Dead Luna
Chapter 16

Alpha Craig's POV

Amelia is perfect. Possibly even too perfect. Gorgeous, tall, strong, and sensible, with a sassy sexy wolf And she doesn't seem to be at all clingy, like the sort that won't be understanding about the amount of work I put in to make this pack successful. She has all the qualities I need in a Luna, and I'll soon know how the pack feels about her, not that I'm worried much about that. I'm sure if I love her, the pack will soon come around.

The ideas she has for improving the pack and preparing for the expected increase in our population are all good ones. And this upcoming mating ball will help us to create a stronger alliance among all the neighboring packs, which will be good for everyone involved. I'm excited for the future, even if Amelia ends up choosing another alpha.

I know my position is not a strong one. I can't offer riches, as my pack is the smallest and poorest of the 4 she will be choosing from. Amelia is very special, and blessed by the moon goddess herself. She would have more chance of influence and power in a larger pack than mine. So while I doubt very much that I will ultimately be her choice, I still hope she chooses me and my pack. No matter what, though, it sounds like I will have a Luna in 2 months time regardless. I pray moon goddess blesses me with someone useful, and more than just a pretty face to look at. Not someone who empties the packs bank account buying luxuries nobody really needs.

After our tour of the pack grounds, we go in to dinner, and I introduce Amelia to my family.

"Everyone, this is Amelia!" I start, then give them a brief overview. "I met her at the Alpha meeting. She will be staying here this week to help moon goddess to match up all the unmated wolves at a mating ball to be held in 2 months time. And if she likes it here, I will be her chosen mate. So let's all make sure she feels welcome here!"

Then I introduce Amelia to my Dad, former Alpha Curtis and his former Beta Earnest and his mate Helen. Then there was my older sister Coleen, who is mated to my Delta "Tiny" Tim, my adorable 3 year old niece Chloe and 2 week old nephew Clark who was currently fast asleep in a snuggly. Then there was my younger sister Kitty (short for Catherine). Also present was my Beta Jimmy and his mate Janet along with their 5 year old son Edison, my Delta's older brother Joshua, and my Betas younger sister Elena. "We are all very informal here," I explain to Amelia, as we all head to the sideboard to grab a plate and take what we like from the buffet of food provided. Tonight's offering includes fried chicken, trout almondine, penne pasta with venison sausage and marina sauce, deviled eggs, roast potatoes with herbs, creamed peas and new potatoes, pickled beets, green salad with cherry tomatoes and shaved carrots, blackberry cobbler, and snickerdoodles. "We have only a few pack members here for housekeeping and kitchen duties, so everyone living here is expected to help out with minor chores. We clear our own dishes after meals, and do our own laundry. The pack house rooms are cleaned, as well as bed and bath linens changed out once a week. You can talk with the house keeper Marian if you have questions, concerns, or special requests. Calvin and Janice are the cooks, and they will also happily take your suggestions regarding meals or any dietary requirements you might have. We are all just one huge family here!" Leo's POV

Everyone seems to be friendly here, although most seem to be unsure of me or just plain ignore me. I'm fine with that, and don't take it too personally. They don't know me, and everyone seems busy with their work.

It all changes at dinnertime. Everyone is so casual and relaxed as we grab plates and dig in to the amazing food that is provided. Nothing is fancy, but it's all delicious, and most of the ingredients are sourced from their own territory so it's all as fresh as could be. I don't think I've ever tasted such fantastic fried chicken in my life.

I sat down at the opposite end of the table from the lovebirds. I expect they preferred it that way as well, and figured that they had enough other eyes on the two of them that I wasn't really needed as a chaperone for a while. I was surprised when two single she wolves sat on either side of me.

"Hi, I'm Alpha Craig's sister Kitty!" The tall willowy blonde informs me, the she points at the attractive redhead, "And that's Delta Tiny's sister Elena." "Nice to meet you both! I'm Leo, Gamma of Winter Moon." I inform them. "I've been wondering why he's called Tiny Tim? He's anything but tiny!" They both laugh, then the man himself came and sat across from us along with his mate Coleen and children. He was more than happy to explain.

"When my sister was little she couldn't pronounce Timothy, about the closest she could get was Tinony, which eventually morphed into Tiny as we grew. And grew. And I guess it just kinda became a family joke when it was obvious I was the biggest person in the whole pack. So now everyone calls me Tiny Tim, or just Tiny."

We all laugh, and dig into the wonderful meal. It ends up being a fantastic evening with everyone chatting away. I'm not positive, but I think Elena might be flirting with me. I don't want to read too much into it, though. She could just be this friendly to everyone, I don't know her well enough to be sure. Nor am I in a good place mentally right now for any sort of romantic entanglement.

After dinner, everyone helps with the clean up while the cooks enjoy their well earned dinner break. I even help dry dishes, while others put away the leftovers, Amelia and Helen wash all the dishes, former Beta Earnest and someone named Janet wipe down all the surfaces, and once everything else is done we all leave so Kitty can mop the kitchen and Beta Jimmy vacuums the dining room. It doesn't take long at all with everyone helping.

At first I thought the Alpha was exempt from from clean up duty since he had headed to his office as soon as he had scraped his plate and added it to the sudsy water, but I was soon disabused of that notion. Apparently it was his night to dry dishes, but he had been gone for a couple days at the alpha meeting and had some important paperwork that needed to be done, therefore I was actually taking his place this evening when normally guests wouldn't be required to help. And Amelia was more than happy to take Colleen's place since she was busy nursing her infant son. Amelia was no novice to kitchen duty, after all.

Afterwards, some pack members retired to the lounge, where a big screen TV and a couple couches took up one half of the room, and the other half contained a couple tables set up with a puzzle on one and board games on another, plus a foosball table. It wasn't a grand recreation room like I'd seen in many packs, but it was obviously well loved. I peeked thru a door and saw a sparsely equipped gymnasium. I suppose farm work was often more than enough to keep the pack members in shape, as none of them seem to be lacking in fitness. I saw a bookcase that had an assortment of games on half the shelves, and the upper shelves contained an assortment of books in a range of topics and genres.

Amelia has sat down at the puzzle and I see her add a couple pieces while I've been checking out the everything there is to see. Then I stand behind the couch and watch the game show on the TV, amused to hear Earnest shout out the answers, and little Edison echoing the grown up and pretending he knew the answer all along.

Then I see Amelia heading upstairs, and I follow after.