The Blood Moon: Luna

Chapter Two: Lane

Olivia hangs onto my arm like she knows how bad I want to run a different direction. “Smile and wave, Lane. You can do this.”

She is going to have to settle for confident-smirk and maybe a few nods.

As soon as the doors open into the huge ballroom I am shocked by the number of people here. Each year it has slowly grown in size but this is more than just adding a few tables. The place is decorated elegantly in off-whites and golds. Candles are lit to give a soft glow to the room. The candles are beautiful but they also are scent blockers so our shifter sense of smell isn’t overloaded in such a crowded space. It doesn’t fully block the scents but it does help dull them.

“Holy crap. Now I might even want to turn around.” Olivia whispers. I am just about to take her up on that offer when our dad’s walk up to us.

“Laney-baby” my dad uses that horrible childhood nickname as he pulls me into a hug and kisses me on the hair. “You look beautiful”

“Thank you, dad.” I squeeze him for a little bit of comfort. My dad is over six feet so even with my docs on I still only come up to his chest. Apparently a large attitude does not equal a large body in my case. “You look all fancy too!”

He shakes his head as he smiles. “I have a few people I would like you to meet before the night is over,” he waggles his eyebrows dramatically. I know this means other male alphas by his antics. My dad is full serious-alpha for everyone but his close circle which includes me and our Beta’s family. I love that he is just a big teddy bear for me.

“Dad… we talked about this.” I mutter quietly.

“I know, I know. I just want you to have what your mother and I had.” His eyes turn a little sad then he clears his throat, “ But for now we will let you both enjoy yourselves.” With one more kiss to the head, they walk away.

I look up to find over half the room staring at us. “So much for flying under the radar.” I throw a mock glare at my dad, he knows what he did by greeting me at the door like that. He winks at me. WINKS.

Like someone pushes the unpause button everyone moves at once. Shifters from my own pack mostly go back to their conversations with no issue. Others start to make their way over to say hello. Shifters from other packs are either staring, throwing glaces while whispering or are headed straight in our direction.

“And that’s my cue!” I dart to the buffet as fast as a girl can without looking desperate. Leaving Olivia to her happy place amongst the onslaught of people.

I’m interrupted four times on the way there by older couples that just want to meet Alpha Miles’ daughter. I make polite conversation but I am highly aware of the crowd forming near me of unmated males out of the corner of my eye. Once I have seemed to please the couples who stopped me, I walk right through them to get to the food in order to avoid the other crowd a little longer.

Ohh they have steak bites wrapped in bacon! I think I’m in Heaven. I reach down to pick one up and skip the plate all together and just pop it in my mouth. I moan at how tender the meat is. I pick up another and right before it’s in my mouth someone plucks it out of my hand and I watch it disappear into their mouth. My eyes flash wolf and I growl. I’m not hot tempered all the time but stealing my food is a sure fire way to get me riled up.

I stare furiously at the male in front of me. “…you did not just do that.”

The guy smiles his most charming smile that I’m sure some girls would appreciate. It’s not doing it for me or my wolf. He also smells of burnt rubber, his level of power is hardly alpha at all, and he just committed a crime against me by stealing my food. “Hi, I’m Ben. I saw how much you enjoyed that first bite so I just had to try one myself.”

I glance down at the platter to see all the other steak bites sitting there, proving this is a come-on technique not an impulse decision for food. I stare at him, taking a minute to reel in my wolf. No need to make a scene for my dad to explain, all over a bite of food. After a minute, I still haven’t said anything. Ben then reaches out and caresses the length of my arm, “Alpha females are so rare these days…”

I’m really not sure what he expected an alpha female to act like, but when I grab his arm and twist him so fast and hard that he is on his back on the floor looking up at me with a mixture of shock and anger, I realize he really wasn’t expecting that. I just shake my head at him and go back to making my plate. At least that display should make some of the other males from that group rethink approaching me. I look up to meet eyes with my dad across the room. He pointedly looks down at the man on the floor and then back at me with one raised eyebrow. I smirk and shrug and he laughs and goes back to his conversation.

I’m looking around trying to find Olivia and an open seat so I can enjoy all this food on my plate when another man steps up beside me. Who is ready for round two? I glance at him from the corner of my eye. His scent is basically a pumpkin spice latte mixed with a hint of something that smells like home. I think it smells good but my wolf is only interested in that little hint of home lingering in his scent.

“Hello, my name is Hunter.” He says with a sure smile on his face.

I turn toward him and look up to look him in the eye. Alpha, strong, and handsome in the boy-next-door type of way. I tilt my head to the side, “Hello Hunter. Your scent makes me want coffee.”

His smile widens as his eyes sparkle. “I am usually told it reminds people of fall, but good to know you are a flavored coffee type of girl.”

I smirk and shrug like what girl doesn't like a pumpkin spice latte. “My alpha and I are sitting over there, we only have open seats with us if you are looking for somewhere to hide.”

At that I give him a genuine smile because he read my emotions well enough to realize why I keep scanning the back of the room. “Ha! You got me there. Lead the way.”

He looks shocked that I took him up on his offer, but turns to start walking. “If I put my hand on your back to lead you right now, am I going to end up like that guy on the floor earlier?”

I laugh under my breath, “I guess that is a chance you have to decide if you are willing to take. But if you touch my food, all bets are off.” He laughs and ever so lightly puts his hand on my back to lead me to his table.