CHAPTER 32

OLIVIA'S POV.
By the time Niamh would transport me around the hall to meet different members of the pack, I was already feeling tired and my head was on fire. At first, I tried to keep track of the names of everyone and the positions they held in the pack, and crucial their positions were but after meeting about twenty people in a roll, I had given up and told myself that I would be learning about them gradually.
"Olivia, did you know that Finn is Jane's boyfriend?" Niahm asked me in a low gossip voice.
I looked at the person called Finn whose secret affair was out in the open and he didn't seem to mind it one single bit.
"If you weren't my brother's mate, I swear to the moon goddess, I would have murdered you a long time ago." The young man told Niamh.
Perhaps, he did mind about it, I thought. When Niamh flicked her two fingers at him and the young man laughed, I knew that he truly didn't mind any of the discussion.
"Didn't you promise to tell the Alpha only good things about me? Why does he still look at me like he would kill me every time we crossed paths?" The man called Finn asked Niamh.
"You are stealing his only sister away from him, of course, he would look at you with a murderous gaze," Niamh told him.
"You were the only sister of your two brothers too, yet, they didn't kill Holden when he claimed you!" Finn said in exclamation.
"Ask him what faced in the hands of my brothers before he got their approval." She told him and patted his shoulder when he groaned in frustration. "One of my brothers even changed into a wolf and bit him by his thigh." She told the young man in a hushed tone.
I listened in on their conversation in silence. It hurt me a little when I heard how the two people in front of me kept going on and on about how brothers protect their sisters and I was reminded of my brother back at the Hades Shrout pack. I was reminded of how he would always yell my name and force me to do things against my will. Even more, he and my parents were always at the top of the list of people who maltreated me instead of offering me protection.
Why couldn't my brother act like a shield around me too as the brothers of Niamh had acted around her? Why couldn't he act like an elder brother should and scare Julian away just like the Alpha was trying to scare Finn away from his sister?
"Luna!"
I let out a low scream when someone shook me by the arm and shouted Luna. I looked up and winced when four eyeballs stared at me intently.
"Sorry," I said to them in an apology. "What did you guys say?" I asked them.
"I said that the Alpha is coming, can you act as a shield for me?" Finn asked me.
"Coward," Niamh muttered under her breath.
I looked up and saw the Alpha and his beta walking to where we were. When I looked around, I saw that the hall was already empty with just a few people left. When the two men got to us, Finn looked directly at the Alpha and greeted him.
"Where's Jane?" Julian asked Finn.
"I don't know, Alpha. I... I haven't seen her today." The young man said in a trembled voice.
Even though I could tell that courageous as he wanted to act, Finn was still a whole lot scared of the Alpha.
"You don't even know where your girlfriend is?" Julian asked the man again.
"I'm sorry, Alpha. I'll go and look for her now," Finn muttered.
"Finn!"
Someone shouted behind me and I looked back to see who it was. I saw a young lady who couldn't be more than 19 years old smiling at Finn. Judging from her facial look, one can easily recognize that she was Julian's sister. When she got to where we all were, she ran into Finn's embrace.
Julian cleared his throat, "Do you realize that I'm standing here while you are hugging a man? Do you want him dead?" He asked his sister.
The young lady let go of Finn immediately and turned to her brother.
"Touch him and let me see!" She said in a daring voice, hands akimbo.
Julian slapped one of the arms first, then he held her by her ears lightly.
"When did you turn into a soldier?" He asked her.
"Alpha!" Finn said, a lot of emotions showing in his voice.
"What? I can't reprimand my sister? What would you do? Beat me up?" Julian asked.
"If that is what it would take for you to stop hurting her," Finn said in a determined voice.
"Finn, shut up! Do you have a death wish?" Holden cautioned his brother.
"You want to challenge me?" Julian asked and advanced toward the other man in determined strides.
Even though Julian looked like a formidable opponent to challenge at that moment, Finn didn't shake or move even an inch from where he stood.
"Julian!" Jane shouted and moved between them but her brother didn't stop.
"Julian! Finn is my brother!" Holden said too in an attempt to stop the Alpha.
I couldn't take it anymore. If Holden, who was the Alpha's beta, could sound so scared, I was sure that if the battle truly happened between the Alpha and Finn, the younger man would be a gone sacrifice. When he was almost where Finn was, I stepped between the two men.
"Julian, stop it," I said in a warning to the Alpha.
I was surprised when Julian stopped immediately and I could tell that the others were surprised too because they all gasped.
"Step back, Julian," I commanded him again, just to see if he would obey me again. Surprisingly, he took three steps back.
"Thank your lucky star the Luna pleaded for you." The Alpha told Finn.
"Why is it so hard for you to accept Finn?" His sister asked, almost in tears.
"Yeah. Why is it so hard?" I supported the young woman.
"Who said I didn't accept him? I was just testing him. Well, he already passed 3 out of the five tests I prepared for him. So, you guys can keep seeing each other." He said nonchalantly.
"Really?" Jane asked and she jumped on her brother when he nodded in the affirmative.
"Thank you, Alpha. I promise I won't disappoint you," Finn said with a loud grin.
"So, you finally got approval, huh?" Niamh asked Finn.
"Half approval!" Julian barked.
"Behave," I told him and slapped his arm.
"Yes, Luna." He answered in a teasing tone.
"So, you are the Luna?" Jane asked.
"So they say," I told her with a smile.
"I'm Jane, this big bully's only sister." She told me while pointing her thumb at her brother.
"I'm Olivia, this big bully's mate," I shared in her joke.
"I'm still here, both of you." The Alpha said in feigned anger.
Jane and I chuckled and we ignored his cry for respect.
"Let's go sit over there and have girls' time," Niamh said, pointing to a spot.
The three of us moved over to the place the omega had pointed at and we sat down. Together, we talked about a lot of things ranging from fashion to cooking to mating. As we talked more and more, I found myself getting attached to the omega and Julian's sister. They made me so comfortable I almost forgot about how nervous I had been when the Alpha and I had first walked into the hall.
Talking about that, I was a little angry at Julian for not telling me about what he had planned earlier. The fact that I had even bugged him about the matter but he hadn't made any indication to let his intentions known made me even angrier. But if I would be truthful to myself, I knew that I would not have come along with him if he had given me even a single clue as to what he planned.
But the people had accepted me just that. And that too, in the blink of an eye. They hadn't questioned me about what my identity was or where I had originated from. They had accepted me just the way I was, just the way I had presented myself, just like that. That thought calmed my anger down a lot.
Even the people who knew about the possible conflict my arrival could cause hadn't said anything to oppose me and it made me have a deeper respect for them. It made me want to continue to make them proud of me and every decision I made from them on. Never for one day or even moments do I want them to regret making me their Luna.
This means that I have to be a better Luna to them. I have to let go of the things that could make me seem weak and vulnerable and unfit to be the Luna. One of those things included not being able to contact my wolf. Although I didn't know how to go about it, I planned to ask my mate for help. Perhaps, together, we would be able to find a possible and lasting solution to that predicament.
I lifted my head and scanned the room for Julian. I spotted him among some men, deep in conversations. The young man he had threatened too was also there and Jane had said it earlier that the boy was the beta's assistance. That, to me, is quite a huge achievement given his young age. I'm also sure the Alpha had a very deep inner respect for the young man. If he didn't before, I am sure he does now.
After all, not so many people can challenge the Alpha. The young man had despite knowing that the Alpha was a lot stronger than he was and the fact that he would be fighting a losing battle. That action alone was enough to earn him respect even from any hardened man.
One of the men saw me looking at their Alpha and smiled at me. I saw his mouth moving moments later and Julian looked back at me. He turned back to his men immediately, said something to them, then he walked away from them to where I and the two other girls were. When he got to where we were, he cleared his throat.
"Do you mind if I steal your new friend away from both of you?" He asked the people who were with me.
"I mind. A lot at that too." His sister told him.
"Don't mind her, Alpha. We don't mind at all." His omega said.
"I was just joking, Niamh. Even I could tell that we were already boring her with our little talks," Jane said.
"No, that's not it. I promise," I told them both.
"Alright, we understand." The omega told me. Then she turned to face Jane. "Let's leave them alone." She told him.
"Of course." The young girl answered.
The two of them walked away from us.
"Don't let me see you with Finn, Jane." The Alpha called out.
Instead of replying, his sister blew raspberries at him and went straight to Finn. I heard Julian chuckled a little before he turned to look at me.
"Why didn't you warn me about what you already planned?" I asked him.
"Because I knew you were most likely going to back out." He said with a shrug.
"But why did you introduce me as your Luna?" I asked him, just to clear the air.
"Because I wanted you to get settled into your role as soon as you could." He explained it to me.
"I understand," I told him.
"Are you angry at me, Olivia?" He asked.
"Of course not," I told him with a smile. "All I feel right now is just hunger," I said truthfully.
"Then, let's go home." He said with a grin.
He held my hand and pulled me along with him. As we went out of the hall, we met Vanessa just outside. Even though we exchanged quick pleasantries, I noticed that she was a little sad and I marked it at the back of my mind to talk to her about it later.