“Then what’s the reason?” I shot back.
“Selena, if you like, you can see for yourself on my computer. According to it, you have no account for the Luna Fund, and that’s not my fault,” she announced, her gaze never leaving mine. “Even if it was there before the system update in the bank, there is no way to retrieve it, and it will take some time to investigate the matter and try to find old records.”
I narrowed my eyes, trying to read her expression, which was smug and mocking.
“How much time will it take to conduct an investigation?” I queried.
“I can’t commit to a specific time frame. It could take anywhere from a week to a year, depending on how old the records are, because we have many accounts to deal with at the same time, and we have limited staff in the bank. So, let me see what I can do for you,” she said with a deep sigh, still focused on her fingernails.
I knew she wasn’t interested in helping me-only in making me feel humiliated.
“Avery, please help me, and I will leave immediately. I need money urgently, and I promise I won’t show my face here again,” I pleaded, trying to convince her.
“Selena, I don’t have any personal grudges against you,” she said with fake concern on her artificially perfect face. “You’re my mate’s ex, and I do worry about you. If it were up to me, I would have helped you instantly. But I’m only the Luna of this pack and can’t do much for you. However, if Zander finds out you’re here, he will put you in the dungeon. He has given strict orders that you’re never to trespass on his territory. I allowed you to enter the pack because I understand you,” she said, her words dripping with insincere sweetness.
Wait. Zander had issued an order forbidding me from entering the pack where I was once Luna? That’s ridiculous! He was a tyrant and absurd with his twisted logic-the worst ruler. I cursed in my angry mind.
“However, I have another way to help you,” she offered. I lifted my eyes to meet hers, desperate for a solution. What did she want from me now?
“We’re hiring new staff for me, the Luna of the Moonglow Pack. I’ll need more staff after Zander and I get married, so I can offer you the position of my personal omega, like a butler, and pay you double the salary of the original position. It will help you get the funds you need,” she suggested. “After all, I used to do a lot of charity, so I can at least do this for you,” she added arrogantly and intentionally.
I swallowed the insult. This wasn’t the time to get provoked but to think calmly-I was the one in need.
“That… that sounds nice,” I stuttered. “But I… I can’t stay here. I can’t afford to face the Alpha’s wrath…,” I muttered meekly.
“Oh yes! Zander will indeed be a problem for you, as he still holds a grudge against you,” she shrugged innocently, as if stating an undeniable fact. “But I will convince him when he returns,” she added with a smirk.
“He is not here?!” I asked, struck by surprise.
“Yes. He’s gone for a week for the Alphas’ annual conference. But he won’t refuse my wish. You know how much he loves me- he does whatever I say,” she assured me, grinning smugly.
I looked away, feeling a faint pang in my heart for some reason.
So, that was why I was able to enter the pack so easily-because Zander wasn’t here. My heart sank with the fear of facing the most ruthless Alpha King. It felt like facing death itself.
But I had no other option. With my Luna fund gone, I had to accept this job. I needed the money desperately.
“Okay, I’ll do this job, but only for a month,” I said, laying out my terms.
Avery hesitated, her gaze calculating. I held my breath, waiting for her response.
“Alright, Selena. I can pay you the money within a month, but you have to do your job diligently and without complaints,” she declared. “So, your job starts today. You’ll be with me all the time, handling my personal tasks, schedule, and diet. In fact, you’ll be in charge of everything in my daily routine. But don’t try to hit on my mate,” she smirked, the hidden meaning of her words slicing through me like shards of ice.
Who would want your mate? I mentally scowled at the thought, trying to suppress any feelings of disdain that threatened to surface.
“I don’t have any such wish,” I replied curtly. But her provoking grin only widened at my response.
“You’ll stay in the omega quarters. So, starting today, please check the diet schedule and maintain the regular routine,” she ordered coldly.
With a forced nod, I replied, “Alright, Avery.”
“Luna Avery!” She pronounced, emphasizing her title with a sense of entitlement.
“Huh?!” I looked at her dumbfounded, taken aback momentarily.
“You should call me Luna Avery, just like everyone else in this pack,” she clarified with a hint of pride and arrogance.
“Yes, Luna Avery!” I managed to bow slightly before leaving, not wanting to give her any more satisfaction. Avery simpered, clearly pleased with her new title, and she immediately made a call to the pack house to inform them of my arrival as an omega.
Reluctantly, I left for the pack house, my emotions in turmoil as I stepped inside the familiar grounds that held both bad and good memories. The pack house of the Moonglow pack stood majestic and lavishly built, resembling a grand palace. In the past, when I was new here, I would sometimes get lost within its vastness.
After settling my belongings in the Omega Quarter, I made my way to the kitchen where omegas were diligently preparing dinner for the whole pack, comprising over a hundred werewolves. The responsibility of feeding so many hungry mouths required an early start to the evening’s preparations.
As I carefully inspected the omegas, I recognized some familiar faces, while others were new additions since I had left. “Luna!” I heard a girl’s voice squeal with excitement, causing me to turn my head in surprise. A girl with big, curious eyes was looking at me. I glanced around, half-expecting Avery to be standing there, but it was clear that she was addressing me.
“Luna Selena?! You are… Luna Queen Selena,” she gasped, her eyes sparkling with realization. If Avery or someone else overheard her, she could be in significant trouble. I hurriedly approached the girl named Lola, making sure nobody was eavesdropping.
“Listen, umm… Lola,” I recalled her name, trying to ease her excitement.
Her face lit up with joy and surprise. “Oh, my goddess! Luna, you know my name?!” she exclaimed with enthusiasm.
I smiled, gently taking her hand and leading her to a more secluded corner where we could talk privately. “Of course, I know you, Lola. Just as you know me,” I replied with a warm smile. “But I’m not your Queen anymore. Your Alpha King rejected me, and you will soon have a new Luna. Please, just call me Selena. I’m also working as an omega here.”
Her eyes widened in disbelief and sadness. “No! Why do you have to do this, Luna?” she blurted out, then blushed, correcting herself, “I mean… Selena!” I held her hand reassuringly. “Oh, Lola, I am not your Queen. It was just a title. I am a normal person like you, and you know, I can’t even shift,” I coaxed gently, trying to ease her sorrow.
Traditionally, omegas were considered the lowest rank and were not allowed to shift or receive training on the ground. They were confined to the pack house, performing household chores and cooking for other pack members. However, when I became Luna and joined this pack after marrying Zander, I introduced new laws, giving omegas the opportunity to receive training in self-defense and war. I firmly believed that not being able to shift didn’t make them weak, and I had even organized championships and fighting competitions for omegas throughout the year to prove their strength and worth.
“That’s why I am calling you my Luna, my Queen, because it wasn’t just a title for you. We have all accepted you with our whole hearts. You are a true Queen in every way,” Lola declared, her voice thick with pride and genuine emotion, causing my own emotions to swell.
Her words seemed to have reached the ears of others as I heard more voices joining in. Several other omegas had gathered around us, their faces filled with admiration and respect.
“We have never seen such a great Queen who cooks with omegas and feeds her pack members with her hand. You made such amendments to the system that benefited everyone. You never discriminate against anyone based on their rank,” Rina, another omega, added, and they all bowed before me in a gesture of utmost reverence.
Touched by their overwhelming love and support, my eyes welled up with tears, despite the pain of rejection from their Alpha King, Zander Blake.
“Hey, lazy asses! What’s going on?” A harsh voice interrupted, jolting me from the emotional moment. Startled, I turned to find the source of the voice, my eyes taking in the scene before me.