Chasing His Kickass Luna Back by Jane Above Story

“Hey Marcus, what’s up?”

“Karl, glad I caught you. You have a minute? We need to discuss some pack
matters.”

“I’ve got a moment,” I say, feeling a knot of tension that I hadn’t noticed before
start to unwind. “What’s going on?”

“First off, the lumberyard deal went through. They’re asking if we’re okay with
them expanding a bit more into our territory.”

I think for a moment. The owners of the lumberyard have been allies for years,
and the lumberyard provides jobs for pack members. “Fine by me, as long as
they stick to the agreed environmental safeguards.”

“Great. I’ll confirm it with them.”

“What else?”

“We’ve had some land disputes on the west boundary. The Everwinter pack is
claiming it’s theirs.”

I grit my teeth. The Everwinters are notorious for pulling stuff like this. “Alright,” I
say with a sigh. “Let’s not start a war over it. Offer a meeting to discuss it, and
go heavy on the diplomacy. Remember, their Luna loves our pack’s specialty:

Turkish delights. Get her a fresh box of them. It’ll sweeten the deal.”

“Understood. Oh, and you’ll have a couple of contracts to e-sign tonight. Expect
some emails.”

“Sure, send them over,” I reply.

Marcus pauses for a moment before he speaks again, choosing his words
carefully. “And, Karl, there’s something else. Some of the pack... they’re talking.”

I feel a prickling sensation at the back of my neck, a warning from my wolf.

“Talking? About what?”

“About you not being around much. They say you’re shirking your duties as
Alpha.”

I close my eyes for a moment, inhaling deeply. The irony isn’t lost on me: I step
out to escape one problem, only to be confronted by another.

“Marcus, what’s my approval rating?” I finally ask, needing to know how deep
the wound goes.

“It’s... not the best lately, Karl. You should be aware of that. You’ve always been
one to prioritize the pack, so your absence hasn’t gone unnoticed. It’s fixable,
though. You just need to come home.”

I feel a pang of guilt, and it stings. “Maybe I have been shirking my duties,” I
admit, looking up at the sky as if it holds answers. The stars twinkle back,
indifferent to my problems. “I’ve been distracted lately.”

“Distracted?”

I hesitate, reluctant to bring up Abby and the complicated web of issues
surrounding her right now; how my efforts to gain her favor only worked to a
certain extent. How she’s still rejecting me, even tonight. “I can’t talk about it
right now, Marcus. But I understand what you’re saying.”

Marcus sighs on the other end of the line, a heavy sound that says he’s carrying
his share of burdens, too. “When can you be back, Karl? We need our Alpha. In
person.”

“Very soon,” I say, feeling the weight of that promise as I make it. “I’ll come back
full-time to the pack, I swear.”

“Thanks, Marcus. Bye.”

As I end the call, I find myself looking back toward Abby's
apartment. Inside, there are people who surprisingly care about me, a woman who has taken up a significant chunk of my thoughts, and mysteries that need solving.

Yet, in this moment, the strings pulling me back to my pack feel more like steel cables than strings.

I've been walking a fine line, trying to be the man Abby needs and the Alpha my pack deserves. And I'm failing at both.

I shove my phone back into my pocket, my fists clenched. My wolf is restless, unhappy with my indecisiveness. He's a creature of action, of directness, and this situation is making him anxious, just as it is me.

"I'll fix this," I mutter to myself, setting my jaw. "I have to."