THE LUNA WHO CONQUERED DEATH novel Chapter 22

Episode 16-1

THE LUNA WHO CONQUERED DEATH

Chapter 16: The Omega Uprising

Monday morning brought unexpected chaos.

I was at breakfast when Sophie Chen burst into the dining hall, her mother Susan trailing behind her, both looking terrified and determined in equal measure.

“Luna Sera!” Sophie’s voice cracked. “Please, we need your help.”

Every conversation in the hall stopped. Three hundred wolves turned to watch as the omega girl approached the Alpha’s table, something that wasn’t done.

Damien stiffened beside me. “Sophie, this isn’t appropriate.”

“What’s wrong?” I cut him off, standing to meet her.

“It’s my father. He’s been fired from the lumber mill because…” She swallowed hard. “Because he asked for the same safety equipment the higher–ranked workers get. Mr. Carver said Omegas should be grateful to have jobs at all.”

Rage, white–hot and sudden, flooded through me.

The lumber mill was pack–owned. Jackson Carver was the gamma–ranked supervisor. And apparently, he thought omega lives were disposable.

“When did this happen?”

“This morning. And Luna, it’s not just my father.” Susan spoke up, her voice shaking. “There are twelve omega families who’ve been threatened with termination if they complain about working conditions.”

I felt power crackle under my skin, silver light threatening to spark at my fingertips. I clenched my fists, forcing them down.

“Sera,” Damien’s voice held a warning. “This is pack business. It should be handled through proper channels.

“This is pack business. Which makes it my business.” I kept my voice level, but every wolf in the room could hear the steel underneath. “Lucas, Marcus, my office. Now. Sophie, Susan, come with me.”

Damien stood. “Sera, you can’t just.”

“Can’t what? Address a safety violation that’s putting pack members at risk?” I met his eyes. “Or is there a reason you don’t want me looking into the lumber mill?”

His jaw tightened. The implication was clear: either he supported me publicly or he looked like he was hiding something.

Of course not. Do what you need to do.”

I swept out of the dining hall with Sophie, Susan, Marcus, and Lucas following. Behind me, I could hear the whispers starting, the shock rippling through the pack.

The Luna had just openly challenged the Alpha.

In my office, Susan laid out the situation. It was worse than I’d thought.

Twelve omega families. Safety equipment requests have been denied for months. Three workplace injuries in the past year alone, all swept under the rug. Threats of termination for anyone who complained. And Jackson Carver had been getting away with it because no one cared what happened to Omegas. “Why didn’t anyone report this sooner?” Marcus asked, his voice tight with anger.

“Who would we report it to?” Susan’s question was bitter. “The Alpha? The Council? They don’t care about us, Beta Reed. They never have.”

“I care.” The words came out fiercely. “And this stops today.”

Lucas was already pulling up mill records on his tablet. “If there have been injuries, there should be documentation. Workers‘ compensation claims, medical reports…”

“There aren’t any,” Susan said quietly. “Dr. Moira treated them off the books. No official records means no liability for the pack.”

My hands clenched. Dr. Moira, who I’d trusted, had been complicit in covering up omega abuse.

“Get me every detail,” I told Susan. “Names, dates, injuries, witnesses. Everything.”

“Luna, if we do this, if we go on record…” Fear flickered in her eyes. “Carver will retaliate. We could lose everything.”

“Not if I have anything to say about it,” I looked at Marcus and Lucas. “I want Carver suspended immediately pending investigation. I want safety inspections at the mill today. And I want every omega worker interviewed privately to document any other violations.”

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“Sera, that’s going to cause problems,” Lucas warned. “Jackson Carver has friends on the Council. High–ranked wolves who won’t appreciate an omega complaint being taken seriously.”

“Then they can take it up with me.” I felt power humming just beneath my skin. “This is exactly the kind of hierarchy that needs to be dismantled. Omegas are pack members. They deserve the same protection as anyone else.”

Marcus smiled, fierce and proud. “I’ll handle Carver. Lucas, you coordinate the inspections. I’ll make sure no one interferes.”

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