Chapter 9: Will She, or Won't She

*Nikko's POV*

It had been only a little over a day since I had seen Jo, and I was already going crazy. Whenever I closed my eyes, I could see her standing there in that towel smiling at me…it was almost enough to make me drive all the way to her house and drag her back with me. I stared at the computer screen on my desk and tried to get myself to focus on anything besides my thoughts of her.

A knock came on the door and, grateful for the distraction, I instantly said, "Come in."

Byron walked in and shut the door behind himself.

"Hello, Alpha," he said. "How are you feeling today?"

"What do you think?" I asked.

"Ah, just as irritable as yesterday I see," he said, trying and failing to hide a smile.

Ash growled from inside of me. Neither of us were very patient. Byron came closer and sat down across from me.

"So, what did you call me for?" he asked.

"I want you to get the cabin stocked and prepared for when Jo arrives," I told him. "That means food, necessities, clean bedding, linens, and all of that house-y stuff."

Byron raised his eyebrows. "She said yes? When is she coming?"

"She hasn't said yes, yet…" I admitted. "I just want to be ready for if or when she does."

I looked down at my phone, but I hadn't received anything from her yet that day. The day before, she had been texting questions nonstop about me or my wolf pack, and I had answered them as best as I could. She still seemed to be handling the information extremely well, and I was glad she was curious, since it showed me that she cared. I wasn't sure if she was still sleeping, or if she had finally run out of questions.

"You want me to get the cabin ready?" Byron asked. "Not a room here?"

"No," I said, and chewed my cheek as I debated what to say. "One of the reasons is that this will all be so new to her, and I don't want to overwhelm her with everything at once, or have her be scared around the wolves. I want her to be able to adjust and be comfortable first."

"Okay, so what are the other reasons?"

I sighed, knowing this was going to sound bad. "I don't want the pack to know about her."

Byron opened his mouth, but I quickly spoke up before he could interrupt me.

"Just for now! Just until I know for sure what I want or what we are doing. I have accepted that she is my mate, and I can't be apart from her, but I haven't decided if I am going to make her my Luna yet." Ash whined inside my head. "So, I am not ready for all of the questions that will come by introducing her to the pack or inviting her into the pack house…and I just want her to myself until I can make that decision."

"So, what? You are just going to leave that poor girl alone in a cabin at the edge of the pack?" Byron asked. "That doesn't seem very safe."

"Actually, I was going to have you stay with her," I said, sheepishly. "I'm sorry, but you are the only other one that will know of the situation, and you are the only one I trust enough to keep her safe."

Byron shook his head, but I knew he liked being the only one I fully trusted.

"You know I will do it," he said. "But I am just telling you right now, that you better make up your mind quickly. That girl is not stupid, and your indecisiveness could push her away."

"Wise council again, my friend." I nodded. "I am working on it. I have Frilla coming in to meet with me soon."

"Frilla? Your dad's Beta's daughter?" Byron looked shocked, and confused.

"Yes, I am considering the possibility of making her my chosen Luna." I winced as Ash thrashed against the idea.

"But you hate her," Byron announced.

"Hate is a strong word," I rolled my eyes.

"You forget, we all grew up together, so I know exactly what I am talking about," Byron started. "You couldn't stand her, and why you slept with her is still a mystery to me, no matter how many times you have told me the story. Then she wanted more, and you didn't, so she turned into even more of a b*tch. Let me think, did I leave anything out?"

"Nope that pretty much covers it," I sighed. "But the fact remains that our pack is under regular attacks and she is the strongest female wolf warrior that we have. Not to mention that she is the highest ranked female that is around our age, besides my sister of course. And she is a wolf from our own pack, so she understands the pack better than anyone. I am trying to find a Luna that would be the perfect fit for the pack, and make us stronger. It's not like I have to fall in love with her. I have Jo for that."

"Speaking of Jo, how do you think she would take that?"

"You are the one that recommended I find a chosen Luna that could better protect us!"

"I didn't recommend it, I just said it was an option. And that was before I knew that you were considering Frilla!"

I took a deep breath to calm myself before continuing. "She'll be here soon, so I recommend you get to work on the cabin."

Byron knew he was dismissed and huffed as he turned and walked out the door, not bothering to shut it. I leaned back in my chair and sighed, unsure of what to do. My phone buzzed from where I had set it on my desk, and my fingers grabbed it so fast that it was still vibrating as I held it up.

The new message screen popped up and I couldn't help but smile, despite my conversation with Byron, as I saw the word 'Jo' at the top. I had originally put her in as 'mate', but then became worried that somebody might see that flash across the screen and ask questions. My finger tapped on the box so I could read the text.

'Good morning, hot mall guy…I think I just have a few questions left for today, if that's still alright. I'm sure you are getting tired of answering them, but it's just stuff I would like to know. For example, I was supposed to start college in a couple weeks…do wolves go to college? Or would I still be able to go? Or what would I do for a living at the pack? Sorry in advance!'

As I read the text, another popped up below it:

'P.S. I missed not having a late night kiss last night…I miss you…is that crazy?'

I felt my heart constrict, knowing she was sad, but I put it to the side as I composed my text;

'Good morning, sexy towel girl…your questions never bother me- they show you care, so ask away. There are some wolves that decide to go to college, but most choose to do online college, especially now that it is so available. It is just really hard for a wolf to be away from their pack, so the commute and distance to a physical college is usually too much for our kind. You are more than welcome to continue with your college plans, if that is what you wish. I would miss you like crazy, but I don't want to tell you what to do. As for what you would do while living here, that is also up to you, and we could discuss that at a later time. Being mated to an Alpha can have its benefits.'

'P.S. It's not crazy…I miss you too. All you have to do is say the word, and I'll be there.'

I sent the final message right as I heard a soft tap on my open door. I tried to keep a smile on my face as I saw who was there.

"Yes, Frilla, please close the door and have a seat."