“If you don’t want to interact with them, I’ll have someone bring your meals here.”
She still protested, “No. Don’t do that. You’ll just draw attention to me. I don’t want to bother anyone. I’m fine out here with my wolves.”
“Fine. If you don’t want me to bother someone else, I’ll do it myself. I’ll bring you meals . . .”
Still, she shook her head, “No. I also don’t want to bother you. We’ll manage on our own.”
It was then that he finally understood. She’s distancing herself from the rest of them. She considered herself as an outsider. Not a part of the pack. She’s relying on herself, not on him. The realization made him feel suffocated. He wouldn’t have imagined that this was the extent of the damage he had done.
“Luna, I don’t mind if you bother me. You can bother me anytime. I’ll get you anything y
She woke up before he did. And as the sun began to set, she began to worry. He has changed his position, but he remained sleeping on the chair. She waited but when their surroundings turned dark, she felt she should wake him already.“Alex . . .” She tapped his face a few times, increasing the pressure every three taps. She’s close to actually slapping him.He groaned as the tapping became insistent. Her scent told him who it was, though. Slowly, he opened his eyes and was glad to see her up close. He couldn’t help the smile appearing on his face.“You’re here.”His statement gave her an odd feeling. She set it aside for the time being.“It’s dark already. You should go home if you need to sleep more.”He looked around in confusion. Shit. They’re still outside? And it’s already evening?“Dinner. Did we miss it?” He would have woken up if any of his par
“Told us what?” Sab was the first to prompt him.There was a moment of silence before their father spoke, “Is this related to what Jared said before?”Tyler helplessly looked at Luna and shook his head. He’s not ready yet.“Jared already informed you?” Luna addressed this to the alpha.“He did. He said he’ll name his pack as Shadow Pack.”Luna took a moment to consider, “That might be a fitting name.”“Why and how is he getting his own pack?” Alex tried not to sound apprehensive. Jared would be a loss to Snow Mountain if he got his own pack.Luna stared at him for a while and when he thought she might not answer, she did.“One of the original twelve packs is now gone. Silver Crescent. Shadow Pack would be its replacement.” She actually explained and they were all astonished.“But Silver Crescent has been gone for years.
“Tell me you won’t disappear a second time.” He wanted assurance that she won’t be leaving again. His tone sounded like he’s pleading and it made her heart ache a little.“I’ll be here when you wake up. I don’t think there will be a second time . . . unless you give me a reason to.”He was relieved, but the last phrase clearly told him it was his fault she disappeared the first time. Well, he’s not going to deny that, but to get a confirmation made him feel like a real jerk.“I’m sorry. I wouldn’t do that again. I promise. I want you with me. I’ll give you reasons to stay.” His eyes pleaded with her and she felt bad because of it.“Hmm. Go and get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow.”He felt better, then, though he’s not entirely appeased.“Go. I won’t be able to sleep until I see you’re in that cottage.”
She did her routines in front of him and he approved them.“That’s great. You were just conscious of him earlier, weren’t you?” He’d seen through her clearly.She slightly glared at him, making him laugh.As for Alex, he was aware of his actions. As he walked towards his office, he noticed how differently he’s acting around her now compared to before. He wouldn’t have cared if she got hurt, he would say it’s part of training. Everyone got hurt often while practicing.He would have also made up any excuse to leave the training grounds early so he could focus on his other tasks. He thought it was enough to spend the bare minimum amount of time with her. In simple terms, he was just doing what was expected of him. He wasn’t averse to it, but he wasn’t exactly enthusiastic regarding their relationship. He didn’t dislike her. In fact, he liked her, but not . . . he's just not emotionally connected to her.That was then. His perspective did change. She’s someone very important to him now. I
Luna truly thought he was just doing it to earn her forgiveness and agreement, but damn was he quite consistent. The walls she put up are quite easy to break.He would steal hugs and kisses every now and then, making her melt further. Tyler’s observation was spot-on. He’s definitely more attentive of her now, spending more time with her and doing things he’d never done before. He would randomly surprise her almost every day.For weeks, he trained with her and she did improve a lot. Still, her skills were not at par with someone who trained for a few years.“What do you mean?” She was at a loss when he told her she should join the monthly evaluations to be held in a few days.“It will be good to have more experience with it. You’ll get used to facing different opponents. It will allow you to sharpen your analytical skills.”Luna pursed her lips. It’s not the first time, but her previous performances were dismal.“I don’t want to embarrass you.” She muttered while looking elsewhere.His
“Do you not want to continue training? Is there anything else you’re interested in doing?” He spoke slowly and his tone was low.Luna glanced at him, “I mean, it wouldn’t be much but I could at least protect myself, right? And if I train harder, I might also be able to protect others?”Huh. Why did she even . . .?“Even though I don’t think I’m meant to be a fighter, it’s still a good idea for me to train.” She amended her confusing statements.“It’s just that . . . people have expectations and I would feel bad not meeting them.”“You don’t need to care about what they think. Don’t let them affect your progress. You’re really doing well for a beginner.” He reached out, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He gently tapped her arm, hoping she would feel comforted.She averted her gaze and tried watching the current match. He bega
He was able to have sweet dreams that night and woke up feeling excited. He went to prepare breakfast and a special dish for the wolves. He brought them all to her backyard before knocking on her door.Luna was already awake, feeling nervous at remembering what’s supposed to happen that day. She prepped herself up and wore her usual clothes. She would never admit that she was tempted to wear one of her old dresses.As soon as she opened her door, she already noted his grin. He seemed to be in a really good mood. “You’re beautiful.” His praise caught her off-guard. So early in the morning?She inhaled sharply as he pulled her into a hug and dipped his head to claim his first kiss of the day. Her hands landed on his chest and shoulder as he crowded her against the doorway. It went on far longer than she hoped. She moaned and was gasping for air before he stopped.“I can’t get enough of you.” He whispered against her ear as he kept her in his arms.Who knew she would feel exhausted with
She awkwardly smiled at him before approaching. “What can I help you with?”She meant to look around to see what he has already done but she suddenly found herself being held and kissed by him. Thoroughly. He couldn’t help himself. He tasted her mouth and pressed her closer to him. Her softness was comforting and the way she moaned made him more eager. She was responding to the kiss, warming him from the inside.He had to stop when the wolves howled to get his attention. The meat would be burned soon if he didn’t take if off the grill. He complied to their command, serving them the meat within a couple of minutes.Luna simply stood there, watching them as she placed her hands over her racing heart. She felt uncomfortable with a need rising from within her.He tried to ignore her for a moment, waiting for the wolves to leave before he could resume being intimate with her.She was still in a daze when he faced her again. He ge