Claire’s body stiffened at the sound of Melvina’s voice. She turned sharply, hands clasped behind her back and head bowed in a poor attempt at remorse, though her mind was already plotting a hundred ways to get even with the human.

“Claire, didn’t you hear my question? What happened?” Melvina’s tone was sharp with irritation.

“Lu—” Claire began, but Melvina’s voice rang through her head, cutting her off via pack link.

‘Ma’ would be preferable!

“Oh…” Claire’s mouth opened, then closed again as she assessed the situation.

Emma noticed the subtle flickers in their eyes—one commanding, one submissive—and frowned. Are they communicating with their eyes? she wondered. Everything about this county seemed stranger by the second.

“Ma, I was just trying to greet her,” Claire said finally, still confused why the Luna wanted to be called Ma. 

Who is this human, and why is the Luna so interested in her? she thought bitterly, biting her lip.

“So greetings now involve fighting and shouting?” Melvina asked coolly, narrowing her eyes.

“No, Ma. She just got angry and tried to attack me. I swear, I didn’t do anything. You can ask the others,” Claire said, wringing her fingers and forcing her eyes to glisten with false tears.

Emma scoffed loudly. The girl was not only arrogant but a pathetic liar. Of course the others would take her side—she could tell already that Claire was a bully.

“Emma, is that true?” Melvina asked, brow raised like a judge passing sentence.

“Do you think it’s true?” Emma shot back, standing akimbo. Gasps rippled through the room.

“This blondie is a leechy piece of shit,” she went on heatedly. “She came to size me up—to see if I’d make her next victim. I just proved her wrong. End of story.”

“Ma, do you see how rude she is? She even called me a psycho!” Claire whined, struggling to hold onto her composure.

“Yeah,” Emma cut in with a smirk. “That’s exactly what you are.”

Claire’s fists clenched tightly by her sides, her mind seething with violent thoughts. She couldn’t wait to get the human alone—to tear her limb from limb. Humans disgusted her. 

Weak, fragile things. Derek had always said so, and she agreed completely.

Derek. Her obsession.

He would turn eighteen in a month and choose his mate. Claire had no doubt it would be her. When Derek became Alpha, she thought smugly, he’d finally banish the humans from their lands. All she had to do was wait.

“Melvina, please, let’s just eat. I’m starving,” Emma said suddenly, cutting through the tension.

Melvina sighed and took the packaged dishes from the servers, setting them neatly on the table. 

Emma licked her lips and dove right in—fries first, then smoothie—before letting out a loud, satisfied burp.

A chuckle made her look up, mid-bite. Melvina stood watching her with folded arms, smiling.

“Won’t you eat, Melvina?” 

“Not this. It’s all yours. Mine’s coming,” Melvina replied lightly.

Gasps rose again from the crowd—even Claire froze, shocked. 

Emma concluded they probably weren’t used to someone of Melvina’s rank eating among them, let alone serving food to another. The thought made her wonder again why this elegant woman was being so kind to her.

“Okay then,” she went back to eating, ignoring Claire’s furious glare.

“Ma, won’t you do anything?” Claire asked, lips jutting in a pout.

“Do what?” Melvina replied lazily, scanning for the server bringing her own meal. She was hungry too.

Emma hummed smugly, throwing Claire a pointed smirk.

Claire’s nostrils flared. “But she—”

“That’s enough, Claire. Leave,” Melvina said flatly, dismissing her.

“Okay…” Claire muttered through gritted teeth before storming off. The human will regret this, she vowed silently.

“You really like trouble, you know,” Melvina said, chuckling softly.

Emma shrugged. “I didn’t do anything. She was just plain rude.”

“Yeah, I know,” Melvina said, accepting her plate from the waiting server.

“Are you gonna eat all that?” Emma's eyes widened a fraction at the number of dishes placed before her.

“Yes,” Melvina grinned. “I have a large appetite.” She sat down gracefully. “Eat up so I can walk you home. I’ve got a meeting soon.”

“Oh, okay. Thanks a lot.”

“If you want more—maybe to take home—just tell me. I doubt you’ve got much to eat there yet, since you just moved in,” Melvina added kindly.

Emma replied with a grateful nod. Then she thought of the boys cleaning her house and sighed. Feels like forever ago, she mused, glancing at her wrist out of habit before remembering she’d left her watch at home.

“Can I get something for the guys too? I’ll pay you later. Promise,” she infused the last clause quickly, in case the money in her purse wasn't enough.

“Sure. No problem.”

Emma smiled, a mischievous glint lighting her eyes as she suddenly remembered Derek’s dare.