The Reluctant Luna

Chapter 7

Louise pulled into her parking spot in the basement garage. Her mom got out of the front seat, and the three burly males piled out of the back seat. With everyone in the elevator, she punched the penthouse button and placed her hand on the scanner for confirmation.

It took them up to one floor below the penthouse and stopped. Then the doors opened. "What's this?" Beta Michalis demanded.

"This," Louise stated, "is called security. Come on."

They stepped into a room where a human man and woman stood scantily clad. The man efficiently patted down each of the male werewolves, while the woman patted down her mom. "Apologies, Mistress," she stated, before patting down Louise as well. She was... thorough, much to Alpha Luca's obvious displeasure.

Jeffrey calmly stated, "You get used to this, Alpha Luca."

"Why should I submit myself to the mauling of a human? Why should my mate be subjected to it?"

Louise leveled her gaze at him. "Because if you don't, this room will be flooded with wolfsbane, and more humans will come in to bind you in silver while you choke. Vampires don't play around with security."

With their pat downs complete, Louise took them back to the elevator, where they went up an additional floor. This time, the door opened to the usual scene. Her dad was waiting for her.

"Father, this is Alpha Luca Caruso, and his beta, Michalis Drivakis. Gentlemen, my father, Broodmaster Niall Byrne."

"A pleasure to meet you, gentlemen," her dad said with a wide smile. "And a pleasure to see you once again, Marisa," he added, giving her a peck on each cheek, despite a soft growl of displeasure from Jeffrey.

"It's nice to see you once again, as well, Niall," she replied with a pleasant smile before taking Jeffrey's hand in her own.

"Come! Let's retire to my office, where we can speak privately." With that, her dad lead them down a few hallways into a large conference room. Her father showed no discomfort with their guests, but Louise noted several members of the brood giving mistrustful glances, and both Luca and Michalis were clearly on edge.

She lead them in, and her father closed the door behind them. He took the head of the table, with her at the opposite end. Her mom and Jeffrey took one side, while Luca and Michalis took the other.

"What can I do for you, my dear?" he asked her, ignoring the werewolves.

"As you know, Alpha Luca believes I'm his mate."

"You are!" the alpha interrupted.

Louise ignored his outburst, as did her father. "However, his knowledge of me is rather limited, for obvious reasons. Before I entertain the idea of letting him persuade me, I think he needs to understand the negative impact my presence would have on his pack," she stated formally.

"A pack needs its luna," Luca asserted.

Yes, yes, a pack needs a female alpha to be all motherly and provide emotional balance to testosterone-laden males. Whatever. That's not me, she thought.

Her father turned his head to the ignorant alpha. "Alpha. You live near Broodmaster Henderson's territory. How often do you have dealings with him?"

Luca frowned. "Not often. I dislike dealing with vampires."

Her father smirked. "I'm sure he finds the feeling is mutual." There was a low growl from the beta. Her father's eyes blazed red as his attention shifted. "You are a guest whose presence is unneeded for this meeting, wolf. Show respect or I'll have you removed."

Michalis' eyes widened slightly, before he glanced to Luca with a frown, then bowed his head.

"Better. Perhaps some ground rules are in order, since you spend so little time with my kind. Vampire hierarchy is absolute. Within my brood, it is impossible to disobey an order. Everyone in this building, aside those of you in this room with me, is an extension of my will.

"Louise is my second in command, despite her inability to directly control my brood. This is because I have ordered it. Any command she gives that does not circumvent my own is obeyed without question." He leaned forward, resting his chin on his hands. "Everyone in this compound is my property," he stated with finality. "Present company excluded."

There was silence as the broodmaster allowed that statement to sink in. This was nothing new to Louise or her pack's leadership. It seemed to unsettle Luca and Michalis. Finally, Luca asked, "So she's...?"

"Distressingly immune to my control," he stated. "She's an anomaly, immune to vampire control, immune to the voice of an alpha. She's unable to join a pack link, brood hierarchy, anything. She is, by nature, neutral in both worlds."

Luca frowned. "How does this impact her?"

Louise spoke up. "I'm daddy's little negotiator." Luca's eyes snapped to her. "I can't be stolen from him. My bonds with him are purely emotional. I can visit Seattle on his behalf, and Broodmaster Henderson cannot compromise me."

"That's unacceptable," Luca stated firmly.

This time it was Louise whose eyes flashed red. "That is my reality, dear mate. I am loyal to my father, just as he is loyal to me. If you take me as your mate, instead of rejecting me as you should, you will be subjecting your pack to vampire politics."

"A pack needs its luna. She needs to be present to provide for the emotional well being of the pack and its alpha." He turned his attention to her mom. "You tolerate this nonsense?"

Louise smiled to herself as her mom replied, "My daughter is not a werewolf. She has never fully fit into our pack or his brood. She has made a place for herself in both, despite that. She loves both me and her father, and I will not interfere with her desire to be in our lives however she is able to." There was no hesitation in her voice. She and Niall had been in conversations about everything Louise did over the years.

Frowning, Luca turned his attention back to her father. "What is it you are proposing?"

"I am proposing that you understand this: if you take her as your mate, you are inserting your pack into vampire politics. Marisa's pack understood what they were doing when they accepted her. Alpha Jax and I discuss issues of vampire and werewolf politics on a regular basis.

"Broodmaster Henderson will consider you taking her into your pack as de facto siding with me should you become involved in any conflict between myself and him. Further, I will be sending one of my brood to your pack on a regular basis to ensure none of them have been taken into his brood." He gave a broad smile that didn't reach his eyes. "You will be putting your pack in harm's way, given the location of your territory."

With that, he stood and went to the room's exit. "Come, let's allow the lovebirds to discuss what they'd like to do." Marisa and Jeffrey stood immediately. After a nod from Luca, Michalis did as well. The four left and closed the door behind them, leaving Louise and Luca alone.