Dead Luna
Chapter 42

Amelia's

POV

The next morning I was surprised that Beta Jackson came to pick me up from my moms cottage and escort me to breakfast. Mom had been up early as usual to get the breakfast underway at the pack house kitchens. I had slept in after a restless night, frustrated with my current lack of lovers available for bed sport.

Most mornings in the pack house breakfast was a buffet type affair, since many people would come and go based on their own schedules. Mom had 4 people under her supervision for the breakfast meal, and they worked thru lunch as well. But another group of 4 would come in just before lunch and would stay until dinner was served and cleaned up. Mom would start work at 5 am, take a break from 9 until 10, with another break from 2 until 3, and then she would leave at 5 pm, after making sure everything was prepped and ready to cook and serve that evening. She was usually given every other weekend off. It was a demanding job, but she claims she doesn't mind.

Jackson escorts me all the way to my seat at the table, again next to Derrick, and asks what I want for breakfast. I ask that he just bring coffee, and let him know that I'd prefer to serve myself the rest. He looks uncertain at first, but does as I ask, then fills a plate for himself and sits down right next to me.

I chat with Derrick about the plans for the day while I sip my coffee, before I get up to grab my breakfast. And suddenly Jackson is near my elbow.

"Oh, are you getting more to eat?" I ask in surprise. His first plate had been piled high with pancakes and sausages. Werewolves might have big appetites, but it looked to me as if he had already eaten plenty.

"No," Jackson says, and doesn't elaborate. He continues to follow me around as I add a couple biscuits, eggs, and fresh seasonal fruit to my plate, then grab a cup of yogurt. Then Jackson follows me back to the table and sits down next to me again. His plate had already been cleared away.

"I'm surprised I haven't seen Leo yet this morning." I say conversationally to no one in particular.

"He's been and gone already, actually," Alpha Derrick informs me. "He's cleaning out the Gamma suite today with the help of that Ragu fellow."

"Oh!" I exclaimed, wondering why I hadn't even thought about the fact that he had other responsibilities besides following me around. "Is that why Beta Jackson is being...whatever...it is he's been doing this morning?"

"Yeah, Leo asked me to be like a bodyguard and look after you like he'd been doing." Jackson states, clearing things up for me.

I laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. "Ok, that's fine. But you don't need to crowd me, just stay close whenever there might be a chance of any danger. If there are rogue wolves or an insane alpha to kill, that's your job. Otherwise, you stay in the background and watchful whenever I'm not in a safe place like at home or at a meal, and otherwise just be my friend. That's really all Leo ever did." "Message received!"

After breakfast, Jackson and I head to the library, where I'll be meeting with all the single wolves over the course of the next few days. I was expecting him to stay in the background as we had discussed at breakfast, only he immediately sat down opposite of me. I guess he was anxious to go first!

"So... how does this work?" He asks, nervously.

"Oh, well. It's very easy. Ambrosia will come forward, and you tell us what sort of mate you are looking for. What you like, and especially what you don't like," I explain. He nods.

Ambrosia comes forward and we wait. And wait. "Jackson?"

"I don't know!" He says, honestly. "But at the Luna reception the other night you said you knew who my mate was already!"

"Did I? Is that what we were talking about?" I ask him. I try to get an idea of what I might have said, but my mind comes up blank on the subject. "You'll have to refresh my memory. I honestly don't remember much about that night."

"Ok, so I've always been a bit confused. I'm not sure that I have an actual gender preference. More like a I'm attracted to a specific body type." Jackson explains. "Im attracted to women that are tall and strong, kind of like you, actually. But I'm also attracted to a few men that I know, but only ones who are just a little bit feminine, if you understand what I mean. I thought I had hid it well and I didn't think people suspected anything like that about me, but when you mentioned someone named Joshua at the party, nobody seemed at all surprised or shocked or anything."

"Joshua, really?" I say excited, and lay my hand on his shoulder in my excitement. "Oh, I could definitely see that! He needs someone kind, just like you. Anyway, I'll have Ambrosia take the matter up with Selene and see what she thinks is best."

And I tell him a bit about Joshua Schwartz, as well as an elite warrior she wolf named Danika I had met at Bull Run that I think might be suitable until my next appointment shows up.

The rest of the morning goes well, but runs a bit long. We head straight into the kitchen afterwards, where I see everything I need for making a couple carne asada tacos each for Jackson and I. Then I sit down to eat and chat with mom who had just started her break. I tell her a little about my morning. She looks wistful at the idea of helping people replace their mates.

"But what about you?" I ask. "Are you interested in replaceing a mate?"

"No," mom shakes her head sadly. "Losing one mate was hard enough. I don't ever want to go thru that again."

I wait to see if she will offer me any more information than that, but none is forthcoming. This is the closest I've been to getting any information about my father, and I'm left feeling disappointed when mom changes the subject. But Moon Goddess told me not to push, so I don't.

"We are serving fried chicken for dinner," she says, changing the subject abruptly. "That has always been Leonard's favorite, I think. And apple pie."

"Yeah, I think you're right." I agree. I'm not surprised mom would remember that. She tended to notice things like food trends and personal preferences straight away.

After moms break is over, Jackson and I search out Derrick who is working away in his office. Trying to juggle my time between my task, my mom, and my potential mate is proving to be a bit of a struggle.

We decide to go for a walk thru the gardens, which I note are mostly functional with the intent of feeding the pack members fresh vegetables and some fruits. Only a few beds are dedicated to ornamental flowers. But everything is well organized and attractively placed whenever possible, with many of the vegetables in raised beds for easy care.

We chat a bit as we walk, Jackson trailing behind at some distance, similar to how Leo had always done. I soon forget about our shadow.

"Moon goddess didn't tell me much about your requirements for your future Luna." I start. "She only told me what your wolf did."

"I recall you mentioning something like that at the Luna ceremony the other night," he tells me. "I'm not sure what you're talking about though, and Harry won't tell me. I could tell that he really enjoyed that kiss you gave him, though."

We both laugh at that.

"I honestly don't recall about half of that night, but I'm glad someone has fond memories of it," I tell him. "Anyway, it was Harry asking Moon Goddess to save me and to make me your fated mate that saved my life. He's my hero."

I can see he looks shocked about that. And I want to shock him just a bit more. I suddenly stand in front of him with my hands on his shoulders, and step in very close. "I have something else I want to thank you for, though!"

I start to kiss him. It takes a moment for Derrick to respond, but then he joins in enthusiastically. Then I feel him grab my b**t and draw me in so close that I can feel how aroused he is by our kiss. I can feel it all the way to my womb. After a minute or two we surface for air.

"I don't know what you're thanking me for, but you're welcome!" Derrick says, and we laugh some more.

"That tip at the restaurant." I tell him. "I've never gotten such a huge tip in my life!"

"No need to thank me, then. That lecture you gave Leo and calling him out on his behavior were more than worth the $100 in entertainment value alone!"

"Wait, $100? Someone that night tipped me at least $1,000. I've already asked Alpha Zachary, it definitely wasn't him. And that wasn't you, either?" He shakes his head no.

"I guess I'll never know." I say, and decide I've been off track long enough. "So... back to our original topic. What is it you desire in your future Luna?"