Alpha's Costly Mistake

The monthly pack barbecue had always been one of my favorite traditions. Families gathered on the sprawling lawn behind the pack house, children ran between the tables while their parents shared stories and laughter, and the scent of grilling meat mingled with the late summer air. As Luna, I usually helped coordinate the event, ensuring everyone felt welcome and the festivities ran smoothly.

But this month, everything felt different.

I stood at the edge of the patio, one hand resting on my growing bump, watching Alessandro and Lola examine the massive grill setup that had been arranged near the garden. The August heat was already oppressive at ten in the morning, and I could feel sweat beading at my hairline despite the loose sundress I'd chosen specifically for the weather.

"The coals need to be perfect for this much meat," Lola was saying, her voice carrying easily across the space. She wore a flowing white top and perfectly fitted shorts that made her look effortlessly elegant even in the heat. "In France, they taught us that temperature control is everything."

Alessandro nodded, hanging on her every word as usual. "I never thought about the European techniques. We've always just done things the traditional way."

"Oh, tradition has its place," Lola laughed, that musical sound that seemed to enchant everyone within hearing distance. "But sometimes innovation can improve even the oldest customs."

I approached them slowly, hoping to insert myself into the conversation. As Luna, organizing pack events was supposed to be my responsibility, and I had ideas about the menu and timing that I'd been planning for weeks.

"The weather forecast shows it'll hit ninety-five degrees by noon," I said, joining their circle. "I was thinking we might want to start the grilling early, maybe set up some additional shade structures—"

"Actually," Lola interrupted with a bright smile, "I was just thinking the same thing. This heat is going to be brutal." She turned to Alessandro with an expression of sudden inspiration. "You know, since Mackenzie isn't doing much anyway, maybe she could handle the grilling? I mean, she's just standing around, and someone needs to tend the fire."

The suggestion hit me like a physical blow. I stared at her, certain I'd misheard. "I'm sorry, what?"

"The grilling," she repeated, as if it were the most reasonable suggestion in the world. "You're not really busy with anything else, are you? And someone experienced should manage the temperature control."

I felt my mouth open and close like a fish gasping for air. The grills were positioned in the full sun with no shade coverage, and the heat radiating from the coals would be intense enough to make anyone sweat through their clothes within minutes. At seven months pregnant, spending hours over hot grills in ninety-degree weather wasn't just uncomfortable—it could be dangerous.

"Lola, I don't think—" I began, but she was already turning to Alessandro with that expectant look that always seemed to get her whatever she wanted.

"Don't you think it would be good for her?" she asked him, her tone light and conversational. "Mackenzie always seems so... restless. Maybe some activity would help."

I turned to Alessandro desperately, waiting for him to point out the obvious problems with this suggestion. Surely he would remember that I was carrying his child, that the heat could be harmful, that asking a pregnant Luna to work over hot grills while the pack's guest relaxed in the shade was beyond inappropriate.

But when our eyes met, I saw only mild consideration, as if he were actually weighing the merits of Lola's proposal.

"It would be good exercise," he said finally, with a casual shrug that shattered something inside my chest. "Fresh air, staying active. The pregnancy books all say movement is important."

The words hit me like a slap. I stood there, stunned, as Lola clapped her hands together in delight.

"Perfect! I'll help Alessandro set up the shade tent over there where we can supervise." She gestured toward a cluster of trees that would provide perfect relief from the sun. "We can make sure everything runs smoothly."

I watched in numb disbelief as they walked away together, already deep in animated conversation about tent placement and seating arrangements. Alessandro's hand rested briefly on the small of Lola's back as he guided her toward the trees, a casual intimacy that he hadn't shown me in months.

The first families began arriving an hour later, and I found myself stationed beside the enormous grill array like a servant at my own pack's celebration. The heat was already unbearable, and sweat soaked through my dress as I turned sausages and flipped burgers under the merciless sun. My back ached from standing, my feet were swelling in the heat, and the baby seemed to be protesting the temperature by kicking restlessly against my ribs.

From the blessed shade of their tent, I could hear Alessandro and Lola's laughter mixing with the cheerful voices of pack members who stopped by to chat with them. No one seemed to find it odd that their pregnant Luna was working like hired help while their Alpha entertained his guest in comfort.

By the time the last burger came off the grill, my vision was swimming from the heat, and my hands were shaking with exhaustion. But what hurt more than the physical discomfort was the sound of Alessandro's genuine laughter drifting across the lawn—the kind of joy I had spent five years trying to earn and never once achieved.