Dead Luna
Chapter 12

Amelia's

POV

"Are you two done here?" Jackson says, after clearing his throat loudly, and we both look up at him. "That was painful to watch, and I'm starting to feel like a f*****g voyeur!"

"How long have you just been standing there?" Leo asks angrily out of embarrassment that someone saw him in such a wretched state. He runs his hands over his face in a futile attempt at hiding all the tears he shed. "Feels like hours, man. I only brought her here." Jackson says, indicating that he meant me. Then turns and starts walking back towards the Green Mountain pack house. "We're burning daylight, people! Don't be long."

Leo has calmed down, finally. I can tell he's not happy with how things stand right now, but at least he seems mostly resigned to the situation. He may have earned a little forgiveness from Moon goddess for his demonstration of deep remorse, but I wasn't quite ready to do the same.

"Jackson is right, though." I say to Leo once Jackson is out of sight. "We should get going soon, since there is so much to do."

"Wait, what did you do to me?" He asks quietly. "I feel a little different ..."

"That wasn't me, that was all your doing. All we did was speed things along just a little bit." He slowly nodded his head then, finally comprehending the fact that he had just had a real interaction with an actual goddess. Those three little words coming directly from Selene gave some small hope that his entire future might not be so bleak after all.

He and I both stood up and started walking in the same direction as Jackson. Leo was asking what we are going to be doing, but I was taking a page out of Selene's book, and going to let him see for himself. I don't need Mr. I'm-a-big-deal-Gamma having a hissy fit about being required to do manual labor for a lowly Omega of all things. The horrors!

We meet up with Jackson in the parking lot near the pack house and hop into our Range Rover. Then head over to my apartment complex and head into the office, where I put in my 30 day notice. Then we head over to my tiny studio apartment to start cleaning it out. I pull out a suitcase and start going thru my clothes, deciding what to keep and what to toss. I doubt I will need much, and everything needs to fit in just one suitcase. I plan to be traveling light in the next few months.

The boys were sent to buy a few boxes for me to send my few mementos back to my mom at Winter Moon for safe keeping. I laid those items on my bed to deal with later.

Then I checked the frig for anything edible that I could cook for our dinner later. We probably wouldn't be back to Green Mountain for several hours, and it looks like I have everything I need for chicken street tacos. Whatever I don't think will be used up tonight I toss in the trash. It's not much, though, since I tended to live from paycheck to paycheck.

I had made a couple piles by the time the guys arrived, one to toss in the dumpster, one to send to mom, and one to donate. Once they understood the plan, they got to work while I start to defrost and marinate the chicken. I put some tunes on the radio while we worked and started singing along to "paparazzi" as I chopped up onions, cabbage, and tomatoes. By the time I was making the guacamole I was dancing along to "Havana" when I noticed the guys were staring at me, their eyes twinkling in amusement. "Hey, I'm not paying you all to stand around gawking at my sexy moves," Ambrosia teased them. "I gotta concentrate on making this here guacamole!"

"We're getting paid for this?" They both ask, confused. "Yeah, in tacos!"

They laugh, agreed that sounded fair, and got back to work. Most of which was done by the time dinner was ready. I only owned two barstools, so they sat at the kitchen counter to eat, and I sat on the only other place I could, the bed. My plate was set precariously on my little nightstand on top of a stack of library books I would need to return. We all enjoyed the tacos, and then I pulled out a bit of a surprise dessert. Bread pudding with a homemade caramel sauce, and a scoop of ice cream on top. I figured that was a better idea then just throwing all that food away, and the guys seemed to really appreciate it. Then it was time to load up the car with the items I was going to donate before the place closed for the evening. And I made the guys sing along to the radio with me in the car on the way back.

We were all feeling relaxed as we walked back to the apartment when I sensed something was off. But I don't want to react with alarm. First, because there are humans about. Second, I don't want Rogue number 3 to know that I'm onto him. Guys, don't react until we get inside, I tell them via the mind link. We have a little problem.

Once inside, I tell them about the rogue wolf, and Jackson is ready to rush off immediately and kill him after having failed to do so last night. However, Leo agrees with me that we need to hash out a plan first since a couple of werewolves fighting in a human apartment complex isn't likely to go unnoticed. I suggest using me as bait, and at first they balk at the idea, but I eventually have them convinced.

The guys each grab a box of mementos, I grab my suitcase, and we head to the Land Rover and toss them in the cargo area. Then we all say goodbye very loudly, the guys hop in the vehicle and drive off. I head back to my apartment. Alone.

I finish tossing the rest of the contents of my apartment into trash bags, taking my time so the guys have time to get into position. Then I grab 2 of the bags and head to the dumpsters.

I don't see anyone, but I'm sure he's out there, despite the smell of the dumpster almost masking his scent. I toss the bags in, then head back to my apartment, my skin crawling as I'm absolutely positive I'm being watched.

I grab 2 more bags and follow the same exact pattern, with the same exact results. So next I try taking just one smallish bag of trash so the rogue will believe this is my last trip to the dumpster. If he still does nothing again, I'm not sure how we would lure him out at that point. I toss the bag in, close the lid, and turn around to head back to the apartment when I hear a yelp and a quiet scuffle coming from behind the dumpster enclosure.

Got him!

I go look behind the dumpster, where I replace Leo has the rogue wolf pinned to the ground while Jackson is trussing him up like cattle in a rodeo, duct tape covering his mouth. Then they actually toss him into some garbage bags (I make sure to puncture a small hole in it for him to breathe). Then Leo goes to bring the car closer while I go get the last bag of garbage and drop my key off in the apartment office. I get back just as the guys have finished loading rogue 3 in the back of the Land Rover.

I'm very pleased with everything that has happened today, and I'm trying not to dwell on the events from 24 hours ago. But it's hard. Just yesterday at this exact time, 8:12 pm, I was stabbed fatally in the stomach. 15 minutes later we are back at Green Mountain pack house where we unload our prisoner, and it's 8:27 now. The exact time that I died yesterday. I have changed so much in just 24 hours that I hardly recognize myself, and even though I'm excited about my second chance at life and the task ahead, I also miss the old me just a little.