Lost Luna

BONUS ~ mate

noun ~ a wolf's counterpart or soulmate

PHOENIX

I piled my desk high with files and paperwork, my mind a jumbled mess as I tried to figure out what I was doing. I knew the pack referrals for visiting family were here somewhere...

A knock on my door had distracted. I grunted a yes, and my beta walked in, a nervous look in his eye.

"What is it?" I sighed, putting down my pen.

He rolled his eyes. "We are scheduled to visit Alpha Damien's pack..."

I grumbled at the prospect. I didn't want to visit anyone's pack, exhausted from the month-round trip I have just come back from. The sun was setting today, and I had been back since last night. It was barely twenty-four hours, and I was already over-worked.

"Right? What about it?" I huffed.

He shuffled. "His daughter is having a big celebration for her eighteen birthday. I thought that would be a good chance to scout them out. They are our ally, and have been producing perfect records for their contributions to the throne."

I sighed, glancing at the mountains of paperwork I already need to file. "When's her party?"

"This Friday." He grinned sheepishly.

"What? Two days?" I snapped. "You inform me of this now? Were we invited?"

He frowned at me. "Yes, we were. We received the invite two weeks ago, and you dismissed it and told me to sort it whilst you were away. Since you came back yesterday, you have been locked in here, so how can I talk to you?"

I growled at him, not liking his tone. But he was my Beta for a reason. He gave me the reasoning and helped control the pack whilst I was gone. So, I knew he was right. I had avoided him.

"I apologise, but I have been busy trying to file through the reports from the month." I sighed, glaring at the white and yellow paper around me. "Who do we have to visit in his area?"

"About five packs, not including him." He shrugged. "I can handle them. I know you were busy with this last month. It's the least I can do."

I smiled small in gratification. "That would be great if you can. You can handle them, right? They're all allies?"

"Of course." He scoffed and folded his arms across his chest. "But just to be clear, what am I reporting on?"

I smirked at him but leafed through a pile of paperwork on my desk to find a report from the previous pack I visited.

"We're visiting allies to make sure they are in order and not raising a coup, etcetera. You need to monitor their patrols, their weapons... make sure they are up on the defensive and they are not against the throne."

"Oh," He breathed. "So, undercover bad cop, good cop stuff."

I blinked at him, uninterested, which made him frown.

"I don't even know why I'm friends with you." He pouted.

I ignored his teasing, shaking my head. "You should get packing. Reply to the invite tonight, so we don't look too uninvited."

He quirked an eyebrow back to normal. "Yes, Alpha."

"And Charlie?" I asked as he walked away.

He turned to look back at me, his hand on the door. "Yeah?"

"Don't forget to be the beta. You're representing the pack. We have an image to uphold." I smirked.

His eyes practically twinkled. "Mysterious beta, as always. I got it."