Dead Luna
Chapter 46

Jackson's POV

I could tell Amy wasn't happy. Ever since Leo left, she was just going thru the motions. She pulled hers I watched her closely as she met with the unmated wolves of our pack. She was smiling and being jus I listened in to their chat, Amy asking Rachel how she's been, and complaining that she hadn't seen a "Yeah, just as soon as Chelsea and Belinda got mates and a couple pups in their bellies, they didn't ha "Yeah."

At lunch she mainly sat there quietly, smiling when people would talk to her, but for the most part he Then she seemed to come out of her shell a little bit when she spent the one hour break time with he link if I knew what was wrong. She's just sad that none of her friends have come to see her, I tell him. I let Amy know what I had told Derrick, so we wouldn't be at cross purposes.

So we all went up to the Alpha suite after raiding the recreation center for snacks, and we streamed s other. Then trying to toss the popcorn into each others mouth from a gradually increasing distance. B When the movie was over it was still too early for dinner, but there wasn't enough time for another m relatively simple card game called 6 card that we could try, which entertained us for a little while. The head to dinner, thank goddess. I'm the pack's beta, not some cruise ship activity director! Thanks for your help, I truly appreciate it. Amy says over the mind link.

No problem, I reply.

That evening after dinner, I escorted Amy and her mother home as usual, to replace a package waiting on you".

"Oh, these are nice!" Julie states. "Who do you suppose they are from?"

"It doesn't say," Amy replies.

ether after crying into my shoulder for a solid 10 minutes, and then carried on like a soldier going off to war.

pful as the prior day, but the smile never seemed to reach her eyes except briefly when someone named Rachel Hollingsworth came for her appointment. eir other friends at all.

e for me anymore, either." Rachel commiserated. "Hopefully we will be joining them in the ranks of the happily mated soon."

seemed to be elsewhere, and she ate very little.

but afterwards when she spent time with Derrick walking thru the gardens she seemed withdrawn again. And Derrick noticed. He asked me thru the mind try something different, like watching a movie?

eesy romantic comedy on Derricks big screen TV, with Amy sitting between us but snuggled up close to Derrick, all cozy and sweet. Feeding popcorn to each just acting silly. It was probably good for both of them, as Derrick tended to be too serious at times.

uggested playing games, but then remembered Derrick was very competitive as well as a sore loser. Most games could end only in disaster. Then I recalled a ed a dice game called 10,000 which was mostly based on chance. I was debating between Jenga or scrabble next, when Derrick mentioned it was time to

ttle front porch. I take it inside and open it up, just in case, to replace a beautiful flower arrangement in a cut glass vase. A note inside simply states "Thank

"Oh, I suppose they must be from Derrick!" Julie surmises. "He gave you that little bouquet yesterday, maybe he wanted to do a grand gesture today and surprise you with your favorite star gazer lilies?" "Yeah, that must be it." Amy replies. Her mom satisfied, she went to turn on her favorite evening time television programs to watch before bed. But Amy continues to stare at the beautiful flower arrangement. Derrick doesn't know your favorite flower, does he? I ask her by mind link.

No.

Amelia goes into the tiny living room and gives her mom a kiss on the cheek, telling Julie that she will be enjoying the nice evening out on the porch if she needs her.

"That's fine, sweetie!" Julie says, not even noticing how sad Amy looks as she settles in to watch her game shows.

We head out onto the porch where we sit down on the steps. It's nearly august now, and the evening is still quite warm, a soft breeze helping to keep things comfortable. I put a companionable arm around Amelia, and she leans against me. "How am I supposed to choose one of them, Jackson?" She asks me. "I didn't think this task would be so hard!"

"I can't even decide whether I prefer boys or girls," I tell her. "So what makes you think I'm qualified to answer?"

She laughs at that.

"Didn't you say moon goddess said you didn't have to chose anyone, if you didn't want to?" I ask. "But what do you suppose she meant by that?"

"Hmm... I think you might be on to something with that." Amy says, considering my words for a moment. "In the meanwhile, Ambrosia has been trying to clarify with Selene exactly what is going on with Leo, to see if there's anything that can be done to ease his suffering, and if there is anyone out there who fits his criteria for a Luna. She's been uncharacteristically silent on the matter."

"Maybe you're making things out to be more complicated than it should be?" I tell her. "Leo isn't the only one on the planet to ever to have relationship issues, and most manage to get over it in time. He wouldn't even be in this mess at all if he had trusted in the Moon Goddess from the start, and claimed you as he should have. Instead, he was a selfish prick."

"I think he only wanted you, initially, because he knew everyone else wanted you, too. He enjoyed acting like hot stuff, because he had something neither Derrick, Rick or I could ever have."

"I think Leo was intending to wait until Derrick was home from College before marking you, so that he could show off in front of him how he had swooped in and got the hottest girl in the pack as a mate. But you left him high and dry about 2 weeks too early for that."

"I pity him for the pain he is in, since I think he was just being young and immature at the time." I finish. "But the stupid prick caused it all himself."

"True," she says. "Speaking of pricks, I wish I knew who was going to be better in bed. That kind of information would help me choose, but it's sort of against the rules."

"You've only ever been with Leo, then?" I ask.

"Yeah. I've been trying to imagine myself in bed with Craig or Derrick, but they are all so different that I'm replaceing that to be nearly impossible to picture in my mind without actually getting into bed with them."

We are both silent for some time. I guess I had given her plenty of things to consider, regarding Leo. Eventually she stands up, gives me a kiss on the forehead, and heads inside the little house.

I sit there for a while, wondering if she might come back. And then wondering even longer why I hadn't been her fated mate instead of Leo. I certainly wouldn't have mucked everything up like he did.

It starts getting late, so eventually I head to the Beta suite and try to sleep while wondering how I might potentially help her to choose my alpha, Derrick. I feel bad for Leo, but Derrick has asked for my help, and I'll do whatever I can.