Chapter 2

Once I felt like I was strong enough to not break down into tears at the first person I ran into, I returned to the packhouse. I held my head high as I walked towards my old room, slowing down my pace secretly hoping I would accidentally run into Xander. I mean I had promised the Luna I would try and stay away from him but if we just bumped into each other I couldn’t really get into trouble for that. I felt a splutter of longing in my heart as I looked around for any sign of him, staring perhaps for too long at his bedroom door. His room was silent as the rest of this floor. He wasn’t here. I sighed holding back the disappointment as I opened the door to the room I had called mine which sat opposite his. I loved this room, it was a mix of blues and whites as the Luna had decorated it for her daughter. She, unfortunately, was unable to have children after Xander but got me as an adoptive one. A touch of silver lined the tops of the blue-painted walls giving it an elegant feeling. I walked to the four-poster queen-sized bed touching the soft velvety sheets hoping the lower floor would be just as nice.

Thankfully I didn’t have much stuff to collect, mostly I just wore t-shirts and jeans as I had no money of my own yet. For a moment I allowed myself to daydream about one day being able to wear elegant gowns like the Luna’s, with Xander by my side. I looked into the large wall mirror adjacent to the bed, picturing my lavender eyes being painted with make-up with a flower crown sitting atop my mess of white hair. A smile plastered to my face I left the room, knowing in my heart that come next month we would be together again. The Luna’s worry that we were not mates was wrong, I knew it was true.

I was surprised as Domini opened his door in nothing but a pair of boxes, rubbing sleep from his puffy grey eyes. I felt my cheeks flush as I noticed his toned, muscular body as his husky sleepy voice spoke.

“Laura, why are you…” He glanced at my red cheeks and grinned before raising his eyebrow.

“You like what you see?”

I gasped in embarrassment looking down at my feet as he chuckled.

“Now why have you woken me up? You know I’m not night patrol…” His voice trailed off with genuine confusion as I tried to find my voice. I tried to speak but only noise came out making my embarrassment worse. He chuckled again before slapping his forehead.

“OH! That’s right! The Luna asked me if you could stay here!” He laughed at himself before gesturing me inside.

“Guess I forgot! Sorry, Laura, let me just get… less comfortable.” He chuckled again as he left me at the entrance, I looked around surprised.

His room wasn’t really a room at all, it was like an apartment. The entrance came into an open dining/ kitchen area with a small hallway to the left that had what seemed like 3 bedrooms and a bathroom. I wandered over to the kitchen to see a beautiful little balcony overlooking the back end of the packhouse.

“Lovely little place eh?” Domini said startling me.

“Oh gosh! Domini! Don’t sneak up on a girl like that!” I said holding my hand to my heart with a small smile. He grinned back before putting me in a chokehold and tossing my hair.

I laughed trying to free myself from his grip as he started to tickle me. Domini was like an older brother to me, he was only 5 years older than me and knew my parents very well. Apparently, his dad and my dad went way back.

“So how did you manage to get on the Luna’s bad side?” He asked still smiling as he let me go, I was breathing heavily from laughing so hard.

He turned to start making hot drinks as he waited for me to catch my breath as I debated whether or not to just tell him the truth. He glanced back at my face reading me like an open book.

“You can tell me, just because the Alpha is my boss doesn’t mean I’ll tattle!”

I smiled warmly at him, “well, Xander and I are… kinda… dating.” I bit my lip searching his face for any anger or disappointment.

He looked back at me blankly causing a pit of anxiety to form in my stomach before his laughter broke the silence. He laughed so hard tears were streaming down his face as I felt my shocked expression turned to anger.

“What?” I demanded as a hot flash of annoyance ran through me. He looked at me trying to compose himself before laughing again.

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms waiting for him to finish, after a while his laughter turned to chocked giggles.

“Okay. Okay.” He said still giggling, I glared at him.

“Sorry! Sorry! I just…” he swallowed his laughter “that is adorable and nothing like I was expecting.”

“Well, what were you expecting?” I asked curiously.

“I dunno, doing something bad I guess. Not dating her son.” He giggled again before his face turned serious.

“Laura, normally I wouldn’t care who you date but…” He looked at me with the same intensity the Luna had making me shift nervously. “What will you do if he is not your mate?”

I gulped feeling that all too familiar feeling of heartbreak at the idea, looking down at my feet again to try and mask the tears that wanted to fall.

“We are mates.” I choked out as he sighed in defeat.

“Ah, well you’re not going to listen to an old fart like me anyway…” He slapped my arm playfully as he chuckled.

“You’re not that old Domi!” I said with a huff as he winked at me.

“Old enough to know that 17-year-olds never listen. Just, be careful okay?” I sighed accepting his worry.

I couldn’t blame him when he had found his mate she was already married to someone else and rejected him. My heart fluttered with a real crushing worry for a moment, what if he and the Luna were right? What if he wasn’t my mate?

“Well, no need to worry about such things right now. Sides, the Alpha is taking him to the treaty meeting with the Crimson pack.” Domini heaved a sigh before going back to the drinks he was preparing.

“He’s what?” I asked my tone laced with worry, why would we need to allay with another pack?

Domini hesitated for a moment, glancing at me before speaking.

“Well, I probably shouldn’t say anything until the Alpha has made an announcement…”

I looked back at him playing up my puppy dog eyes curious as to what was going on. He chuckled nervously before speaking.

“Okay, but you have to promise to keep this to yourself okay? Do not even tell Ellen okay?”

I nodded quickly before taking a stool from the breakfast counter and sitting.

“So, you know that we have always had a bit of trouble with rouge attacks yes?” I nodded, “well for some reason they are attacking more frequently and in greater numbers.”

“I haven’t heard of any deaths?” I asked frowning still confused as to why a treaty was needed.

“Well that’s the worrying thing, they seem to be looking for something. We have caught many sneaking around, not drawing attention to themselves and running once we have spotted them.”

I furrowed my eyebrows confused, normally rouges attacked out of anger that we choose to live more like humans or if they wanted food.

“What’s weirder is these same rouges are the ones that have destroyed many other packs over the last 3 years.”

I raised my eyebrows in surprise thinking about Sam, then more confusion at why we had not been attacked.

“Do you think they are like, checking us out? Like they want to see our defenses before they attack?” I thought out loud as Domini shrugged.

“Your guess is as good as mine.” He sighed, “but the Alpha is convinced something more is going on, that rouges don’t typically communicate like this so someone else has to be in control.”

I nodded in agreement coming to the same conclusion.

“So he wants to sign a treaty with the Crimson pack not only for the extra men if something big is happening but for the added support of a large pack.” He sighed again a look of frustration on his face, I wondered if he had a fight with the Alpha but thought it better to not ask.

“Sides the new Alpha of Crimson pack is a young one, only just 20 I think. Gonna need to keep an eye on him.” He muttered seemingly to himself more than to me.

“Well, at least the Alpha is trying to keep us all safe…” I trailed off not sure what else to say as Domini put a hot chocolate in front of me.

“Yes, he is. Anyway, I have to get to the training grounds. It’s my turn to take on the newbies for their first patrols.” Domini chuckled as his eyes turned dark spooking me a little.

“Your room is the first door on the left okay? Oh, and there is a fresh towel in the bathroom.”

He tussled my hair before leaving, sticking his head back in to yell “don’t stay up too late! I’m starting you on physical training tomorrow!”

I groaned in annoyance as he laughed closing the door, that would mean 6 am starts and I hated getting up early. Although, I thought it would be nice to actually do something with my time, something to keep my brain distracted from thinking about Xander.