The Blood Moon: Luna

Chapter Three: Hudson

I need to be back home at my office and not at this stupid party. There is way too much going on right now to be sitting here for appearances only. I look up from my phone to see Hunter escorting a drop dead beautiful she-wolf to our table. She is petite but dressed to kill with s**t-kickers and a leather jacket like some tiny biker chick with curves in all the right places. Even my wolf takes notice of her, which is a lot because females don’t normally stir him, just danger or anger.

Look what I found. Hunter says to me through mind speak.

Not all wolves can use mind speak when we are in our human forms but Hunter and I are some of the strongest wolves alive at the time and we have trained ourselves to partial shift to make it possible.

And who would this be?

Oh, it’s a surprise, Alpha. He chuckles in his head.

That’s never good. Hunter has been my best friend, closer than a brother, my entire life. It’s why he was also my immediate Beta even as an alpha himself when I became Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack. He is the mischievous one out of the two of us. Definitely more the class clown type while I am the serious, stand-off type. If he is bringing me a surprise and it’s a woman… there are so many possibilities to what this is.

They reach the table and the woman doesn’t even acknowledge me. I’m not some arrogant alpha that demands to be acknowledged but usually my power and rank makes wolves do it anyway. This she-wolf sits and starts eating like she hasn’t seen food in days. I glance at Hunter to find his face full of amusement and trying to hold back a laugh.

“Um, Lane?”

“Hunter….” She says drawn out, “I thought we had an agreement that my food is what is important right now.”

Hunter lets out his laugh at that. “I promise you can keep eating. I just want to introduce you to the Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack.”

She jerks in surprise and looks up at me. Once again going against social norms and staring me right in the eye. That’s when I realize she is an alpha herself and a strong one at that. My wolf perks up even more. She grabs a napkin and wipes her mouth visibly putting on her manners again.

“Hello, Alpha….” She leaves it open to ask my name.

“Hudson.”

“Alpha Hudson.” She nods, not in submission like most wolves but as if she is cataloging my name.

She is about to go back to eating when I clear my throat, “And you are?”

“Oh. Sorry. My name is Lane. Blue Moon Pack.”

“Lane…” I hum. I like her name.

She is the Alpha’s daughter. Hunter helpfully adds in my head.

My eyes fly to his. He brought the future Alpha to another pack and the rarest type of shifter to my table without giving me any heads up. He is just grinning.

Hunter being himself, decides not to leave her to her eating, “so what did that guy do to you earlier?”

She rolls her eyes and a growl is heard. It takes me a second to realize it’s coming from me. I make it stop immediately with a pathetic cough to try to cover it up. Hunter’s eyebrows are so far up his forehead and his mouth is hanging open comically at my outburst.

What was that?

I don’t know. I didn’t even realize I was doing it.

Thankfully Lane decides to ignore my outburst or is at least too distracted with her food.

“Mr. Charming decided the best way to approach me was to steal food out of my hand, eat it, and then he caressed my arm like he was invited to.” She says, disgusted with guys actions.

My wolf is freaking out. He has never acted this way before. I don’t know this woman and yet I am having to restrain myself from finding this man that touched her and ripping his throat out.

“That is unacceptable.” I say at the same time Hunter says, “What a prick”.

She continues as she rolls her eyes, “He was all ‘Alpha females are so rare’ like I’m sure they are in your world buddy and will continue to be.”

I am trying not to growl again and Hunter laughs easily, “No question there. I am surprised he could even look you in the eye with how weak of an alpha he is.”

“Pumpkin-spice you checking me out?” She asks amused. Now I am trying not to attack my brother for giving her attention or that she is giving it back? What the hell is wrong with me?

“Pumpkin-spice?” I grunt, lifting an eyebrow.

Hunter smirks, “Lane here thinks I smell good.” He pumps his eyebrows up and down.

Careful. I say. Hunter laughs.

Lane laughs and the sound is something I want to continue to hear. “Your friend here smells just like a pumpkin spice latte.”

The way she looks at me when she says it makes me want to know what she thinks about my scent, but even more I am cursing the amount of people in this room and the scent blocking candles because I can't pinpoint her scent.

Don’t worry man I’ve got you.

“You know Lane, everyone in our pack says I smell like fall, but that Hudson reminds them of Christmas time. Why don’t you tell us what you think?”

He is trying to kill me.

I clear my throat, “Would you like to go see what is on the dessert table, with me?” Why do I feel like I am fifteen years old talking to a girl for the first time.

Lane perks up at my question, “I will never say no to dessert and hopefully if you go with me no one else will bother me.”

Oh, I can guarantee that sweetheart.

I walk around the table and her scent hits me immediately. My steps stutter and I probably look like I just took a punch that stunned me. Sweet vanilla with a spice kick that makes me want to taste every inch of her. I roll my eyes internally at my wolf’s instincts. We will not be licking her right now.

We both kinda stand there staring at each other which I hope means my scent this close is affecting her as well.

Hunter clears his throat with a knowing smile, “So since you're going to the dessert table, could you bring me something back?”

I am really feeling something vanilla with a hint of spice. He adds in mind speak.

I swing around breaking my staring contest with Lane to glare at him while he is laughing his ass off.

Chill man. I am not poaching. I brought her to you for a reason.

Once I get control enough not to strangle my Beta, I lift my hand in front of Lane and gesture across the room towards the dessert table. I’m so wound up that I refuse to touch her as we walk and make it worse, but I am probably also standing way too close to her. I can’t seem to make myself back away even though I know I look like a possessive mate as we walk. Hell if I care.