Miss Luna

Evacuation.

Gina felt her who world falling apart as she read through the government's werewolf eviction memo again. The third time she was doing so. It couldn't be. This had to be a joke.

But it was real. The words on paper in her hands were real and the stamp at the tail end of the page confirmed that the president was in support. Oh God. She began to panic.

The sweet shop. Where would I run to? I'm almost on heat!

Deep breaths, Gina. Deep breaths.

At least the reasons for the eviction notice was reasonable. A bit.

In the best interests and safety of all Manhattan citizens, I, President Kickbutt orders the immediate evacuation of all werewolf residents in the state. It is with a heavy heart I also announce the death of my colleague and best friend, the Vice President of Manhattan – Sir George Phillips, whose home security system was bypassed and his home broken into by a group of werewolf hooligans. We're so sure that the culprits are werewolves because the marks on his neck confirms it. Our heartfelt condolences goes out to his family members and we assure everyone to ensure that not one werewolf resident will be allowed to live after Saturday, the 24th of May, 2021.

Signed.

President Max Kickbutt.

Gina's head was spinning. There was no way she could get out of Manhattan before Saturday. Her heat period stood in the way of that, which would hit her full force by tomorrow. She had no savings, having used it all in setting up a smoothie booth in front of the shop. She was basically penniless and soon – homeless also.

Oh god.

Manhattan was the only home she'd ever known. She'd left her small communal home in a rural town in Mexico when she was eleven. Her parents had been killed in a fierce Pack bloodbath and she'd followed a now distant aunt to Manhattan without her knowledge. The heat in the boot was stifling and it was a miracle that she hadn't passed out due to the three-hour-long journey without air.

She'd stumbled into a small neighborhood and into the home of a childless matriarch. Mrs. Angelini felt sorry to hear her story and Gina was thankful that the old woman hadn't alerted the police. Mrs. Angelini had been married twice yet she bore no child due to an infertility problem that couldn't be cured. She took Gina in as her daughter, sent her to college and university before she passed out on March 1st one year ago. Gina had been broken ever since, but she managed to assume ownership and full responsibility of G-Angelini Candies which Mrs. Angelini previously ran.

Business was good, the customers were starting to like her and G-Angelini was set to be one of the leading small-scale sole-proprietorships in downtown Manhattan by fall. Only now, Manhattan would be a danger zone by Sunday and she had nowhere to go.

She scrunched up the memo and tossed it aside on the kitchen table. Out front, Maddie Summers, her only human friend was handling sales. They weren't selling a lot, probably because of the memo as the customers knew that she wasn't a human.

Everything sucks.

"What's with the sad face, girl?" Maddie announced her entrance with a loud smack of her gum and the heady scent of her cologne. Gina turned around to face her Just as Maddie hopped on the counter, swinging her legs. For someone slim and a 5'9, she had pretty long legs.

She pried the paper and straightened it, her black eyes roaming over the neatly-typed words on the page, the skin of her forehead pressed together in concentration. "Oh. My. God. This is bad news."

Gina stood up now, her legs feeling like jelly as she began taking the things she'd need to make her signature blueberry hard candy from the top shelf. She'd decided not to think too much on the memo until Friday. She tended to brainstorm effectively while under duress. "I don't want to dwell on it."

Maddie nodded, "I understand. But don't you think...you could stay around and fool the humans for a bit? You're almost like us, except that you shift during nights of the full moon."

"That," Gina doused the wood board with baking powder, "would've been a fantastic idea, Maddie. But my heat period hits full force tomorrow and won't be over till Sunday."

"Are you really sure you calculated this heat thing right? Don't you have extended relatives or something that'll be willing to help you with a roof while you sort out what you'd like to happen to the sweet shop? It'll be hard getting rid of the building because Mrs. Angelini owns it legally..."

"Maddie calm down, one question at a time. I'm not getting rid of this shop. There must be a way around this. I just haven't thought of it yet. I wished I could go back to my aunt but it's been more than eight years...nobody knows if I'm still alive or not."

"True. I'm sorry I suggested that you should give up your inheritance."

"It's okay. I'll be fine. This heat thing just makes it a whole lot harder."

"I get it. The uneasiness and constant urge for sex."?"

Gina's cheeks flamed up in embarrassment. "Yes. And I don't want to have sex or get pregnant yet. At least not until another year."

Maddie laughed. "You poor virgin. When are you ever not celibate?"

Gina rolled her eyes as her sprinkled sugar on the syrup which she'd now poured out into little cusps. If only Maddie knew how hard it was being on heat and still trying to be celibate. She felt drawn to every alpha guy she met on the street, and they often smelt her heat too. So far she'd dealt with two heat periods since she turned eighteen and had a few cases of sexual harassment from arsehole alphas during those times. Reason why she isolated herself indoors during the five days duration. She wasn't ready to bring forth puppies or tie herself down with a man yet.

"Does this memo order apply to those alphas in high offices?"

Gina shrugged. "Probably not. They're highly essential to the government. Lucky bastards."

"How about this," Maddie said behind her as they took the trays of candy to the oven. "You could have a very important alpha take care of this heat of yours..."

"Seriously? You're asking me to get pregnant?"

"Umm, not really. He'll use protection."

"You've got to be kidding me, Maddie. This is the worst advice you could possibly give."

"Hey, I'm trying to help out here. See it as an auction. There are plenty of alphas who are willing to mate with no-strings-attached, if I'm correct. All I'm saying is you either find the right guy or any guy who's rich and willing to pay loads for it. At least if we're not lucky in the high-class alpha department, you'll have enough money to travel out until Manhattan becomes safe again. I can help you manage the sweet shop till you return. Think about it."

Gina's mouth fell open. Why didn't she think of that before?

"I guess you've done something similar since you seem to be so sure of this."

Maddie tu-ted and flipped her blonde hair. "Well, not really. Pilar, one of my girlfriends needed to get rid of her heat in time for a family vacation. She almost threw a towel in on the offer but I'm glad she told me on time. Together, we hunted down an Alpha who wanted a heat to knot and worked out a clean deal."

"Girl, that's..." Gina trailed off in disbelief. "That's smart."

"And helpful. She had a blast on vacay and never crossed paths with that same alpha again. I'm not sure they even remember doing anything."

"Isn't that related to prostitution? I mean, giving out your body for money or a service?"

"If you choose to see it that way, then sure. But it was a last minute thing and there are no laws against it. Neither are you hurting anyone." She patted Gina's arm then moved to place the empty tray on the counter. "Think about it and let me know. I'll have Nina, one of my girls escort you to Bad and Boogie. I hear that it's a werewolf breeding zone under the guise of a bar. I trust you'll find an important personality there tomorrow."

As Maddie sauntered back out front, Gina just stared after her, still unable to process that. She'd always dreamed of her first time to be with her mate. But now, under these circumstances, there was no more room for that reality anymore.

There was no law against it. She was sure of being safe from the memo.

She wasn't thinking any shit over. She was doing it.