Page 68 of Luna: Posy 2

Swallowing hard, I stepped further inside, and the man at the serving counter straightened up from his newspaper.

"Hey, kid," he said over the noise of guys mucking about. "Sit anywhere. When you know what you want, flag me down."

"Uh, a cheeseburger would be great." Before he could turn away, I added, "I was wondering if you were hiring at all. I can wash dishes, bus and wait tables, clean, and even cook a little."

"You a lone wolf?"

And he's a shifter, too. Great. What have you gotten me into, Cove?

"For now." I gave him a curt nod. "I heard about this pack called Five Fangs and thought I'd see if they might need a beta. I can tell I'm close. How far off am I?"

"You want Five Fangs? You found it." The man nodded his head toward the guys in the back. "First alpha is here with his beta and the other four alphas-to-be. You picked the right night for a cheeseburger, kid."

First alpha? Four alphas-to-be?I'd never heard of such things.

The noise behind me came to a dead stop, and I lifted my chin before turning around. All six guys were staring at me with a variety of expressions except for one.Hisface was as blank as a snow-covered field as he stood up and started walking over to me. Preparing for a fight, I let my backpack drop to the floor and flexed my fingers.

He came to a stop three feet in front of me and narrowed his gray eyes as he stared at me. The power radiating off him made me want to take a step back. It was dead hard to hold my ground and his gaze, but I did.

So he's the alpha.

He was an inch or two taller than me, although I had a broader frame. My size had saved me in the past, but right now I was basically skin and bones under my layers of clothing. It had been months since I'd had a stable job and a safe place to sleep, and the weeks of hiking and scavenging had taken their toll.

"Why'd you get kicked out of your pack?" he asked after studying me for another minute.

Not every lone wolf is made from being banished by their alpha. I could have been born in the wild, or orphaned, or half a dozen other scenarios. He'd guessed correctly, though, and I didn't bother to ask how.

"I'm gay."

Dude did not react. At all. After a few seconds, he tilted his head slightly to the side.

"And?"

"There's no 'and' to it." I shrugged. "I'm not willing to take a female as a chosen mate when I turn eighteen. I want my Goddess-given mate, even if that means I can't make pups to replenish a pack. My father, the alpha of Gray Shadows, refused to accept that."

His expression remained impassive as he stared at me.

"You have beta blood."

It wasn't a question, but I still gave a quick nod.

Then his eyes whited out as he linked someone, probably the guys behind him, before returning to normal.

"Alpha Mason Price." He held out his hand.

"Emerson Jones." I took his hand and shook it.

"Come meet my brothers and my beta." Looking at the man at the counter, he said, "Roger, bring him some food. Lots of it, too. From the look of him, he could use it. Put it on our bill."

He turned and headed back to their table as my cheeks turned dull red. I hated charity, but by the moon, I was hungry!

For a second or two, I debated whether or not to follow, but Cove reminded me that we'd wanted to see what Five Fangs could offer us. Since the Moon Goddess had kindly delivered us into the alpha's lap, I could hardly back out now.

When I reached their table, Alpha Mason pulled out a chair and gestured for me to sit in it.

"This is Emerson Jones. You heard the rest."

"Gray Shadows, huh? You're better off away from that pack of pussies," said a black-haired guy who looked my age. "Cole Barlow. Welcome to Five Fangs."

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