Rose
"Alaric, is that you in there?" I cautiously asked as I attempted to unlock the door. My stomach did a small flip as it was already opened. I wasn't reliving anyone's past, right? This wasn't a premonition that I had accidentally slipped into?
"Who else would it be?" The attitude and sarcasm hit me like a freight train. Of course, it was Alaric. Even after over a year and a half, his personality refused to budge or soften. I appreciated it; you always knew where you stood with him.
"Did you pick the lock again?" I groaned as I flipped on the lights to reveal Alaric sprawled out on top of my giant reception desk. His dirty shoes dangled off of the edge as he grinned at me.
"What? Me? Never!" That was a yes, but his eyes twinkled with mischievous joy. This was definitely one of his habits that weren't as charming as he thought it was. Goddess, give his mate strength whenever he meets them. He was a handful...or two.
"Why are you in here already?" I stepped into my little library, enjoying the smell of books. It wasn't the main library in the pack, but it was mine. Orion gifted it to me for my birthday. Some women wanted diamonds; I just wanted books.
Since coming to the pack, I had dozens of premonitions about the past of the pack. I even reunited a family member. Somehow I became the unofficial pack historian. It wasn't uncommon for people to come to talk to me. It was unusual for anyone else but Alaric to break in. Most people waited until I opened the drapes. Alaric wasn't most people, though.
"Meh, bored?" No, that wasn't the honest answer. That was the typical teenage male answer.
"We both know that is not why you are here." I went behind the desk and dropped my bag off my shoulder before sitting down in my chair. I tucked my bag underneath the desk and turned on my computer.
Alaric slid off my desk and wandered over to a book-filled wall. He pulled out a random book and skimmed through it before putting it back on the shelf.
"I dunno, boss lady. Why can't I just visit you?"
"Well, generally, if you just want to visit, you won't break in at six in the morning. You can always come and see me." The sun wasn't even up. Here I was planning on cleaning the library since Orion had to get up early this morning anyways for training with the higher-ups in the pack warriors.
"Is that so? Not even seven, huh?" Alaric wandered through the shelves aimlessly, randomly peeking at me through the gaps.
"Did you have the dream again?"
"Yeah...dream...nightmare..."
Alaric had been having the same nightmare ever since he came to the pack. It always started the same; he relives watching Matt and his father fight with Pru and Heather. However, as Alaric snaps the neck of Hodges, Hodges changes. He turns into a faceless woman. Alaric stumbles back to the ground as an invisible dagger impales his heart. The faceless woman is his mate. He killed her. Then when he looks around to Matt, Pru, or Heather, they are all gone, and he is left alone with his mate's lifeless corpse.
"You aren't going to kill your mate, Alaric." I crossed the room and reached through a bookcase to pat his hand. My heart broke for him. He was haunted by his father's actions, but he was already a way better man than his sperm donor had ever been.
"Can we not talk about it?" Alaric shook his head side to side. "How did the meeting go with the council the other day?"
I groaned out loud as I dropped my hand. "Orion is going to rip their heads off soon."
"They still haven't given up on telling the Alpha to stop looking?"
"Nope."
"It's ridiculous that they keep suggesting it."
"You are preaching to the choir."
"Even I wouldn't suggest that, and I'm comfortable breaking into my Luna's library."
"Maybe not tell people you break in here."
"Scared I'll ruin your image?"
"No, I'm scared you'll get pee on my carpet if Orion ever catches you breaking into here." I snickered as I went back to my desk.
"You have no faith in my bladder?" Alaric dramatically clutched his chest as he rounded the corner of a shelf.
"No, not really." I opened the door to the closet and grabbed a feather duster before throwing it at Alaric's face. "Make yourself useful while you are here."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. I do not find this rudeness attractive." Alaric shook the feather duster in my direction.
"What makes you think I am looking to attract you?" I smirked as I rummaged through my cleaning supplies.
"Touché."
Alaric and I spent an hour cleaning up my little library. He was a trooper for helping. He kept me company whenever Orion, Harriet, Heather, Iris, or Pru were busy...or asleep apparently.
"Come on, kid. I'll buy you breakfast." I dropped the cleaning supplies back into the closet and stretched.
"Hmmm, I shouldn't accept that, but the promise of pancakes is hard to say no to," Alaric licked his lips at the thought.
"Maybe if you are a good boy, I'll even invite your crush."
A crimson tidal wave crashed over Alaric's face as he stammered out, "I...I don't have a crush."
"Don't lie to your Luna."
"I don't have a crush! Stop making me sound like a little kid. I am only a year and a half younger than you."
***Are you awake? Alaric and I going to grab breakfast at the diner. You wanna come? My treat?*** I quickly sent out a mind link.
***Sounds good. Meet you in a few.***
"Well, who did I just invite?" I innocently batted my eyelashes at Alaric.
"Luna!" Alaric chased me around the library with his fingers splayed. He was armed and dangerous. I had no desire to be tickled this early in the morning.
"No running in the library!" I laughed out as I ducked behind a bookshelf.
"Then hold still and take your punishment!"
"Sorry if we don't go now; we will make her wait for us." I gestured to the door with my own mischievous glint in my eyes. "It would be such a shame to waste any time with her."
Alaric reluctantly followed me out of the library and across the street to the little diner. I liked this place; it was in the heart of the pack. It was always busy. You never knew who you would run into there. That made it an even more enjoyable experience, kind of like a game of pack member roulette. As soon as we stepped through the door, the smells of coffee and breakfast meat greeted us.
"Morning, Luna!" Marie greeted me with a huge grin. Marie was a pleasantly plump older human who was mated to a werewolf. Her mousy brown and gray hair was pulled up into a messy bun on top of her head.
"Morning, Marie," I smiled back as I pulled Alaric to an empty booth in the corner.
Alaric's leg wouldn't stop shaking as he tried to look over the menu. I groaned slightly as I prayed that she would get her soon so he would stop.
A soft jingle of the bells on the door caused Alaric's eyes to soften as he looked over. I smiled to myself as I scanned the menu. I knew what I was going to get, but I let him have this dopey lover boy moment without me teasing him.
"Morning, Luna. Morning, Alaric."
I finally peeked over my menu with an innocent smile, "Good morning, Heather."
Rose*** Doesn’t she look pretty this morning.*** I mind linked Alaric as I scooted over in the cracked pleather booth to make room for Heather to sit by me.Heather had her platinum blonde hair pulled back in a low ponytail and was wearing a simple blue sundress with a chunky cream sweater thrown on top of it.Heather slipped into the booth beside me and immediately picked up the menu. We all knew the menu by heart, but she still took the time to look it over.Alaric’s eyes bugged out of his skull at me. During Alaric’s time in Black Moon, he became almost like a little brother to me. I had been the baby in my family, and all three of my siblings seemed pretty apathetic when it came to me. They teased me, but that was the extent of their interest in me. Alaric appeared to fill a hole I didn’t know I had in my life.“Why are you two up and functioning so early?” Heather yawned and nuzzled her head into my shoulde
RoseAfter my breakfast with Alaric and Heather, I left them arguing in front of the diner. Alaric would annoy her, and eventually, she would pull herself away from his trap. Whenever she did, Alaric was kind enough to look after my little library until I was done with my meeting with my favorite witches.A gentle breeze drifted through the streets of the pack. Bleeding hearts, blackeyed Susans, dogwood, and bluebells harmonized with various other wildflowers.Spring had always been one of my favorite seasons. My mother's garden had come alive and was the most beautiful during that time of year.Things were a little different now. My mom had a garden at her new home, but it wasn't the s
RoseThe evening air was cool and damp from a spring shower earlier in the afternoon. The sun was dipping low behind the trees offering its last beams of peach, purple, and pink light.I slung my bag over my shoulder as I locked up my library for the night and gently tugged on the door handle for good measure. It's not like anyone besides Alaric would bother breaking into it. Not unless they wanted to read under the moonlight and sneak my chocolate-covered coffee beans.Sneaking my treat would be a crime but not one I could punish anyone for doing. The only one who got a sick joy from stealing my food was Harriet, and I rarely saw her in my library."Good evening, Luna." A freshly mated couple nodded as they walked arm in arm past me on the sidewalk."Have a good evening." I smiled.I let my eyes linger after them as they wandered past the small shopping area. I remembered the excitement and rush of finding your mate, finding that missing pi
Rose"The rules are simple; the last person standing at the end with the most flags is the winner." Damian plopped a canvas bag down on the ground with a thud. "You can spar. You can steal multiple flags from your opponents. You cannot ask for outside assistance. You cannot knock out your opponents. You can't hide flags. You cannot shift. You are to stay in the forest, do not bring your game into town. At the end of two hours, the game is over.""Whose idea was this?" Iris groaned as she snatched a purple flag from her brother's hand. Iris tied her flag around her wrist and pulled off her bob-length bubblegum wig. She sighed exasperatedly as she gently placed her wig in her backpack. Her bald head gleamed in the afternoon sun. After I shaved her head, she decided
Rose"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Heather. Happy birthday to you." I whispered in Heather's ear as I lay beside her in her bed. I slowly brushed the hair out of her face.Heather swatted at my hand as she rolled away from me. She was still asleep and seemed to have no desire or want to wake up."How long do you think she is going to sleep?" I groaned as I rolled off the bed.Harriet sat on the floor, bouncing a ball off of the wall. "I told you she would do this.""You said she would hide out in the house all day. You didn't say that she would sleep all day." I plopped down on the floor beside Harriet and snatched her ball."Close enough," Harriet muttered as she threw her head back. "We could have slept in our own beds at this rate.""Oh, come on. We had a sleepover for your 18th birthday." I elbowed her in the ribs."I didn't sleep until noon, though.""You know I can hear you two
AlaricI knew the first moment that I saw her that I was drawn to her. At the time, she was just a wolf trying to stop me. Ironically trying to stop me from saving her sister's ex-boyfriend.Even then, I wanted to talk to her, wanted to get under her skin. I craved to break down her walls and become close to her, no matter how difficult it may be.In the weeks leading up to her birthday, I constantly provoked her. I made sure she knew I wanted her in my own unique way. I am sure I looked more like a fool than I do on a regular basis.I flirted, teased, and followed her. I felt like a love-sick puppy chasing after someone who didn't want them.
Rose"Stop it." Orion's arms slipped around my waist from behind as his beard nuzzled into the base of my neck, tickling my skin."I'm not doing anything." I slightly whined as I looked out the window, following the trail of street lamps towards the heart of town."Yes, you are." Orion's words were like silk gliding down my skin, making me melt like butter in his arms. "You are staring down the street, waiting for Heather or Alaric to come and talk to you. No one is going to come and talk to you this late, flower.""Meh, maybe I am, maybe I'm not." Of course, he was right. He knew me so well. Most of the time, I loved it but not right now. Right now, I just wanted to be nosy. Could anyone really blame me for it?"Give them some time. They'll come around.""Yeah, I know. I'm just used to both of them telling me everything, and it's like they have kicked everyone out of their little bubble.""You know when you find your mate, and there
Rose"So she kicked you out?" Harriet loudly slurped her tea as she leaned over the counter of the bar. I rolled my eyes at her as I continued to slice up the pineapple in front of me.It had been a few days since I visited the ethereal realm. It felt like an eternity. Each day seemed to go by slower and slower. I had only told Orion about Selene sending me away; that was until this morning when a mop of curly hair appeared."Pretty much." I sighed as I tossed the spiky crown into the bucket I used to deliver my mom fruit and vegetable remains for her compost bin."Dang, you must have pissed her off good, Rosie Posie." Harriet obnoxiously snorted before looking down into her cup. Maybe Harriet wasn't the best choice for a sounding board about what happened."Honestly, I doubt there is any reason to worry about it. Maybe mating a blessed wolf is something spiritual or a huge deal for her?" Harriet shrugged her shoulders."Maybe...it was odd t