The Wisteria Alpha

CHAPTER 18~Duties~

Donavon

   I watched the sunrise from my bed. So much has happened in the past couple of days, it was hard to wrap my head around it all. I was a Delta, the pack had the Luna that they desperately needed, and all of my friends had found their mates. I was genuinely happy for all of them, especially Devlin.

     I tossed over to get comfortable. Everyone had found their mates except for me. I was a little envious. Maybe I wasn't meant to have one. That’s probably why I was chosen as a Delta. The moon goddess had bonded me to someone I saw as a little sister, and I could never be intimate with her. I hated to admit it, but I've always been lonely. 

     Besides the guys, I don’t have family to call my own. I didn’t have a purpose and no one seemed to need me. Things started to change when they called me in to help with finances. Then Lotus came into my life like a damned hurricane. I was suddenly needed, wanted. I was an uncle, a Delta, a big brother. I will forever be thankful that she was bonded to me, even if she was a little trouble maker.

    Donnie? I grinned, speaking of the devil. What’s up Lo? I linked her back. Can you meet me in my office? Sure, I’ll be there in 15, I’m not at the pack house. Oh, where are you? My cottage. Hmmm, ok I’ll see you soon. She cut the link and I got up. I guess it's time to start my day.

      I made the 15-minute walk to the house, walking up the stairs at a leisurely pace. I landed on the third floor taking a right and knocked on the door next to Devlin’s office. “Come in!” Lotus shouted. I entered, my eyes landing on her. Her hair was pulled into a low ponytail, her wild curls forming a poof at the base of her neck. She was wearing a pair of Devlin’s sweatpants and his t-shirt. Lotus beamed at me. I couldn’t help but smile back.

   “Donnie, we gotta get to work.” she said, motioning to the papers on her desk. “Ok, what are we doing?” “First, I need to get some clothes for today.” I nodded, she looked like she was a child trying to wear her father’s clothes. “I’ll send an omega up with something.” I mind-linked Serina, setting her to the task. “Perfect! Next, we need to speak with the kitchen staff.”

   Thank the goddess. The food tasted like s**t. “I’ve noticed that we have a lot of space in the kitchen and the dining hall but no one ever eats here, a lot of food is going to waste, and we are spending too much money.” she said. I was impressed, she’s only been here for a few days but summed it up right. “What time is breakfast usually served?” “Whenever one of us is brave enough to ask for something.” I remarked. Her face scrunched up.   

   Serina knocked on the door, stepping in with clothes. She bowed her head to Lotus, “Luna, I’ve brought some clothing for you.” “Thank you so much! What is your name?” she asked. “Serina, ma’am.” Lotus smiled, grabbing the clothes from her. “Well Serina, would you like to join us for breakfast?” Serina’s face paled. “No, it's ok!” she said too quickly. Lotus giggled, “What if I said I was making it, would you change your mind?” Her face lit up, “Anything is better than what they serve here.” Lotus giggled.  “All right, let’s head down.”

     Once we were in the kitchen, Lotus took control. She inspected everything from the appliances, the pantry and refrigerator. “Where is the kitchen staff?” she asked. Gail, the elderly head kitchen omega shuffled her feet towards us. “Here I am.” Lotus smiled at her, “Is it just you?” Gail nodded while Lotus motioned her to have a seat after I introduced them. 

    “Gail, tell me, why is no one eating here?” Gail looked uncomfortable, “Well, it’s because the food tastes bad.” Lotus peered at the elderly woman. “Do you think you could make us a quick meal?” Gail looked ready to faint, “Of course Luna.” Lotus watched Gail make us an egg omelet and toast. She placed our plates in front of us. 

     Lotus lifted her fork to her mouth, taking in a huge bite while Serina and I silently panicked. “Gail, how many children do you have?” Gail looked confused, “Five, Luna.” “Have any of them complained about your cooking?” “No ma’am.” Lotus nodded her head and took another bite, “It's delicious Gail. I watched every step of the process and you didn’t miss a single ingredient or seasoning. You know how to cook. So, tell me why my people aren’t eating here.”

   Gail burst into tears, her words all mumbling together. Lotus patted her hand and waited for her to calm down. What the hell just happened? Gail took a deep breath, “I first started cooking for the pack when we were still in debt. We couldn’t afford goods and special seasonings. I was forced to work with what was left. I would make random meals and none of them would come out right.” Lotus was nodding, urging her to continue.

      “It got so bad that people stopped coming and I stopped trying. I never asked the Alpha for an increase in budget. I felt like the money should be going somewhere more important.” Gail sniffled. Lotus smiled, “Gail, there are three essential things a pack needs to survive; food, shelter, and security. We cannot be strong if one of these things is missing. We need you.” Gail wrung her hands together. “Now, let's sit down and figure out a new budget, staff, and menu, ok?” Gail nodded with enthusiasm. 

   Serina scooted closer to me while Lotus got to work. “She’s incredible.” she remarked. I just nodded my head, staring at the breakfast Gail prepared. I lifted up my fork and put it in my mouth. I moaned; it was f*****g heavenly. Serina’s eyes widened, she grabbed her plate, taking a cautious bite. “Oh s**t!” she shouted. Lotus and Gail looked back at us and chuckled. We shoveled our food, I wished we had more.

   Within 30 minutes, Lotus had constructed a new budget and a staff of 20. She included items that should be fully stocked in the pantry for all to have access to. She even made the menu easier, allowing more options for the pack but less work for the crew. Lotus handed me the budget list; the costs were already cut in half from what we were originally spending. How the hell did she do that? 

    “Donnie, how many people do we have currently training?” she asked. “About 30-50.” I told her. She furrowed her brow, “That's it?” “Yeah, the men that are able to attend do.” Her brows furrowed further, “Only men?” I nodded. “Hmmm.” was all she said. “Donnie, Serina, make sure you tell the men that eating with the Alpha and Luna for breakfast is now mandatory.” I lifted my brows. “It will utilize the food Gail makes, create bonds between members and get more people throughout the day.” I nodded my head, damn she was good.

   She stood up, positioning her crutches. “Let’s go talk to Dr. Williams.” We walked down to the hospital and were greeted by the staff. “Dr. Williams, is there anything you need?” Lotus asked. Dr. Williams seemed surprised. “Well, actually, yes. We are running low on a nursing staff. Our night crew is very short handed.” Lotus nodded and jotted notes down. “What else do you need?” 

      Dr. Williams then proceeded to tell her that more medical equipment was needed, basic supplies like gloves and swabs, and other items were added to the list. “Do you think a larger budget would help?” Lotus asked, looking intently at Dr. Williams. She nodded “Yes, we have people who are qualified to help but we cannot pay them. We could order our own supplies but we have to prioritize where we spend the money and we often go without.” Lotus jotted more notes, “Ok I’ll discuss a new budget with Devlin and we will call you in for final improvements.” Dr. Williams beamed. We took our leave.   

  “Where are we going now?” I asked. She grinned, “We are going to check on the cottages.” I followed her out the door. The first cottage was owned by a newly mated couple, the wife heavily pregnant. They stammered when they saw the Luna, worried that they were in trouble. Lotus just smiled and made herself at home. She asked about their daily lives, what interest and jobs they had within the pack, etc. The couple had warmed to her quickly, laughing along with her by the end of the visit. She said her goodbyes and promised to stop by when the baby came.

      We did this to 50 of the cottages within the inner territory. Lotus was a little busy-body. She looked exhausted but never complained. “Why are we going house to house?” She rolled her eyes, “Because you goose, there shouldn’t be barriers between the ranked members and the pack. We are all in this together. If they have concerns, they should feel comfortable bringing them up.” I nodded in understanding. 

     Lotus was kind to everyone, and she showed genuine concern. She had asked if anyone’s households were lacking anything, if the transitions into the new cottages were challenging. She made notes of the territory's layout, the number of people in each house and their goals for the future. Many members were apprehensive of her at first, addressing her with frosty tones. She had somehow managed to thaw them out and ask what their grievances were.

      We had about 30 cottages left and it wasn’t even 2 pm. “Do you want to take a break?” I asked after we knocked out 15 more homes. She shook her head. “What about the pups?” She laughed, “They are fine, their grandparents swept them away before the sun was even up!” I laughed with her. The last 14 visits went smoothly and our members seemed to like Lotus a lot, especially when she listened attentively and made a list of what they needed.  

    There was one more house left, it looked familiar but I wasn’t sure why. I knocked on the door, Marie greeted us with a death glare.