Chapter 62


    Chapter 62 First Wave


    Thea went with her guards to the garage, and they drove to the gates. A group of people stood just


    outside the entrance. She recognized some of them from the conversation at lunch earlier that week.


    She approached them, Delta team nking her.


    “We brought our families,” one of the girls she recognized from school said.


    Thea nodded. “I‘m d you were able to make it out. I‘m Thea, the future Luna of New Dawn.


    Come here. Tell me who you are.”


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    They came forward, heads bowed. The girls introduced their families.


    “You have nothing to fear here,” Thea said. “We‘re going to take you inside, get you a warm meal, then


    show you to your rooms. You can shower, get some fresh clothes. See the pack doctor. Everything will


    be provided for you. Then when you‘refortable, you can decide if you want to join the pack.”


    Tears poured down their faces. Thea felt the relief and hope in them. She knew this took thest bit of


    life, hope, and trust that some of them had. One didn‘t have hope at all. She just went along with it


    because she had no fight left. She would see there was reason to have hope soon enough.


    “Come, get in the cars. We‘ll take you to the pack house,” Thea said.


    They followed timidly.


    A few minutester, they walked into the dining hall. The triplets, Lizzy, and Alessia, were waiting,


    smiling


    “Wee,” they said together. The group bowed their heads to their potential leaders. They could tell


    the triplets were Alphas just by looking at them. “Come, sit.”


    Thea introduced them, and servers brought out food for them. They ate wearily but hungrily as if they


    weren‘t sure when they would eat again.


    “We‘ll have pack dinner soon too,” Thea said.


    When they finished their tes, Thea, the triplets, Lizzy, and Alessia took the group of refugees to the


    block of rooms set aside for them. The families wanted to stay together, and the individuals were afraid


    to stay alone. They let them choose their roommates, then assigned them rooms, showed them the


    room of clothes, the showers, the pack doctor, everything. A few of the families and several individuals


    had been ves. It had been a long time since they were given the opportunity to shower.


    “My room is right here,” Alessia said. “If you have any questions, feel free toe to me.”


    “Thank you, Alessia,” Thea said.


    The neers were shocked that the Luna thanked an omega, but they didn‘t say anything.


    “If you want, you can just rx, settle in,” Thea said. “Pack dinner is in a little less than an hour.


    Alessia, will you bring them?”


    “Yes, Luna.”


    “I‘ll see you all soon,” Thea said.


    She had Maverick mind link Davie.


    “Luna, they‘re touring the vige, currently in the Apothecary shop,” Maverick said.


    “When they finish, have theme to the dining hall.”


    Maverick‘s eyes zed over. “They‘re on their way.”


    A few minutester, Davie and Quinn met Thea in the dining hall.


    “I‘m so sorry for the interruption,” Thea said.


    “No problem. Ipletely understand,” Quinn said.


    “Thank you for staying.”


    “Of course.”


    They sat down at a table.


    “So, going back to what we were talking about,” Thea said.


    “The big thing is that I don‘t know what I don‘t know. It may shock you, me being a high school senior,


    but I‘ve never done this before.”


    Quinnughed at her levity.


    “It sounds like you‘ll run the bar the way I envision it,” Thea said.


    “I‘m certain our standards and values align,” Quinn said.


    “And you‘ll make up for everything I don‘t see yet.”


    “I know my way around the business. I‘ll teach you the things you don‘t know about yet.”


    Thea smiled. “If possible, I‘d like to watch some of the hiring, the training, show I‘m invested. Once I‘m


    comfortable, I‘ll be as hands–off as you want. I want to be kept in the loop on what‘s going on–what you


    need, what everyone needs, and how everything is going–but I don‘t want to be an overbearing


    presence or micromanage anything. You will have nearly full autonomy.”


    “Absolutely,” Quinn said.


    “I‘ll keep detailed records on all metrics, and I‘ll be able to show you concretely how the bar is doing.


    From customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, if there are any incidents, how they were handled,


    what‘s being done to handle or avoid it in the future.”


    “Sounds perfect. Aside from having someone with experience to run the ship, I also need a manager


    because I won‘t have the time tomit to making it run properly. As this afternoon has


    demonstrated.”


    Quinn nodded. “I would feel honored to run this ship for you so you can do what you do here. It seems


    pretty special.”


    Thea‘s eyes twinkled, and Quinn‘s heart skipped a beat. He‘d never had that reaction to a woman


    before. It wasn‘t sexual attraction but the seeds of adoration being nted deep inside him. What kind


    of magic did this woman have?


    “Anything you need from me, I will be avable to you,” Thea said.


    “We‘ll trade contact info. As I‘m thinking about it, I would like all staff to get basic self–defense training.


    Confidence training if necessary. Maybe be equipped with pepper spray, a taser, whatever they feel


    comfortable using if the need arises. I want everyone to be as safe as possible.”


    “I can see to that,” Quinn said.


    “At some point, I may send people your way to interview for jobs,” Thea said. “People who have


    recently joined my pack. If they aren‘t a good fit, I‘ll understand. I want the bar to run well, and they may


    not have the confidence. I want to build them up, but that‘s not your responsibility.”


    “Are you talking about the refugees you‘re taking in?” Quinn said.


    “Yes,” Thea said. “Did Davie fill you in?”


    “Yes.”


    “I just realized it may put anotheryer of risk to employ them there. If their former packs want to


    retaliate, they could do it at the bar,” Thea said.


    “We‘ll have excellent security, to rival an average pack‘s warriors,” Quinn said. “I wouldn‘t let the risk


    stop me from hiring them. Plus, if they know you‘re the owner, they could attack the bar regardless of if


    their former pack members work there.”


    “Right,” Thea said. “Are you okay assuming this level of risk and danger? It‘s not your obligation or


    responsibility.”


    “I believe in this cause,” Quinn said. “And I believe in you. With your permission and support, I‘ll make


    sure the bar, the staff, the patrons, and myself are safe.”


    “You have my permission and support in that,”


    Thea said.


    “I also believe in lifting people up. I‘d be honored to have your refugees join the staff and learn to be


    confident and have autonomy.”


    Thea smiled. “I feel good about you,” she said. “If you want some time to think it over — ”


    “I don‘t need time,” Quinn said.


    “We can get contracts drawn up with our packwyers, make sure we‘re both happy with terms, pay,


    benefits, everything.”


    “Perfect.”


    “In your opinion, how long before you think the bar can be profitable?” Thea said.


    “I‘ll have to look at the numbers in detail, but I think we‘ll make back what you‘ll put into getting it up


    and running within a year. Then everything will be profit after that.”


    “That sounds optimistic,” Thea said.


    “I‘m optimistic,” Quinn said. “I think this is needed, and if we do it right, it‘s going to be very sessful


    on all fronts.”


    They went through a few more business details.


    Then people started piling in for pack dinner. The triplets found Thea.


    “Quinn, these are my mates,” Thea said. “The future Alphas of New Dawn, ric, Conri, and Kai


    Valko.” She pointed to each one in turn then turned back to Quinn. “This is Quinn Alden. He‘s going to


    be the manager of the bar.”


    Thea felt the possessiveness ring through the matebond. Quinn was a handsome, well–kempt, well–


    dressed man.


    “Guys,” Thea thought. “If anything, I should be feeling possessive of you. He‘s gay.”


    The triplets rxed, and each shook Quinn‘s hand.


    They made small talk for a minute, then Alessia walked in with the neers. Thea and the triplets


    excused themselves and met Alessia and her group in the middle.


    “How are you all feeling?” ric said.


    “Very good, Alpha,” one of the girls from school said. She seemed to be the designated speaker for the


    group.


    “Have you made a decision on if you want to join the pack?” Thea said.


    “Yes, we do.”


    The triplets took turns going through the process with them. They each rejected their former pack. Then


    the triplets said the words to ept them into New Dawn. Everyone in the room was mesmerized as


    they felt the bond take hold, the new life added to the pack.


    They saw the new members grow and brighten. With Thea standing next to them, they realized the


    new pack members started to resemble Thea‘s bright aura. The older members remembered


    experiencing the same thing when Thea was born. The whole pack had a glow they didn‘t see in other


    packs. Something clicked inside some of their minds.


    Their pack had magic, and it was because of Thea. That night, those people told their children to pay


    attention. Something special was happening


    They warned them not to tell anyone outside their pack because bad people may want to take it from


    them.


    The old members weed the new members to the pack table. They introduced themselves and


    talked with them throughout dinner.


    Thea took her seat, sitting on Conri‘sp. Alpha Ulric and Luna Ada took their seats, and dinner was


    served.


    Quinn leaned over to Davie.


    “Did those people grow when they were epted into the pack?” Quinn said just loudly enough for


    Davie to hear.


    “You caught that, huh? Don‘t tell anyone outside this pack, but we‘re pretty sure Thea is goddess


    gifted.”


    “I thought she hasn‘t shifted,” Quinn said.


    “She may be a gifted human,” Davie said.


    “Fascinating. I‘m d you thought of me for this job. This is life–changing.”