Page 1 of The Alpha's Lunar Crown

CHAPTER ONE

Aurora

"Miss Belmont?" a gorgeous redhead walks into the reception area, her eyes scanning the faces in the room.

I slowly raise a finger, gaining her attention. "That would be me." All eyes turn to me, and I try not to let the attention frighten me. You've been to a lot of interviews at world-class companies, Aurora. This should be a walkover for you. I mentally encourage myself, willing my nerves to calm down. It doesn't work, and my ever-working brain chooses the moment to remind me of how my past interviews might be high profile but don't compare with this in importance. The very fabric of my future hangs on this.

She condescendingly gives me a once over, her eyes indiscreetly trailing from my hair to my toes before coming to rest briefly on my eyes. She ticks the file she was clutching to her chest. "This way, the personnel officer is expecting you."

She turns on her heels, and I follow, feeling anxiety slowly creeping over me. Despite spending a great part of the previous day watching multiple interview videos on YouTube and Lucien assuring me that I would do great, I feel my palms growing sweaty and my chest tightening.I wipe my hands on my shirt, the movement disguised as a quick adjustment of my red silk shirt and not the nervous wreck I currently am. Over the years, the shirt has come to be my personal rendition of a hero's cape. I always get a lot of compliments whenever I wear it. Paired with my black suit pants and a cheap imitation of Louboutin's red bottom, it is safe to say I am dressed to kill. But with every step that brings us closer to the personnel officer, I feel less like a predator and more like prey.

The redhead stops in front of an intimidating wooden door with the words "conference room" written in elegant cursive strokes hanging on top of it. My heart races with anticipation, and my nerves grow erratic, firing nervous impulses through me.

One of the most emphasized points in every video I've watched for my interviews is the power of body language and how inferiority can be sniffed from miles away, so I straighten my spine and raise my head. Despite nature dealing me a losing hand in this venture, I am determined to make this a success. This is my longest and biggest dream. Many things in my life have only served to lead to this moment. I can't mess it up.

"Good morning, ma'am. This is Aurora; she applied for the role of the assistant financial advisor," the redhead announces as we step into the conference room.A middle-aged woman who looks stern in her pleated Chanel suit and tight chignon sits at the head of the table, observing me through the bottom of her lenses.

"Thank you, Jenny. I'll take it from here." Her voice is flat and monotonous, giving nothing away.

"Good luck," Jenny whispers before slipping out of the room, her words sounding more like mockery than goodwill.

The temperature of the room drops by a few degrees following Jenny's departure. The personnel officer continues to scrutinize me without a word. Clearing my throat, I decide to break the ice. "Good morning, ma'am. I'm scheduled for an interview today." I inject an extra amount of sweetness into my voice in case she has a quick temper.

"I already got that bit. I wonder how long you intend to stand there before pitching yourself."

Pitching myself? How am I supposed to know I am to start when she barely offers me a word of greeting?

"Sit." She commands softly, and my feet move on their own accord, settling me into a chair close to her. She clasps her hands on the table, leaning in to rest her chin on them. "Tell me, Aurora, why should I consider you as an assistant finance officer?"

A smile creeps to my face. This is exactly the question I hope to hear. It's a chance to sell myself and display my outstanding academic performance and experiences. "I graduated at the top of my class in both high school and college, and my top scores were always in statistics, economics, and finance. Through multiple internships and fieldwork, I've been able to fine-tune my—""I know all about your academic prowess and multiple awards." She cuts me short, leveling me with a look I cannot decipher. "What I want to know is why the pack should trust you with its finances."The question is different from what I prepared for, but I understand the necessity of it. Whoever handles the finances of the pack controls a lot of things, and as much as degrees and awards are a huge deal, trust and reliability are also paramount.

"Mrs. ….?"

"Kingston," she replies. "Anna Kingston."

I nod, picking up from where I stopped. "Mrs. Kingston, I understand the need for someone who can be trusted; that's why I'm here. I believe I can be an asset to the pack if I'm hired. With me on the finance team, you won't have to worry about inconsistencies. All transactions will be transparent. I'll develop a system to ensure that, and I'll devote myself to the financial growth of our community. I'm certain I can make incredible changes in record time. I only want the opportunity to show that the pack's finances will thrive with me on your team."

She let out a slow "hmm," leaning into her chair and watching me closely. Her eyes feel like visible weights on my shoulders. If this is some intimidation tactic, I'm afraid it's working on me. My wolf is practically shrinking beneath the dominant weight of her eyes while I try to keep myself from visibly squirming in my seat. Tough luck.

A long minute passes before she finally says something. "Aurora, your grades are beyond impressive, and the same goes for your experience, but I'm afraid the pack is looking for something slightly different at the time. We need someone who can display both intellectual and physical strength and someone who cannot be forced into submission. Do you understand?"

I blink, letting the meaning behind her words sink in. So, this is what the stare-down was about. My mother is human, so I am not a pure-blood shifter. But I am still a shifter. Certainly not as strong as the pure-bloods, but I doubt that has anything to do with my ability to do a good job. It's not as if I asked to be allowed to defend the pack in some great war.

"I do have somewhere you can thrive." She picked up a file I hadn't noticed lying in front of her and slid it over to me. I quickly peruse the document, and a wave of humiliation and disregard hits me with every word.

"The domestic workers around here appear to lack structure, and I was hoping that, with all your experiences, you could give them something to work with as the head janitor or something."

Head janitor. She says it like it's some sort of honor. Four years in college, doing my best to be seen as valuable, and I get to be the head janitor. Isn't that what dreams are made of? I continue to look at the words in the file, the stroke of each letter staring back at me in an almost mocking manner as if to say how dare you be so ambitious?

Eventually, I lift my head, hiding my humiliation behind a smile. "Thank you for considering me for the position. I'll give it a thought and get back to you."

She returns my smile, getting on her feet. "We'll be looking forward to working with you, Aurora. I'm certain you'll do a great job for the pack."

I nod, mirroring her movements. My eyes burn with humiliation, but I maintain a neutral expression, making my way out of the conference room. Her words feel like a dressed-up insult—like she is trying to show me where I belong.

"How did it go?" Jenny asks the moment I walk into the reception area, her smile as fake as the red bottoms on my feet.

I flash her my brightest smile, and when her brows crinkle in surprise, I revel in my little victory. I might've been treated like a sub-member of the pack, but I refuse to tuck my tail and act like one. If she's looking to entertain herself with someone's misery, she might just look in the mirror.I knew the pack valued pure-blood shifters over all else. I just didn't expect them to make critical decisions based on the same outdated values. The company belongs to the Blackwood Pack, and while we have secured our grounds in world politics, we are yet to make our mark in the finance department. I recall Lucien mentioning how breaking into the finance sector would be a top priority once he's alpha. That and my love for numbers contributed to me sticking with finance in college, and now I can't even get a chance to show how much I can do. I'm not trying to be smug, but I can say no one in Blackwood has a CV as impressive as mine.Back in college, when I mostly worked with humans, I was considered an asset to every firm I worked with. They were all reluctant to let me go, so I knew that this was not about my inability to perform. It was about the human in my DNA.My ride home is mostly quiet. I don't even turn on the music. I keep wondering what life would've looked like if I were pure-blood. Maybe I'll be treated with a little more respect when I send applications and have a voice that actually matters.

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