Final Dinner

She answered it to find the Luna, James’ mother on the line. “Hello?”

“Emmie, dear, I’m wondering if I could persuade you to come to dinner one last time? It’s nothing big. Just a few people. I would love to see you one last time.” Janie or Janine was a second mother to Emily. With Emily’s mother gone these past three years, Janie stepped up to more than fill in the gap Emily bore in her life and heart.

             “One last time. You know I can’t say no to one of your meals. Usual time?” Emily couldn’t say no to her without feeling the guilt of disappointing a very important person in her life and in James’ life. “But if you want James there, you’ll need to call Evan and have him add it to James’ schedule right away if you haven’t done that yet. You should invite James’ guests too. It would look rude if we did not invite them.”

             “Yes, seven this evening as usual, and I’m glad you didn’t say no. I’ll call him right away. Take care and I’ll see you soon.” Emily could hear Janie’s delight in her voice as the call disconnected. Maybe there was a going-away party after all. This new understanding came with mixed feelings for Emily. She’d now need to put on a brave face and see James again in public. She needed to stay strong for that, because Annabelle would be there, as well. The Annabelle that hates Emily for some unforeseen reason she’d never declared. Emily could only assume she was jealous of the friendship between her and James. Emily was too polite to confront her, but she wondered if she saw Emily as competition for James’ affections.

             Emily needed to remind herself that James clearly didn’t feel the same way, and Annabelle’s competition radar appeared broken.

             Everything was ready. Emily’s cottage was barren of her personal things. It would stay furnished and if Evan worked out as the new Beta, he’d move into this cottage by the next full moon. She’d be mated by then. Now one last thing to do tonight and she’d sleep one more night here before she, too, would leave for good.

             As she returned to the packhouse for the evening meal, Emily looked around at everything she’d taken for granted living here. Now she looked at everything with fresh eyes and it looked grey, cold. The same feel and look she felt on the last day before graduating high school.

             They quickly lay dinner out. But one thing Emily noticed with the first course. This wasn’t Janie’s usual cooking. “Did you have this catered Luna Janine? It’s all very nice.”

             “Nothing gets past you, dear, does it? Yes, Evan helped me find a caterer on short notice. He did such a great job. Please, everyone, eat and enjoy.” Janie acted like the nicest host. With a bubbly personality and witty conversation.

             The first course came out, and there was very nice. However, one slight problem. While she watched Annabelle flirt outrageously with James, Emily noticed the Greek salad before Annabelle. She knew Annabelle despised goat cheese and olives. They riddled the salad with them. This was not good. Not good at all. Evan failed to read the notes on the people coming to dinner when he arranged the meal. Luna Janie would not have known.

             “Emily, dear, is there no way for us to persuade you to stay? I’ve always wished you and James would mate. You just seemed so perfect for each other.” Emily’s mind raced to think of how she’d fix the issue with the salad when Janie dropped this bombshell on her.

             Annabelle gasped at Janie’s words and still hadn’t looked at her salad. Emily’s time was short. “Luna James has never felt like that toward me in all the years we’ve spent together growing up. I appreciate your kind consideration, but this is my one chance at the life I’ve always wanted. But it warms my heart that you think so highly of me. If you’ll excuse me for a moment. I’ll just be a minute.”

             Emily all but fled the room in her need to get to the kitchens. She couldn’t leave the table and the looks everyone gave her. It surprised James at the nerve of his mother. He’d not said anything more than hello when she arrived. Annabelle glared daggers at her, and her father looked uncomfortable with all this.

             This should not have surprised Emily at all. Janie was honest to a fault, loyal to those she loved, and a romantic at heart. She’d rooted and encouraged James and her to mate over the years, but James showed no interest in taking their friendship any further. Emily always honoured his choice and didn’t press the issue. No, she was the first to admit she admired him from afar.

             In the kitchen, the pack’s Den Mother arranged the next stage of the meal to go out. “Natalie, we have a big problem, and it’s about to explode. What’s for dessert?”

             “I have a mixed berry cobbler. Why is that wrong?” She blinked, not understanding why Emily asked her this.

             “No, but not enough. One of our guests is about to have a meltdown. Do you have anything with chocolate in it? Dark chocolate is preferable.” As if on cue, Annabelle’s wail of discontent echoed through the packhouse. Emily sighed and prayed this would work or James would not get access to the construction company he needed to expand the ale production house.

             “Yes, I have a few cupcakes leftover from lunch, they’re chocolate devil’s food cake.” Natalie turned to the refrigerator and opened it for Emily to see a half dozen cupcakes in a plastic container.

             “Perfect. I need one. Now.” Natalie nodded as she too heard the colourful complaints crossed with wailing. Annabelle was in fine form tonight. “Thank you.” Taking the plate with a single cupcake on it, Emily slipped from the kitchen back into the dining room and expertly replaced the Greek salad with the cupcake, then returned to her seat. Even though the room was in chaos, thanks to Annabelle. Now she needed to calm down the rest of the room. James and Annabelle’s father, John, were yelling. Janie and Evan were taking the brunt of it. Emily only felt tired. Tired of all of this. Though she would miss the people. Now how would she pull a rabbit out of this hat?