippers and shuffled off to the bathroom for my morning hygiene ritual.

Let's get started with the preamble. Catherine Richard Dawson, although everyone calls me Catherine. Here I am, a normal teen with a brilliant brain, and I am seventeen years old. My background is as a software engineer, but I originally originate from a little town in Texas.

As a prodigy, I only needed one try to pass the entrance exam for New York's most prestigious university, Wellington Institute of Technology. Since I live independently, I had no trouble relocating. With only a few changes of clothes, my laptop, and a stack of books, I was easily able to make the move to New York. My studio apartment consists of just my room and a bathroom that is connected to it. To the left are an open kitchen and a modest living room. The swing chair on the balcony, where I often have conversations with my plants and use my laptop, is another favorite area of mine.

I am, in fact, a werewolf; that's my deepest, darkest secret. Specifically, the daughter of the Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack, one of the strongest packs in the Scarlet Mountain before it was captured by the cruelest maniacs in the world, the Shadowed Banes, some seventeen years ago. My mother brought me into this world on the day our pack was assaulted. Unfortunately, the monsters of Shadowed Banes made my birthday a bad omen. My entire pack was eaten by their cruel Alpha Xander; my parents were not spared. The day I entered the world, I lost both my parents. There's no way my luck could be much worse than that.

A young man named Lance Wilson came to my rescue. He took me in, and his folks nurtured me and took good care of me. When I was old enough to comprehend the brutality of the world, Lance filled me in on my background. It was then that I learned Lance would eventually become the Alpha King of the Vengeful Hunters.

Lance was my childhood sweetheart, my greatest friend, and my entire universe. I was treated like a princess and cherished like a daughter by both sets of his parents.

At Lance's sixteenth birthday, animosity between me and his parents began to grow. Ela, the pack's Luna, has recently disapproved of our bond. She cautioned me repeatedly to avoid Lance. Though her worries were warranted, I knew I was just a third wheel in Lance's life because his mate was on the way. The Alpha Blake Wilson started looking at me like I had two left eyes. He even reprimanded me several times, suggesting that I was ruining Lance's life with my presence. He said that Lance was the rightful heir to the Alpha throne and would soon be saddled with enormous duties. He used to spend his 'valuable' time with me, but now he avoids me like the plague. Who had no hopes, no ambitions, and no goals in life.

I finally got fed up with living there and fled to Texas. To be honest, I had no clue where my life was headed, but there was no turning back now. It was a harrowing ordeal in the beginning. When I was homeless, I would sleep on park benches made of metal and survive on water and the fruits I would take from gardens. When the Moon Goddess recognized that her penalties were excessive, she arranged for me to meet a man named Billy who was looking to hire a cashier for his department store. I accepted his offer right away and thus began my career as a self-supporting adult. I appreciate Lance's family for all they did for me, even if they abandoned me at a time when I really needed them. A benefit in disguise was that they never sacrificed my schooling. At Billy's shop, I found a vintage PC that quickly became my closest companion. With my first paycheck, I bought a computer and a cell phone and taught myself how to use them. I watched tutorials on how to use several pieces of software, including Microsoft Office, Python, and Java, all thanks to YouTube.

I had to juggle a few different jobs and keep my grades up in order to keep my scholarship. I was able to finish high school at the age of fifteen because of how smart I am. To be sure, that's one of the things that sets me apart from the rest. After that, I looked into top engineering schools and promptly applied to Wellington Institute. It was unthinkable that I would have gotten into Wellington Institute without first passing their notoriously difficult entrance exam.

For the past two years, New York has been my home. I don't want anyone to find out my secret, and nobody else does. When I was younger, my wolf, Freya, would reprimand me and try to pick fights with me as we searched for a mate. Because I had no intention of seeking vengeance on those responsible for ruining my life, she was dismayed.

You learn the most from life itself. My life's hardships had hardened me to the point of apathy. Where exactly will all this vengeance golife's hardships had hardened me to the point of apathy. Where exactly will all this vengeance go? Is it possible for me to face the Shadowed Bane's Alpha King on my own? Absolutely not. I am little more than a footnote in the annals of time. My entire lineage was obliterated the day I was born, so I doubt anyone even knows my name. And Alpha Blake kept my identification from the vicious Alpha because he feared for his own safety.

Being born a werewolf is the worst fate imaginable.

In contrast to the respect, love, and happiness I experienced in a "normal" human being's life, this one has only brought me agony, depression, and anguish. My current objective is to found an IT firm and become the most famous hacker in the world. I won't be returning there anytime soon. What am I supposed to do now? I was abandoned by my family and never adopted into a pack. I hope Lance has met a suitable mate by now. The thing is, my heart just won't let me forget about him.

I pulled on some blue pants and a white T-shirt, slung my purse over my shoulder, and fumbled for my keys. The keys to my house, not my car. My salary as a technology expert at Garlock Corporation is sufficient to cover my educational expenses, but not more. I make ends meet as a freelance writer for several computer firms. I had even broken into their networks to learn about cutting-edge tools and techniques I could put to use.

As soon as I landed in New York, I sent in a job application to Garlock Corporation. I was in need of a reliable income stream, and this position offered both. At first, they were hesitant to recruit me, but now that they've seen my profile, they can't say no. I don't mean to sound conceited, but that's why I can now feel proud of myself.

I had to work nights because I had classes in the morning. I had no problem with it at all. No one would risk getting hurt by a werewolf.

When Sylvia first saw me, she was taken aback since I looked like a young, impressionable girl, and my willingness to work overnight hours gave her good reason to be concerned. Only if she realized I was not a delicate flower.

Freya and I had a complete communication blackout. She despises me for shirking my duties, but she always knows how to cheer me up when I'm feeling low. Our unbreakable friendship stems from the fact that we can't imagine life without each other. I avoid making new friends because I am too nervous to risk becoming close to anyone. I can't afford another heartbreak right now.

Lance was a good friend of mine, yet he never once tried to track me down after I moved away. A small part of me still hoped that he might return, but that optimism has long since withered away. He, too, had a life, a lot of responsibility, and certain vows to keep, so I can't say that I blame him. Still, I carried his locket as a memento to recall the wonderful and joyful times in my life.

Getting beyond that was hard work, but it was essential. For a while, I was independent. Thanks to my quick wits, I won't waste time crying over the impending arrival of my loving boy. I have to live up to my potential and earn the respect of my peers.

The metro station, which was around seven miles from my residence, was within walking distance in less than a minute. Don't judge me; if you had superspeed, why would you hire a cab? I, too, could get to college this way, but I couldn't bear to give up my beloved train rides.

When my phone rang, I had just bought a ticket and was ready to enter the metro. To make sure, I looked at the alert. Sylvia sent it.

"Be in the office by 7 o'clock tonight." We had planned a party to celebrate the CEO's arrival at Garlock Corporation.

Incredulity filled my eyes. Two years have passed since I started working at Garlock Corporation, and I still haven't bothered to find out who the CEO is. I laughed at my own folly, drawing the attention of everyone around me.

The phone buzzed again. To make sure, I looked at the alert. Sylvia forwarded me the day's agenda. I was only scanning it when my eyes paused on his name.

To be a "Damien Garlock"

It came so naturally that I was surprised by my own surprise that I had called him that. The very mention of his name conveyed power and authority. The thought of seeing this individual in person has me curious.

As I boarded the metro, I sighed and stuffed my phone back into my pocket.

This is a really significant day.

When Catherine finally arrived at school, she made a beeline for her locker. She opened it and began rearranging her books without noticing the watchful eyes staring at her from above.

That would be David Spade himself.