Dead Luna
Chapter 17

Amelia's POV

I wasn't at all surprised that Leo followed me upstairs. He seems to have decided that this was his man duty, to follow me around and protect me. I was surprised that he walked on past my room, though, and headed towards his own. It was still kinda early to head to bed. I had only wanted a little time to myself, only now that I was here alone, I felt that what I really needed was company. Particularly the company of someone who might understand in some small way what I was going thru. "Leo?" I inquire, "would you like to come in and chat for a while?"

"Uh... sure. If you want."

We sit in the armchairs by the bay window, where we can view the pack grounds in the dim light of late evening. We saw pack members out and about, some appeared to be heading out to guard duty, and some were obviously heading in from the fields and heading towards the barn or workshop buildings. e living in a past century."

"I like it here." Leo said softy, not looking at me. "It all seems very wholesome and neighborly. It's alm

"I like it here, too." I say in agreement. "It's a beautiful place, filled with good people. Alpha Craig seem "Do I hear a "but" coming?" Leo teases.

cent sort who would treat me as well as he is able. I could be very happy here."

"Maybe..." I laugh. "Craig is a good guy. But he is a workaholic, and the pack is always going to be his top priority, not his Luna. Which in many ways is quite commendable, and I respect him for that."

"I will have to be strong and independent. A partner and a helpmate. Able to pitch in and muck out the bars or milk the goats. Not your typical Luna duties. But that's what is expected of everyone who lives here. I could do it, though. I could be the perfect Luna for Alpha Craig Armstrong. I know exactly what I'd be getting into if I choose him."

"Anyway, it's early days yet. I need to get to know the others before I decide on anything." I muse out loud, men decide a change of topic is in order. "But what about you, Leo? I saw you getting along quite well with Kitty and Elena. Do either of them suit you, do you think? One has alpha blood and the other is a Beta."

Leo's face turned sour. "Is that what you think of me. All I care about is someone's blood status?" "Well...yeah. Wasn't that your excuse for not claiming me? For not marking me?"

Leo stood up and started pacing the room, very agitated. "That was 3 years ago. I was an immature 20 "The story you told everyone at the Alpha meeting wasn't exactly the truth, you know. You told them I didn villain. It didn't happen like that at all, though, did it? We were together for a whole month, and then y you. Lance wouldn't even talk to me except to insult me, he was so pissed off. I wanted to replace you so couldn't f*****g replace you!

ld moron, full of his own importance."

love you. That was a lie! And you made it sound like I callously took your virginity and then immediately cast you aside and rejected you like some evil gged me to reject you! I only rejected you because I had no f*****g idea how painful that was going to be. Then you left me, and nobody would help me replace nd I wanted us to be together again! I had finally come to the conclusion that I wanted your love more than I care about my oh so precious image, and I

"Now everyone is hating on me, and threatening me left and right. Not that I care about their stupid threats, or their stupid opinion of me, since they don't really even know me. None of them have had to feel like I do. None of them wanted to die like I did when I saw you lying dead in that hospital bed, my only hope that perhaps we'd be together again in the afterlife. None of them have had to suffer while not only watching you flirt with other men, and then be told I have to help you while you chose some other guy as your mate all because 3 years ago I was a complete moron."

"Then when I finally do replace you, I didn't have time to think up a plan to win you back! The guys wouldn't stop bugging me and giving me a hard time about you, and you went out of your way to humiliate me in front of my Alpha. I deserved it. I get that. But nobody would give me a chance to be alone with you, and maybe try to explain or win you back somehow. Even if I don't really deserve it, I just wanted a chance, no matter how unlikely it may have seemed, to show you we belong together. But then you were attacked by those rogues and died before I ever got a chance."

"So please don't pretend to be my friend. Don't ask me my opinion on your future mate, or anything like that. I'm also not ready to think about any potential new mate for myself, either. So please don't ask me things like that. I'm trying so hard to be ok with all of this, but it's just so difficult right now."

I stare at Leo in shock.

"I bare my soul to you, and you have nothing to say to me?" He asks, incredulous. I see that he has tears threatening to fall from his eyes. Then he makes a noise of disgust, and leaves my room with a slam of the door.

Girl, Ambrosia says after a few long minutes, that poor boy done hit me hard in the feels!

I agree.