The Eclipsed Life of Luna Mischa (by Jennifer Francis) novel Chapter 89

She saw Anthony nod along with Allen’s words about the teens and a hint of a smile touched his face. They’d all been teens once and all done stupid things in their lives. It was inevitable. “Agreed.” Anthony acknowledged. “Let’s hear it then, what you came up with.”
“Proper access to the canyon, via two sets of stairs, one at the highest point, and one midway along the canyon, where Christy fell into it,” Allen stated, “And Mischa thought a ramp access at the lowest point as well. I agreed with that, and made it wide enough for quad bike
access,
“To help with the retrieval of the injured and getting them to the pack hospital rather than having to try and haul them out via rope and rescue boards. It’s much safer and simpler, and will take a quarter of the time as well to rescue anyone,” Allen stated.
“As for the type of fencing, it was discussed at length, and we came up with farm fencing, something that is chest high and will have four solid wooden rungs, their will be gates before the stairs and ramp for access. We’ll leave nothing left to chance. I think this is much safer than a simple chain fence of knee high between two posts,” Allen finished off.
“The average chest height of all pack members here inside the pack will be used for the height of the fence, which is about five eleven, from my understanding.” Mischa added.
Allen accessed his tablet and handed it over to Anthony, “Here are the plans for the fencing all mocked up, and seeing as the teens have their campsite and make-out spots along the canyon, we included that into the plans as well. Adding an observation deck with clear Perspex panels for unobstructed viewing of the sunrise and sunsets for the pack members.”
She sat and watched as Anthony looked at the plans, scrolled through all the pages and read all the information before looking right at her. “Can we afford this?” he asked. “The fencing off of the canyon has always been seen to be too costly for the pack.”
“If we tighten our belts a bit, and we cut down on unnecessary shopping, yes,” She nodded. “ We also came up with if we cut down many of the trees around the canyon’s edge, and use as many of them as we can to make the posts and some of the rungs, it is feasible for the pack.”
“But this plan of yours really isn’t feasible, is what you’re actually saying right,” Christy stated, “When the fence I chose is much simpler and probably a tenth the cost,” Christy commented as she looked at the plans. “Not feasible because you want the pack members to stop living their lives as they normally would be able to, to cover the cost of building it, for a period of what six months or a year.”
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“It’s for the safety of the pack, Christy. And we wouldn’t be doing this now if you’d not fallen into it in the first place,” Allen stated. “This was always going to happen at some point in time, so we should do it now.”
“What happens if you’re out running at night and don’t see it and fall into it?” Debbie asked.
“I know where it is, I’m not going to fall into the pack canyon,” Christy stated offhandedly.
“You meant again, right!” Mischa stated, somewhat amused.
“Yes, Mischa. Once was more than enough,” Christy shot right back, glaring at her.
“Mischa?” Anthony asked her. “Can we actually afford this at this time, the fencing Allen has come up with?”
She watched Christy practically vibrate with annoyance over there as Anthony dismissed Christy’s comments. That she-wolf had yet to learn something, the pack’s safety had to come before everything else, including herself. So money spent on that wasn’t seen as too costly not when it would prevent injuries in the long run as well.
“We can afford it, the lights will run on solar, so after purchasing them, there’s no cost to the pack at all. As I stated, we’ll already be saving quite a bit on the fencing, and yes, I have looked at the pack’s funds, all the accounts, and if we add to the fencing fund the money you’ve already put aside for our 25th mate bond anniversary, all this will cover hopefully the majority of the cost, that though depends of course on how many trees here inside the pack we can use. So it is completely feasible to install a higher and more reliable fencing plus upgrade the teens camping site with an observation deck.”
She heard Christy sigh now, “I agree to this, and it does look good, and, of course, I don’t want anyone inside this pack to be broken like I was that day. Unpleasant it was,” Christy stated as she handed that tablet back.
Mischa raised an eyebrow at Christy’s sudden change of heart, even as Anthony frowned, but then he just shook his head and stated, “Mischa, that money is allocated for our mate bond Anniversary.”
“Hmm, I’m aware, but I’m willing to put the pack’s safety over a party Anthony or any unnecessary shopping purchases.” She stated, and she was, that anniversary meant nothing to her anymore. She also didn’t think the funds would stay there and be used for that. Likely Christy would whinge about it and want to use them for something herself, find a way to get Anthony to spend that money on her. Then plead ignorance as to where it came from or what it was spent on, say Anthony gave it to her.
It hadn’t escaped Mischa’s attention that Christy was against the pack planners’ idea in favor of her own, until Mischa offered up her own anniversary funds to pay for it. Which meant
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Christy wouldn’t have to cut down on spending.
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Though right now Christy was looking at her as she realized what was going on, she then looked to Anthony and his very unhappy expression that Mischa was sacrificing her own things for the pack’s safety and Christy was just shooting it all down, saying it was going to cost too much. When Mischa had already come up with a viable plan to help the pack pay for it, and Christy was now seen as only agreeing to it because it meant she didn’t have to tighten her belt or stop spending.
“Tone, you can use my 21st birthday fund as well,” Christy piped in. “That will help cover the rest of the cost. If it’s for the pack’s safety we should all chip in.”
“What 21st birthday fund?” Mischa asked right back. “I know nothing about that… Anthony, are you hiding pack funds from the pack… for Christy.” She asked directly.
Both Debbie and Allen were suddenly sitting bolt up right and looking right at Anthony as well, and she saw Christy blink at the sudden and unexpected reaction of two of the pack elders. To go with Mischa’s question.
“No.” Anthony shook his head. “I am certainly not hiding pack funds, I would never do what my parents did.” He stated and turned to look at Christy. “What 21st birthday fund are you talking about?” he questioned Christy herself “Who opened that and how much is in it?” he
demanded of her.
Christy looked more than shocked by the way everyone in this office was reacting to what she’d said, and were all now staring at her. Seems she didn’t really know the pack history or understand what she’d just said made Anthony look like he was embezzling pack funds for Christy, something his own parents had done and gotten them not only into debt but killed by the ones they owed money to.
“What?” she asked. “I don’t… you’re going to celebrate my 21st birthday, you agreed. I just presumed that meant, like your and Mischa’s 25th anniversary, there was a fund for it. Isn’t there?” Christy was frowning now.
“No, there is not. Because I celebrate your birthday every year, it will be no different to that. There is no fund,” he told her, and then looked back to herself and the Elders “And there won’t
be,” he stated firmly.
“But it’s my 21st.” Christy murmured with a slight pout.
“And we live to be 1000 years old, 21 is nothing.” Debbie stated “That is a human thing to celebrate. Make it to 100, and then you can have that big party you so obviously want. You can even save for it yourself with your pack earnings. Got 80 years to save for it.”
“That’s not fair on me, you all would have had 21st birthday parties,” Christy complained.
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“I beg to differ,” Anthony muttered. “This pack was in debt up to our eyeballs, when my parents died and Mischa and I did what all young couples do spent our birthdays having a barbeque and a few beers, nothing fancy at all. Maybe spent 500 dollars. Our birthdays aren’t that far apart, and we combined them together for one event to save even more money.”
“I’ll pay for the barbeque, hand out 500 dollars for her birthday barbeque and a few beers,” Allen stated. “No gifts given, if I recall was your stipulation as well, all you asked was everyone bring their own beer and hang out for the night.”
“What?” Christy turned wide eyes on Allen.
“How much do you want to spend on your 21st, Christy?” Anthony asked, “Tell me, so I’m aware.”
Christy looked at him uncertain. “I… I… don’t know, I just thought there was a party fund or something like that.”
“Put a figure on it for me, your last birthday was what?”
“I don’t know how much you spend on me.” Christy smiled at him.
“You allowed her to go on a 40-thousand-dollar shopping spree,” Mischa stated flatly.
“It wasn’t that much.” Christy gasped.
“Do
you want me to pull up the receipts for everything spent that day between your and Anthony’s cards?” Mischa asked. “I can, I’m the pack accountant. I know exactly how much was spent.”
“Christy?” Anthony stated, “What’s the figure you have in mind? How can I put it aside, if I don’t know?”
Mischa nearly glared at him for those very words and the smile that touched Christy’s face as she realized she was getting what she wanted, only to have Debbie place a hand on her leg and mind-link to her ‘just wait for it, it’s not what you think or what she thinks for once I believe his eyes and ears are open.’
Mischa held in the annoyance and yelling that had been about to start in this office to see if Debbie was right.
“Well, I guess if you spent 40 thousand on a normal birthday, a big birthday would be… I don’t know… double that I guess, Tone.” Christy stated and smiled as she moved from her place on the single chair to sit right next to him, faced him and placed her hands on his thigh.
She looked really happy at that moment as Anthony nodded. “80 thousand dollars it is.”
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Christy hugged him and giggled all happily. “You really do spoil me too much.”
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“I do.” Anthony nodded and removed her arms from himself and looked right at Mischa. “Add that 80 thousand to the canyon safety fund, Mischa.”
“What?” Christy gasped. “No, that’s not right.”
“Right… Didn’t you just offer your birthday funds to go towards the canyon fund, you stated that should come first.” Anthony commented, “I’ll see you get a nice bunch of flowers and a private dinner here in the pack, just the two of us in the private dining room for your 21st.”
Christy was just staring at Anthony incredulously now, she’d walked herself right into that one, and Mischa heard Debbie snort with full amusement. “Even I saw that coming.”
Christy snapped her mother shut and Anthony reached out to touch Mischa and drew her attention to him, “Is that enough for the Canyon fencing?”
“Yes.” She nodded.
“Good, and anything left over from it will go right back into our Anniversary fund. We are not skipping that. It will be as lavish as Christy’s Luna Ceremony was… Allen, thank you for your hard work. Mischa, again, you have shown you’re so very valuable to this pack, and it couldn’t run without you. Christy, you may go, the meeting is over.” He dismissed his other Mate and Christy got up and stalked from the room. “Mischa, have lunch with me, it’s about that time and it is our day as well.” He smiled at her.
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