by Belle Kayce
Meg brushes past me, giving me one last look, and that’s when I notice my surroundings. What I saw when I first came here was just an empty house. There was no one. Now? I see so many wolves buzzing past me, not saying anything to me, just doing their own thing.
Some pups are running by the kitchen, laughing boisterously as an older werewolf chases them out of the room. I sidestep so as not to block their way, and I smile at them.
Those pups are so me. The eating-the-raw-cookie-dough part, I mean.
“You guys can’t eat raw cookie dough, you pups!” the werewolf wearing a chef’s hat and with a big round stomach yells after them, a distinct southern accent prominent in his words. He then notices me and frowns. “Who are you?”
“Av-Meredith,” I stutter.
“Cook.” The man jutted out his hand. His name is literally Cook and he is a cook? That’s so cool. “It’s nice to meet the alpha’s mate.”
I’m taken by surprise that Lance had already told his pack about me.
“Nice to meet you too,” I say as I take his hand. “I ate your pizza the other day, and it was great.”
Cook smiles. “I like a gal that can eat.”
I laugh a little. “Oh, trust me, I eat a lot.”
“We’ll get along just fine.” Cook nods.
“Dad . . .” A girl around my age with long blonde hair and big blue eyes comes out of the kitchen and stops what she was about to say when she sees me. She looks like a doll. Her eyes narrow into slits. “Who are you?”
“Grace, that is no way to treat your future luna,” Cook scolds his daughter
“Luna?” she asks with full attitude.
Can I make at least one friend here? I do what the bigger person would do and smile. “Hi, I’m . . . Meredith.”
I’m getting better at fraud. There is only a slight hesitation this time.
“Dad, you’re saying she’s my alpha’s mate?” Grace asks, giving me a once-over and turns her nose as if she smells something bad.
I’m not the skinniest wolf around nor am I the fattest. I am just average. I like my curves enough, except I am working on my six pack, which is not coming along well at all. I don’t even have a one pack. I should stop eating junk food altogether, but I don’t know if I can ever stop eating donuts or cookies. So, there’s a huge obstacle. Sometimes, I’d feel self-conscious being around my older sister who’s skinny or this Grace right in front of me who looks like a model, but I’m awesome and at a normal weight with my 5’6 height. I hate people who makes you feel less because of your weight. Yes, it can be improved, but don’t make someone feel like they’re less of a person. It is something I accepted a long time ago.
I do not like the way she said that in a really condescending tone.
“Surprise,” I deadpan at her.
Grace scowls at me. Like she has any claim to Lance. Her alpha? Does she not know that the entire pack shares one alpha? I’ve got news for you, Grace . . .
“Come on, Grace. We have a lot of cooking to do.” Cook pats me on the shoulder and goes back into the kitchen, but Grace doesn’t move and is still glaring at me.
I hate girl-on-girl hate. Why can’t we all get along? Us girls need to stick together, especially in this horrible werewolf patriarchy, where the males think they’re dominant.
“I will make my alpha’s favorite dessert. He loves it the most,” Grace says, smirking at me. This whole looking-innocent charade is so fake. Ugh.
“Cool? Thanks?” I say, not knowing why she’s telling me this. Does she want a prize? I continue to smile to make sure she knows I mean no threat to her. Blame the Moon Goddess, not me, for Lance being my mate. Jeez.
“He always loves whatever I make him.”
My smiling stops and I just look at her in disbelief. “What are you even getting at?”
“Grace, come on!” Cook’s voice bellows, saving me from her. I do not want to be in her presence.
Grace gives me another weird smirk, flips her hair around, then goes into the kitchen.
I don’t even know what just happened. Does she like Lance? What is up with her and food and giving her food to Lance? Something knots in my stomach as I think about her being with Lance. Being strictly with no one else but your mate is a very traditional method—one that I don’t abide by and maybe Lance doesn’t either. I only have one crush, but it will remain that way for sure.
I’m getting a headache. The cause? I don’t know. All I do know is that I had a long day.
***
Owning one pair of clothing sucks. This is what happens when someone runs away on such short notice. All my clothes at home will be missed dearly. I spent lots of time at the thrift store, making cute outfits with my best friend. Retail therapy is a real thing too. I take a whiff of what I’m wearing.
On a serious note, I do actually really need to go to the mall and buy some clothes because my clothes smell bad.
“I do need to go to the mall and buy some clothes,” I tell Cole the Stalker behind me. I give him my best impression of what a luna might do and raise my chin. If it was another situation, I would have never asked for permission, but this is my karma for running away the first time I went to the mall. There is definitely some trust issues here.
I can tell Cole is mind-linking Lance. I’m not ready to face him yet.
***
Cole is coming to the mall with me this time. Meg probably does not want to be with me this time and I understand. Girls shopping is just different though. Will I ever go to the mall with Meg again is the question. Cole is the one driving while I’m in the passenger seat.
We’re in the car, and it has been silent so far.
“So why did you run away?” Cole asks me.
I’m surprised he is even speaking to me. He’s so intense, I want to get out of his way every time. He casts me a sideways glance. Does he really want to know why so we could make small talk or is he genuinely interested?
“Uh…” I trail off.
“And don’t think you can this time.”
“I told you, I’m not going to run away. I just really want some cute stuff to wear because, you know, I’m a girl,” I answer him, irritated. Let’s see if he questions that one.
Cole doesn’t say anything.
After a few moments, he says, “You never answered my question.”
“What do you think?” I ask him. Not that I care, really. As if he knows two alphas want to kill me. I have a huge secret of theirs that I have no idea what to do with. It will be a huge burden to put on anyone.
“I think you might have been scared,” Cole says after a pause. “I know Lance has done nothing to make you dislike him. You might have been scared of your own feelings.”
Annoyed with his confident answer, I huff. “Who are you? My therapist?”
I think, for once, I see a glint of amusement in his eyes as he looks at me. “You might be scared or you might be hiding something. Rest assured, my luna, you should know no harm will ever come to you.” This assurance is something unexpected from him. It is unexpected from the beta but not beta. I try not to meet his gaze.
The intensity of his gaze unnerves me, so I look away. Him already accepting my position as a luna makes me anxious. These high expectations they have of me . . . like, they are going to be disappointed. Big time. Plus, I have no right to have that title. Also, for a beta, Cole is really, really powerful. His aura is different. He is more like . . . not a beta, like he wants me to believe. I want to ask him about it, but I think I won’t.
“And if someone tries to harm you, they’ll have to go through Lance’s dead body . . . and mine.”
I gulp. That’s exactly what I don’t want to happen. “What if that’s what I’m scared of?” I say in an almost whisper, and we come to an abrupt stop. I see Cole giving me a perplexed expression for a millisecond before he continues to drive.
Spilling what I feel to Cole makes me feel a little better.
***
While at the mall, C
ole checks my every move. I go through the racks like it is second nature to me. I have a limitless budget, so I might as well pick out the best clothes I can wear. The way Cole is scanning my every move makes me want to laugh.
“You’re coming to the fitting room with me?” I joke and he turns away. I sigh. “I’m not going to run away.”
“Precaution,” Cole answers me.
“Hey, Cole. Do you know what your alpha likes?” I ask him. Gifting people things is part of my love language and a great apology too. If I get something for Lance, maybe he will be less disappointed in me.
Cole hands me that black credit card again, but I am not about to give a gift to Lance using his money.
“Books,” Cole answers.
“Uhh . . . not helpful,” I say as I enter the bookstore. What can I get him? What does an alpha that’s rich need? Will he get the humor if I get him Twilight? I snicker at the thought.
After our shopping trip, I buy Cole something. I buy something for Lance too. I buy Bo a small cactus plant. Maybe I am buying them gifts because I feel guilty. Cole is right. They have done nothing to make me dislike them.
“Umm . . . Cole.” I twitch as I suddenly think that what I’m doing is embarrassing.
Cole looks over at me, and I hand him a bag.
“This is for you . . . while you weren’t looking.”
He looks genuinely surprised. First time for everything, I think.
“I did not use the alpha’s money because I have my own, and I wanted to spend it on you guys.”
“Thank you, luna,” he says. “You did not have to—”
“Shut up.” I swat his arm out of reflex. “Your fashion is a disaster.”
He looks over to me, a little startled until he sees my grin. He relaxes and I swear I see his lips almost twitch.
We immediately go outside and head to the car. I’m glad the drive is quiet, with nothing but the sound of the radio. When we arrive, I go inside the mansion to the main area. I see Grace, Bo, and Lance talking and I yell, “Bo! I bought something that screams you.”
Bo looks over to me excitedly. “What? Serious?”
I hand him the baby cactus plant.
Bo looks at it for a second and laughs out loud. “Gosh, you know me.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “It’s a great gift!”
Bo snorts. “Thank you. I’ll add it to my cactus collection.” Bo taps my head as he walks out, leaving me, Grace, and Lance alone.
I can feel Lance’s eyes on me. I’m hoping he’s not mad at me still.
I do not want to give his gift with Grace around. I also have to work up the nerve to meet his eyes. I take a deep breath and take a few steps towards him, around the huge island in the middle.
“Can I speak to you?” I ask Lance, my voice a little squeakier than I would have liked.
Grace shrugs. “I’m not leaving—”
“Alone?” I ask, ignoring her. Screw being the bigger person.
“Leave, Grace,” Lance tells her in his baritone. She gives me a look before leaving but does not disobey the alpha’s orders.
Ha.
I clear my throat. “Well . . . this is nothing really special, but I think it suits you.” I hand him a bag, my face flaming. It is actually the worst gift on the planet. Who gifts people a bookmark? What was I thinking?
Where is that black hole to suck me up right now?
“I . . . never received a gift before.” Lance looks at the small bag, unsure. He opens it and it’s a bookmark with his name. He does like to read, or Cole says he does. His electric blue eyes look up at me after inspecting the bookmark. “Thank you, Meredith. This is not nothing.”
I feel warm all over. It is just a simple bookmark, but Lance thinks it is like some kind of grand gift. My demeanor relaxes then. The little things in life. And it says a lot about a person who appreciates them.
After a few seconds of just looking at each other—because I can look into his eyes all day—he looks away quickly and says, “We have a library upstairs if you ever want to go and visit.”
I open my mouth, flabbergasted. “You have a library?!” I am a total book worm. The fact that this place has a library really makes me want to live here.
It also saddens me about my predicament. A whole library is such a dream.
I’m thinking about how I’m going to spend some time there tomorrow. There are so many questions I need to ask Cole. Conveniently, I see him standing with us in the living room.
“I have to ask something important from you, Cole,” I say conspiratorially.
Cole leans down as if I am about to tell him a secret.
“What is it?” he asks.
“What’s the WiFi password?”
CHAPTER SIX
“It’s getting annoying that the beta is following me everywhere,” I complain to Bo as we sit in the couch, picking out what movie to watch.
Bo coughs. “Cole?”
“Yeah,” I answer.
“Is that what he told you? He’s not the beta. I am.”
I frown. “Really? Because I thought he’s the beta. I mean, he looks like the alpha’s second-in-command.”
Bo shoots me the side-eye. “Meredith, I am the beta. As to what Cole is, that is something he’ll have to tell you himself. Although, be warned, it is really, really complicated.”
“I never really see you do any beta duties.” I grin at him. “I mean, here you are, watching a movie with me.”
Bo rolls his eyes. “Lance doesn’t make me do that many things. He lets me do whatever. Maybe some paperwork his lazy self doesn’t want to do here and there. Mainly, I pick up the slack of the werewolves under me.”
I nod. “Interesting but really boring. Seriously, you guys have no lives.”
“That’s real nice, luna.” Bo barks out laughing.
I smile at him, but inside, I’m cringing at the title.
After not being able to decide on a movie because Bo is too tired to try to even stay awake even though it’s only like nine at night, he gets up to leave me.
I quickly ask, “Uhh, Bo, do you know where the alpha is now?”
Bo gives me a strange look. “We have a basement,” Bo says. “You just go downstairs. He’s usually there around this time. He’s in his own personal training room because we’re all lazy and never really go there.”
“Cool,” I say and immediately head to the basement.
I swallow as I walk in Lance’s training room. He is working on a punching bag, with no shirt on and shorts. Oh my gosh. He has a freaking eight-pack. His muscular body is so very attractive, and it doesn’t help that his body is glistening with sweat too.
Sweat is only attractive from a distance.
Suddenly, he stops punching and tenses up. It is almost as if he feels that I am in the room.
“Hey, Lance,” I say and wave. I am acting like we are fine and nothing is wrong with us, like I didn’t just try to run away and I’m still not lying about who I really am.
I haven’t seen him all day, and I know he’s avoiding me. I hope he considers the gift an olive branch. Or what if the gift is so crappy that he thinks I hate him? I mean, who gives a guy a bookmark!
He holds the punching bag expertly. Without looking at me, he asks, “Is something wrong?”
Yeah, you’re completely avoiding me. I think I might die because of two other alphas, and I don’t know what I want in my life.
I stare at him for a couple of seconds. The urge to just tell him is so strong, the words are on the tip of my tongue. But something is stopping me from saying it. I am about to cry in frustration. What do I even do?
He furrows his eyebrows, as if waiting for an answer. Those blue eyes seem to glow as they look at me in curiosity.
I nod my head, clearing my throat. Why did I want to see him again? Just to see him? Why am I here? “Right . . . well . . . uh . . . just . . .”
I take a deep breath. Why is it so hard to get my feelings across?
“Jus
t wanted to see you. How you were doing.”
Lance looks up in surprise for a few seconds before he puts on his expressionless face.
He does not say anything back.
“Yep.” My resolve fails after a few moments of silence. “I’ll just be going now. Sorry to interrupt.” I whirl back to the exit. I shouldn’t have done it. I shouldn’t have seen him. I should have kept avoiding him too. I am only going to put him in great danger with me being around. He doesn’t need that. He doesn’t need me. I ran away from him. I betrayed any trust he had given me. As I exit the door, I feel hate towards myself for being weak, for seeing him—
“Meredith,” Lance calls, his deep voice making me go warm from my toes to my lower stomach.
I stop just as I am about to grab the doorknob. I squeeze my eyes shut for a few seconds.
“I’m glad I saw you too. You can interrupt me anytime.”
My heartbeat quickens. I open the door quickly and leave.
***
I’m kind of a morning person . . . but not really.
I am sleeping in my warm bed, thinking I have hours to go before dealing with the world. I am enjoying my peace until someone barges into my room.
“Wakey, wakey. Eggs and bakey!” some annoying beta-wolf chirps at seven in the morning.
I groan. “Go away.” I peek to see if he’s still there. He is.
“No can do, sleeping beauty. We all have to train,” Bo says.
“Train?” I ask, my heart speeding. The thing is, I am not yet a full-fledged werewolf. Sure, I can mind-link, and I may have some heightened sense of smell, but I can’t shift. My sister jokes that I’m defective, but I think that seriously might be the case.
“Train,” Bo confirms. “Everyone is already in the training grounds. Your presence is needed. Everyone in the pack that is fit and able trains.”
There is no way I can keep up with a bunch of wolves. “I don’t think I’m feeling too good,” I lie.
