Page 73 of Luna Trials
Jay laughed in earnest this time and not with that fake sound he’d been doing. “We’ll have to talk to the network and get him his own special.”
“I would pay to watch that show.” I giggled, thinking of how awful it would be with the cameras chasing my papa around.
“Me too.” Jay was still laughing as he flipped the card. “Okay, next question. Mysterious Alphanumber two wants to know ‘what would you do with your title as Luna?’”
I was ready for this one. These were the questions we should be asking.
“I think that depends on the pack.” I smiled for the cameras, knowing I could use this moment to throw my own pack under the bus. I wasn’t going to, but maybe if we had a better Luna, things wouldn’t be the way they were. Alpha Derek’s wife never did a damn thing to stop what he did to me. She’d closed the door, shooing Trenton away when he’d just stared at me too. Watching as his father beat down on a young she-wolf and saying nothing.
“A Luna’s job is to protect and care for her pack. Ideally, she’d give her Alpha strength and support him through his limitations,” I said, ignoring my painful memories. “She’s also the first line of defense to keep the Alpha in check. A Luna is the balance to an Alpha’s power. I’d try my hardest to do all that and more, especially implementing policies that are needed for shifters. Education is important to me which you already know, but so is crime prevention and rehabilitation for shifters who might have lost their way.”
Jay nodded. Aced that. Next question please.
“I love it. Your future pack will be lucky to have you,” Jay said. “Our final question from mysterious Alpha number three is “why are you really here?’”
Jay hesitated, looking up to the director. I placed my hand on his arm before they could call cut.
“I wonder who asked that one.” I pretended to think, looking over the crowd and locking eyes with Ranger. My heart thumped harder as our gazes met and I forced myself to look away. “I can understand why they’d ask. I wasn’t completely honest in my interview anyway.”
“You weren’t?” Despite his wolf being dormant, Jay had the predator’s gleam in his eye as he leaned closer, begging for the drama. I caught Molly off to the side, pressing her hands together under her chin in a silent prayer.
I had to laugh; it was so ridiculous. “I said this was a fairy tale, but it’s more than that. You… You’ll think it’s silly.”
“I promise I won’t laugh.” Jay crossed his heart, acting like we were sharing a secret as the cameras zoomed in.
I didn’t want to do this, to share the piece of myself I kept hidden so long and on national television nonetheless. But I needed to give something to stay on this show and I figured this was what they were looking for.
Even if it killed me to speak it out loud.
“My papa and gram were fated mates.” I took a deep breath, preparing for the laughter. “I grew up on their love story. I know it’s rare in our world now, but once upon a time, we didn’t have to pick. The stars aligned and fate decided the perfect person to complete our soul. My wolf refuses to settle for anything less. So, yes, I’m hoping for the fairy tale.But it’s more than that. I want my happily ever after and I haven’t been able to find it yet.”
It wasn’t exactly a lie. I did leave out the part that I wasn’t expecting to find magic on this stupid show. They didn’t need to know everything.
Whether real or staged, Jay’s eyes misted with tears as he clasped my hands within his. “That is beautiful, Aspen.”
He smiled at the cameras. “Trust me when I say that I, and the rest of the country, will be rooting for you to find your fairy tale ending.”
25
Ranger
She was so full of it.
Not about the fated mates part–I’d already learned her grandparents had that coveted pairing–but for the reason why she was on this show. If she was really looking for a match, she would have shown the slightest bit of interest in any of the Alpha contestants. Which didn’t bother me because I hadn’t been forced to kill any of them yet, but that was beside the point.
She might be a romantic.My wolf was pacing and snarling in my mind, trying to make sense of the past hour. He didn’t like the way she’d looked at us and turned away.
Same, bro. Same.
I wished she was the romantic type. That would make things easier. I’d bring her all the heads of her enemies and buy her jewelry. I knew the way to a romantic’s heart.
But she wore that story she’d spun on the stage like armor, hiding behind the excuse that she hadn’t met her fated mate. None of us met our fated mates anymore. It was rare with how many wolf shifters lived spread out across the globe. I don’t think I’d ever even met a pair of fated mates so I had no one to ask how that worked.
She’s mine.
We have to convince her of that first.
The line to the voting table stepped to the side as I marched into the room. I must have been pushing off some major pissed Alpha vibes because even the biggest of the shifters refused to meet my gaze.