The Wolf God's Unwanted Luna

Chapter 35: New Friends

It was official. I’d somehow become best friends with a certifiably insane, pregnant woman who took genuine joy in pushing my comfort levels to their absolute limit. Hannah practically held me hostage in her boutique, refusing to let me leave until I tried on every scandalous outfit she could find. Some of them had me seriously considering kneeling down and praying for my soul. I mean, come on. See-through lace? Who was that even for?

I drew a firm line there. "Nope," I had said, holding up one of those sheer, practically nonexistent pieces. "I’m not wearing something that looks like it came from a spider’s web and a bad decision."

Hannah had just smirked. "Wimp."

Once she’d tortured me enough, she left the store in the care of one of her assistants and dragged me around the territory for what she dubbed "a proper tour." And honestly, it was something I didn’t know I needed. Johnson had his boyish charm and silly antics, but Hannah? She was sharp-tongued, blunt to the point of painful honesty, and completely unbothered by social niceties.

While we were out, she noticed the way people instinctively gave me space, too much space, like they were afraid of breathing the same air. It was subtle, but she caught it. When a waiter spilled a drink before even making it to our table and practically collapsed into a spiral of apologies, Hannah called him out loud and clear.

"Okay, okay, we got it the first fifty times. Chill, man. No blood, no foul," she snapped.

The entire restaurant froze. Even though Hannah had spoken, every single gaze zeroed in on me, like they expected me to erupt or, I don’t know, transform into a monster on the spot.

"I-I’m..." The poor waiter looked like he might faint. His hands clutched his apron, twisting it as if it could hold him together. His brown eyes shimmered with panic.

I couldn’t take it. Something about his trembling form and desperate stammer made my heart squeeze. On instinct, I stood and walked over to him. I ignored the way people sucked in breaths around us. Luke and the others were nearby, watchful and ready, but they didn’t interfere.

I rested my hand gently on the waiter’s shoulder, and he flinched under my touch.

"Hey," I said softly, voice low and coaxing, "can you look at me? Because I feel like I’m giving this heartfelt monologue to a ghost."