Chapter 7: Luna and Lexi

It was a woman. When she spoke, the pressure disappeared completely.

No one spoke. After a few seconds, I flipped onto my backside and looked at them.

The woman was tall, blonde, and regal. Her lips were pursed in terse disapproval.

And she was Lexi.

Well, almost. She had grey, flaring eyes that were livid right now. And she was older and less slim. She must be Lexi's mother.

No one moved a muscle. She just continued staring at the Alpha, while he stared back. Lexi seemed a bit calm now.

Lexi's mother sighed and walked to me, then held both if my shoulders. "What's your name, dear?" she asked.

"Lucinda," I answered.

"Lucinda who?"

"Dave," I lied.

"Very well. You should grab a shower, don't you think? Come with me."

I obeyed wordlessly. What was this? Was she more powerful than the man? Who was she?

I followed her. She led me into a room with a giant bed, vanity, and closet. She pointed at the small door.

"Take a shower in there. Take as long as you like. You can use any of the towels. Dry your hair afterwards."

I nodded without a word.

She smiled kindly. "It's okay. If there's anything you need, you can talk to me. Anytime."

"Who are you?" I whispered hesitantly.

She grinned. "I'm Luna of this pack, darlin'. So speak to me if anything's up."

I nodded. "Can... can I talk to Lexi?" I asked slowly.

"Sure thing. Did you like her?"

"Yes, I did."

"Good. Anything else?"

I frowned a bit, confused. "Um... What does pack mean?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"That man asked which pack I'm from. He said he's the Alpha of the Crescent Pack. You say you're Luna of this pack. The doctor said he's the pack doctor. What is a pack?"

She blinked at me in disbelief. "You really don't know what a pack is?"

I shook my head.

Her lips parted in surprise. "Where did you grow up?"

I sighed. "In an orphanage."

"An orphanage?" she repeated. I nodded. She gawked at me, then shook her head and said,

"Sweetheart, why don't you shower first, and we'll talk later. Okay?"

I nodded and walked into the bathroom.

My conversation with Luna was immediately forgotten. The bath booth was so large, and the glass was so intricately designed with vines and leaves, that it was instantly on the top of my list of things I would touch. I found three bottles of body wash and a shampoo, each smelling like a different flower. I grinned. I hurriedly stripped and chucked my clothes out onto the cabinet. I stepped in and shut the door.

Turning to the faucets, I studied them well before deciding to just try them. I turned something, and jets of ice cold water assaulted me from tiny holes in the wall. I yelped and tried to turn it off. I touched something else, and the overhead shower came to life and swung over me and sprayed me with water that was just as cold. I twisted what looked like a dial, and the water warmed up- it warmed until it was far too hot. "Shit!" I cursed. I turned something else, and the amount of near- boiling water from the shower head tripled. I panicked. In a moment of fleeting clarity, I spotted a button that looked like it led to something electric, maybe the heater. I pressed it. Immediately, green, blue, and red lights swirled in the booth and music blasted from nowhere.

"Aaaargh!" I shouted in frustration.

"Lucinda! Lucinda, are you alright?"

"No!" I yelled at Luna. "How to turn it off!"

I followed her shouted instructions until the hellish shower was tame and behaving normally. The temperature was also fine.

I bathed and washed my hair as fast as I could, before the shower could attack me again.

I towelled off and wrapped myself in it. Then I stepped out to find Lexi sitting on the bed and smirking at me.

"Wow, that thing really cooked you," she commented. I rolled my eyes. She motioned to the outfit laid out beside her.

"Here. I hope you like it."

When I wore the simple grey dress, it hung about my body, hugging all the right places, and I actually felt stunning in it. It was the shortest thing I had ever worn, but subtle enough for me. Lexi admired me.

"You look hot in that," she complimented me.

"Guess I should thank my designer," I said. She chuckled.

"Yeah, my mum," she said.

"Luna."

"Yes."

"Don't tell me this is hers." I said, horrified.

"It was hers, then it became mine, and now it's all yours. But hey, take good care of that thing. If you tear it Mum may end up punching holes in your windpipe so you sound like a flute every time you speak."

"Thanks, Lexi," I breathed. She didn't really mean that... right?

"Why didn't you dry your hair? It will dampen the dress."

"Will you laugh?"

"Oh, you bet."

"I was scared of it," I said simply.

"Huh?"

"Like what if it contracts the demon that lives in the shower?"

As promised, she threw her head back and chortled merrily. She got the machine, saying to herself, "This is way better than expected."

Ten minutes later, we walked out of the room and began walking through the house.

"So what do you want to do first? A tour, a run, or a snack?"

"I just had breakfast."

"Who said that matters?"

"Doesn't it?"

"No."

"It does."

"Doesn't."

"Does."

She gave me a glare and swiped my head.

"Ow!" I yipped.

"Now make your pick," she said sternly.

"I want to talk."

"What about."

"Lots."

"Like what?"

"Like who lives here?"

"It's the pack house, who do you think lives here?"

"Just answer the question," I snapped.

"All the shifted wolves that haven't found their mates yet."

"Wolves?"

"Yup."

"Shifted?"

"Yup."

"Mates?"

She gave me a 'duh' expression.

"What is a pack?"

"A pack?"

"Yes."

"A pack?"

"Yes!"

"You're asking me what a pack is?"

"No, I'm asking you what a chicken is."

"It's a medium sized bird preferred for its meat and eggs-"

I cut her off by swiping her head.

"What. Is. A. Pack!!"

"A pack is a group of wolves. The Alphas rule, the Betas help."

"What are Betas?"

"Why are you asking these questions?"

"Um, because I want to know?"

"But you do. Obviously."

"I do not."

"You do."

"This is going to be a long day," I sighed.

She led me into the kitchen.

"So where are they now?"

"School," she said, rummaging through the fridge. "Do you like mushroom pizza?"

"I don't know what that is."

She stilled."What?"

"I don't know what pizza is."

She pulled out something from the fridge. "That's sacrilege. It's high time you found out." She took it and popped it in the microwave.

"So, why aren't you at school?"

"If I was at school, who would be with you now?"

"So why are wolves at school?"

"Haven't you just asked me why I'm not at school?"

"Yeah but you're not a wolf."

She gave me an odd look. "What else would I be? Hell, what else would we all be?"

"Hum..."

Right. I'm not human.

But then what was I? A wolf? How?

"So then... what are we?" I asked cautiously.

"Definitely not human. Who would want to be a human?"

"Lexi," I said faintly, "what are we then?"

She gawked at me, then asked the same thing as her mum:

"Where did you grow up, Cindy?"