Dead Luna
Chapter 61

Amelia's

POV

At this point, I had seen only about half of the single wolves in Willamette Pack. More than 30 still remained to be seen by Ambrosia, and I would be seeing them all in the course of the evening. Therefore, I took a long break after my father had left, resting in my

guest suite, with both Jackson and Glen standing outside my door.

I had a lot to think about during this break. Thanks to my moms cousin Garrett's interference in my love life, I was suddenly claimed by my father, the Lycan king. My life was very likely going to change drastically as a result. But I suppose it would have happened eventually, regardless of Alpha Garrett's help in the matter.

It sounds as if I am his only heir at this point, which is HUGE. Does this mean that I could become queen? I wasn't brought up to be royalty! How would I manage? Well, I shouldn't borrow trouble, I suppose. That wouldn't likely happen for several years, and in the meantime my father might have more heirs by then.

I decide I want to go for a walk. Jackson and Glen follow along several steps behind me as I walk out of the pack house. I stop, unsure where to go from this point, not having had time for any sort of tour. "Where to, miss?" Glen asks me.

"I've no idea. Do you know anything about this pack? I haven't had time for the usual grand tour that I usually get. But I'm fond of gardens."

"This pack doesn't bother with growing any of their own food, and has no formal flower gardens. The area in general is too shady, and they just don't need to." Glen informs me. "But if we had a vehicle at our disposal, we could tour the nearby Japanese Garden." I agree that is a fine idea, and Jackson goes to get our car. Glen gives directions, and within minutes we are at the garden and enjoying a stroll along the various paths through the most authentic Japanese garden anywhere outside of Japan, with occasional views of the city of Portland below. It was very peaceful here, and I loved it all.

The garden includes 5 distinct styles of garden, all very beautiful and serene. I particularly love the zig zag bridge with the view of heavenly falls, the moon bridge, and the sand and stone garden. It was a little too late in the year to view the irises, but I promised myself that I would return someday in late June in order to view them at their peak.

Before heading back to the pack, we enjoy tea and mango mochi ice cream in the tea pavilion. The perfect end to a peaceful afternoon.

The evening was a busy one. I typically allocate 10 minute long appointments, but with 36 appointments to get through it would take me about 6 hours to complete! Instead, I had 5 wolves show up every half hour, with the extra wolf in the last group, and I would take a half hour dinner break around 7 pm. Jackson brought my dinner to me so I wouldn't have to even leave the Luna's office. I started seeing wolves at exactly 5:00, and I was able to finish the last appointment by 9:15.

Jackson suggested we go to the pack kitchens at that point in search of dessert. Glen again knew the way there, and soon we were raiding the pantry where I found some butter cookies and caramel sauce. Jackson found vanilla ice cream in the freezer, and whipped cream in the fridge, while Glen found bowls and spoons.

"We make a great team!" I say brightly, as we all dig into our desserts. I was a few bites in when my phone starts to ring. Mom. And she's using FaceTime. I answer immediately, knowing I'd get this call fairly soon.

"Hi mom, how are things?" I say, trying to hide my smile. I intended to act all innocent for as long as I can get away with it.

"Have you any idea what you've done?" Mom asks, trying to sound stern. But I'm not buying it. I know she's actually happy right now.

"Yeah, I just made a mess in the Willamette packs kitchen, making an ice cream and cookie sundae! Sorry to disappoint you like that!" I say, then pan the phone around at the bowls of delicious goodness that me and my gammas are digging into. "Amelia!" She says, attempting to sound exasperated. "You told your father where I am, and now he's gone and claimed and marked me, and is threatening to drag me to the capital right now and make me his queen Luna!"

"So am I grounded?"

The face of the wolf in question comes into view, laughing, "Of course you are grounded! You can't drive your brand new car anywhere for a month." "What kind of new car?" I gasp, excitedly.

"Any car you want, my princess!" Dad says. "Just text me make, model, and features. It'll be yours just as soon as you're ungrounded."

We all laugh, and chat for a few minutes before they decide to hit the road. They have a 2 hour drive ahead of them to the capital from Winter Moon.

"You two love birds drive safe!" I say before we hang up. And they both wish me a pleasant evening, and blow kisses to me.

I'm starting to think I'm going to like having a dad. It was really weird at first, since we didn't really know each other at all. But if he treats my mom well, I'll happily include him into our little family.

Jackson, Glen, and I chatted for a bit, and we were just cleaning up after ourselves when in walks Alpha Garrett. He seems rather taken aback to replace us there in his kitchen.

"Don't mind us," I say. "We just came to grab a bit of a snack. We were just cleaning up and about to leave."

"There's no rush," he says as he grabs a drink from the fridge and sits down at the work table in the middle of the room as we had done. We only need another minute to clean up, but the alpha asks me to come sit and talk with him for a moment, and I do. "I want to apologize about earlier. I was a first class jerk to both you and cousin Julie. But I honestly didn't know how long a Lycan pregnancy lasts."

"It's an honest mistake, then. And no harm done." I say. And I meant it.

"Oh, but you're wrong," Garrett insists. "Your mom should have been Alpha of this pack! And then you would have been getting ready to take over the pack right about now. But your mom was stubborn and refused to take a mate to help her run the pack. She claimed Prince Alexander was her fated mate, and she would not take another. I thought she was lying, though. Or mentally unstable. But nobody else would confess to being your father, and without a strong mate by her side your mother would have had a difficult time running this pack. So I suppose things have worked out, more or less."

We sit there in silence for a few moments, each lost in thought.

"Mom had a pretty rough life since the moment her parents died." I say sadly.

"They didn't just die, though. They were murdered." Alpha Garrett confirms what my mom always suspected. "Some say it was my parents who murdered them all, but I doubt that. They were never the sort to get their own hands dirty. If they were involved at all, they would have ordered it to be done. But after all this time, it'd be hard to get all the facts of the matter."

"That's probably true," I agree. "I don't suppose the truth would ever be made known at this point. Well, I really must get some sleep, as I am headed to Green pack in the morning."

Again, I'm really sorry about my behavior earlier." Alpha Garrett says. "I can only claim ignorance as my excuse for my abominable behavior. I know I angered the King, and I wouldn't want him to punish my pack for having insulted him as well as his daughter!" "Well, I'm sure dad is too happy right now to even remember the incident." I assure him. "He's on the way to the capital right now, with my mom. She's already been claimed, marked, and it will soon be announced that mom is now Queen Luna."

I wished Alpha Garrett a pleasant evening, and headed to bed long before the wolf could manage to get his jaw up off the floor.