Chapter 3: Denise

      This was the day I would see my sister’s daughter. The day I would protect her from all that was about to come. Ellen, my sister, already warned me to be on my guard since my niece didn’t take the news well. I couldn’t blame her, her mom was going away for the Red Cross and she was thrown away 1000 kilometers from her roots. She would have a hard time adjusting. Especially in our community in which werewolves took part of. Ellen said Luna wasn’t a shifter but I couldn’t imagine that. Allen was her father, he was a strong werewolf. I couldn’t imagine his genes weren’t transferred to her. Then again, that man was a b*****d for leaving Ellen for another woman. Ellen wasn’t his mate, but he should have played a part in Luna’s life. Ellen was werewolf who couldn’t shift. She was watched upon with disgrace, even my family was ashamed to have an Impure in the family, but we made the best of it. That’s why I was surprised Ellen said she would leave Luna under my care. I was a shifter but if Luna’s wasn’t, she would face hardship here.

      So the least I could do was make it as comfortable as possible. I already made pizza as Ellen said that it was her favorite food.

      “Flight 55B1 now arriving” a woman said.

      That was the flight Luna was on. I held up my sign to let her know I was her aunt. I don’t think Ellen would have a picture from me as I was now. An unmarried shifter, plus I was nothing like my sister. Where my sister had black curls, I had brown straight hair. My sister was skinny, I was curved. I had grey eyes, my sister brown.

      “Aunt Denise?” a voice said, snapping me from my memories. Before me there was a small girl not longer than one seventy, brown hair not reaching her shoulders.

      “Luna?” I asked.

      “Well duh! How else would I know your name. I’m not a psychic” she shrugged.

      “No, of course how stupid of me. I’m your aunt. Denise Lang.” I held out my held. She ignored it.

      “Luna Roosveld. I hope we will drop the formalities because we’re going to live together for a long time. So I will cut the chase. You let me do my thing, you will do yours. I will abide the rules you have, in return I will have no curfew, and I want the Friday and Saturday to sleep, Sundays I don’t go to church since I don’t believe in anything. Deal?” she said. Well, this one is feisty. Oh well, just like her mom I guess.

      “Well, I had a curfew till ten, which I will not budge from. I don’t go to church either but we have a community meeting each week, in which you don’t have to attend to, but I do. Furthermore, everything else, we’ll figure out on the way.” I said. As she let the news sink in, I saw that she was relieved. “But one thing, I hope you will behave. Ellen said you had some… trouble on your previous college. I hope you’ll show not such behavior at this one. It could reflect badly on me. I made an effort to get you enrolled there, and I have to say, it wasn’t easy.”

      “Okay, that’s a deal. Shall we get going, plane chairs aren’t that comfortable as I’m used to.” She said as she rubbed her lower back.

      I laughed, “Okay, let’s go,” I picked up on of her backs walked away. I turned around, “Well, aren’t you coming?” I asked.

      “Yeah coming” she replied, but she looked puzzled.

      “Something wrong, Luna?”

      “Nah, must be my imagination.”

      “Why?”

      “I could swear I’ve been here before.” She said.

      “All airports look alike. You’ve been to Madrid before right? Maybe that’s what you remember.”

      “Yeah, that must be it.” She shrugged, “Let’s go.”

***

I pulled my truck into the driveway. I thought that Luna would throw a fit of why she was sent here, but she didn’t. After we introduced ourselves at the airport, she was rather quiet. I asked what was on her mind and she replied that she was thinking of home. Well, the other home she said. I really felt for her, but I could already see she was a strong one.  Feisty, smart and fast.

      “Well, welcome to my house. I know it isn’t home, but I hope you would like it.”

      “Yeah it’s nice.” She stepped out of the car and looked around.

      I also step out and went to grab the bags as my neighbor, James Pitters came out of his home.

      “Well, Denise, who’s this?”

      “James, I told you this morning that my niece was coming. No need to act innocent now.” I joked. Luna on the other hand looked rather puzzled. “What” I said.

      “Nothing” she walked to James, extended her hand and introduced herself. “Hello, I am Luna Roosveld. I will stay at Aunt Denise’s place until my mom will come back.”

      “Hello, James Pitters is the name. Roosveld? Hmm, surely not related to Allen Roosveld?” he asked as I froze. B*****d.

      “I would not know, I never met my father. He just a guy donated sperm to my mom,” she said. I think a saw some pain in her face, but as quickly as it showed, it was gone.

      “Your mom is Ellen Lang?”

      “Lang is her maiden name, but she took my father’s name because it was easier for the administration.

      “I see” he said as he looked at me.

      “You have some explaining to do at the meeting Sunday, Denise” he said through the pack bond.

      “Explain what, Denise?” my Alpha replied.

      Great now I have to explain, I thought I could do this later, I guess that cat is out of the box.

      “I will explain later my Alpha.”

      “Fine, but Denise, no more pranks.” My Alpha warned me.

      I sighed.

      “Aunt Denise, everything okay, you look troubled.” Luna remarked.

      “I’m fine. Just a little worried I had the right ingredients for your pizza. I mean I bought some veggies but I didn’t ask which one you liked.

      “Oh, I can eat anything. Don’t worry, even if you had bought meat, I am starved.”

      “Sorry James, the girl’s hungry, see you later.” I said my goodbye and cursed inwards. He just made the entry of Lune much harder, but then, I should have figured. In this community of shifters, nothing is hidden for long.