Page 80 of Dead Wolf Rising (Bad Moon Academy 3)

They nod.

“It needs a lot of care. I don’t expect grass until next spring, but I’d like it cleaned up, and a plan in place to get it healthy by the end of October.” The month and a half time frame is more than generous, but I don’t want them to feel pressured and do a bad job. Blaze said these guys were top tier landscapers, so I want them to give it their all.

“We can work with that, Luna.”

“Raven.”

He pushes his black hair out of his face and dips his head once. “Of course, Raven.”

I grimace because it still sounds so formal, but at least he won’t sound like a robot. Our pack is probably going to be less formal and rigid in the rules from others, but with changed shifters, we sort of have to be. They don’t know glaring at an alpha is enough to get them killed, and I’m not going to be making an example of anyone just because they decided to lock gazes with me.

“Okay.” I check with the guys, who all turn to Adler for the final determination.

Adler clears his throat. “Our pack won’t tolerate unnecessary violence. Is that understood?” He releases some of his fae power he keeps tucked away, and the shifters suck in sharp breaths.

“Absolutely,” the quiet one says quickly. “Our passion is landscaping, and this is by far our most challenging job to date. We won’t screw this up, and we’re not looking to start fights.”

“Good. You’re hired.”

The two shifters in front of me glance to me to see if I’m going to lash out at Adler for taking control, but I simply smile and lean forward.

“Welcome to Bad Moon Academy.”

* * *

The phone ringsa little while later, and I check the screen before answering. Blaze’s name flashes across the device, and I stop what I’m doing to answer.

“Hey, Blaze.”

He laughs. “Raven, always so refreshing to talk to new wolves.”

Pausing, I wonder if I’ve offended him by not calling him alpha or by being so casual.

“It’s a good thing. You can speak to me like a regular person without quaking in your boots. Only the strong alphas are capable of that.”

“And the lunas?”

“There are only a few, but you’re the strongest I’ve met.”

“You flatter me,” I say, standing and moving to the door to go find the guys. “What can I do for you?”

“Direct, too. I like that.” He sounds more friendly than flirty, which is a good thing because I’d hate to have to kill Blaze because Draco attacked him and got himself into a fight he couldn’t win. “How are the renovations going?”

My mind races to add up all the money I’ve spent lately. He said I wouldn’t catch shit for using the credit card he gave me, but I have dropped alotof money. Tracking my gaze over the freshly cleaned walls, the revarnished wood floors, the new lights, and abstract artwork I put in place of the old, stuffy portraits, I suck in my cheeks. Since shifters can move a hell of a lot faster than your average human, the big list of things to be fixed has dwindled down to a couple small jobs.

“They’re almost done,” I finally say. “The only thing we have left is the west wing ballroom.”

“Are you keeping it?”

“I haven’t decided. It would make a nice rec room.” We already have one, but another wouldn’t hurt, and converting it might help erase some of the bad memories. We already made the room where Jackson had been killed into a supply closet. No one needs to sleep in there.

The gym has been cleaned, rearranged, and Layla even bought some sage to cleanse away thebad vibesas she put it. For now, we’ve sealed off the dungeon until we decide what to do with the extra space. Brayden wants to use it for glow light yoga, but I don’t think anyone will be able to relax with the cells behind them.

Turns out the iron bars are stuck in the stone floor and ceiling, so to take them out we’d have to saw them off. We had bigger problems to tackle, so we’ve tabled the discussions on that particular area.

Morg’s sanctuary has been turned into the apothecary. With the help of Layla and Penelope, we painted the walls sky blue and had the electrician add in eclectic overhead lights. Whatever nurse we hire is going to love it, otherwise she won’t be the right fit. I’m carefully selecting who gets to come to Bad Moon Academy because I don’t want it to be just a school, I want it to be an experience.

Blaze has been talking about the ballroom and why I should consider leaving it, but I’ve missed most of it. I stop at the end of the hall to my office and look at the foyer. It really is dazzling when it’s clean. The chandelier is the star of the room, but the stairs are grand enough to be a close second.

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