Forty

A hand slid out of nowhere and grabbed a French fry off my plate. I whined in response and took in Harper's amused expression.

I pouted at him and crossed my arms over my chest. He just laughed at my mock anger, put his arm around my shoulders, and pulled me into his body. I immediately relaxed under his touch and leaned into his body heat further.

Sam gasped. "You didn't tell me you guys had sex."

Natalie choked on her food and gaped at me. I felt my cheeks redden immediately and Harper's grip tightened around me.

"Who had sex with whom?" Aiden slid into the seat across from me and gave me a genuine smile.

"Harper and Zara," Sam smirked at my blush and Aiden arched his eyebrow at the both of us. He then casually shrugged both of his shoulders and resumed eating his French fries.

"Now that she mentions it, you guys do look like you had sex," Nat smirked at my flustered expression and I felt Harper's chest rumble in laughter.

"How did you know?" Aiden asked my friends with a confused expression on his face.

Sam sighed and looked dreamily at the both of us which made my cheeks more red. "Their body language has changed so much. They seemed more attuned to each other's bodies now."

Now that she mentions it, I feel more at ease with Harper. My body and mind felt at home when I was with him and the both of us somehow, subconsciously, became attuned to each other's presence in the short time.

"You've got to stop Samantha. She can't get any redder than she is now." Harper chuckled beside me and I felt the vibrations from his body travel through my spine, leaving a pleasurable tingle in Its wake.

Harper must have understood how I felt because he gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze and put one of his hands on my bare knee. 

"Guys, keep it PG-13, please." Aiden taunted us, making my cheeks flush. Damn them for making me blush so much!

Aiden laughed while Harper scowled at him.

"We didn't even kiss in front of you," I mumbled the words, but I knew everyone at the table heard me. Damn, their stupid werewolf hearing!

"But we will now!" Harper declared and before I could say anything, he planted his lips on mine.

I heard several people in the cafeteria gasp and murmur but everything was lost to me in the moment. After the shock of Harper kissing me in public wore down, I started moving my lips against his.

I pulled him closer by placing one of my hands on his head while his hands circled my waist.

"Okay, stop stop stop." Nat's voice pulled me out of wonderland and made me break apart from Harper's lips. We were both breathing heavily and I was sure I was blushing again by how hot my cheeks felt.

Sam faked a gag and I gave her a mock glare in return.

"So, I wanted to ask you something," Harper whispered in my ear.

"Why do you even bother whispering?" Nat asked.

"Yeah, if you want to ask her for a make-out session, just whisk her away already," Aiden said while munching fries.

"Hashtag mate goals." Sam sighed and Harper just rolled his eyes at the theatrics of our crazy friends.

"Yeah, we are just going to talk." Harper retorted and pulled me up from my seat. He put an arm around my waist and winked at Aiden. "At least for the first five minutes."

I laughed and playfully smacked his rock-hard chest. He took that hand in his and gently kissed my palm. I blushed at his action and smiled shyly at him.

Harper guided me out of the cafeteria, away from all the prying eyes and sharp ears, and pulled me inside an empty classroom. A classroom that hadn't been used in so long, where several deflated balloons lay on the ground.

Harper eyes all the balloons he had pinned on my locker not too long ago and looked at me, with a raised eyebrow. I smiled and casually shrugged my shoulders.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" I asked and planted my butt on the nearest table, which was covered with dust.

Harper slowly walked towards me and stood in front of me. He put both of his hands and parted my legs for him. I blushed at the action and he took a step forward to stand between my legs. 

He put both of his arms around my waist and I put both of mine around his neck.

"Dad is going to announce the pregnancy in a pack meeting tonight. Everyone would want to know who their Luna is." I nodded my head to show I was following him.

"I want you to be there." He said, almost hesitantly.

I gaped at him. He wanted me to be a pack meeting? Every wolf would sniff me out and know at once that I was a human. I would be the only human present in the pack and that unnerved me. Moreover, wouldn't everyone want to know what a little and powerless human is doing in their area?

"Wouldn't they all know I am human, and thus, the luna?" I asked him tentatively. Facing a whole pack of wolves, who I would supposedly lead in the future, did not sit well with me.

"They would but they will have to get used to it," Harper said while staring at me, carefully gouging my reaction. "Look, I just want you to witness how a pack works. You have to do it sooner or later. You won't feel awkward, I will be with you the whole time."

"You know how I feel about these things," I whispered. I had told him about my fears of leading a pack when I knew next to nothing about wolves. He had understood everything and assured me again and again that I would be an amazing Luna and that he would be with me, every step of the way.

"I do." He cupped my face with both of his hands and I looked into his eyes, which shone with sincerity. "I just think it will be easy if you take in one ritual or process at a time. It's just a general announcement. You will just have to watch from the sidelines."

I looked into his green eyes and weakly nodded. I think his eyes will be pretty much my undoing.

Moreover, the way he said it, it did sound like a harmless meeting. He wasn't asking me to host a meeting or telling everyone that I was his mate. He just wanted me to get familiar with the way things worked in his world, which was soon going to be my world too, if I would ever be ready for it. And I wanted to try it. Try for him. 

His face lit up at my affirmation and he gave me a breathtaking smile.

"Meet me by my car as soon as possible."

I smiled weakly in return and he immediately pulled me in a kiss. I responded immediately and pulled his bottom lip between my teeth which earned me a throaty moan from Harper. Kissing him at this point, had become second nature to me and I moved my lips hard against his.

Let's just say, we were both late for our next class!

***

As soon as I came near him, he pulled me into a bone-crushing hug. I instantly put my arms around his waist and hugged him back. He placed his chin on my shoulder and I felt him smile against the side of my head. He pulled back and looked /lovingly at me. 

"God, I waited too long to do this."

I chuckled and blushed at his straightforwardness. He opened the passenger side door for me and I got in. We were on the way to pack the house as soon as Harper buckled his seat belt, which I had learned was the one where Harper had his birthday party.  

I learned that the higher-ranked wolves, including the Alpha, Beta, and Gamma, and their families lived in the pack house. Each floor was for their own space and it had everything one could desire for.

"You don't have anything to be nervous about, you know," Harper said and glanced at me from the corner of his eyes.

"I'm not nervous." I lied and chuckled nervously. I squared my shoulders as if to prove my point. 

"You twiddle your thumbs when you're nervous, Zara." Harper sighed. 

I sneaked a glance at him in surprise. How the hell did he know about this subconscious habit of mine? 

I immediately stopped my thumbs and tried to put a brave face for him to see. I must not have been very convincing because he placed one of his hands on my own and squeezed gently. "I'm here."

Two words. And my body seemed to calm down a little. Knowing he was there and would support me eased some of my worries. It wasn't that he told me something new, which I didn't know already, it was the sentiment that mattered and I felt my muscles somewhat relax.

I stepped out of the car and took a deep breath. Harper immediately came to stand by my side and put one of his arms around my waist. I leaned into his body heat and felt my confidence level bloom.

We walked inside the pack house hand in hand and I took a look around. The place looked put together and I couldn't help but compare it to the two times I had been here, one being Harper's birthday party and the other one being when he introduced me to his parents.

"Come, I want you to meet my parents." He nudged me and led me upstairs to the Alpha's office.

Before Harper could touch the doorknob, the door swung open to reveal a smiling and cheerful Eva Cain. She smiled and pulled me into a motherly hug. I was too shocked at her happy demeanor to return her hug because she was quite cold towards me when we met the first time.

"I'm so happy you decided to come, you know." She gushed and put both of her hands on my shoulders. "I asked Harper again and again to bring you to this announcement. After all, it wouldn't be complete without you." I could see that Eva had this beautiful pregnancy glow on her face which wasn't there before and I was elated that I was somehow related to her happiness.

"I'm here now." I chuckled nervously.

Sebastian stepped forward and put his hand forward for me to shake. I gingerly put my hand in his and we shook our hands in a business-like fashion, but I didn't expect any hospitality from him.

"We are glad to have you here," Sebastian said, while giving me a small smile and I resisted the urge to gape at him. This is so unexpected!

"Time for the announcement." Eva chirped happily and glided out of the room. I saw a look of adoration pass on Sebastian's face but he quickly masked it with his usual indifferent one.

He nodded to both Harper and me and went out of the room.

"Looks like you have the alpha and Luna wrapped around your little finger." Harper laughed and put his arms around my waist.

I leaned into his body and my arms went around his neck. "I'm just that irresistible."

Harper chuckled and looked me straight in the eyes. "That you are," and pulled me into a kiss.