Page 13

13

MARIE

" L una, we have a situation at the hotel."

Michael appears in the doorway of my new office, his usual composure slightly ruffled. I've been here two weeks, and this is the first real test of my authority while Jonathan is away at a business meeting about expanding the spa facilities.

"What kind of situation?" Setting down the quarterly revenue reports I've been reviewing, I rise from behind my desk.

"Two of our younger pack members who are both working the front desk. One accused the other of deliberately sabotaging her client bookings to make her look bad because they’re both dating the same guy. It's getting heated and we have two guests but one room."

My heart pounds as I follow Michael down the hallway. I can handle this. I have to handle this. But what if I make the wrong call? What if the pack sees me as weak?

Slowly, I’ve been getting trained up on all aspects of the businesses under the pack’s control. Shadowing Jonathan has been fun, and I’ve learned a lot, but I’ve largely been taking a back seat. The hotel side of things is familiar to me, my own family having run a similar business, but not on this scale.

Grey Ridge is a successful pack, with multiple properties, and it’s very different when you’re supposed to be in charge.

When we reach the hotel lobby, the tension is palpable.

Sarah and Emma, both recent business graduates, stand on opposite sides of the front desk, glaring at each other while guests mill around, glancing toward the two young women uncomfortably. There’s no missing the frosty atmosphere.

I ignore them, turning my attention to the two well-dressed ladies, tired from travel, who want to get on with their holiday, not listen to the petty squabbling of two love struck young women.

“Ladies, my apologies. There is a problem with the booking, but only because I was in the process of giving both of you complimentary upgrades and the system just hasn’t updated yet. Michael, can you please get these guests a signature cocktail on the house while they wait for their key cards. And make sure their bags are brought up immediately.”

Both women grin, delighted with the unexpected turn of events and accept my apology easily. While they settle in to some plush chairs nearby, I refocus on the problem at hand.

"My office. Now." I keep my voice low but firm, wanting to have this discussion someplace private. Our oblivious human guests nearby who don’t need to be treated to a fight with fur and claws flying.

MARIE: Michael, can you find rooms for them asap? The new VIP suites haven’t been booked yet so use those if there’s nothing in the main hotel.

MICHAEL: Sure thing.

H e disappears, relieved not to be the one trying to sort out this cat fight and with something concrete to do instead.

Once inside my office, the second the door closes, both women start talking at once.

"She's deleting my bookings?—"

"She's lying, I would never?—"

They cannot be fighting over this.

"Stop." I hold up a hand. "Sarah, show me the booking system."

Sarah pulls up the software on my computer, pointing out discrepancies. "See? These were all confirmed yesterday, but now they're gone. It's the third time this week."

"Emma?" I turn to the other woman, who's practically vibrating with indignation.

"I haven't touched her bookings! But she's been telling guests I'm new and don't know what I'm doing. I've worked here longer than her!"

Looking between them, I can see they're both nervous under their anger, and ashamed of their unprofessional behaviour without me needing to read them the riot act. Young wolves, fresh out of college, trying to prove themselves.

"Both of you are missing the bigger picture here," I say carefully. "This hotel isn't just a business, it's the backbone of our pack's prosperity. Every time you give guests a bad experience or earn us a negative review, you're hurting all of us. Disagreements are handled behind closed doors. Always."

They both deflate slightly.

"Sarah, have you checked if IT can track changes in the booking system?"

Her eyes widen. "No, Luna. I didn't think..."

Ah yes, I’m not a Luna in name only. I know some stuff too.

"And Emma, why not showcase your experience by figuring out a solution to help our guests and worry about who’s to blame later? If anyone is, that is, it could be a system error, it could have been accidental. Either way, you should be experienced enough to know its people before paperwork."

Emma shifts uncomfortably. "I... I could do that. Sarah, I’ll bring you to meet Josh, he’ll be able to track who’s touched the bookings."

“After you bring the guests to their rooms.”

They both nod, agreeing to work together instead of fighting to be right. As they leave, considerably calmer, Michael appears.

“The guests have cocktails and canapes. I’ll get their luggage brought to their rooms while they relax and finish their drinks.” He lingers, and eventually, gives me a small smile. "Well handled, Luna."

"You think so?" Now that it's over, I’m not sure. Hopefully it was enough to smooth things over. “Thank you for telling me what was going on.”

He smiles. "Of course. I’m more than happy to turn the HR stuff over to you. You have a much more measured way of dealing with disputes. My usual go-to for training the enforcers is dragging them outside by the scruff of the neck. It doesn’t really fit the vibe of a five-star hotel.”

Looking through the window to the lobby, I notice Sarah showing Emma something on the computer, their heads bent together in concentration.

"Better to teach them to collaborate," I muse. "Especially if they’re going to be working here full-time now."

"Exactly. And speaking of working together..." I pull up a spreadsheet.

Michael's eyebrows rise with interest.

"I was thinking we could trial a pre-breakfast childminding service for the pack. We have pack members who'd prefer early shifts so they could be back at home with their kids after school. We’d reduce the need to hire externally, and staff would have more flexibility in their hours. It could be a win-win."

"That's a great idea, Luna."

"Would you help me draft a proposal? We could present it to Jonathan when he returns and speak to some of the wolves in the pack who might be interested in running it so it’s already ready to go if he agrees."

"Of course. I might have a couple of people in mind, my mate, in fact. This is something she could do without leaving the kids." He grins. "You're going to be great at this, you know."

For the first time since taking on the luna role, I actually believe it. I'm not just Jonathan's mate. I'm a luna in my own right. And I'm going to help this pack prosper, my own way.

"Thank you, Michael." I turn back to my computer.

I have more ideas. A lot more. And hopefully, a mate and a pack of wolves who will support their luna’s work to improve things for everyone.