The Luna: Braver Than We Are

Chapter 6

They were civilized werewolves, but their instincts were stronger than the courtliness they taught themselves. That meant they needed to live in a group, among those of their kind. That was why most of the werewolves worked in pack companies and lived in huge condos. The Longclaw Pack wasn’t an exception. The alpha family ran Longclaw Constructions for two generations, building a stable and strong position as one of the biggest companies in Astmoor City.

They were a werewolves-exclusive company, although many humans sent their applications to them. It would be too risky to allow a human to work for them. As polished as they were, constantly pretending to be humans, there were things they couldn’t conceal. They could lift weights and balance on the scaffolding better than humans and accidents at work were simply nonexistent. Even if one would get injured, he would be healed by the end of the day. This all made the company flourish because they worked quickly and without any problems or downtimes. But still, the supernaturals were the minority and humans tended to fear and fight off everything that didn’t fit their views of reality. That was why werewolves, vampires, and daemons concealed their existence. Some pretended to be humans, they choose the professions that suited them best. There were troops formed fully of werewolves. Some went to the industry and some decided to go against the laws. The biggest mob syndicates were packs. But not in Astmoor City. Werewolves still remained strictly territorial and only one pack could live on one territory.

Vampires and daemons had it harder. Vampires couldn’t walk in the sunlight and wouldn’t breed on their own, they needed another species to create a new vampire. Daemons were another story. They had magic, but the more they used it, the more corrupted they become until they lost their sanity and went on a killing spree. That’s why they had to live in the shadows. Some werewolves also choose to remain clandestine. They were those who wanted to lead a life the way their ancestors did, living in the forest, hunting, and sometimes ever remaining longer in a wolf form than in a human form.

The Longclaws definitely wasn’t one of those, they used all the perks of human ways and tried to suppress the wolf side. They would join both ways, but thirty years ago one of the mafia packs decided that Astmoor City was a good hunting ground and they raided it. They perished, the Longclaw pack was a strong one, but the alpha-to-be and his mate were among the casualties. They were Adam’s parents, the Alpha, and his grandfather took care of him and decided that the wolf days were over.

Now William Longclaw would gladly hand the pack and the company to Adam, but there was one condition Adam still wouldn’t fulfill…

***

“Just do it and let the old man retire. We all will get some space when he’ll be out of the company.”

“Chris, you know it’s not that easy,” Adam was getting tired of explaining it on and on. Especially when he was trying to reschedule his meetings for the afternoon. Chris, his cousin and friend, the company’s secretary, a beta if they were a traditional pack, could be a real pain in tha ass.

“Yes, it is. You get a girl, mate and mark her. You become the Alpha, she becomes the Luna. Grandpa and grandma can finally retire. Alina is more than willing, I can tell.”

“Just stop,” yes, Alina, a blonde s*x bomb from the neighboring pack was willing. But he wasn’t. He had a mate and didn’t have the intention to mark any other female. He was sure he eventually would convince grandfather that a Luna wasn’t necessary. It was he who decided that they will abandon their ways, why couldn’t he decline this also one?

“As you wish, Alpha-to-be,” Chris’s sarcastic tone almost made Adam growl. “So, why do you want to reschedule meetings?”

“I’ve got some new arrangements.”

“C’mon, you can tell. I won’t tell Alina. Is she blonde or brunette?”

“It’s not about a woman,” that was the easier way than explaining all about the conversation from the morning. Besides he didn’t know how this Viola looked. Not that he didn’t imagine. No, not he, the damn wolf sat in the back seat and showed the pictures, distracting and annoying Adam. And he was supposed to keep quiet. “Does your wolf speak to you?”

“Why do you ask out of the blue? Of course not. Why would he?” Chris answered.

“I was just curious.” Chris didn't look as if he believed him.