Dead Luna
Chapter 73

Amelia's

POV

"So my perfect mate would be about 5'-8" tall, and stacked," Gordon, a warrior who would be staying behind to protect the pack was telling me, while indicating big boobs with his hands. "Preferably blond hair and blue eyed. No freckles! And she should be a good cook, and treat me like a god. Oh, and definitely a virgin. I don't want to be hearing that their ex boyfriend was better in the sack than I am."

I'm trying very hard not to roll my eyes. Why do so many of the male wolves think I own a female factory and I'm building their mates custom order to their exact specifications, I don't know.

"Does this perfect fantasy female have any interests outside of taking care of you?" I ask, trying hard not to sound too bitchy. "Or should she be an orphan with no friends and no hobbies to distract her from rubbing your feet after she brings you the gourmet meal she spent all day cooking for you?"

"Do you know anyone like that?" Gordon asks in surprise.

"No." I answer, ruefully. "Unfortunately, I only know real wolves, none of whom are perfect. The wolf I will be matching you up with might only possess a third of those qualities you are requesting. But I will try my best to match you with someone who meets many of your requirements, as long as they are reasonable ones. So I need to know which traits of your potential mate are either deal breakers or must haves for you. Will you accept someone who is only 5'-1" with big boobs, if she's a good cook? Or someone taller than you and only an A cup, as long as she is a blond haired blue eyed virgin?"

Once I was able to get some reasonable expectations out of Gordon, it was time for my lunch break. Which might explain why I was getting a bit snappish with Gordon.

I've been eating so much these days, you'd think I was in training to be an Olympic athlete. But Ambrosia says it's gonna be worth it once I shift, as she claims I'm growing the biggest, baddest, kick a*s Lycan around. I also notice she spends a lot of time sleeping lately, which she claims is to help conserve energy for our first shift in two nights. I'm not sure how much is the truth, or bravado, but I'll soon know for sure.

Lunch in the Gifford Pinchot pack house today was pork carnitas tacos or seafood enchiladas with all the fixings. I hope nobody noticed that I ate a hearty portion of both as I pigged out on all that deliciousness. Once my plate was empty, I wondered aloud if there was any dessert. Glen still had plenty of food left on his plate, and moved his last enchilada over to my plate, claiming the cheesy cream sauce was too rich for an old man like him. He winked at me, and I laughed and thanked him for his generosity. Then Jackson found an untouched basket of chips that he handed to me, while a server was flagged down to bring me more bean dip and salsa.

"When I was just about to shift for the first time," Glen confides, "my dad claimed I had a hollow leg and a sponge in my shoe! I said the same thing to my own son when he first shifted 2 years ago."

"I didn't know you have a son!" I exclaimed. "Tell me about him!"

"My beautiful mate Eileen and I have 2 sons and a daughter," He tells me. I watch as his face lights up as he talks about them. "Jason is 23 and recently mated, Emily is 20, and Marcus is 16. They mean everything to me. I'm hoping Alex will appoint a new Gamma to replace me soon, so I can retire. I'm getting too old for all this, and I want to spend time with any grand pups that come along."

Glen brings out his phone and shows me pictures of his lovely family, as I munch mindlessly on the chips and bean dip in front of me. I wonder if 25 years from now my own mate will be proudly whipping out photos of us and our children, and calling me beautiful, to anyone even half interested in hearing about us.

I have twelve more appointments this afternoon, which will take approximately 2 hours to complete properly. Then Ambrosia will need to make a list of all the wolves going to the mating ball, as well as a list for our own purposes of the she wolves we need to have brought back here for the warriors who can't attend. And then we will leave.

I head to the small sitting room the Alpha and Luna had suggested for the appointments with Ambrosia, and got a partial list going while sitting at a small writing desk as I waited for the next appointment to start. Then I realized I had one other important wolf of whom had only a partially completed appointment.

"Jackson," I say, and point at the seat next to me. "Could you please sit down here for a minute."

He sat down, looking very awkward and uncomfortable. I realize we had barely talked above a dozen words together since the night he got drunk, when he had told me how much he wished he wasn't my Gamma.

"Are you nervous?" I ask, confused. He shakes his head no. "What's the problem, then? You don't seem comfortable."

Jackson glances furtively over at Glen, who is lounging on a chair and looking at his phone, supposedly ignoring us. Ah.

"Glen, could you give us a few moments?" I ask sweetly. "My next appointment is in 20 minutes, why don't you come back then?"

Jackson visibly relaxes once Glen is gone from the room.

"So, we haven't actually completed your appointment yet," I remind him. "So far you've only mentioned a body type. I need to get everyone's mates finalized fairly quickly, preferably this afternoon. And to do that, I need more information from you. I wouldn't want to pair you with a mate that's all wrong for you!"

"Oh."

"So what is it you want in a mate, Jackson?" I prompt again.

"Well, there is only one woman I've ever loved, and unfortunately for me, she's always interested in someone else." Jackson tells me quietly. "She's so strong, and sweet, and caring. She loves to sing and dance along to the radio. She is selfless, always caring about what everyone else needs more than her own needs. Her favorite flower is the stargazer lily, but she loves all growing things. And I think she might be deaf, because I'm sure I've told her in many different ways how much I care about her, but she never seems to hear me."

He's not wrong. I don't even want to hear this now, but he doesn't stop.

"I've never been even remotely attracted to any other she wolf. It's only ever been you!"

"I thought you were attracted to men." I argue.

"I am," Jackson agrees. "Sometimes I've found men that have a somewhat feminine body similar to yours to be attractive. But I've never actually loved any of them."

"So do you or don't you have an interest in having a guy for a mate?" I ask, and have to wait a minute for an answer. He closes his eyes and breathes deeply for a minute while he considers his answer.

"I'm not completely opposed to the idea, but I think I'd prefer female companionship."

I breathe a sigh of relief. "I know who I'm going to pair you with, then. I think you'll like her, and you'll get to meet her this evening if all goes well. If you don't like her, tell me straight away and I'll try a different pairing. I don't have a lot of wiggle room left here, but I'll try my best because you are important to me, and I truly want you to be happy, ok?"

"And it's not you?"

I shake my head no.

"If you think this she wolf will make me happy, then I'm sure she's wonderful." He says sadly. "Just do it."

Jackson stands up to make room for whichever wolf has an appointment next, and I stand up also and give him a hug. "I'm sorry it can't be me. I do love you, Jackson, but not like that."

"I understand," He says, hugging me back. "But can I have one small parting gift to remember you by?"

"Anything."

"Close your eyes," he requests of me, "and pretend you are kissing Leo."

I gasp, and then Jackson is kissing me so gently and sweetly that it breaks my heart. Then I deepen the kiss, pressing my body against his hardness as I explore his mouth with my tongue. I'm giving him more than I should, but far less than he deserves. And I want to remember this, too. The only wolf who ever loved me exactly for who I was, and never made me feel lesser than. The one who was always there to protect me from harm, and made me want to be a better person. The older brother that I had always wished I had. We pulled apart after a few minutes. "Leo is one very lucky fellow."

"What makes you think I'm going to choose Leo?" I ask, wondering when I had slipped up and said something.

Jackson laughs. "Amy, sweetheart, you've been in love with that boy for more years than I care to think about. Besides, you're not the only one in this room who is on speaking terms with the moon goddess."

Jackson gives me a quick kiss on my forehead, and we get back to work match making for the moon goddess. And before long I've completed the last appointment, I've handed a list to Luna Caroline of all the wolves that need to get to Bull Run tomorrow, and then we are in the car heading south towards Oregon. It was an interesting task, but I'm eager to move on to the next phase of my life.