“Great. Sarah and I are going to town to shop for some dresses. Would you mind coming with us? I told Landon… You are relieved of all your other duties for the day.” I look at Natalie for a moment before I slowly nod my head.
Shopping with the girls sounds a lot better than doing laundry and scrubbing the floors.
When we arrive at the nearest mall, I keep in proximity of the girls who are running from store to store. They are trying on every dress in sight, giggling and joking the entire time. I try to enjoy the moment, but all I can think about is how my mate is back at the house. And soon, I will have to tell him the truth. And I may not make it out alive.
That scares me more than anything… I might meet my death by the hands of my own mate.
“Lana, look at this dress!” I turn my attention back to Natalie who holds up a beautiful baby blue dress. It is a simple summer dress with a halter top. It gathers at the waist and flares out to meet the top of the knees.
“It’s really pretty,” I say, nodding my head in approval.
“Good. Because I’m buying it for you.”
Chapter 5
Lana
February 25, 2014
Finally, my day off.
I lie in my bed, staring up at the ceiling as I take a deep breath. All I want to do is sleep the day away. I am so tired, I haven’t been getting that much sleep recently. I wake up every morning at five and don’t go to bed until eleven. Six hours of sleep doesn’t cut it!
Working with Natalie is easy. I wake up, help with breakfast, and while she is eating, I go to her room. I run her bath, help pick out an outfit, fix her hair… She is a sweetheart. She is kind, and if I end up picking out an outfit she doesn’t like or braid her hair in the wrong way, she gently tells me so. I knew she wasn’t the customary Alpha daughter. Anyone could see she has a heart of gold.
On my days off from taking care of Natalie, Rachel fills in.
The door to my room opens, and Jenny walks in, looking like the dead. She drops on the bed next to me, and we both lie down in silence. Jenny has become my closest friend here in the last seven days. She answers any questions I may have about the pack, Landon, Natalie or herself.
“I love having Saturday’s off.” I smile and look over at her.
“Are you ever going to tell me what’s preoccupying you?” Her eyes are closed yet a small smirk is on her lips. I roll my eyes and look away. I knew I was obvious. Whenever I see Landon or even hear his name, I go off to La La land.
“I don’t think you’ll believe me.”
“I already believe you. You saying that ensures that I will believe you.” I let out a sigh and count to three. On three, I am just going to say it. One… Two… Three—
“Alpha Landon is my mate.”
Jenny sits bolt up and looks down at me with wide eyes. I stare at her, waiting to hear her laugh or tell me I was wrong. But she just stares. I can nearly see the wheels turning in her head.
“How come you’re an Omega then? Did he reject you?” I feel my stomach drop at the thought.
If Landon was to reject me, I am sure I wouldn’t be able to manage. He is my sole reason for living. I escaped to find him. I have nothing without him. “No. He can’t see me. Our souls can’t connect. I don’t know how to get him to realize that I am his mate. I don’t know if a simple touch will do it or marking him. I don’t know. But it kills me to sit back and watch as he torments himself non-stop.”
Jenny gnaws on her bottom lip as she nods her head. “Okay, well then we need to plan a way for you to touch him without it being questionable. Maybe you can bump into him…”
“Bump into a blind man? That is cruel.”
Jenny lets out a sigh and throws her arms in the air. “What else can you do? You don’t want it to be obvious. Oh! Why don’t you fall in front of him and hurt yourself? He’ll help you up and—” Jenny shuts up when she sees the look on my face. Really? Fall in front of him? This isn’t some 1940s cheesy movie. And if I’m trying to avoid being obvious, then falling in front of him most definitely shouldn’t have crossed her mind.
I roll out of bed and run my fingers through my hair in frustration. “It is gnawing at my heart to just sit here and not do anything. I would have wanted him to fight for us. Don’t you think the best option is to just go and talk to him?” I look over my shoulder at Jenny. Her mouth drops open, and before she can respond, I get to my feet. I pull on my nicest outfit, the blue dress that Natalie gave me.
I know he can’t see me, but I feel it would be rude to dress inadequately when presenting such news to your mate. I throw my hair up into a messy bun and cast one last look at Jenny before I strut out of my room. I follow the hallway that leads to the kitchen, and I see Natalie sitting at the kitchen table. She smiles at me.
“Lana, hi!” She waves as if I were across the room. I walk over to her and give her a gentle hug. “What are you doing up so early?”
I shrug. I’ve been so used to waking up at five that six is the latest I can sleep in. As I look at the smiling Natalie, I raise an eyebrow as I wonder if she would be willing to help me. But that would mean I’d have to tell her my secret… Could she keep it? What if she does help, and the plan doesn’t work? Would she tell the members of the pack? They would look at me with disdain… That I am the Alpha’s mate, and he hasn’t accepted me.
“I just have something to do,” I say.
Natalie stands up from her seat and then pushes it in under the table. She takes a big gulp of orange juice and then turns to smile up at me. “Awesome, let’s go!” She grabs my hand.
“What do you mean ‘let’s go’?” I ask, following her as she takes us towards Landon’s office. What is she doing?
“Let’s go tell Landon. You’re mates!” I dig my heels into the ground, stopping us both. She looks up at me with a confused expression.
How did she know? There’s no way she could have heard my thoughts, I’m not officially part of this pack. I haven’t spoken too loud to Jenny, have I? “How did you find out?”
Natalie rolls her eyes and crosses her arms. “Do you know how many romance books I read? How many romance movies I watch? You look at my brother like a love-sick puppy. And let’s be honest… One doesn’t just fall in love with someone so quickly, especially not with my brother.” I glare at her. How could she say that? Her brother is nothing but kind. He saved her life. Sure, he is a little gruff and rough around the edges, but I know he has a good heart. “So, follow my lead!”
She turns and skips into her brother’s office, pulling open the big oak French doors. Shouldn’t she knock first?
“Hello, Natalie.” I hear Landon say. I smile, this must be a normal occurrence. He must know that whoever walks in unannounced is his sister.
“Hello, big brother.” She walks over, and he leans back in his seat, turning and opening his arms to her. She gives him a hug, and they hold on to each other for a few seconds. “I have something I need to tell you.” Natalie waves me over.
Landon lets out a groan. “Natalie, you can’t keep bringing home friends from neighboring packs! It’s dangerous.” I feel my eyes widen. Natalie leaves the pack territory to visit neighboring packs? Isn’t that a little dangerous for her?
“Please, Lanny! It’s nothing like that.”
I press my lips together to keep from laughing. Landon seems to relax, and I let out a soft giggle. She shoots me a glare, pressing her pointer finger to her lips to signal for me to keep quiet.
“Fine. What is it you want to tell me?” Landon asks.
“Hmm…” Natalie gives me a shrug as she says, “I found your mate.” My eyes widen. What? Landon lets out a low growl, getting to his feet. He stands tall behind his desk, showing off his true strength. Even without his wolf, Landon is intimidating.
“What did you just say?” Landon asks. Natalie nods even though Landon cannot see her. “I’d sense her, Natalie…” Landon’s eyebrows come together before he frowns and sighs. “Who is it?” I hear a sense
of hopefulness in his voice.
Natalie nudges me forward, and I stumble towards Landon, stopping a few feet away. His eyebrows come together in confusion as he tilts his head to the side as if to catch a whisper.
I tentatively lift my hand, reaching out to grab his own.
What if it doesn’t work? What if he doesn’t feel our connection? Will he grow angry at me for claiming to be mates a second time?
I suddenly grab hold of his hand. Shocks shoot up my arm, and I close my eyes, hoping, praying that he feels this as well. My heart races, beating at the speed of a hummingbird’s wings. The hair stands up at the back of my neck and my arms.
I hear a low growl, and I tense, pulling my hand away from him. No. He doesn’t feel it.
His hand closes in around mine, and I gasp at his strength. I watch as his shoulders rise and fall, his breathing becoming heavy.
He’s outraged. I’m nothing but an Omega, and my actions have angered him. I shouldn’t be in his office uninvited, no matter if Natalie brought me. I’m off duty, and my place is to stay out of his way.
“Mine.” His voice is low, and his words are a surprise. What did he just say? He pulls me into his arms and holds tightly, dipping his head to nuzzle into the crook of my neck. I feel tears well in my eyes as I hold onto him, fisting his shirt into my hands. “I’ve found you.” A smile plays on my lips as I nod my head.
“Technically, I found you. I stumbled into your land.”
Landon grabs my biceps and pushes me back. He holds me at arms-length before he reaches up and traces the features of my face.
“Lana…” I lean into his hand, closing my eyes as pure bliss overcomes me. “You told me, and I didn’t believe you.”
I see Natalie slip out of the room when I peel my eyes open. I mouth a thank you to her before I step closer to my mate, cupping his left cheek in my hand. “You’re so beautiful,” I whisper, running my thumb along his cheek bones. Landon tenses under my touch, and I fear I may have crossed the line.
***
Landon
“You’re so beautiful.” Her warm hand caresses my cheek. I can’t believe I found her. My lovely mate. She is so delicate as she traces the contours of my face.
She has been right under my nose all this time. And I couldn’t sense her.
But when she placed her hand in mine, and our skin touched, it was as if something had awakened within me. I heard the familiar voice of my wolf growling out, mate. All my senses returned—my powerful hearing, my excellent sense of smell. At that moment, I didn’t mind that I didn’t have my sight.
I have something so much better. I have my mate, my other half. I listen to the quick beating of her heart. I breathe in her lilac and cedar wood scent. She’s perfect. And all mine.
“Natalie told me you’re blonde with green eyes.”
Lana lets out a broken laugh, and I frown before I smell salt. I reach up and follow the curve of her cheeks to brush her tears away. Why is she crying? She leans into my hand again, pressing a kiss to the inside of my palm.
“Yes,” she confirms. I can’t see her; I must paint a picture of her in my mind.
“I want to know everything about you,” I tell her. I grab her hand and lead her to the bench that is pushed off to the side of the office, in front of my large windows. I sit down and hold her in my arms, listening to the soft flutter of her heart. I close my eyes, accepting the darkness for the first time. I am content just listening to her breathe and the sound of her heart. They’re the most beautiful sounds that have reached my ears.
“There’s nothing to know. I left my pack to find you, and I did.” A smile plays on my lips, and I swell with pride. She went searching for me. She left her pack to come find me. “That’s it. Your turn.” She closes off. It sets me on edge for a moment, but I push the feeling away. She will open up in time.
“My parents are dead. I became Alpha when I was sixteen. I’m blind—” Lana pulls away, cutting me off. I drop my arms from around her only for her to place her hand on my right pectoral.
“That isn’t who you are, Landon. Your parents, your status, and your blindness doesn’t define you.” Her hand is on my chest, over my heart. “This. This defines you. You’re the man who saved his sister and his pack. You’re the man who has overcome so much.”
I grab her hand in mine, giving it a tight squeeze. How wrong she is. I am no longer that man. I have done many things that I regret. But how do I go about telling her?
I fear telling Lana who I truly am, what I’ve done will only scare her away. I am not about to lose her, not when I just found her. It may be selfish, but I don’t think I can live without her. And I’m not about to chance it. Not yet.
Chapter 6
Lana
February 25, 2014
“You should have slapped me,” Landon says. I laugh, walking around Landon’s office as he lies on the bench. He has an arm thrown over his eyes, holding a peaceful aura around him. I take in all the books that are on the shelves, finding a few of my favorites. I grab Jack London’s Call of the Wild and tuck it under my arm.
We have spent the last few hours talking. Whether it is about how our day has gone so far or how our childhood was, we just spend the time getting to know each other.
Landon told me about his family when he was younger, how happy they were. He was really close with his father. They would spend days hunting, running, or just watching football together. Caleb Matthews was very sarcastic, as Landon says. His mother, Amy was gentle and the peacemaker. She would always work with the Omega’s and help make breakfast for her family. And Natalie hasn’t changed one bit.
I told Landon about my parents and brother, how close we were. I told him about the loss of the Luna and her daughter, but I didn’t tell him about Alpha Castor’s abuse. I know it will infuriate him, and that isn’t how I want to spend our first day.
“You don’t know how many different scenarios Jenny and I thought of. There was bumping into you, falling very dramatically in front of you, awkwardly touching your hand…” I laugh and take a peek at the papers on his desk. I look to see the pack registry, smiling at my name written neatly at the bottom. I notice the Braille at the bottom and top of each paper. Landon does all this by himself?
“Jenny Olsen knows?” he asks.
My eyes flicker over to him, and I wonder if I made a mistake... Is she not allowed to know? Why wouldn’t she? She’s my best friend at this pack and would find out, eventually. “Yeah…?”
Landon sits up and drops his head into his hands, letting out a groan of frustration.
“Was I not supposed to?” I walk over, setting the book down on the desk as I squat in front of him. I grab his hands, bringing them away from his face and holding them tightly in my own.
“Omegas aren’t to be trusted with information so personal.” His words are a dagger to my heart. Has he forgotten that I am an Omega?
I let out a sigh and moved to sit beside him on the bench. “Omegas have just as much of a right to be trusted as Betas.” Landon turns his head in my direction, his eyebrows pulling together. I can’t help but see the disagreement clear on his face. “I’ve been an Omega my whole life.”
Landon lets out a sigh, reaching for my hand. His fingers trail down my left arm until it rests on my hand. “That’s not the same.”
“No, it is, though. If I weren’t your mate, I’d be nothing but an Omega. You wouldn’t believe a word I say or put any trust in me. So, if you can trust me now, then you can trust all the other Omegas as well.” I lift his hand and press a kiss to his knuckles. I stare into his beautiful hazy eyes. They hold such gentleness and wonder.
The man who slashed his face is aiming for his eyes. The three claw marks start from the top left of his forehead and move down until they reach his right cheek. Two of the marks run over his eyes, permanently blinding him.
I reach my free hand up and trace the marks. The rigid scars should revolt me and make my stomach churn. But all I see is beauty.
Landon grabs my wrist, leaning his head away from my touch. “You’re right.”
I curl my hand into a fist, straightening my back. I get to my feet, giving a tug on his hand. He follows as I lead him out of the office. Blondie, who is sitting at the kitchen table, turns his attention to me. He jumps to his feet, knocking his chair down.
“What are you doing?” he asks. Landon pulls me to him, holding a hand out to Blondie, stopping him in his tracks. “Alpha?”
“Easy, Mason,” Landon says, continuing our route to the backyard. I look over my shoulder at Blondie to see him watching us with intense eyes. He is a loyal Beta. He would never allow any harm to come to his best friend. “What are we doing out here?” Landon asks once we’re standing on the turf.
I tug on his shirt, lifting it over his head. I peek down at his tone chest, thin abdomen, and defined six pack of abs. “I want to go for a run.”
“Lana, I haven’t shifted in four years.” I look at him with a confused expression. “I didn’t just lose my eyesight. I lost my wolf as well. It hasn’t made an appearance since that day.” He offers me a smile as he shoves his hands in the pockets of his jeans. The muscle cords of his arms tighten, making my mouth water.
“I think it’s time you let him out, Landon. He’s been hidden for four years; he needs to run. If you don’t, he will get irritated, and he could make an appearance at an unlikely time.”
Landon doesn’t respond, just stares at me. Or… he would be if he could. I start to wonder if I said something wrong.
“You’re wise for someone who is eighteen years old.” I grimace, crossing my arms. I feel much older than eighteen. I have to be an adult at the age of seven. I’ve taken care of myself for as long as I could remember.
Landon lets out a sigh and then nods his head. I watch as he relaxes his body and closes his eyes. I watch his hands slowly crack and morph into paws. His shoulders hunch, and he lets out a moan, leaning forward. He falls to his hands and knees as his bones pop and reform into the body of a wolf. His pants rip off him, and he soon stands in front of me as a white wolf. I smile, he is beautiful.
Blind Alpha: A Dark Fantasy Page 3
