The kitchen was a hive of activity at nine o'clock. People were stirring large pots, putting trays of pastries into the ovens, sautéing vegetables saucepans, grinding spices in mortars, engrossed in their own activities. Gerta was yelling at someone. All was well.

Its white glare, emanating from behind the long counter that separated the dining hall, contrasted with the dim incandescent light and the austere wooden walls of the dining hall where I stood, setting the tables with Brian Anderson, the pack beta.

The clock hanging on the wall read quarter past nine. Late dinners were a pack tradition.

Brian was standing next to me, placing cutlery on the tables. "...the damned park bench thing's fired up again."

The park bench has been a gift from the Alpha of another pack a long time ago, on the condition that it would be enjoyed by all pack members. The dispute over where to put it had been ongoing since the day it arrived.

Brian, a trained architect, was in charge of pack village planning, and the bench was a constant thorn in his side. He had taken one for the team and moved it onto his front lawn, but it hadn't been long before the neighbours started complaining. "Surely we can just stuff it in the shed. The old codger's probably senile now. He won't even remember it."

I placed a stack of dishes on a table next to the main entrance. "No, keep it outside. It reminds me of a time when Alphas weren't a bunch of self-absorbed twats. We'll have a pack meeting about where to put it soon."

"Talking of pack meetings," Brian continued, "it would be good if we could hold one about that girl you let stay upstairs."

"Bloody hell. A bit of goodwill never hurt anybody. I asked Thurgood about it. He reckons she's running from a possessive mate."

"It's the only thing anyone's been able to talk about all day. You know how it's like. My brother's been going off about it for the whole day. The joys of a close-knit community."

I carefully adjusted the tablecloth on the table next to me. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Anyway, there's already a bunch of conspiracy theories floating around. Spy. Dangerous rogue on the run. You know. The usual." Having finished with the cutlery, Brian was heading for the counter to begin serving.

I sighed, following in his lead.

Pack members were beginning to file into the dining hall, each taking a dish from the table next to the entrance and lining up at the counter. They knew the drill. There was the usual chatter and hum of conversation. There seemed to be more glances at me than usual.

***

"Here you go." I heaped the mashed potato onto the plate held in front of me.

"Thank you." The pup moved onto Brian's station. At the tables, people had settled and begun to start eating.

I looked up at the next person in line. Keith Anderson, Brian's younger brother and one of the higher-ranked pack guards.

"Hi Keith. What would you like?"

Keith didn't look like he was in a particularly good mood. I couldn't smell any booze on his breath, though. That was a good sign.

"What the hell were you thinking last night, Jim?"

"What are you talking about, Keith?"

"You didn't talk to anyone. You just took her in."

"Can we have this conversation somewhere else?"

"The whole pack already knows, Alpha. May as well have it here." Keith wasn't even bothering to hide his contempt.

The dining room fell silent. I felt every eye on me. I suddenly became acutely aware of the faint swaying of the trees outside.

I instinctively wanted to silence him and punish him for his defiance. I forced myself to calm down and drown out any thoughts of retribution, not letting a trace of my inner conflict show as I replied.

"She was clearly distressed, Keith. There was nowhere else for her to go. It would have been too dangerous to let her leave alone at night, and I highly doubt any of our neighbours would have taken her in. And I genuinely don't believe she poses any risk."

"Come on, Keith." Brian had crossed over from behind the counter. Keith's shoulder. "Get your food and sit down. You're only going to make a fool of yourself."

"Shut up." Keith pushed his elder brother away, keeping his gaze on me. "So let me get this straight. You let a complete stranger, whose background you have no idea of, onto our territory. He gestured to the people sitting at the tables. "Soon we'll have all kinds of unsavoury characters prowling the pack grounds."

People looked away.

He continued. "She could have been dangerous! What happened to putting your pack members first? Actually, never mind about your pack members. Maybe sort out your own issues before trying to be the good samaritan."

I felt a sudden and intense urge to reach over the counter, wring his neck, there and then, and throw his dismembered head out the main entrance of the dining hall and into the Agora. I ignored it and stared evenly into his eyes.

"I admit I may have acted in haste. But I stand by my decision. The pack was never put in any harm and I don't believe she is a threat in any way. And she's going back tomorrow. And anyway, I consulted with Lister before I made the decision."

"Oh really?"

"Calm it, Keith, of course it's true," Lister replied from several places down the line. "I've searched her belongings, and I've checked up on her details. She's completely harmless."

Keith knew better than to question the chief warrior. He took his plate, found a place, sat down and didn't say any more, shooting me a look as he walked to his table. OK, but I'm not letting you off the hook just yet.

The usual hubbub of mealtime was replaced by an uneasy silence as the rest of the pack went back to their meals, and Brian and I returned to serving. The only noises to be heard were the clinking of glasses and the metallic scraping of cutlery on plates.

I looked down the line at those waiting to be served. "Next, please."

***

It wasn't until the rest of the pack had been served that I hung up my apron, ladled myself a plate of the leftovers, and found a quiet space in the kitchen where I could watch the cleanup crew doing the dishes.

The meal felt tasteless, even though I'd had a hand in making and serving it, and that usually made it taste better. I couldn't take my mind off what had just happened.

Someone knocked on the door behind me. I went over to open the door.

It was Keith.

"I talked to Lister and to Brian. I've thought about some of the things I said tonight, and I'm sorry."

"Oh, for the love of Monagh, Keith, don't be sorry because you defied me."

"No I'm not-"

"Yes you are, Keith. You're sorry because Lister called you out on your own bullshit. Be a wolf, not a dog. Own your mistakes. Don't come here and grovel in front of me."

"Please, Alpha. What can I do to repay you?"

Don't give me this shit, Keith.

I made to leave. "You do what you want, Keith. I'm not going to tell you what to do. I'm your Alpha. Not your mother."

I looked him in the eye. "You're a good kid, Keith. Nothing wrong with a bit of defiance."

The cold night breeze cut into my cheek as I stepped into the dark. The stars were out, and the gibbous moon was shining bright. 

I looked up at the stars and took a deep breath. 

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It's been a long time since the last update, I know! Thanks to everyone who has stuck with this story so far, the support has been amazing!

For all of you wondering, Monagh is the name of the moon goddess in this book. 

If you liked it, please vote and comment! Also, I've made a playlist for this book. Comment if you'd like it to be published!