His Luna’s Already A Luna
Chapter 76

Lucinda POV

This morning's discussion had not gone so well. Lucinda understood it was entirely her fault as to why. Nick was now worried that she and Ky'ra would get injured and not be able to realise it, due to their lack of feeling serious pain. It was a concern she now also held as well. But hadn't like hearing him tell her she didn't know her own limitations, Ky'ra had never been seriously injured before.

Then arguing with Nick about her training was useless. Alpha Corey had always told her she over did it. Nick thought so too and he'd told her as much. That day she had been mad at him, she had over done it, just kept pushing herself. He was right on the fact that Ky'ra had not tried to stop her. Wanted Lucinda to train, to get stronger. She always did, so she never stopped her when she was training.

Lucinda knew she was the one to pick a fight with him today. Why? She didn't really know, annoyed was all she could think. Hated talking about that day and Darwin, and he'd brought all that up. Before their conversation about training, and her emotions had already been high, with all her feelings from memories, she was forced to relive every time he brought it up. She didn't want to talk about it, or even think about it.

So her emotions had spilled over and she'd taken it out on him.

Nick was trying and she knew it. He'd shown her the pack map, even showed her where the Half Moon Pack was and told her how far away it was. Trusting her now, with the knowledge. He'd then let her read all of the information he had on Darwin herself. As for patrolling and not being allowed to do it by herself, she and Ky'ra had done duel patrol many times. It was fine, why it irked her, that he was telling her she now had to do duel patrol. She didn't understand herself. Sharing a patrol was fine, because if she didn't want to talk, she just wouldn't it was that simple.

Wondered who he would put her with, what shift she would get to do. She and Ky'ra both did prefer the night shift, it made Ky'ra happier being out under the moon, that made more sense now, but Lucinda wondered if he would allow that. Would have to ask him, considering it would mean she'd not be in bed when he was. It might cause him to say no. He was a bit on the clingy side in bed, always had his hand on her.

She didn't even know how many shifts he ran; 3 or 4 a day. Which were the borders that were the most attacked, though with the knowledge of Ky'ra being a Luna Wolf. Nick wasn't likely to put her on the most attacked border. Or she doubted it. Lucinda was going to have to talk to him again.

She watched from the Koi pond, as a bunch of omega's in training gear were headed for the training grounds. She pulled on her shoes and socks and headed over to watch their training for herself. She sat herself down on the sidelines, didn't interfere or offer to assist, in anyway, one argument for the day was enough.

She watched as they trained in hand to hand combat and then ran through the obstacle course. Noted that some of them looked exhausted, while a few seemed to really enjoy it, a group of four women were all laughing and still looked pumped up, ready for more. Probably should be ranked up to junior warrior status, she thought absently and wondered if Nick ever came out here and assessed them himself

Lucinda got up and stopped the four of them from leaving the training ground and asked them out right if they wanted to try out for the junior warrior rank. All of them just stared at her like she was a little bit crazy. She knew the trainer was standing by listening, so she waved him over and brought him into the discussion.

He too saw their potential, but none of them had ever asked to be ranked up or even expressed an interest in the process of being ranked up. From the look of shock on their faces it seemed to Lucinda that they didn't really understand or know that they could ask for it. It wasn't hard, just a standard training battle between each of them and the warrior rank they were applying for. If they could hold their own or win, they would be ranked up. Pretty simple, she'd been through it year after year at Half Moon Pack until she'd applied to be on the Retrieval team.

She asked the trainer how often Rankings were held. The answer every three months. But each newly ranked wolf could then not ask to be ranked up again for a year, which allowed them time to train and improve their skills for the next Ranking. That sounded fair, it was much the same back in Half Moon Pack.

The four women moved on to go shower and change and get back to their jobs around the pack. The trainer told her that all omega's had the option to Rank up but he'd never seen even one of them apply for it though. Well, it was about time.

Those four women were good, had great potential in them, they also liked training, which was also a good sign. They could be of better use to the pack. Being ranked up would also give them a better standing within the pack, and in turn improve their and their family's lives.

Lucinda didn't know if Nick housed his pack members by Rank, though she did know most packs did. Guess it was a question she would have to ask him. She took a deep breath and headed for his office. Ky'ra snarled inside her mind all of a sudden. Alerting Lucinda to a threat. She stopped and looked around.

Found that damned she-wolf from breakfast looking right at her.

"You got a problem?" Lucinda asked her. She'd put that b***h in her place once already. If she wanted to go again, that was fine with her. Ky'ra was ready, that was for sure.

"Me...No." she smiled right at Lucinda, a nasty smile "you might have in a day or two though" and then she laughed and walked off.

Lucinda watched her walk away, noticing the nursing scrubs she was wearing. Must work in the packs hospital. Lucinda didn't like her, neither did Ky'ra, for that matter. She turned and continued on her way to Nick's office, wondering what that statement had meant. 'You might have in a day or two!' it was a threat and she knew it deep down.

She shook her head, she'd taken that wolf down before. It was unlikely she was a real threat to her or Ky'ra at all. 'rip her head off! Ky'ra snarled.

'I'll let you.' Lucinda agreed with her wolf.

Nick's office door was open and he was in there with Jeremy and Braidy. She knocked on the door and waited. All three of them turned and looked at her at the same time. An Alpha Unit all in sync, she thought absently. "You don't have to knock Lucinda." Nick frowned at her.

"Yes I do. I can't just walk into an Alpha's office." Even she knew that one, everyone bar his Unit had to knock. Well, them and the previous Alpha, usually the current Alpha's father.

"Lucinda, you are the Luna. Yes you can." He informed her casually.

She just stood there a little surprised, never really thought about that, though Lindy never did knock on Corey's office door.

"Mmm," interesting she thought and stepped into the room "I just watched the omega's train and I had some thoughts." "Sit." Nick indicated to a vacant chair next to Braidy.

She sat "There are four that could be ranked up. How often do you observe them?" she jumped straight to her point.

She watched as he leaned back in his chair and smiled at her. "I read or hear the report every week and watch once a month or so."

Lucinda was not sure what he was smiling at, they'd had a fight last time they'd spoken. What was there to smile about? She had no idea. "Then how did you miss it? I'm sure they didn't just get good all of a sudden."

"I noticed," he nodded, "they have not asked to be Ranked up."

"Offer it. I don't think they will ask, from what I saw when I brought it up with them." she told him, and from those women's expressions today, she didn't think they ever would either.

"Not my place, too," he shrugged.

"What? That's ridiculous!" she nearly yelled at him "You're the Alpha, of course it's your job." she took a breath and reined in her annoyance, at him telling her it wasn't his job "who else is going to do it?" Not his job...he'd been in charge for five years now, of course it was his job. He'd raised an eyebrow at her tone but didn't seem to take offence to it all.

"You are." he stated "Sort it out. That's now your department, I do believe. The Luna's rank omega's. And you being the Luna..." he left it unsaid.

Technically, she wasn't the Luna yet. So, technically, it was still his job. He was staring at her, almost challenging her to deny what she was, she supposed. There was that technicality that she was actually already a Luna, not that he knew that though. So she guessed she did, actually have the authority to rank up omega's.

She sat looking at him, as he looked at her. She could feel both Jeremy and Braidy watching the two of them. Moved her eyes to Jeremy for a moment, he just smiled at her but said nothing. Hmm, there was something here, she could feel it. Turned her eyes back to Nick, he was still sitting all relaxed in his chair looking at her, apparently waiting for her to reply to him.

Her brain was ticking, "Really?" she asked and leaned back in her chair, chewed on her lip for a moment while that ticking itched at her. "In charge... of all omega's?" she queried finally.

"Mm hmm." he nodded right at her.

She smiled to herself. Well, now that was an interesting thought, she sat and stared at him "All of them you say." that tick had finally stopped, Samantha was and Omega, but he looked at her as his mother. She did want to apologise to him for picking a fight with him this morning. Her smile twitched in one corner. A little devious plan had formed, on a way to give him a nice gift with her apology.

He smiled disappeared "Mm, why?"

"Samantha annoys me, can I dismiss her?" she asked casually, her smile gone, her poker face on. She had no intention of doing it. Just wanted to see his reaction. Her plan to annoy him, but then make him, hopefully, really happy had hatched inside her.

It wasn't just his reaction she got though, Nick was frowning deeply at her unhappy with her statement. Braidy had actually inched away from Nick instantly, even though they were in separate chairs. Jeremy buried his head in the file he had been reading before she'd come into the room.

So! Samantha was not to be messed with, so she had guessed right. Nick did look at her, as his actual mother, not just someone who'd raised him.

"Why?" he asked, a slight hard edge to his voice now.

"Why? That tea she forced me to drink was horrible, is why!" she came up with the only thing she could think of at that moment. The woman had been nothing but nice to her.

"You needed to heal." he stated flatly that hard edge was still there. He didn't like what she had said at all. "it was good for you, for Ky'ra." he bit out anger tinging his words. "Where does she live, Nick?" she ignored his anger. "I'll go myself." she smiled at him.

"I'm not allowing it." he snapped at her, all his anger in force.

Mm, had definitely pushed his button on that one.

"Mm, so I don't have that ability to Rank all the omega's then." she shook her head "My job, not my job...i see. So you can go and rank up the omega's to warrior status then." she then turned to look at Jeremy. "Jeremy, may I have a word...in private please." "Lucinda, Samantha."

Lucinda cut him off with a wave of her hand. "I know what she is to you. It's fine. Jeremy." she prompted him in a formal tone.

Jeremy was looking at her, then glanced at Nick, who was looking non-plus, and then turned to look at her again.

"Just 5 minutes. Then you may go back to whatever you were doing." she stood and walked to the door, found him still looking at Nick, kind of asking for his permission, she thought. Well, let's see how high you can jump, Jeremy.

"BETA." she snapped. "Am I not the Luna?" she threw all her Luna aura at him. Goddess it was hard to keep a straight face, watching him shoot to his feet and react to her authority, much the same way he would be to Nick, if he ever used it on him, she guessed. Highly doubted it.

He had jumped up exceptionally fast and was striding over to where she stood by the door, in full Beta mode not much else he could do. It was very funny.

"Nick," she turned and looked right at him "I want to discuss the lock down with you later. If you don't mind." his facial expression had gone from non-plus to complete shock over her use of her Luna's aura.

Wondered if he felt it. He must have the expression on his face was priceless. She'd not once exerted herself yet, and wondered how strong it was. She had no idea actually. Knew she could use it, but had never done so. Well, she and Lindy had played at it but never seriously.

She walked out of the office, Nick was still just staring at her, and had yet to answer her question. "Close the door Beta." she stated, still using her Luna aura to get him to do as she wanted. Then they walked across the foyer to the other side of the room. "Yes Luna." he replied, all his Beta respect showing.

She couldn't hold it in anymore. She put her hand to her mouth and turned her eyes on to him, saw him register her amusement and visibly relax and shake his head at her.

"Oh! You're going to pay for that! At some point."

"Oh come on Jere's, did you see his face?" she burst out laughing. "Must have reminded him of Lindy. Shame I couldn't take a photo."

"Yes I imagine you did." he chuckled "What can I do for you?"

"Where does Samantha live?" she asked him in all seriousness.

He was frowning at her. "Don't do it, Lucinda. He'll be one very pissed off Alpha, if you do."

"I'm not going to. I'm not cruel. Just needed to see his reaction was all."

"Well, don't mess with her, she raised him and Mary."

"I know Jeremy. He told me. You can come with me if you like."

"I'm not getting between you and him Lucinda." he shook his head, not convinced.

"Oh, Jere's come on. I would never harm her. I actually really like her. Very motherly. I just want to pay her a visit, I swear."

Jeremy stood looking at her for a full minute.

"I could order you too." she mused aloud for him to hear.

"Goddess," he muttered.

Lucinda grinned at him. "Tell me or show me."

"I'll go with you...but."

"Yeah! Yeah! Don't tell Nick." she waved her hand in the air. " Go make your excuse, I'll wait." she smiled at him. So a threat to order him would work on him against his friend, hmm interesting information for future pranks. "How much practical joking can he take?" she asked as he turned away.

"A fair bit. But at some point you'll need to run and fast." he grinned at her over his shoulder.

"I'll just let Ky'ra out." she waved him off again.

He came back in less than two minutes.

They walked casually through the pack, in silence, down into the town to a nice house on the eastern outskirts, a small single-story home. It had a small tidy yard with one flower bed and white stepping stones to the front door. The house was light blue with white trim.

She knocked on the front door. Jeremy stood next to her.

Samantha looked a little surprised to see her. "May we come in?"

"Of course, Luna," she nodded and stepped aside.

The house was neat and tidy, Lucinda could smell something cooking in the kitchen. It appeared to be a very simple three-bedroom house, four doors off of a short hallway and a living area directly off the kitchen. Jeremy strolled in behind Lucinda and greeted her. She greeted him back.

"Your Mate?" Lucinda asked her.

"Works in the human world, in one of the packs accounting firms."

"Okay. May I sit?"

"Yes."

Lucinda sat down and looked right at her. "Nick, just informed me I can Rank Omega's."

"Can't get much lower, my dear." Samantha replied.

"Mm. You'd think that." Lucinda nodded, but she'd seen lesser, there were many levels to the Omega status in itself. Samantha held the highest there was, being Nick's personal omega and all.

"Now, you announced yourself as my Omega, the other day."

"I did, Nick is fine with it." Samantha nodded, though her tone fully implied she knew Lucinda was not happy about it.

"I don't think it is appropriate," Lucinda said in all truthfulness "You're like his mother, it's weird. So I can't accept it. I can, however...Rank you up, to what is appropriate."

"No, no, no." she was shaking her head now.

"I'm not giving you a say, Samantha. As his mother. As Mary's mother. You should be living as such."

"No. I told Nick that's not what I or my Mate wanted, years ago."

"I want this." Lucinda told her honestly, "I also have no mother. I find myself liking you quite a lot...please let my first action as the future Luna of this pack be bringing you to the Alpha floor permanently." She heard Jeremy chuckle.

"I can't."

"You can...Mother." Lucinda stared right at her "your son is a handful and I don't know him well. But the first time he mentioned you to me. He asked me, to please be nice to you...so that is what I am going to do." "I can't" Samantha was shaking her head now.

"You will." Lucinda said and meant it.

Stood up and cleared her throat, she'd seen Lindy do this once or twice, put out her Luna's aura to make it official "I Luna of Blue Moon Rising Pack. Hereby Rank you Samantha and your Mate up to the status of, Alpha Nicholas of the Blue Moon Rising Pack's, mother and father. You will move into the pack-house onto the Alpha floor, no later than tomorrow afternoon." she dropped her aura and continued "Jeremy and I will find you suitable accommodation within the next 2 hours and let you know which suite will be yours." Jeremy gave a low whistle.

Samantha was standing staring at her, tears had welled in her eyes.

Lucinda walked over to her and hugged her 'I want him to be happy too!' she mind-linked her 'I was mean to him today, unnecessarily, and wanted to give him a gift to apologise, but didn't know what. I don't know what he likes other than you.' 'Give him yourself.' Samantha replied.

'That will happen. But there are many things I need to discuss with him first. I might need you to talk to, seeing that you know the truth about me!' 'Alright, my...daughter.'

Lucinda squeezed her tightly in a big hug before letting go. " Please move in soon."

"I'll call Frank, he'll come home right away."

"Thank you." Lucinda bowed slightly, showing her respect to the woman who was now Ranked as high as one could get, without being the Alpha or Luna, herself.

She walked back to the pack-house with Jeremy. "You are one devious woman," he chuckled "Nick's been trying to get Samantha into the pack-house for years."

"Didn't just order it, I see."

"Nope. Why'd you do it?"

"Ah!" she sighed heavily "I was, mean to him this morning, Jere's. I picked a fight with him over something he'd actually already told me about and I'd agreed to. Feel a bit bad about it. Let's just say I'm apologising"

He nudged her. "You could just snog the man and all would be forgiven."

"Hmm...that's not really an apology though, is it? That's just using my being his Mate to get out of being in trouble or the bad books."

"Yes, do you know just how much you could get out of him?" he laughed.

"I'm pretty sure I'd end up naked if I snogged him Jere's."

"So..." he smiled at her.

Lucinda smiled up at him "Not yet...good things come to those who wait Jeremy." she winked at him. Besides her and Alpha Corey now had a deal of their own, an alliance. If she told him when it was going to happen, he'd send her a whole case of his prized pink gin and she really did want it.

"So, Luna, when are you going to let our Alpha Mark and Mate you? You just declared yourself and did your first official act, so you want to be his Mate. Our Luna." Jeremy nudged her again with a grin.

"Ah, no cheating now Jeremy," she laughed. She was the one cheating on that bet and couldn't have anyone else in on it. "So which suite would be appropriate Jeremy?" she changed the subject. "Hmm, maybe the one at the end of the hall by the elevator, got room for when her sons come to visit. She has two children with her Mate, fully grown of course."

"Show me, and then we'll go talk to Nick."

"You talk to Nick. I'll make Braidy and I scarce in case he jumps you for it," he laughed, "and he might."

Lucinda waved her Alpha's oath in his face "I have insurance," and grinned at him.

Jeremy burst out laughing "You take after Lindy so much."

"Well, she did take me in 8 years ago. Learned a lot from her and her Mate." she giggled.