chapter 2

LUNA ALEX

The last thing I thought I would be doing today was burying my father. The only real family I had left, and the person who I admired and looked up to the most. Most importantly I didn't think my father's death would be all my fault.

I wish I had woken up on time. I wish that I wouldn't have rushed him to drive faster if I hadn't done that he would have seen the car speeding our way. I wish that George Pullman didn't drive drunk. Above all, I wish my father was still alive.

But he's not and nothing in this world could change that

His funeral only consists of a few people considering my dad had almost no living relatives. The attendance list included myself, of course, my Aunt Elizabeth also known as Liz Liz's three children also came and m dad's chef Jack and his daughter Melissa who also worked at the restaurant and a few of my friends from high school also came to show their respects.

My father's death had put me in a dark and lonely place. I wasn't interesting of going to Princeton University -my dream college- anymore. All I wanted to do was curl up in a ball and cry my eyes out. All I was left with was a $500,000 of a life insurance check plus the rights to the restaurant and the house. Which is a lot to some people but if I was given the chance I would give every cent of it back to have one last moment with my father.

I couldn't even bring myself to spend any of the money, the information to the bank account sat on my dresser, and I haven't even touch it since it arrived in the mail just two days ago.

"My dad was a wonderful father who didn't deserve to die this way. He was my best friend the only person I could turn to when I needed someone shoulder to cry on. When....when Heather left he was the stayed no matter how tough things got. He dedicated his life to me and the people that love him. He will be forever missed." I hurried and ended the speech before I burst into tears yet again.

<><>

The ceremony ended shortly after that and together we went to the gravel site where my father was buried. When I arrived back home I stripped out of my black attire and put on some sweat pants and a big t-shirt. I sat down on the couch turning on me and my dad's favorite reality TV show Big Brother U.S. I watched the contestants compete for HOH when there was a knock at the door. I opened the door to see my Aunt Liz.

"I am not watching your kids," I told her before she could even ask.

"I know because we're going out tonight." She pushed her way into the house carrying bags of clothes that she had probably bought using the money that my dad had left her in his will. It annoyed me that she was spending the money irresponsibly when she had kids to take care of and no job. My father had tried to get her to work at the restaurant, she lasted a whole day before she quit, explaining to us that the work of a waitress was just too hard.

"No way. I just buried my father and you want me to go out." I couldn't even believe the audacity she had to ask me to go out after today's events.

"Your dad wouldn't want you to be like this." Says the girl who only came around when she needed money or a babysitter or money. "I know, what do I know." She said in a voice that I guess was supposed to be similar to mine. "You just turned 18 and you just graduated from high school and you haven't had one good day since. What's gonna happen when you go off to college-?" I cut her off before she could go on one of her meaningless rants.

"I'm not going," I sat back down in my spot on the couch and turned the TV volume up hoping that it was a sign that I didn't want to talk to her any longer.

"What?" She asked shocked. "If anything your dad wanted you to go to college." She took the remote from me and turned off the TV.

"I have to stay here, take care of the house and the family business," I said referring to my family restaurant that my dad spent his life building.

"Alex, Jack can run that place with one hand tied behind his back. You have to go to college."

"I can go to the local community college. It's the same education." I took the remote from her and turned it back on.

"But what about the experience. When I went to college-." She started before being cut off by me.

"You dropped out after your first semester," I argued.

"It doesn't matter, it was still a great time." She sat down next to me.

"I'm staying here and that's final. I've already enrolled into Blue-Ash Community College."

"Fine." She pouted. "At least go out with me tonight."

That was the straw that broke the camel's back.

"I think you've gone out enough, go home with your kids. I sick and tired of you leaving your kids on everyone else when you're the person that laid down and had them." Slowly my voice started getting higher and higher to the point where now I was screaming at her, and once I started I couldn't stop. "For god sakes' you're almost thirty and you spend more time going out than with your own kids! You've never had a steady job and when you do, you find a way to screw it up! And then who have to bail you out? Dad. Newsflash he's dead and if you think that I'm gonna to be his replacement then you have another thing coming! Why don't you grow up and be a responsible adult for once!"

Maybe I was taking my angry out on her, but everything I had said was valid and it was something that needed to be said. I am sick of her acting like a child when she had three of her own. It was about time that she grows up and take responsibility for her actions.

By the look on her face, she had no response. She stood up and faced me. "Fine, I'll go out by myself." She scoffed and without another word she left.

<><>

A week later...

I woke up around six in the morning and beginning getting ready for work. We opened at 8 a.m. and served breakfast, and I had to be there earlier so I could help sat up. I've been neglecting going there since my father's death and even before I wasn't a regular, only coming in when I needed the extra cash. I unlocked the door and already inside was Jack the head chef doing the prep work for breakfast.

"How is it going, Alex?" He asked with a sad smile.

"Good," I said as I put on clean gloves. "What can I help you with?"

"You can start by cutting these up." He handed me a bowl full of onions and green peppers.

It was two in the afternoon when I notice that we had only had a few customers so far. "Jack where's everybody?" Since I was younger there was never a time where this place wasn't filled with hungry people.

"A new restaurant just opened up a couple of weeks ago, we haven't had much business since."

Since before I had graduated I hadn't spent much time in the restaurant because I was always so busy with studying for exams or attending and preparing for my last few high school events such as parties, prom, and graduation, because of this I hadn't notice that the restaurant hadn't been doing so well.

Here I thought things couldn't get any worse.

ALPHA RYAN

I had spent all of my night in the bar drinking as if I was a fish. So when I woke up this morning it was no surprise that I had a raging hangover. "Ryan?" I heard Lily say as she shook me awake.

"What?"

"I missed my bus and everyone's gone I need you to take me to school." I groaned in annoyance.

Lily is my annoying younger sister. My father always instilled in me that I was the one that would have to protect Lily until she found her mate. With her being almost sixteen I was hoping that day would come fast than mine has. Ever since we were little, when she made a mess I had to clean it up and as you can see thing haven't changed one bit.

She was a small petite, brunette with a slim figure. She was almost an exact replica of my mother, from her dark brown eyes to her over the top personality.

"Where's mom and dad?" I asked as I massaged my forehead to relieve some of its tension.

"He and mom left for Italy this morning."

Like many other retired Alpha's, my parents spent their time traveling the world and only making short stops to check on us and the pack. I was overjoyed that my parents got to live out their dreams the only downfall was that I was left with the burden of raising Lily. In the beginning, I thought it would be a piece of cake having forgotten all the craziness that goes on with teenagers.

"Isn't it the last day of school, do you have to go?" I whined.

"Of course, I have an exam."

Things had really changed. Teenagers actually enjoyed going to school. I remember begging my mother if I could stay home, rather than spend eight hours been taught things that I really didn't need. My destiny was to become Alpha of the pack, and no amount of quadratic equations was gonna help me accomplish this.

"Fine." I groaned as I got up from the bed and went to my bathroom and hopped into the shower.

If it was anyone else I would have made them run to school in wolf form, but with her being underage it wasn't allowed in my pack. Ever since a young wolf had run in human territory and had been spotted by a human, underage wolves we are not allowed to run in wolf form unless they were in pack territory.

Fifteen minutes later I was done and walked down the stairs to the kitchen where Lily was waiting for me. Looking around I notice that no one was here, "Where is everyone?"

"It's eight a.m., they're at work." I nodded and gestured for her to come on so that I could drop her off.

Most people in my packed worked regular jobs, along with the jobs that they had in the pack. Some even worked for me at The Red Café which was the new restaurant that I had just opened up. Owning a restaurant was always something I wanted to do. Both of my parents were exceptionally great cooks and I too knew my way around the kitchen. A couple years ago I found myself watching one of those cooking shows on Food Network and was instantly fascinated by all the things they could do. A few months ago when the opportunity presented itself I went for it.

"Next time wake up on time," I told Lily as she got out of the car.

She covered her nose. "And next time don't drink so much that you puke everywhere. This car smells by the way."

I forced a laugh. "Well, next time walk to school."

"Don't threaten me with a good time." She slammed the door shut and made her way inside the school building.

<><>

"Hey Willie, how's business?"

Willie was a human that was mated to a female wolf in the pack. He had a degree in business management and had been in charge of the pack finances since my father was Alpha. Part of his job was to create business opportunity for the pack to make money. He opened and managed business and load money to people in the pack that wanted to open a business or if they fell on hard times.

"We're doing great! I know you said we shouldn't get ahead of our self but I think we should begin franchising it." He followed behind me.

"Sounds good." I waved the waiter over and ordered a black coffee to cure this bad hangover.

"There's this diner across town and their going downhill. I think we should offer them some money and then take it over." He suggested and tried to hand me a file.

"I trust your judgment." I pushed the file back his way. "Let's do it. Offer them a deal and get back with me." He nodded and went to work.