Chapter Twenty-Three

Regan’s POV

After that day at Rage’s Sanctuary where we had finally acknowledged and admitted our feelings for each other, things between us changed for the better.

For one, Jasmine wasn’t avoiding me anymore.

While she was still uncertain about a lot of things like how to tell Lena, if my pack would accept her and if Nana would be okay with our new relationship, I was making no efforts to assist her.

All I and Rage heard were excuses and we were not patient enough to wait, I admit.

It just seemed pointless to hide something anyone could clearly see when they looked at us.

I found any excuse to seek her out. And Rage was no better, always bringing images of her to my mind and distracting me from work.

But I could understand him.

Rage felt my emotions in ten fold, although I didn’t know why since situations like this mostly ever applied to mated werewolves.

So while she went to lengths to hide our new relationship, though we hadn’t exactly defined it, I made barely any efforts to do so.

I found any opportunity to touch her whenever we were near, and her reactions to my touch never failed to excite me. It did my ego a world of good to know I had that effect on her.

That it was only my touch that could leave her blushing and shivering like that.

Once again, Rage had succeeded in bringing thoughts of her to distract me from my work at hand.

Knowing he would not allow us get any work done until we saw her, I pushed the stack of papers I had been reading aside and rose to my feet to exit the study.

Knowing that it was nearing Supper time, I knew that she would be helping the other she-wolves to prepare the evening meal.

So, I made my way to the back of the pack house, something I rarely did, to find her.

Knowing how obvious it would seem if I went into the huge kitchen alone, I decided to wait a small distance away from it, hidden from view, and mind linked Luke.

After all, he was the only one that truly knew about our relationship and seemed to have no problem with it.

Once I saw his unspoken approval, it removed a weight I did not realize I had been bearing off my shoulders.

‘Where are you?’ I asked him.

‘Busy working’, he immediately mind linked back. ‘Since you find pleasure in working me to the bone, I find I have very little time to do anything else but work’, he said.

Ignoring his tone, I rolled my eyes, something I had picked up from him and Rage.

‘Why don’t you take a break?’ I suggested. ‘Meet me behind the pack house. I’ll be waiting for you’.

Before he could mind link back, I blocked him out, knowing it would annoy him.

I smiled as I imagined him mumbling curses at me under his breath, certain that it was something he would possibly do.

I didn’t wait for long before I heard Luke coming, mumbling as he made his way over to me.

Biting down on my bottom lip to keep myself from smiling, I moved towards him as we fell into step.

“What took you so long?” I asked as I led the way towards the back door and into the kitchen, nodding and responding to greetings from the she-wolves who looked momentarily surprised at my presence before dismissing it, probably thinking I had come looking for Nana.

As I had said, it was rare that I came that way.

‘Why are we here?’ Luke mind linked me.

‘Had something to discuss with Nana’, I lied, responding to greetings even as my eyes began to search for her.

We paused briefly to speak to Mari, who told us that Nana was in the hall with some of the other she-wolves.

After receiving some sweet treats from her, most of which Luke ate, we made our way into the dining hall where some she-wolves were setting up and conversing.

As soon as we entered the hall, I caught scent of that enticing fragrance of berries and vanilla that was irrevocably hers and followed it.

Luke kept close, busy eating the treats we had received earlier.

I caught sight of Lena first before my eyes finally landed on the person I had been looking for.

They were both talking and laughing at something and I felt my step falter when I caught sight of her laughter.

She looked more beautiful than I remembered. And I had seen her that very morning at breakfast.

Not paying attention to anything or anyone else, including Luke who had noticed my faltering, I made my way straight to where they stood.

Lena noticed us first and looked surprised.

“Is everything alright?” She asked, causing Jasmine to look up as well, and those gorgeous blue eyes found mine.

For the life of me, I couldn’t look away from her.

“Are you looking for Nana?” I heard Lena ask again.

“No”, I said and Jasmine looked away. “I believe Luke had something to say to you and I simply accompanied him”, I lied. “Is that not so, Luke?”

I finally looked away from her to see Luke’s confused expression, giving him a look that he understood immediately.

‘You absolute…’ he trailed off in my head. ‘You didn’t have anything to say to Nana, you just wanted to see her’, he accused accurately.

‘And you will help me’, I said. ‘So be a good friend and help keep Lena occupied for a while’, I told him.

‘Only on one condition’, he mind linked back.

I should have known Luke would want something in return.

The two she-wolves now stood, staring at us in confusion as we mind linked each other.

‘Very well, we will discuss this later’ I told him.

‘Do I have your word on that?’ He asked.

I simply shot him a glare.

‘I believe that is a yes’, he said before turning to the she-wolves. “Yes, dearest cousin” he said to Lena who immediately narrowed her eyes at him in suspicion. “There is an urgent matter I wished to discuss with you”, he said. “If I could have a moment?” He asked.

I shut my eyes in exasperation.

He was doing a terrible job of acting as someone who had something urgent to tell his cousin.

Even I could hear the awkward tone of his voice. That was not how he usually spoke to Lena and all knew it.

“I suppose”, she conceded, eyes still narrowed in suspicion, as she allowed him lead her away from us.

I immediately made my way around the table to her side.

“He does not have anything urgent to say to her, does he?” Jasmine asked as I came to her side.

I sighed.

“No, he does not”, I told her. “He is supposed to keep her occupied for a moment while I see you”, I confessed.

A blush immediately appeared on her cheeks.

“I believe we agreed to keep this a secret”, she said.

“I agreed to nothing”, I reminded. “But I understand how much your friendship with Lena means to you and I will try to not do anything to put that at risk, which is why I brought Luke today”.

She gave a small smile.

“I appreciate your effort”, she said, looking up at me.

“Well”, I said, moving closer to her. “You may show your gratitude anyhow you see fit”, I said, knowing my voice and look were conveying exactly what I meant.

She turned red.

“You are not allowed to say that” , she whispered.

“And why not?” I asked, taking another step closer.

“Because, Alpha”, she said, putting emphasis on my title. “We are in a room full of werewolves with incredible hearing abilities that will have no trouble listening in on our conversation”, she scolded.

“Is that your only concern”, I asked, lowering my voice into a deep whisper.

“N-no”, she said, moving away from me to act like she was setting the table.

I bit back the smile that threatened to appear.

She was absolutely adorable.

If she knew anything about werewolves, she would know that we enjoyed the chase. And her moving away from me just encouraged my werewolf instinct to pursue.

I moved towards her again.

This time, placing a hand on her arm to keep her from moving away again.

“Alpha!” She whisper-yelled, looking around frantically. “You can’t do this. Someone might see”, she warned.

“Let them”, I said, stroking her arm softly and hearing her already fast beating heart triple its pace.

“Lena…” she began but I cut her off.

“Luke has her occupied”, I told her. “Stop worrying”, I told her.

“I can’t”, she said, and more than the words she said, the way she said it didn’t sit well with me.

“Look at me”, I said and waited until she hesitantly brought those blue eyes to mine.

The worry in them was clear to see.

“Very well then”, I yielded. “I will leave if you promise to come to me tonight”, I told her.

“Come to you?” She asked, confused.

“Come to my study at the house after Supper tonight”, I said.

“I cannot”, she said. “I will be with Lena”.

Rage growled with jealousy and I calmed him.

“Then come afterwards”, I persuaded. “Or I will come to you”, I threatened without meaning to do so.

She shook head.

“No, don’t come to me”, she said. “I will come to you after I leave Lena” she agreed.

I suddenly felt guilt.

“I did not mean to threaten you. It’s just…” I hesitated before continuing. “I miss you”, I confessed. “Rage does too and he is not easy to reason with”, I explained.

She smiled.

Her eyes softened and brightened at the same time and it gave me pride that I was the one she looked at like that.

It also made it incredibly hard to restrain myself when all I wanted to do each time she looked at me like that, was lower my head to finally taste the sweetness of her lips.

But it was not the right time.

She was not ready.

If she considered me clingy now, she did not want to know how obsessed I would become after having a taste of her plum lips.

That was also why I restrained myself from doing so each time we met. Despite the eager encouragement I received from Rage each time.

Rather than kiss her like I would have wanted, I simply gave the arm in my hold a soft caress, feeling her shiver in response, before I let go.

“I miss you as well, Regan”, she said and I felt my heart skip a beat.

It always happened each time she called my name. And it was not as often as I would have liked.

If I had my way, I would have each word that came from her mouth be accompanied by my name.

But I knew better than to say so.

Jasmine was like a delicate flower.

I had to be careful with her.

I knew if I pushed too hard that I would just end up scaring her or worse, having her run away from me.

And I could never let that happen.

Hearing footsteps from afar and catching her scent, I knew Lena was coming back so I moved away from her and made my way across the table to the other side.

“Please take him away from here before I murder him”, she said to me as she approached the table, looking angry. “How you put up with him all day I will never know”, she said, throwing her hands up and moving towards Jasmine.

“What happened?” Jasmine asked her, concerned.

“I would not bore you with such details, my dear friend”, she said and turned to me. “I am sure you were both leaving”, she said pointedly.

“Of course”, I readily agreed, pulling Luke away as I threw one last glance at Jasmine before leaving.

“What on earth did you say to her?” I asked him as we exited the pack house.

“I simply asked her to educate me on the process of child bearing”, he said innocently.

I roared in laughter, feeling my eyes watering from laughing as I pictured the look on Lena’s face as he asked.

He joined in on the laughter.

I was glad I could always count on Luke to say and do the most ridiculous things.