Dead Luna
Chapter 19

Amelia's

POV

The next morning after breakfast I start my "job", meeting the 35 adult pack members that are currently mateless. I decide to set myself up in the lounge, but turns out I don't really need to set up anything at all. Apparently all I have to do is sit there and stare into their eyes for a few minutes, while they chat briefly about what sort of mate they are hoping for, while Ambrosia comes forward. Apparently Ambrosia is "taking note" of everything, and then she will consult with moon goddess in that library/study place, I guess. I got me a couple sources, she explains to me. Which I take to mean that she has access to the "books" that Selene used.

Kitty Armstrong and Elena Schwartz come in first, giggling like school girls and excited that they'd both probably have mates soon.

Elena looks over at the open door to the gymnasium where Leo was getting in a workout. He had placed himself in a spot where he could see what I was doing, and whom I was with, as a precaution.

"Gamma Leo isn't marked, so he's available right?" Elena asks, sounding hopeful. "He's so handsome, and I just love that dark "broody" bad boy image he's got, and those sapphire eyes of his." "Hey, I saw him first!" Kitty exclaimed, sounding aggrieved.

"Moon goddess will do her best to pair you both up with someone amazing, who is worthy of you. So let's concentrate! What other qualities are you looking for in a mate? And most importantly, what qualities in a man won't you tolerate? What do you consider a deal breaker?"

We spend a couple minutes going over both their likes and dislikes, then they leave, giggling again, and send in Joshua Fletcher, Tiny Tim and Elena's older brother.

Joshua sits down, and I'm surprised that he's nearly 28 years old, and still mateless. But once I ask him what he's looking for in a she wolf, a moment later Ambrosia tells me exactly what the problem is. He's not looking for a she wolf mate at all. And he's very reluctant to say so.

"Oh, have you told your family about your... preference?" I ask gently.

"No, and I'd rather they didn't know."

"I see. I won't tell." I assure Joshua. "Perhaps another pack will be more accepting? Or perhaps once you've found your mate, your family will be be happy for you! Surely they would be accepting of whomever makes you happy, right?" Other than being "not a she wolf", Joshua's only other request was someone kindhearted and generous. Apparently he had suffered some unkindness in the past, poor guy.

Three down, only thirty two to go! Kitty and Elena were helping by rounding up the unmated wolves for me, which helped prevent too many coming all at once. By lunchtime I had seen everyone except for the 3 unmated wolves on guard duty, I would have to see them once their shift was over. In the meantime I was happy with everything I had "done", and was confident that all the wolves I had seen this morning were very likely to be mated off at the mating ball except for one. Apparently their mate was within the pack, but was not an adult yet. He was happy to learn that he had a mate already, but disappointed that he would have to wait almost 2 years for her.

At some point Leo had finished his workout and was trying to be inconspicuous at the other table, playing a game of solitaire.

"You're reminding me of a gypsy fortune teller," Leo tells me after the last wolf of the morning had left. "I predict you'll meet a tall dark stranger! All you need is a fancy kerchief, big hoop earrings, and a crystal ball." "Are you mocking me?"

"No. Well... not really." He replies. "I'm actually impressed. But it would be weird of me to say something nice, don't you think? "No. Well... not really."

He laughs and we go together up the stairs to the dining hall.

Hours later, once Alpha Craig is finished with the tractor repairs, we sit down to discuss logistics. He has 34 pack members who need to attend the mating ball. Ambrosia informs me that we will be adding to that. There will be about 550 total attendees within the 10 packs.

"So many?" Alpha Craig says, with a whistle. Then he realizes the implications. "We will need someplace huge to host that many guests, if I'm the host."

"We could rent a couple marquees to host the main event." I start making suggestions. "We might be able to accommodate some of the higher ranking wolves if we are creative, but everyone else might need to either provide their own tents or seek accommodation elsewhere, either in Silverton or even Salem. Even Portland, as it's not really all that far. Green Mountain, Bull Run, and Willamette packs might even come just for the event, but return home to sleep."

"And if the event isn't hosted here, you would need to perhaps hire a bus to get your 34 to the event."

"And this would be the middle of September?" Alpha Craig muses out loud to himself. A trait I've seen him do several times. "That's a busy time for us here with the farm work. But I guess it can't be helped."

Then he turns to me and gives me a little kiss. "I appreciate everything you're doing, though. It'll be a short term inconvenience to lose some workers for a couple days during the harvest, but it will reap big benefits down the road!"

He is ever the practical man, my Alpha Craig. Perhaps I should feel him out on the Joshua situation?

"Oh, and one of your unmated wolves is gay. Is that a problem for the pack? Or should I encourage this wolf to transfer to the pack of his or her mate?"

Alpha Craig actually chuckles at this. "Just because our lifestyle here might be considered a bit old fashioned, doesn't mean we aren't still living in modern times. And if Joshua thinks he is fooling anyone, he has another think coming. We've known him his whole life, and it's not a problem, as long as his mate cares about him and is willing to put in his fair share of work around here!"

I suspected as much.