Chasing His Kickass Luna Back

Karl

With the election preparations well underway, Ethan and I only need to finalize some dates before the campaign will begin.

It's a grueling process, though. Juggling my own Alpha duties and this upcoming campaign is a bit more difficult than I thought, and although I'm handling it, it does feel somewhat overwhelming. Plus, with my plans to do some volunteering and public relations work before the campaign is announced, I feel like I'm just trying to tread water at this point.

Ethan is sitting across from me, and between us are stacks of paperwork and hastily scrawled notes. Gianna sits to Ethan's left, her nose buried in her notebook, while Sarah sits to my right.

Sarah has, honestly, been a godsend. She's just as organized as I hoped she would be, and she’s even more intelligent than she seemed in our interviews. With such a good campaign manager by my side, I have high hopes that this election will fall in my favor.

I just need to make sure that nothing gets in the way of that in the meantime.

Ethan's enthusiasm is palpable as he leans forward, his dark eyes shining with anticipation. “I think we should go big, Karl,” he says. “A televised announcement with all the bells and whistles. It will make a statement.”

I lean back in my chair, my fingers steepled in front of me, considering his proposal. “I understand the desire for a grand spectacle, Ethan, but I think a smaller-scale announcement in the form of a press release might be more strategic,” I reply. “It allows us to control the message and keep a lower profile.”

Ethan furrows his brow in thought, his gaze shifting between Gianna, Sarah, and me. After a moment, Gianna speaks up.

“I disagree,” she chimes in, her stony gaze meeting mine. “Karl, I think you're just trying to manipulate the press.”

“Manipulate the press?” I scoff. “Gianna, you—"

Suddenly, Ethan, always the mediator, steps in. “Now, let's not be harsh,” he says. “Maybe Karl is right, Gianna. A press release would give us more control, and then we can go our own ways once the campaign begins.”

Gianna sighs, but says nothing and leans back in her chair.

I offer a faint smile of approval, appreciating my brother's words. It still stings that he’s with Gianna, but at least he’s still seeing some semblance of reason.

"Very well,” I say with a nod. “Press release it is; we'll do it on December 8th, just as we discussed.” “Right,” Ethan replies. “Now, onto the campaign schedule. We need to set a date and location for the debate, and we'll need to hire a mediator.”

Sarah nods. “January 22nd seems like a good date,” she says. “I could block that day out right now.” Gianna scoffs. “January? That's too soon,” she hisses. “February is better.”

Sarah and I exchange glances. I want to say something, but I decide to simply concede for both my brother's sake and the sake of the campaign. “Okay. February is fine,” I say.

Gianna, seemingly satisfied, leans back in her chair again. The conversation continues, and we bounce from topic to topic: voting dates, rules, mediators, the works.

But the whole time, I can feel Gianna's stony gaze from across the table. Every time she looks up from her notebook, her eyes bore into me, and it becomes increasingly difficult to ignore her silent scrutiny.

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, I turn my attention to Gianna. “Is there something you'd like to add, Gianna?" I ask, trying to keep my tone neutral.

"Oh, nothing at all,” she says with a shrug.

“Really?” I ask. “Because you've been shooting daggers at me for the past ten minutes.”

Ethan shoots both of us a warning glance, but Gianna's determination prevails as always. Setting her notebook down, she leans forward, her eyes locking onto mine. “Actually, Karl, there is something I'd like to know.”

I raise an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.

Gianna doesn’t mince words. “I heard Abby came to visit amidst her... investigation.”

Ethan's eyebrows raise as he looks back and forth between me and Gianna. I sigh inwardly, realizing what Gianna is trying to do; but I won't let her win this round.

"Yes, it's true, Gianna,” I admit. “I invited Abby here to keep her safe from the paparazzi and the chaos in the city. She's my friend. I'm helping her.”

Gianna's lips curl into a disapproving sneer. “So, she’s on the run from her own disaster in the city, and now you're harboring a fraud in your house right before the election?”

I can feel my patience waning, and I struggle to maintain a calm demeanor. “Gianna, it's really none of your business. And I don't appreciate how you're speaking about Abby—especially during a meeting.”

Gianna opens her mouth to retort, but suddenly, Ethan intervenes, attempting to defuse the tension. "Come on, you two. Let's not let personal matters interfere with the campaign.”

“I agree,” I say, shooting my brother a glance. “Let's finish up the meeting.”

But Gianna remains undeterred. “Oh, I'm not the one who's letting personal matters interfere with the campaign. 1 just find it interesting, Karl, how you're always quick to defend Abby, despite everything she's done.”

I resist the urge to snap back, my focus shifting to Ethan and Sarah, who both seem uncomfortable with the escalating confrontation. Sarah meets my eyes and subtly shakes her head, a silent plea for restraint.

Ethan finally steps in decisively. “That's enough, Gianna. Let's move on from this topic.”

My brother's stern tone effectively silences Gianna, although she clearly has more she wants to say. As the meeting draws to a close, Ethan changes the subject with an unexpected suggestion.

“Well, I, for one, am happy that Abby is in town,” he says with a warm smile. “Maybe we should plan a double date, the four of us.”

I open my mouth to respond, ready to explain that Abby and I aren't really together. “Oh, we're not —" I begin, but Ethan's enthusiasm cuts me off.

“It's been too long since we've all spent casual time together,” he continues. “She had to leave the Alpha party so quickly to get back to work. I'd like for us to catch up for real this time.”

I meet Ethan's gaze, and in that moment, I realize that I share his sentiments. Despite the election, he’s still my brother, and I still love him. And after he was in a coma for years, I'd like to keep our relationship intact, election or no election.

I finally nod in agreement. “You're right, Ethan,” I say, shutting my notebook. “Let's plan that double date. Tonight sound good?”

Ethan's smile widens. “Tonight sounds perfect,” he says. “I'd like to visit that new Italian restaurant in town.”

“Italian it is,” I say with another nod. “I'll be looking forward to it.”

The four of us stand and Ethan and I shake hands, but all the while, Gianna’s eyes are boring a hole into the side of my head. I know she’s angry about this little excursion, and so am I; but Ethan is my brother, no matter what.

And maybe, just maybe, I can get close enough to my brother to finally make him see that Gianna can't be trusted.