My Future Luna

BK2| 2| Deals

| Micah |

While the business had been started by my father, as Alpha of the Silver Fern Pack, after my eldest brother Jonah took over the pack, he owned it. He had begrudgingly made me CEO when I turned twenty but kept me on a tight leash. To say we had a strained relationship was an understatement.

I was actually technically a sworn-in member of my second eldest brother, Caleb's pack, the Winding River Pack, that he was the Alpha of- though I hadn't been there since I was a kid. I’ve lived in the human world for the last few years now.

As the second youngest of eight and the youngest son, I'd always figured I'd have a mundane life. Jonah, as the eldest, was our parents' heir. One would have thought the rest of us would have been free from the obligation of a pack, but all four eldest brothers ended up as pack Alpha's- spread out over northern America- fated mates to a female heir of a pack, their Luna.

I’d seen what running a pack was like from my father. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.

I couldn’t quite escape fate, though- my desire to lead and to contribute was present in me. Built in my genes. Assured by my wolf. It made sense that I become a CEO of a pack business- the best ones were born leaders, and what if not a born leader was an alpha wolf?

“Tiffany,” I called absently as I poured over a report.

“Yes?”

“Can I get another coffee?”

“I sure can, but have you forgotten you have a meeting?” Tiffany, my secretary, stuck her head in.

I looked up to see the blonde woman standing in my office doorway the door.

“Now?” I asked startled.

She nodded her pretty head, acting the airhead I knew she wasn't. I had hired her on my first day. Everyone thought it was because she was sexy, and that didn't hurt- but she had been the only person I interviewed that day that had seemed to think for themselves.

The phone rang, me answering it while Tiffany rushed off with my empty cup.

“Hello,” I greeted, leisurely pulling up my calendar.

“Micah?”

I sat up in my seat. s**t.

“Jonah, hi.” f**k. I hadn’t realised this meeting was today. “How have you been? Your Luna, the kids?”

I scrambled to get the details of the meeting up. I really wished Tiffany was a werewolf, so I could link her to hurry with that coffee. I was going to need the fuel.

“They're good. They would like to see their uncle,” he said with disappointment. Like every time I spoke with him.

I winced at his words and the agenda for this meeting.

Tiffany rush back with a full-to-the-brim cup of coffee. She went to the doorway hesitating. She had a concerned look on her face, noticing my own worry. I gave her a small smile to show her everything was okay and motioned for her to leave. She closed the door softly on her way out.

“Oh, I'm sure our busy schedules can line up soon.” I did everything I could to stay away from the packs. I did love my crazy amount of nieces and nephews though.

“So,” Jonah started.

“Right,” I cleared my throat. “So you saw the acquisition proposal-”

“Micah,” he cut me off. My eyes clenched. I could tell from his tone this wasn't good news. “The return isn't high enough-”

“Not for the first three years, but if we-”

“It's a no,” my brother said definitively.

My jaw tensed. This was the problem with there not being an overarching board. I could convince businessmen of this venture, just not one of my pigheaded Alpha brothers.

“What about the request for a new fleet?” We had business vehicles and they were old, newer cars would make us look better when we were working with our clients.

“Next year,” was Jonah’s reply. He sounded a little distracted for a second- I could imagine this was just one on a long laundry list of dull decisions for him today. “And then, you can upgrade half the fleet- only those that are actually client-facing.”

“Is there a yes to any of my requests?” I asked snarkily. It was hard not to let my bratty baby brother voice out, but gods be damned- my eldest brother got under my skin like no other.

“Your recommendation for the new VP of advertising is accepted.”

I rolled my eyes. I'd already hired them.

“Everything else is a no.”

“What if I-”

He cut me off immediately, “That's all Micah.”

A touch of his Alpha strength came through his voice, and even with my retreated wolf, I felt the annoying closure of any argument against his word.

The call essentially wrapped up after that. I gave him updates on a few key business metrics- everything looking good.

“f**k!” I cursed after I hung up the call. I looked around my office. I instantly felt weighed down. I'd now have to break it to my executive team that our requests had been declined. They were already frustrated with having such a young and inexperienced CEO- it didn't matter that I had turned us around to actually be profitable, they didn't trust yet I had what it took. They never said anything but I could feel it, my hidden alpha-ness still of benefit to instinctively feel more than I saw.

I still had my wolf, Asher, he just didn't talk to me anymore. I had irrevocably damaged my relationship with my wolf years ago. I could still shift, but he didn't take the lead.

I closed my eyes and took a series of deep breaths. Without opening my eyes, I reached forward and pressed the button to call Tiffany at her desk.

“Yes, sir?” She answered immediately.

“Please get the exec team together this afternoon,” I pinched the bridge of my nose, a headache already forming. “Attendance mandatory and we'll need a few hours.”

I could hear Tiffany madly typing. “Right away.”

I checked the meeting invite when she sent it, seeing she missed two people. I forwarded on and dropped her a note to remind her. Again.

Jesus wept. I always liked that human saying. I liked a lot of human sayings, having spent so much time with them working in their world. It had a nice ring to it and this felt like a moment for me.

~*~

The meeting was rough. I even had a threat to quit. Thankfully my exec team were the best there was, and we were able to pivot and work through how we could address our challenges in other ways. And even found some fancy accounting we could do to free up funds for items we really had no other options, than what my brother had just declined.

I offered dinner and drinks afterwards, but they were all more than ready to be home with their loved ones.

I worked late with Tiffany to finalise the minutes and action list, her noting taking abysmal.

I was feeling pretty down by the time I started to head home, a sense of dread settling in my stomach the whole journey, as I made my way to my lonely, empty apartment.

We were a block away when I decided I wasn't ready to be home yet. “Take me to Delinquents instead.”

My driver acknowledged the change in destination, smoothly changing directions to go to the club.

Delinquents was a high-end bar- it mainly catered to non-humans, with the occasional human in the know.

Chloe, the head girl greeted me as I arrived, her usual smile sitting well on her handsome face. “Micah, we don't usually see you on a Monday.’

No, I thought, I'm usually not this burnt out right off the bat.

She led me to a booth, and a waitstaff came out of nowhere with my liquor within minutes. I selected one of my whiskeys, and the waitstaff poured it for me and then left the bottle. All my liquor was werewolf strength, otherwise I'd have to consume three times as much to even touch the sides.

A jazz band was on, playing lilting tunes with a female lead singer crooning at us. The atmosphere was cool, calm and sexy. Low lighting with a purple filter on the band playing, a spotlight on the singer.

“Welcome back, Micah,” the owner, Jasper, was doing the rounds. “Always a pleasure to have you- though, didn't we see you only last night?”

I lifted my glass to him, “Couldn't stay away.”

He beamed at me, his eyes glinting in the light. “We'd be glad to have you every night.”

I'm sure you would, I thought dryly. Instead, I smiled warmly back.

“You after anything stronger tonight?”

I tensed. That hadn't been my intent. I just wanted a drink and didn't want to get drunk at home by myself. I was here now though…

“What are my options?”

My eyes went back to the singer as Jasper listed out a few super-strength narcotics, which he passed to me discreetly.

“She’s something isn’t, she?”

I nodded, absently taking a sip as I watched the singer sway to the music.

~*~