Page 47 of Luna Trials

“Nice to meet you.” Fallon blinked up at Opal, sniffing the air as her wolf flashed in her eyes.

A pretty blush bloomed on Opal’s porcelain skin and she took her seat. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but since I was already in the dark on so many things, I tried to change the subject back to more pressing concerns.

“So, this hospital?” I asked. “Do we have a plan on how we’re going to help? Or is there something we’re meant to do?”

“It’s for the photos mostly.” Fallon shrugged. “They’ll take us on a tour to meet the human kids and brighten their day. Record a few scenes. Snap pictures. That sort of thing.”

“Do the kids even watch the show?” I frowned. It seemed a little pathetic to be bringing in afilm crew to a hospital just to prance us around. I was kind of hoping we’d actually do something to help.

“Most of this is public relations anyway. That’s basically the whole show. We entertain the humans, give them a glimpse into shifter life, and in turn, we put them in our pocket when it’s time for policy change.” Edith dropped her phone into her purse and looked away like she hadn’t just blown my mind.This is a dating show…“The cameras are coming.”

I crossed my arms over my chest, suddenly self-conscious of Jim’s Garage. I knewMating Seasonwas a big part in bridging the gap between shifters and humans. It was one of the most viewed shows on television which is why they kept renewing it every year. But I hadn’t realized it was like government level big.

“Hello, ladies.” One of the cameramen directed the lens at our table and smiled at Edith like he knew her. “Sorry for interrupting. Go back to acting natural. What were you saying?”

Edith checked to make sure her hair was in place. “We were talking about maybe doing something different for the hospital this year. Weren’t we, Aspen?”

The camera panned to me and I froze. My tongue was thick in my mouth. This was not what I was expecting. Why hadn’t Alpha Derek told me more if he expected me to be a representative of our pack? Or had he said something like that and I’d chosen to ignore it?

“Aspen?” Edith frowned.

Under the table, Opal’s leg brushed mine and a sense of peace enveloped me. I sighed, breathing it in, and gave her a grateful smile.

“I was just thinking it might be nice to bring some sort of gift bags or something.”

“Maybe.” Edith nodded.

Fallon shot her a curious glance. “I think that’s a great idea.”

“Me too,” Opal agreed.

I watched Edith, trying to understand the power move and waiting to see how she’d respond.

“We’ve definitely got to bring them something.” She smiled bright, looking directly at the lens. The cameraman gave her a thumbs up and moved to the next table.

I chewed my bottom lip. If this was all for show, maybe I was doing things wrong. “We don’t have to–”

“Sorry I’m late.” A tornado of fiery red hair and curves sat down hard at the table. The woman looked to me and Opal, her nostrils flaring a bit, before she remembered her manners. “Hey, y’all. I’m Cindy.”

Someone is hurt.The coppery scent of blood riled my wolf.

My gaze went to the line of red under Cindy’s French manicured nails as she gave us a little wave.“Looks like I’ll be coming with you to the hospital.”

*

I mouthed the words “What the fuck” as I closed my bedroom door behind me and took my first real breath away from the cameras.

This was some next level craziness.

I needed answers and inside information and I wasn’t sure if Tweedledee or Tweedledumb from my pack would know exactly what we’d gotten ourselves in to. Alpha Derek’s warning rang in my mind.Help my son through the Alpha Games.

I thought he was talking about protecting his heart. Not his life.

Okay. Think.

We knew that Alpha and Luna titles were political as they dealt with leading the packs. It made sense that this dating show was more than just your standard hookups. We were wolves. Things were bound to get bloody. I wasn’t scared of the fight.

But the thought of going in blind like I’d been doing was starting to worry me. I didn’t know these people. Didn’t know their pasts or strengths or weaknesses. I was diving headfirst into a pool way out of my depths.