His Luna’s Already A Luna
Chapter 77

Nick

POV

Nick did not like it one bit. She did not want Samantha as her omega. The woman was practically his mother, taken him and Mary in without question, found room in her tiny house and loved them like she loved her own sons. She had also just spent the last three days taking care of Lucinda, making sure she didn't do anything to aggravate those wounds of hers, which she couldn't even feel were causing her pain. Couldn't feel it. Needed someone to assist her, look after her.

How could she want to get rid of Samantha over a bloody cup of tea, that was bitter to taste, he couldn't understand it. Wasn't going to stand for it at all, was more than annoyed by her attitude about the situation, angry in fact. Samantha was the most kindest and caring person he knew.

Then to call Jeremy to her side, used her Luna Aura on him. He'd never seen Jeremy move so fast, with the rare exception when Nick used his Aura, usually only in battle.

Nick had felt her Aura. It had been so darn strong, that it had sent a shiver down his own spine, Braidy's head had whipped up and around, nearly jumped to attention himself. It had only been aimed at Jeremy but everyone in the room had felt it. A wave of pure power had rolled through the room. There was no missing it.

Telling her she was the Luna and it was her job to rank the omega's may not have been the best idea, seeing as she had been mad at him earlier. If she harmed Samantha, they were going to have a very real and serious issue between them that may not be resolvable. He could feel Rip was uncomfortable with the situation, he'd never known anyone but Samantha as a mother either.

When she had come in and told her she'd been watching the omega's train and had picked up that four of them should be ranked up, he had been happy. She, as the Luna, had actually just done part of her job. Whether she knew she had was another matter. Hmm, probably should find out what she understood about her role. It might be limited.

He supposed the previous Luna would have taught her what to do and they did have a bunch of them, but none of them would know what to do. Not with how they were treated.

Jeremy had come in and excused himself. "The Luna, would like me to take a walk and talk with her," he'd told Nick.

Nick had raised an eyebrow but not asked any questions. Jeremy would stop her from doing anything Nick wouldn't approve of. Or mind-link him and let him know, so he could go and put a stop to it himself.

He stood now, debating about how to approach Lucinda, with regard to Samantha being her omega. Nick didn't want anyone else in his suite. This could be a massive issue between them. Another fight, he sighed. Two steps forward and one step backwards, it seemed. Would they ever find any common ground? She was very difficult. He sat down at his desk.

Rip snarled at his thought, didn't like him calling them difficult 'Moon Goddess's child.'

'I'm not going to do anything stupid. he sighed at Rip 'Just need to vent it out, before coming face to face with her. Or I might say something we will regret.

'I'll stop you. Rip growled, all aggression showing him.

'Calm down. he told Rip. 'I still want our Mate!

Nick felt Rip stalk off to the back of his mind, he'd ticked off his Mate and his wolf all in one day.

He found Braidy's eyes upon him. "She's got one hell of a strong aura, Nick."

"I felt it." he nodded.

"Surprised, you haven't been on the end of it before now, actually." he smiled at Nick.

Made Nick also wonder about that too. There were certainly plenty of times she could have used it on him. "Maybe she only just learned how to use it." he mused out loud. But he'd heard Ky'ra issue that Challenge to Darwin and when he thought about it now, all her Aura had poured out of her then too.

No! She knew how. Somehow knew how to use it, could just be instinct or because of what Ky'ra was. He was thankful he hadn't been the target of her aura, Ky'ra and Lucinda being a descendant of the Moon Goddess herself. It might not go in his favour and now that she was willing to use it at will, their fights might just get worse. Just what he needed.

Jeremy didn't return til nearly lunch time, he was gone a couple of hours. He strolled into Nicks' office carrying a sandwich in one hand, a mouthful of it, munching away as though nothing had happened earlier. Nick stared at him pointedly. He simply strolled over and sat down.

"Everything is fine Nick," he told him.

"What did she want?" he asked.

"Nothing in particular." he shook his head. "Just bored, I'm guessing."

"Just bored?" he was watching Jeremy closely. He had the occasional tell, but nothing today it seemed, he simply went back to eating his sandwich.

"Where did you go?" Nick asked him, trying to get anything out of the man.

"Go and ask her, Nick. It's no secret."

"Then you can tell me." Nick finally snapped at him, annoyed about his lack of information.

"I'm not a cell phone. Go and talk to her yourself. It might just be good for you."

"I hate your games." Nick was angry now that Jeremy wouldn't say anything at all.

"Not my game Nick." his eyes met Nicks with full amusement in them. Nick's anger didn't bother him at all.

Nick glared at him, not his game. Great, that could bloody mean anything at all.

Lucinda strolled into his office, without knocking, he noted. She was sipping on a cup of coffee, looked right at him as she walked across the room and perched herself on the side of his desk.

"Braidy, you and I might want to evacuate." he heard Jeremy snicker, took his eyes off Lucinda to glare at the man again.

"Leave the door open Jeremy." Lucinda called after them.

Great, just bloody great. He watched Jeremy leave and heard Braidy laugh about 20 seconds later. He knew Jeremy had just told him what was going on. A game of some sort, it seemed, and he was once again the butt of the joke.

Nick turned to look at her. He was still annoyed with her, he realised. About her comment about Samantha. She was looking right at him with slightly narrowed eyes. Watching him as he was her.

"Your new mother is coming to stay. I've organised a room on the Alpha floor for her."

Nick's eyes widened at her comment, it was the last thing he had expected to come out of her mouth. No wonder Jeremy was amused. "You can't just go inviting other pack's, to the pack without asking me." he told her, annoyed even more with her. She raised an eyebrow at the annoyance in his tone, he couldn't have hidden it even if he had tried. Too much about today was ticking him off and she was the majority of his annoyance.

"I didn't invite her, to come to the pack." Lucinda smiled at him, she seemed amused by his annoyance, didn't respond with her usual indifference or anger, he noted.

"Then why is she coming?" he demanded.

Lucinda shrugged at him. "Mothers will do, what they will do. I can't stop her."

"When can I expect her?" he asked with a huff.

"I don't know," she shrugged again, "today, tomorrow, when she gets here. Didn't tell me when she'd be arriving, in her new room."

"You didn't think to press the matter."

Lucinda actually laughed at him. "Now why would I do that? I like your new mother. I'm happy for her to be here."

Nick was almost infuriated by her attitude, she too thought it was funny that Lindy was coming to visit. He seemed to be the only one who didn't want the woman here. "Visiting guests, don't stay on the Alpha floor Lucinda. You should have discussed this with me personally."

"I thought I was doing that right now."

Nick took in a breath and held it for a ten count before releasing it nice and slow trying to calm himself down. He didn't want an all our fight with her, especially if Lindy was going to be there during the fallout of it. "Visiting packs stay on the 3rd floor, Lucinda."

"She's your mother. That floor is not appropriate." she hopped off his desk, put her cup down where she'd been sitting and smiled right at him "the only floor appropriate, for the Alpha's mother, is the Alpha's floor." He was hating that she was smiling like that at him right this minute, he liked it too much and it was dissipating his anger. "I don't like it. He informed her.

"Hmm," she stood tapping her lower lip with her pointer finger and pouted in thought it seemed, her eyes turned to the ceiling. For a full minute he stared at her mouth. The bloody woman was playing with him.

He was ticked off about Lindy coming at an unspecified time and annoyed about her rejecting Samantha as her omega and there she stood using their Mate Bond to distract him from it all, and it was bloody working. He was thinking about kissing the bloody woman and his anger and annoyance at her was quickly evaporating and his desire for her was creeping in.

"One of these days. I'm not going to be able to stop myself, you know." his voice was all husky.

Lucinda turned those gorgeous honey-brown eyes on him, one corner of her mouth tilted up, the damned woman knew exactly what she was doing to him. That was for certain "Hmm, is that so." she walked around his desk slowly, never taking her eyes off of him, slid her hand down his arm slowly.

Nick stared at her, couldn't take his eyes off of her while she was touching him like that, his heart rate doubled even though he knew she was toying with him and nothing more. Her touch was exciting him, he wanted to touch her back and was about to when her hand turned his wrist over and tapped his alpha oath "Mm this might stop you." she smiled right at him.

"You're playing with fire woman." he growled at her.

"No." she shook her head slowly "I'm playing with you."

"And you think you'll win?" he asked softly.

"Yes Nick, I do." she winked right at him "you can't Mark or Mate me until I say so." playing their Mating Alliance card.

"Oh, you think I couldn't get you to beg for me?" he asked, not so much as teasing her but more of a challenge, which he wanted her to take up.

She chuckled softly, it was music to his ears "Probably could, I admit it, but..."

He was smiling now, loved hearing that 'probably could I admit it', liked it a lot, turned his chair so he could face her directly "but?" his hand re ached out and slid around her hip, pulled her towards him, his eyes never left hers. Yes, let's play who can seduce who right now, he thought.

She stepped right up to him, as he pulled on her hip. Between his splayed legs and look at him, her heart rate was also racing now, and he could smell her arousal, it was light but there. Slid his hand up her back slowly and into her hair, pulled her even closer, his eyes fell to her mouth, she was biting her lower lip. A little nervous, he wondered. Pulled her so close, his mouth brushed hers as he asked again, a deep desire filled growled question "but?".

Her lips brushed against his, and she sucked in a sharp breath. He could smell her desire now, growing at a steady rate, being this close to him was affecting her as much as it was him. She kissed him softly on the mouth for a moment, he smiled and let her "But... the door is open." she giggled softly and yanked herself from his grip, and ran out of the room still giggling.

"Bloody woman," he muttered. He was more than hot and bothered right this minute, fully bloody aroused by her and he wasn't about to go chase her while aroused. Damned woman knew it too. Had likely intended on him reacting to her, that's why she had told Jeremy to leave the door open.

Rip chortled in his mind, 'I like it when they play with us.' no longer angry with Nick, it seemed.

'Be more fun if we were Marked and Mated.' Nick muttered back.

Which only made Rip chortle some more.

Well, at least she wasn't mad at him anymore, and she had to come to bed sometime. A little pay back she would have. Nick shook his head to try and clear it, he still had to talk to her about Samantha though. He wanted the two of them to get along. He was likely going to have to sit them down together and hash it out.

'You'll keep' he told her via the mind-link.

'Oh, so will you.' she shot right back, still amused, it seemed.

Nick couldn't help but smile, shook his head again, grew up in a very mischievous pack. Her and Jeremy together were going to be the death of him, it seemed.

'Come back here and finish your game. Lets see who wins. he teased her, but really did want her to come back.

'nope.'

'Are you afraid, Lucinda? You won't be able to resist me?' he was teasing her now.

'In your dreams.' she told him and closed out the link.

Nick laughed softly and there it was, they were back to their normal. He thought she would loose. He did enjoy playing with her in the mornings, so tomorrow she might find herself in more than a bit of a pickle.

It surprised him when she returned to his office half an hour later carrying a tray of food. Placed it on his desk right in front of him, though did it from the safety of the other side of his desk, he noted. Smiled at her, she was not willing to get too close to him, it seemed.

"You brought me lunch, the last few days." she told him at his enquiring look, and then sat herself in a chair on the other side of his desk.

"Don't trust yourself?" he asked, leaning back in his chair with a smirk on his face.

"Don't trust those hands of yours," she replied with her own smile. Then cleared her voice "Nick, I didn't mean to fight with you this morning." she told him, more than surprising him, "I've gotten you a gift. Your mother will bring it and give it to you." His smile was gone. He really was not looking forward to having Lindy's watchful gaze on him all day, every day.

"Don't look so annoyed. It's a nice gift. I think you will like it. Now I have come here to discuss the lock down mode. I'd like to see it in action please."

Nick liked that she had apologised and apparently bought him a gift. It was rare he got gifts. He'd be happy with her as the gift. But it was unlikely that she would do that.

He leaned forward and picked up the sandwich she had brought him. "Why?" It would be like all other pack-house lock-downs, he supposed.

"Because as the Luna. If s**t hits the fan, Nick. I am going to need to know how to set it off, how long it takes to be completely in effect, and how to shut it off as well. I also want to know where the emergency exit is. In case it gets so bad out there, that I need to evacuate the packs women and children secretly."

That gained his undivided attention. There was no secret exit that he was aware of, and why would there be? His pack was very large and every one trained, all the teens and little ones and their mothers would run here for safe keeping, but they would also know how to fight too.

He understood her wanting access to the lock down, it was her who would be locking the place down, that was her job as the Luna, not out their fighting. But his pack had not seen an attack like that in the five years of him being in charge. His pack was larger than most around his, it was a suicide mission for any of them to attack him directly.

And he would retaliate with all he had, after whoever was stupid enough to come here. He would take the battle to them and very quickly so, not give them a chance to rest and recover.

"I can do that, show you the lock down and give you access to it," he nodded. "there is however no secret exit from this pack-house."

"Then there needs to be." she told him without hesitation.

"Why is that?" he asked, more than curious now. Watched as her eyes moved to the whiteboard in his office. Then she got up and walked across the room.

"Because of this." she touched the darkened area on the map. There was actual sadness in her voice. Nick got up and walked over to her, could see the way her fingers were tracing it. "You know the story Nick," she practically whispered, pain filled her voice with every word.

Nick slid his arms around her. "That is not going to happen here. We, our pack is much bigger and much stronger. They were a small pack from all accounts." he hugged her from behind.

"400." he heard her voice say, with a hitch in her voice.

"Hey, come on." he turned her to face him and saw actual tears in her eyes "I won't let that happen here." he tried to reassure her.

"If your dead. You can't stop it." she was looking right up at him. He watched as those tears spilled over. She had a real concern over this. He guessed growing up right next to that pack, maybe had a bit of guilt over her old pack not going to their aid. Wiped her tears away with his thumbs gently "Lucinda, I will never let that happen."

"But you can't be everywhere."

"Ky'ra will not let that happen." he tried to reassure her. He knew Ky'ra was never going to give up if she had to get into a fight, so did Lucinda for that matter. This was likely the best way to reassure her; use her own wolf.

"To be burned alive, Nick. Inside, while the pack-house was in lock down. I don't want that to happen here."

"It won't." he assured her.

"You don't actually know that with all certainty."

Nick couldn't argue with that one. But he also couldn't understand why she was so very upset about it. "There is no emergency exit, Lucinda." he told her gently.

"There needs to be one." she leaned on him.

Nick frowned, she'd looked at his whiteboard, before walking over here and touching the map. He frowned deeper, his mind was ticking like crazy.

"Lucinda, do you know what happened...to that pack?" he asked softly.

"Yes." she nodded against his chest "I don't want to talk about it."

Nick heard so much pain in her voice. He let it go and just stood there and hugged her, his eyes, however were on the map, on that pack. She'd touched it earlier. Knew that's where she'd gone that day and found Darwin there. Corey told him she went out there sometimes to clear her mind, his hand was rubbing her back gently. Trying to comfort her.

"I want to go home Nick." a sob suddenly burst from her.

Caught him completely off guard and when she tried to pull away from him to leave, he held on to her, held her tight to him "Shh...you are home. This is your home now."

She fought him physically for a full minute, pulling and trying to get away from him, hitting him a few times, sobbing the whole time. He'd never seen anything like it before, but could feel pain pouring out of her the whole time. He just held onto her and let her, until she finally stopped. Something was definitely missing, she'd told him a lot this morning. But clearly, stuff was still missing.

"You can tell me Lucinda, whatever it is." he said softly, trying to reassure her. She didn't say anything at all, her tears had stopped and she seemed to have pulled herself together. She removed his arms from around her, not by force, gently so, and used the back of her hand to wipe her face.

"I'm sorry." she said.

"Don't be. Just tell me, so I can understand it." he asked, really wanting to understand. That pain he'd heard and felt, was almost akin to the pain she'd felt when saying goodbye to the twins.

She didn't look at him. "I just need more time," she said softly.

Nick did not doubt that. There was something else here, that something that all of Half Moon Pack members were under threat of punishment by their own Alpha if they spoke of if "Okay!" he nodded "When you're ready."

Her honey-brown eyes lifted to his, still filled with sadness, he touched her face gently. "When you're ready," he reassured her, he would not push the subject.

Watched her nod slowly and then walk out of his office. He didn't follow, she needed to be alone, that much he understood right this minute. He would show her the lock down and give her access to it when she felt better.

Nick turned and looked at the whiteboard, she had looked at it before walking over here to the pack map. His eyes moved back to the map. There was a connection but what?

'Jeremy my office now.' he shot down the mind-link.

'Yes boss.

'Bring Braidy.' he wanted everyone on this.

Nick wouldn't push her to tell him, but he could look into it. He was already looking at Darwin. What was one more thing to add to the list? She had said she knew what happened to that pack. Her being so upset about it. He knew that she did know, and all the gory details in all likelihood.

He was standing frowning at it when Jeremy and Braidy walked in and over to him. "I want to know everything about that destroyed pack." he told them "All of it, everything you can dig up."

"Why?" Jeremy asked.

"Because Lucinda is upset about it. Cried just now when talking about it. We're missing something." Nick tapped the destroyed pack with his finger.

The whole room was quiet as they all stood and looked at the darkened area on the map. It was an updated map, only a year old. Everyone was thinking right now.