by Belle Kayce
“That’s literal goals.” I sigh. “I wouldn’t be a good luna though.”
Heidi eyes me curiously. “Why do you say that?” she asks.
“It’s just . . . so much. I don’t know. Like I don’t fit the description of what a luna is.”
“Um, girlfriend? I don’t fit the description of what an alpha should be, but here I am. Don’t doubt yourself,” Heidi says and we both look to the side, where Grace is laughing with Lance.
Come on. Lance isn’t even that funny!
“Who is this homewrecker?”
“Her name is Grace,” I grumble.
“Okay, and why is Grace all up in your man like that? Heck no.” Heidi considers something. “If it makes you feel any better, Lance has been looking at us the entire time.”
I smile a little. “Maybe a little.”
“If it makes you feel a lot better, I did come here on very short notice. Then, suddenly, the luna is in the infirmary room and Lance just couldn’t speak with me because he had to see you and stay with you for the entire two days. I understood of course. Meredith, don’t let people like Grace get to you. I don’t know what her problem is, but you need to step up if you don’t want her to be all up on Lance.” She leans in to whisper, “Don’t worry, Luna Meredith, I did admire Lance. Still do, mind you, but I don’t really go for males, if you catch my drift.”
My eyes widen. “Oh,” I say, nodding. “Totally cool. Hopefully, you get a great mate someday.”
Heidi laughs. “We will see.” She nods. Her beta, Ashley, gives me an easy smile as she comes up to me.
“Luna Meredith,” Ashley says, nodding, “pleasure to meet you.”
“Likewise,” I say.
Lance abruptly breaks away from Grace and strides to us. “Alpha Heidi, I suspect we’ll see more of you in the future?” He places his hand on his chest in a respectful manner. Heidi knows this too, and she smiles warmly.
“I’m glad I came to you. My father spoke highly of you,” Heidi says sincerely.
“Your father may have exaggerated.”
Lance is being modest.
“Declan was a good alpha, as I’m sure you will be.”
“Thank you.” Heidi gives a sad smile, probably thinking of her deceased father. “I hope you’re feeling better, Meredith. I hope to see you soon.”
We all walk them out of the door, and a black SUV pulls up. Heidi waves at us again before they all enter the car and drive off.
“Finally.” Bo breathes.
“Rude,” Megs snickers. “They’re not bad. We’ve had worse.”
“Yeah, you and Asher get along just fine alright.” Bo smirks at her. Meg shoots him a glare.
I purse my lips. “What did she come here for?”
“Well,” Bo sighs, “alliances are hard when you’re a new alpha. You have to make sure you still have the same allies or make new ones. In this case, Heidi was trying to make sure Lance has her pack’s back if something happens. I’m guessing that something is happening, so that’s why she came on such short notice. Good thing Lance is a patient guy.”
I feel his piercing blue eyes on me. “Meredith, are you feeling better?”
“Y-yeah,” I reply. I won’t be once I tell you everything.
***
Hope is crying for the millionth time by nine in the evening. I don’t get why people have babies or people my age want to. They really take all of your time. If you don’t respect stay-at-home moms, then you really don’t know the extent of what they do because this baby is making Bo, Meg, sometimes Cole, and myself do a lot of work.
When I get in the room, the lamp at the corner is on. The plan is to lull her back to sleep, so turning on the lights would defeat the purpose of everything.
I pick her up and gently rock her, hoping to calm her down. I look at the directions for the baby formula. I pour the powder and water, then shake it up. I sit at the comfiest rocking chair Bo picked out at Babies R Us. Seriously, this feels like I am floating on a cloud. I positioned Hope extremely carefully so that she was laying on my arm and then I get the bottle to go in her mouth.
She is hungry. Luckily, her eyes are already drooping, but she is still sucking on the bottle. I smile widely. They are so innocent and cute.
Someone opens the door.
Lance.
I place two fingers on my lips and he nods. I slowly get up, trying to not move her head or anything and then tiptoe to her crib. With all the control I can muster, I place her on the mattress of the crib and slide my hands from underneath her like some stealthy robber.
We both quietly go out. Lance shuts the door quietly, careful not to make any noise.
“You’re really good with her,” Lance says.
I turn around and shrug as we make our way to my favorite place: the kitchen. I eye the cookie jar which Cook filled up for me.
“It just comes easily, I guess. I had to tell Bo the other day how wrong he was in holding her.” I chuckle. I open the cookie jar and take a chocolate chip cookie from there. “What are we going to do? Did you guys get any leads?” I bite into it, and it is still so soft. I need to get the recipe from Cook ASAP.
Lance runs a hand through his charcoal black hair, which isn’t too short or too long. It’s just enough of a huge urge for me to make me want to run my hands through it. My eyes widen as I nearly choke on the cookie I am chewing on. Suddenly, a fire from the microwave bursts.
“Oh my gosh!” I shriek. “Fire!” Like I’m any help. I wish I still update my Snapchat because this would have been such a great snap.
Lance is all action though. He takes a fire extinguisher that’s in one of the drawers and sprays the microwave with it, causing the fire to cease.
“W-what was that? Some gas leak?” I ask stupidly.
Lance frowns slightly. “I don’t know.” He turns to me. “Are you alright?”
This is it. This is the time I can spill out my heart.
“Stop, drop, and roll!” Bo barges into the kitchen with a bucket of water and splashes it on both Lance and I.
“Bo!” I shriek.
“Shhhh. You’ll wake up Hope.” Bo grins and I realize he probably did it on purpose.
I take a look at Lance who is dripping wet. His black shirt clings to him like second skin, and I immediately avert my gaze but not before seeing the lines of his eight pack.
“Sorry guys. I couldn’t risk the kitchen getting burned.” Bo looks a little sheepish.
“Bring a towel for Meredith,” Lance says calmly, like he didn’t just get wet and needs one too.
“Aye, aye, Cap!” Bo rushes out. Not even a minute later, he brings out a white towel and hands it to me. I take it and wrap it around myself, shivering a little. “Sorry guys, really.”
I give him a glare. “I wouldn’t be too mad if I didn’t need to take a shower already.”
“You do smell.” Bo grins playfully as I stick my tongue out. “Why is Lance up so late?”
“I received a call from Derek’s beta tonight. They’re visiting here soon.”
“Can you just tell them no?” Bo grumbles.
I bite back my laughter. This is probably why Bo is the beta.
“We can,” Lance says offhandedly, “but they would not take it well.”
“So did you give Alpha Heidi your allegiance or whatever?” I ask.
Lance nods. “Her father was a good ally of mine. She has some troubles with the pack members accepting her even though she is the only child of the deceased alpha. It is only fitting for her to be the next alpha. A pack member may challenge her however.”
“Challenge her?” I open my mouth wide. “You mean like . . .”
“Kill her to be the next alpha,” Bo finishes, looking serious for a second. “Some alphas do kill, others don’t. Typically, they kill.”
I know that Alpha Steven took over the Blood Tribe pack by challenging his alpha.
“You think someone will do it?”
“She thinks so,” Lance says. �
�There has to be another alpha that the challengers choose, so there is fair play.”
“You’ll be that alpha for Heidi,” I state. Lance confirms this with a nod. “Interesting.”
“It’s stupid.” Bo snorts. “Majority of some pack traditions are. Lance is trying to get some stuff banned like whipping.”
“Whipping?” I’m taken aback. We live in the twenty first century.
“They do it with silver, so it hurts the wolf badly,” Bo answers.
“Which pack does that?” I ask, flabbergasted, thinking if my pack ever did it.
“A lot.” Bo’s face turns sour.
“My pack did it before I became alpha,” Lance says.
This tidbit of information on Lance has me calming a little. I need to tell him who I am. I just want to tell him but not with Bo here. Thinking about having Bo disappointed in me is the worst. I want him to be the last person I’d tell.
“Lance is trying to get it banned, but there has to be an agreement from the alphas. Right now, the only way that it can’t happen is if an alpha himself chooses not to,” Bo explains.
“Some alphas don’t agree and are not keen on change,” Lance comments.
I take a deep breath. “This is all so barbaric.”
“You’re telling us.” Bo laughs without humor. “This is the ugly side of werewolves that no one likes to talk about, but we have to.”
We all are silent until we hear crying. I look at Bo. “Your turn, baby daddy.”
Bo groans.
CHAPTER NINE
I wake up in the morning with a mission. I am going to tell Lance today. Everything. Yesterday was a total disaster because I just didn’t have time, but a tiny voice in my head is telling me I’m just stalling because I’m scared.
I am scared.
I’m scared of Lance’s reaction. I’m scared of rejection, but I need to stop running away. The only way I may be able to see my parents again is if I have Lance on my side.
As soon as I walk downstairs, I hear voices.
I sneak below and my entire body freezes in complete and utter terror as I realize who is in the living room right now.
The beta of my former pack, Tim, and Alpha Steven’s Beta, John, are standing in front of Lance, who is sitting down with Bo and Cole flanking him on either side.
I’ve always hated them.
“The rumors are true then. Mark has joined Noctis Luna?” John’s ugly voice can be heard.
I hear a growl. “Be lucky Johnny Boy that you’re safe in these lands by pack law,” Bo sing-songs.
“Noctis Luna is the only pack I’ll ever say I’m from,” Cole says in a low voice.
“We’re here on different matters,” my former beta, Tim, speaks up. He takes a step forward and pulls out something, a photograph. “This is Ava Langston.”
My heart squeezes. That photograph is of me. A bad one but that’s me.
Lance’s face absolutely betrays nothing. Bo gives a sideway glance to his alpha.
Beta Tim continues, “We must know if you have seen her or not. As you know, protocol would be to return her to her pack since she has committed treason.”
“Treason,” Lance states, mulling over the word. “What if I don’t care to do what you say?”
My eyes widen, so do everyone else’s in the room. What is Lance doing?
Beta Tim stiffens, clearly not expecting the response. “Then our alphas would have to talk to you.”
Lance now looks completely bored, and I feel his power radiating off of him. Whether it is unintentional or not, both betas look like they’re about to die on the spot. I haven’t seen Lance use his power in a so-in-your-face manner before.
“W-we don’t want any trouble,” John adds, looking like he’s about to bolt out of here. “We don’t want any trouble. I’m sure you would like to get justice for a pack member that committed treason to the highest order.”
Seriously? Treason to the highest order? What is that? And this talk about respect makes me want to puke my guts out. There was no respect on Steven’s part when he killed Alpha Paxon’s mate, Vanessa.
“Our alphas will come if they think you’ve seen her,” Tim says.
“I’ll be right here if they need me,” Lance states, not looking in the least bit bothered. “Bo, see them out of here.”
Lance gets up and I start to creep away. I need to get out of here. I was going to stay and tell Lance everything, but it is too late. Their safety is in jeopardy because of me. The alphas will come here. Beta Tim and John even said as much. I’m as good as dead now.
I run to my room and look for any necessary items that I need to bring with me, money being the most important thing. I need to get out of here. Now. The how part will come later. I know I said that I will not run away, but this is too much. Too soon.
“Running away again, are you?”
I turn around to see Lance leaning on the door frame with his arms crossed and his eyes trained on me.
“Where are you going, Ava?”
What’s done is done. I can’t change that. He knows now.
Halting my packing, I stuff my hands in my pocket. “Am I prisoner here?” I ask. “Can’t I go if I want?”
Lance scowls. “Give me a good reason to run away when there are alphas looking for you.”
“Staying here will only cause you trouble.”
“You’re leaving so you won’t cause trouble?” Lance tenses up.
“If I stay here, you’ll get hurt—”
Taking a step forward, Lance shakes his head. “Let me protect you then. I will protect you . . . from anything.”
The betas told him that I am wanted for treason, but he doesn’t care.
“There are two alphas who want to kill me.” It feels nice to let someone know of my burden.
Lance doesn’t even flinch. “So?”
“So . . .” I draw out the word, trying to make him understand, “they’ll come here, and they’ll ask for me and then something will happen to you—”
“Don’t worry about me.” His gaze holds mine. I see a type of emotion in his eyes that I can’t discern. It looks to be almost tenderness.
“They won’t stop until they get me,” I say shakily. He needs to know they want to kill me. “They’ll keep trying.”
“I don’t care. They won’t get you, not if I have to say anything about it.”
He isn’t even asking me why they want to kill me. For some reason, that makes me want to just tear up and cry.
We’re quiet for a moment.
Lance shakes his head. “That’s all?” His face is slightly filled with relief. “You wanted to . . . protect me, protect the pack.”
I look away from him as he takes another step forward and cups my cheek with his hand, forcing me to look at him.
“You say you would not be a good luna, but this is what a luna does. She puts her pack before anyone else, puts me before anyone else as her mate.”
“Someone has to,” I whisper and tears start to form in my eyes because I’m just so tired. Of everything.
Lance’s gaze softens, and he brings one hand to my waist, where I feel tingles. He crushes me to his chest, enveloping me with his scent that reminds me of the beach mixed with a slight teakwood scent. He wraps both hands around me, and I feel the safest I have ever been. For once, I think that everything is going to be okay.
After sniffling, I know for sure my tears have wet his shirt. “I’m sorry,” I say, leaning back and looking at his shirt.
“There is nothing to be sorry for,” he tells me gently. “Which pack did you come from, Trent’s or Steven’s?”
“Red Moon, Trent’s.” I sigh and Lance instantly lets go as I take a step back. The warmth disappears, and I miss it already. I know I look like a hot mess, but it doesn’t matter. I need to tell him everything. “There’s more to why they want me.” This is the biggest baggage of it all. “I overheard Steven and Trent talking about how Steven killed Alpha Paxon’s mate, Vanessa.”
He nods. “We’ll talk to Alpha Paxon as soon as possible then.”
“What if he doesn’t believe me?” I ask. “It’s my word against two alphas.”
Lance’s hypnotic eyes study me. “This is why you didn’t want to tell me sooner? You thought . . .” He shakes his head slightly. “You thought I wouldn’t believe you.”
I purse my lips and nod.
Lance lets out a breath. “I believe you, Ava.”
Hearing those words almost brings tears to my eyes.
“Thanks. That means a lot to me.”
“Actually, it is something that they would do.”
“What do you mean?”
“Cole is an alpha from Steven’s old pack, Blood Tribe.”
My mouth may have dropped to the ground. “What?!”
“Steven challenged him.”
My mouth is still open, and I know it makes sense. Cole just has a more powerful aura around him than Bo. It makes sense now.
“H-how? I mean two alphas in one pack? That’s unheard of.”
Then again, Lance does things differently. It looks like it works. I would think if two alphas are in one pack, they’d try to kill each other, but Cole and Lance trust each other. Lance cares about what Cole thinks, and Cole knows he’s not the alpha of this pack. They both complement each other really well.
“Steven challenged Cole for the alpha position and won,” Lance explains. “Of course, it was not fair play because Cole’s mate poisoned him with silver beforehand. She conspired with Steven and wanted Steven to be the alpha.”
My eyes widen. I realize now that the scandal in Cole’s pack involved his mate. His mate betrayed him.
“How could you do that to your own mate?” I whisper. “If I ever see her, I’d cut her.” Poor Cole. I want to give him a huge hug right now.
Lance sighs. “More power? Cole doesn’t know. He doesn’t care about it now.”
I wonder how much heart break it caused Cole to have his own mate betray him like that and to get kicked out of his own pack.
“Why doesn’t Cole challenge Steven?” I ask but as I’m saying this, I realize it’s dumb. What would Cole go back to?
