Chapter 7

I tried to save the situation with a dramatic wolfish bow of apology so I wouldn't have to shift back and apologize in the nude. I may be able to still wear some of the scraps of my former clothes if I could look around for them. 

"What's that, doggy? Are you trying to say something?" He asked, purposely refusing to understand what my body language was clearly conveying. I shouldn't humiliate myself by returning to my naked for in front of this strange man. If the Alpha saw something like that I'd would be sent packing in moments. He raised his eyebrows in expectation and I could see he was attempting to suppress a smile beneath his thin mustache. He put his pale hand onto my head and pet me like a dog.

"Get along now then if you have nothing to say."

As glad as I was to be free of him I could have torn his head off for the way he spoke to me. I hope a Luna is never expected to be humble enough to endure someone speaking to her in such a way. I rushed back to the failing birthday party hoping that if could far enough away that I could outrun the embaressment of the last five minutes. 

"Where have you been?" scolded Oakly, "And what happened to your clothes? Do you think this pack wants a Luna who skirts her duties to hang lazily around the estate wearing nothing, but rags?" Oakly had managed to change her own luck a little bit and was showing a couple of pups how to string beads into their own bracelets. I had managed to tie enough pieces of my clothing together that everything important was covered. In lycanthrop culture wardrobe malfunctions such as these were not a very unusual occurrance. 

"I think it's kind of punk." spoke a powerful voice from behind me. I turned to face the towering figure of the Alpha himself. I barely reached the height of his glistening bronze shoulders and Oakly and I both stood there gawking. In his musceled arms he held Eli, my least favorite pup. 

"I heard you met my brother Eli," Alpha Berion shook his head in annoyance at his little brother, "He's always been a trouble maker. Youngest children. You can't take them anywhere."

"Yes," I said trying to regain my common sense and stop staring at the way his biceps moved when he held the squirming pup, "I have a little brother too myself."

"Oh good, so you understand." Alpha said in relief, "Still I'm sorry about your clothes, punk as your new way of wearing them might be. Of course I will replace them so don't worry."

At this point Oakly was positively green with envy; her lips pursed as she tried to find the words that might turn this situation to her favor, but she came up empty. 

"Thank you. You are generous." I replied and bowed my head in a sign of respect and submission towards my Alpha. 

"Don't Thank me. It is my pleasure to take care of all the lovely we are hosting..." he gave Oakly a stern look, "be they pure of heart." 

My head still lowered I was beaming by the time he left to entertain more of his guests. 

"Oh I bet you feel sooo smug, don't you," Oakly said the moment the Alpha looked to be out of earshot, "I hope you know that you of all people are far from pure of heart. Why you're not even pure of family. Have you told him about your father? That humoring you would be giving power to a treasoness line of wolves?"

"I have no father," I replied defiantly, "What's there to tell? These things can't weigh on those who are pure of heart." I said in my softest most innocent voice I could muster. I began dutifully going around picking up discarded paper plates and plastic cups that were scattered about the grass while Oakly stood there positively seething at the injustice of it all. 

"Nice save, Elma" said Jules holding out a plastic trashbag for me to throw it all in. She was another wolf with and interesting hair pattern, a mix of deep and redish browns.

"You weren't half bad yourself" I replied.

"Yeah, I almost got the pin the tail on the wolf game back up and running by substituting the tail with a saftey pin I had on me and a bunch of leaves."

"Innovative" I remarked. Was a Luna supposed to be innovative? My mom hadn't mentioned that one.

"Yes, well it only lasted one round before the pups thought it made the wolf look like it was pooping and they spent the rest of the time rolling around laughting until they cried." 

"That's pups for you." I said heading back to the cabins with Jules trailing along beside me.

"Have you always wanted pups?" Jules asked getting thoughtful as we walked. Truthfully even at the age of twenty four I had always avoided thinking about it too much. Yes usually all wolves are expected to breed and it is a sign of status to be able to produce many healthy pups, but I knew that if I did they would be born cursed because they were connected to my family. Surely they would be sent to die on the battlefield for their grandfathers crimes and their connection to me would bring nothing but pain. 

"It's one of the most important jobs of a Luna," I repeated that the Luna mother had told us earlier. Maybe if I became the Luna I could have pups that would live in safety and comfort. 

"Mmhmm" Jules nodded deep in thought as we walked the rest of the way in silence. We both knew I had not really answered the question.