Once I changed we made our way back to our house. Chris sent me up to shower and get ready while he caught up with the others. Something about a long hot shower just makes everything better.

Back downstairs everything was breaking up. Chris had to get ready for a meeting with Jace. Jude and Xavier were heading to a different one on training and defense. Claire, Kate and Laura were all heading to a prenatal class, knowing that me and Sara weren't keen.

Chris suggested we head up to the main house to grab lunch and mingle. He did ask that we try extra hard to keep a low profile. We had basically four hours to kill before I'd have to get ready for my first meeting.

The pack house was open concept and grand in design like every other pack house I'd seen. We headed to the dining area in the hopes to find something to eat. There were several long tables with mostly women milling about.

There were a selection of sandwiches to the side for us. Not sure what the sauce was but as soon as I smelled it my stomach promised to evict it if I so much as tried it. I spotted some fruits and veggies and made a small plate before sitting down.

"That's all?" Sara asked, scrutinizing my plate.

"Never very hungry after migraines," I admitted, leaving out the part where none of the food appealed to me. She frowned skeptically at me but didn't push.

No sooner than we sat down gossip started to waft over. "-Yeah she already had a run in with the council guards," a woman said.

"Yup, poor Alpha Chris had to run down and smooth things over, almost came to blows with Alpha Kane over it." The gossip corner was in full swing I'm guessing.

"They must really be out of favour with the goddess," a third woman adds. My cheeks burn a bit hearing myself as the center of gossip.

"Can you imagine? To be one of the principal five and end up with one of those two as your mate?" The second one snickers. "I'd have rejected them on the spot." My heart hurt at that one.

Sara flinched at that last comment and went to make a move but I stopped her. "What!?" She snapped.

"Low profile remember?" I asked and she grumbled but simmered down.

"Honestly I don't know what's worse, a rogue luna who refuses to shift or a human that can't?" The first asks in disgust. 

A moment later I see Willow walk in followed by her guard, a rather surly looking woman. I watched as the women nattered on at Willow's expense and it pissed me off.

"Low profile, remember?" Sara reminded me with a frown. Clearly she wasn't impressed either.

Another group of women were gossiping about us as well, this was going to be a long week. All people seem to be able to talk about is Kane's rogue Luna and Chris's human one. 

What little appetite I had died about two seconds in so I grabbed my plate and Saras and made for the kitchen. Halfway there one of the women dumped her plates on me.

"Don't look at me like that!" She snapped as I gaped at her. "Hurry off before I teach you your place," she sneered as her table mates giggled. Yup this is highschool, I had to wave Sara off again, she was turning purple.

I dropped the dishes on the counter with the others as an older woman eyed me. "Hurry up, take this out for table three," she snapped, handing me a tray.

"Oh, I don't work here-"

"We're short staffed, you'll go where the work is girl," she snaps. 

I take the tray and head out, Sara gives me a strange look as I head to the third table and drop it off. There were two older ladies sitting there with their guards. 

"Thank you dear, I don't suppose we could trouble you for salt and napkins?" She asked, hopeful. Unlike you younger women she was kind and polite, so I scan around and saw what she needs and nodded. A moment later I drop it off and head back to Sara. 

"So you let half these bitches talk shit about you and are serving them like an omega now?!" Her temper is barely contained, it's probably best not to answer and to leave before she snaps.

The next two hours she showed me around, pointing out key places. It was exactly like a town, there was even a grocery store, a bar and a night club. Of Course Sara wants to go tonight but that's a hard pass for me. The bar is sounding good right about now though.

Everywhere we went people were gossiping, me and Willow seemed to be the preferred topic. The only other topic getting much coverage was Alpha Dimitri and his collared females. If anything rivaled a human and a rogue apparently they did.

Having heard enough we headed back to the house. Sara offered to help me get ready which I gladly took. Between the gossip and the meeting looming over my head my nerves were shot.

"When Chris finds out how they've been treating you-"

"You're not going to say a word," I cut her off. "He's got enough on his plate without worrying about trivial matters like this."

"Jess, this can't go on," she snapped back. "You're the Luna of Still Waters, it's beyond unacceptable."

"No one knows me, and what they know of me, they've already decided they don't like," I say with a shrug. I swear I see a new twitch in her eye as she glares at me.

"It's not right, you are due a certain level of respect, it's an insult to Chris and our pack," she snaps back trying to get through to me. It's working because I don't like the idea of upsetting Chris. 

"Let's just get through this meeting and we'll deal with it tomorrow, ok?" She grumbles unconvinced. "Much more of this I'll be drinking with you at the club," I say as a joke but she lights up at that.

The meeting was on a recess when we arrived. When we slipped in from the hall and I nearly died; there were so many people it was nauseating. The round tables were placed in such a way as to cram as many people in as possible. While at the center of the side, a stage of sorts had three long tables. 

The council sat at one, Garrick and a handful of Guardians sat at the second and my heart dropped as I spotted Chris and Kane seated at the other. There was an empty seat next to Kane and Chris, no extra seat next to the last Alpha and the other two Alphas had their mates with them already.

"You have to get up there Willow, that's where you go," the lady snapped, shoving her towards the table.

"Jezus give her a minute will you?" I snapped earning a growl. Sara gladly took the chance to step up and peel her guard away to have a 'chat'.

"First time too?" I ask Willow. She looked exactly how I felt and nodded.

"As much as I'm not keen, we should probably go up while everyone's distracted, it'll suck more if they stare." Her hand snaps to mine making me jump. The last time I helped her I got arrested. 

We made our way towards them but even my nerves had me frozen at the bottom of the stage. My heart was racing, my mouth dry and breathing was shallow.

"Are you ok?" She whispers, squeezing my hand tighter.

"I'm not a big fan of crowds," I mumbled. Chris noticed us and immediately walked away from whoever he was talking with.

"Just breathe baby," he said walking up to me. His eyes lingered on Willow's hand but all he did was raise a brow. "Let's get you guys seated," he said gesturing to the stairs.

Reluctantly I went first towing Willow behind as Chris followed us up. Kane nodded and pulled a chair out for Willow but she wouldn't let go. Eventually she let go once I took a seat next to her.

If I thought the view from the ground was scary this was way worse. As the recess ended everyone returned to their seats. I noticed the rest of our people at a table near the stage. Jace beamed at me, giving me two thumbs up, I couldn't help but laugh a bit.

The meeting was called back to order, the growing rogue threat was the hot topic at the moment. Several larger rogue attacks have apparently happened. The attacks on Luna's before the convention was put on rogues too.

Chris slid his hand on my thigh and gave it a squeeze bringing my attention to him. The concern was clear in his eyes. I just nodded and tried to relax. 

An argument broke out at the far end of the room out of earshot, drawing onlookers while it was being settled.

"Jess it's so nice to meet you," the Alpha next to Chris said. "This is my mate Lydia and I'm Marcus." I waved at both saying hi. 

Marcus was like Luda, a little older with some silver in his once chestnut hair and close cropped beard. His energy was commanding but even, maybe it's linked to age and experience. Lydia was very similar in feel to Claire, nurturing and calm.

"Hopefully we'll be able to catch a meal and talk less formally," Lydia offers with a smile.

"That would be great," I replied before snapping to Chris, afraid I made a mistake.

"You're good," he whispers and I relax.

After another hour of bickering back and forth they called a second recess. The issue had become a stalemate, every problem was blamed on the rogues with no solutions offered.

"So Jess, what do you think of the rogue threat, I hear you have intimate knowledge," the lone Alpha at our table asks.

"Watch it Dimitri," Chris growled. 

There was something instantly repulsive about this guy. A cocky arrogance that set my teeth on edge. Blonde hair, blue eyed with a powerful Alpha build made him attractive, but not enough to compensate for a rotten personality.

"What? I'm just referring to her time in captivity," he said innocently, not that anyone bought it. "Wasn't her Gamma a rogue for many years too?"

Insulting me is one thing, insulting Jude, that's playing with fire.

"What is it you're really angling at?" I chirp out.

"Well according to the reports you were involved in both battles, you must have seen quite a bit. What do you think should be done about it?" He asks with a knowing smirk. 

"I think it's foolish to paint anything not a pack wolf a dangerous rogue," I reply lowly. "I also think far too often they are used as scapegoats."

"Oh and how is that, do enlighten us," he growls. Clearly that wasn't the direction he expected to go.

"It's easy to hire rogues to do your bidding and if it fails oh well, play dumb," I reply.

"That's quite an accusation girl," he snaps.

"That's Luna to you," I snap back. "And it's a fact." Chris slipped a hand on my shoulder in support, I could feel his annoyance with Dimitri. Unfortunately I could also feel a growing number of people watching us.

"And where's your proof?" He growled back.

"Rotting in the forest. You seem to have read the report on the battle, did you miss a key detail?" I asked, raising a brow, he just frowned.

"And what detail is that?" Marcus asks, drawing me out of my argument.

"Sorry I didn't mean to get so heated," I apologized.

"Not at all, I'm interested in your fresh perspective," he replied with sincerity as Dimitri scoffed.

"Rob worked with a large rogue force manipulating events to take over our pack. He orchestrated the whole event, acting like our ally and mutual victim till he had the chance to betray Chris." I explained with a shudder remembering the terrifying moment I almost lost him.

"Conveniently he's not here to defend himself," Dimitri retorted.

"Are you for real?! How many people have betrayed you and lived to tell about it?" I snapped.

"None," he replied with a dangerous tone.

"Likewise," I snapped. I could feel the fire in me and at this moment didn't give two shits, something about him just rubbed me wrong.

"Big talk for a female, a human at that," he growls. Chris is on his feet at that snarling at him, I could feel his anger and Alpha energy rolling off in waves.

"Watch your tone with my mate," he snarls.

"Keep your mate in line before I put her in her place," Dimitri challenges, now on his feet.

Things were degrading fast, Chris was livid and Dimitri wasn't backing down. The whole table was on its feet now, the fuse was lit and I had no idea how to put it out.

"You couldn't put her in her place if you tried, Dimitri," Kane grits out. "So sit your ass down before I put you down myself." Kane wasn't playing, his energy was incredibly dangerous, he clearly didn't like Dimitri before I was involved.

The three glared at each other before Dimitri finally relented. At some point Chris had pulled me tight and I could feel him shaking in anger. I pushed back against him and wrapped my arms around his willing him to calm down.

His hot breath on my neck sent shivers down my spine as he finally relented and took his seat. I blushed brighter than a tomato as I realized just how many eyes were on us.

"Watch out for him. I didn't like him before, and I don't like how he looks at you and talked to you," Chris whispered. All I could do is nod, I didn't need to be told twice.

With that they tried to push the meeting on further but were getting nowhere. Eventually not even the Council was willing to sit through it anymore and it was called for tonight.

"Can we go for a drive or something? I really could use some space from all of this," I asked, gesturing around for effect.

"Of course," he said smiling.

"Kane, Chris, a moment?" Silas asked.

"Go ahead baby, we'll catch up when we're done," Chris offered at my disappointment. 

"Can I come?" Willow asked in a shaky voice. I just looked at Kane, following my lead she turned her doe eyes on him. 

"Fine," he grumbled. "But take Terra." Her face sank at that.

"I was hoping for anyone other than Terra," she mumbled at the floor. His frown deepened.

"Nex?" He offered and she nodded with a small smile.

"Let's go, my skin's beginning to crawl," I complained heading out.

I followed Jace and Jude out as we headed for home. Only one vehicle had my interest and my eyes lit up as I saw Chris's bike.

Willow's eyes went wide as I held out a helmet for her. Nex started to laugh behind us. "Kane's tried to get her on a bike, it's not happening."

"Sorry, Jude doesn't like bikes either, you can ride in the truck with him and Nex if you prefer?" I asked.

Her eyes harded in determination as she snatched the helmet from me and put it on. I snuggled up the straps and gave her my jacket while I took Chris's. After Jace helped her up behind me we took off and left the weight of the world behind us.