Home / Werewolf / The Wolf Moon Rises / Chapter Twenty - New Arrangement

Share

Chapter Twenty - New Arrangement

Author: Tami Stevens
last update Last Updated: 2021-09-26 19:00:05

Jake stood just inside his bedroom door waiting for the smell of the soup to dissipate enough to tell him Liana was done with her dinner. He’d been so ecstatic to have finally found his mate that he hadn’t really thought about how she felt. It was time to correct that. Typically both werewolves were happy once a bond was revealed and he’d just arranged things as though she was as happy with the match as he was and would want to start adjusting to her new position as quickly as possible. He should have realized that wouldn't be the case with a werewolf who had been raised to believe she was human. He should have talked to her about what he was doing. Normally they would be sharing through the mind link and he’d just know, but since that wasn’t possible with Liana he should have been talking to her more, asking more questions. It wasn’t as though he’d mated with someone who’d grown up knowing werewolf ways and was excited to find a mate quickly and proud to have the moon goddess choose her as the Luna. This is a huge change for Liana. He winced remembering the songs she’d sung and admitted that it was an even bigger change for her than he’d ever imagined. Hopefully, if he apologized and gave her some time, let her adjust to the idea more slowly, maybe she would forgive him and they could still make a good match. She didn’t have to agree to it on the wolf moon, but hopefully, she’d be willing to give them a chance and get to know him rather than refusing him outright. The moon goddess must know they needed each other, but the why and how were not exactly obvious to either of them in this instance. Not to him, and certainly not to Liana, she hadn’t even believed in the moon goddess until recently. Actually, he wasn’t even sure if Liana believed or was just being tolerant of their belief to be polite. Sweat coated his hands as he heard the silverware being laid down on the tray. He listened carefully, but when Lia didn’t call for an omega to collect it he went and knocked on her door..

“How in the world did you know I was done?” Lia said as she opened the door, obviously expecting him to be an omega there to collect the dishes. “Oh. It’s you.”

“May I come in and talk to you?”

“Do I have a choice?” she asked stepping back, her face slightly surprised when he didn’t step in after her.

“Of course you have a choice, though I understand now why you would think otherwise. I came to apologize, but I can do that another time if you prefer.”

“You’re going to apologize? For what?” His eyes held hers for a moment, really wishing that he could mind link with her. Emotions were so much easier to share without having to put them into words.

“A lot,” he said finally. “Can I come in and sit down or would you rather come out to the couch? Or do you just want me to say it in the doorway? Or maybe you would prefer tomorrow?”

“Now’s fine,” She looked over her shoulder at her little room. Jake thought about the furnishings and got even more nervous. The bistro stools would be a bit small and uncomfortable for him, but the bed was not a good place to keep his wolf in check so the stools would be better.

“Maybe the couch would be best,” she said at last. He smiled in relief and gestured for her to lead the way. She sat rigidly on the edge of the sofa with her hands clasped on her knees. She didn’t trust him he realized, not that he could blame her. From her education and experience, he was the enemy. His mouth went dry, his hands got sweaty, and all of his carefully planned apology flew from his brain as she looked up at him, waiting. Jake plunged his hands into his pockets, simply for a place to have them, and he found the keys that he’d slipped in there earlier. He pulled them out and held them out towards her.

“I’m told you have your driver’s license?” His voice almost cracked like a schoolboy's. That would have been embarrassing.

“You’re giving me a car?” she asked, eyeing the keys suspiciously.

“Well, David said you have a license, but that you and Selene have no car. You can borrow mine while you’re here, that way you can get back and forth to your school. All I ask is that you bring it back here before dinner each evening and spend the night. I’d prefer you stayed away from your cottage since there is obviously still poison in there, but I’ll trust your judgment on that.”

“You will?” Her voice sounded odd, as though she were not really trusting her own ears.

“You were able to detect the toxin when David and I could not,” he answered with a shrug, “obviously you know what you’re doing.”

“Thank you.”

“I can send a team to clean it more thoroughly, but we won’t know if it’s safe there until we know how the poison got in. I’m sure you’re capable of dealing with it while you’re awake, but when you’re sleeping I’d rather you were in the pack house. It’s very well protected, so we’d all feel better if you slept here until we know what happened. I thought about having you stay with the Rogues but if someone is trying to hurt you, specifically you, then you staying with them could be putting their pups at risk.”

“I hadn’t thought of that.”

“You can explain the change in plans to your school by saying a friend was able to lend you a car. We’re outside the busing area, so that was your only way in.” She nodded, “And your Gran will still be here, so they won’t think it’s strange that you come back every day to see her. We really are doing everything we can to help her,” he said, sitting down on the chair across from her. “I’ve got all the local healers, from our pack and the other two local ones and one from up the Cape here, trying to figure out how to help her. We’ve even been calling other packs across North America and we’re looking for contacts in the ones overseas too. It’s just...nobody has ever dealt with an adult wolf who has the scarring Selene has. The most difficult thing is most werewolf medicine uses the enhanced healing of the werewolf bonds and the inner wolf, but she can’t seem to shift to wolf. Herbs and medicinals are great medicines for werewolves, but the wolf bond augments them and speeds our healing. We’ve always depended on that. We don’t know if she just needs more time or different medication, or if it is possible to heal her wolf first and get its help from there. We’re searching for more answers. We even risked contacting a human doctor to see how they’d treat aconite poisoning in case we should be treating the human and wolf halves of her differently. A werewolf who is poisoned and can’t fully shift is uncharted territory for everyone we’ve asked.”

“I understand.” She was still sitting there fiddling with the keys in her lap. He couldn’t see her eyes, but he could hear the tears and strain in her voice. “

We’re doing our best, and the consensus seems to be that she is getting stronger. Everyone is hopeful that it is just going to take time.” She nodded. They sat in silence for a moment when Jake realized that he hadn’t actually apologized yet.

“I want you to know that I am sorry, Liana. I made plans and set things in motion as though you were a female werewolf. It is very rare for any werewolf to question a bond, even rarer to refuse it. I wasn’t really taking into account how differently you might feel having only just learned of the werewolf ways. I should have been talking to you more and assuming less. As Alpha I’m used to making plans and setting things in motion, always looking for the most efficient route from point A to point B. As soon as I found you I started making plans and when you arrived here I made them faster without looking at the whole situation.

Now that I’ve taken a step back and heard your point of view I can see that it is more than a bit overwhelming. Everything is changing fast, and it’s okay if you need time to adjust. I’m sorry I wasn’t more aware. I’m sorry I didn’t ask you for your input as I made my plans for our future. It wasn’t fair of me.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Jake wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or a bad one.

“Will you forgive me?”

“I’ll try.”

“I heard your conversation with Davids at the cottage. You are a werewolf. Refusing to shift won’t change that, it’s part of who you are. I hope you will give yourself time to get used to the idea and then maybe you’ll want to let yourself shift. I know you will feel the mating bond with me as soon as you turn eighteen, but we don’t have to mate immediately. Most werewolves do, but it isn’t required. All I ask is that you don’t refuse it right away. Leave the option of our union open until you know for certain that it isn’t right for you. Once you break a mate bond, you can’t choose to have it back later. If you look around the pack and talk to mated couples here you’ll see what I mean. Those fated to mate aren’t formed by chance, each member of the bond brings different strengths, and together the couple is stronger. Separation after bonding is almost as unheard of as refusing a bond.

I also wanted you to know that you don’t have to worry about any of the werewolves hurting you. It’s a fairly small and close-knit group, even when the other two packs are included in the count. No wolf on Cloud Lake pack land, or at the Pack Private school would hurt you or even dare challenge you. They all know that I’ve scented you as my mate. That not only makes you the future Luna, a very respected position in the pack, but it affords you my protection, so hurting you would be...very detrimental to their health. You are absolutely safe here. I can guarantee that.” She still looked a bit out of sorts so Jake decided it would be best if he left and gave her time to think. He stood up and said, “Well, I’m on my way down to dinner. I’ll take your tray with me so you won’t be disturbed again unless you call for something. Good night, Liana.”

“’Night” She mumbled. He went to her room for the tray and noticed as he left the Alpha’s quarters that she was still sitting in the same spot staring at the keys in her hand.

Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App

Latest chapter

  • The Wolf Moon Rises   Epilogue

    Four white paws padded softly along the water’s edge, and the young werewolf was being extremely careful not to actually get his feet wet. Being a wolf was new to him, but he was determined not to let that show. He bent to lap gently from the water just as the full moon crested over the waterfall. The jet black fur on his head and back gleamed brightly as the moon rose high enough that her light slipped over the falls to illuminate the pool of water and the whole werewolf family at the bottom of it. The young wolf looked up at the moon, blinking his heterochromatic eyes, first the blue one and then the brown before he howled his greeting to the goddess.A wistful little sigh drew Lia’s attention down to her daughter’s dark brown eyes. “When will I get to be my woff, Mama?”“Oh my little wolf,” Lia laughed, scooping her tiny daughter up in a hug and rubbing noses with her. “You will shift when the moon goddess knows you’re ready.”“But eva-buddy but me gets ta be a woff,” the little one

  • The Wolf Moon Rises   Chapter Forty Two - The New Commandments

    There was a great blast of icy wind and the werewoves found themselves being drug back towards the hill where the council had assembled. “COULD LAKE. OCEAN MONE. LA LUNE ROSE. LONE WOLVES. VISITING WEREWOLVES. ALL WEREWOLVES MUST ASSEMBLE!” There was a loud rumble followed by a series of pops, like popcorn in the large theater popping machines. Wolves and people began appearing from thin air, all facing the lycan with their heads bowed.“Where is the pup from Cloud Lake who they call Zinnia?” A girl stumbled forward from the back of the assembled wolves. There was a bag over her head and her hands were tied. Both the bag and the rope disappeared, the only reminder that they had been there was a faint red line around her neck and wrists.. “Where is the mate of Zinnia?” Dylan’s wolf appeared beside her and she dropped to her knees, wrapping her arms around his neck. The council members all looked to one another and nodded.“The Bane is dead,” they said in unison. His body appeared on the

  • The Wolf Moon Rises   Chapter Forty One - Letter of the Law

    Around noon, bit of a commotion in the yard pulled Jake from his comfortable sleep by the fire. He lifted up to listen for a moment, but since no link message accompanied it he assumed it was nothing important and settled back down when Lia’s wolf snuggled in closer to his side. They hadn’t moved from beside the fire since they’d come in from the chaos of the previous night. Lia’s wolf was still weak and she got chilled every time the fire died. Jake fully expected to hear from the lycan again soon, but he wasn’t in any rush. A few more angry wolf noises roused him again, this time enough that he linked with Mark to find out what was going on.“No need for you to come, Alpha. We have dealt with the problem.”“What problem?”“First there was some commotion around the Lycan guest cottage. We didn’t know what it was, but the Lycan had not stirred and none of our pack members were there so we left it be. A while later Zinnia’s father and Grandfather grabbed her from the shore, but Dylan w

  • The Wolf Moon Rises   Chapter Forty - Miracles of the Moon Goddess

    “Something is wrong,” Jake said, “why did the other pack speed up?” They raced along in silence for a few minutes, then David spoke.“There are unknown lifeboats chasing the Lune Rose’s small boats. It’s going to be a matter of who’s got the better engine. The fishing boats can’t get in any closer to help them out. It looks like the boat with Marguerite on it will make it back, but the boat with our pack members is heading for some sort of spillway or something. Sorry, I’m not good with maritime geographical terms. A bit of water that is always flowing into the ocean. It might be shallow now though, and they’ll be going upstream. They might get stuck. We’re heading there hoping to intervene.”“This ability to randomly link you lone wolves have is really handy.”“It isn’t something we can teach to you,” David said, “any Lone Wolf who marries into a pack or chooses to pledge to one, loses the ability. You have free communication, or you have a pack link. It can’t be both.”“I know this r

  • The Wolf Moon Rises   Chapter Thirty Nine - The Great Escape Continues

    Jake cried out with everyone else on shore when he saw the giant fireball. He’d told him no. Killian had either defied a direct order or accidentally crashed. Defied the order was more likely. “If he survives, he’s a dead man,” Jake growled.“Even if he brings them back?” Dylan asked. “I said no.”“He didn’t ask though, did he? His message was that he was ditching the plane, hopefully onto the ship, and jumping in as close as possible to the three life jackets. He was probably out of the plane before he got your command.” Jake growled again, but not with as much force. He hated to admit that Dylan was right, and he hated even more that he was hoping Killian would succeed.“Any word?” David asked.“We’re not asking,” Dylan said, “he’s got enough to worry about right now. He hit the water alive, I don’t know beyond that. We'll just wait to hear.”“Jasper tells me the raft is open, but only a little over half inflated. It will hold Selene and Lia, but the men will have to ride the tide

  • The Wolf Moon Rises   Chapter Thirty Eight - The Great Escape

    Selene stayed so completely motionless that Lia wasn’t entirely sure she was still conscious. The last kick had moved her too far from her mother for her to reach. She didn’t dare try the link on her own though, not with both werewolves and a Lycan around. She was pretty sure it was all her wolf could handle just to remember to keep all the links closed. The boat swayed on a large swell and her nausea increased. She swallowed the extra saliva, pressing a hand to her middle and trying to think of anything other than the motion and the burning in her stomach. She was colder and more miserable feeling than she had ever been in her life. Either sea sickness increased over time and made every motion more miserable than the last, or the sea was getting rougher. Did that mean they were moving out of the bay? Was the falling snow in the bay just a taste of a storm raging off the coast? On the next large swell, her cage slid across the deck and bumped into Selene’s. The two stared at each other

  • The Wolf Moon Rises   Chapter Thirty Seven - The Creeps 2

    “What’d he mean by that?” Asked Albert. “Train 'er fer what?”“You’re a wee bit slow or something? Teach her to always do as the man in charge tells her. Strip. Stick her ass in the air. Suck a man off. Beg him to break her nose. Bring him a whip to crack over her pussy. Whatever he says.”“Jesus,” cursed Albert. There was a chorus of laughter. “You’ll like it when he gives you a go with her.”“He...he does that?”“Sure, you just can’t stick nothing in her pussy, that hole belongs to the buyer, but anything else you want to do to her is fine. Sometimes there’s a specific thing he wants us to do, but mostly we can do whatever we want. He says it’s easier to train them when they’re little, but really I think he enjoys breaking the older ones in more.”“How’d you mean?”“Well, this past summer there was this little dark-haired girl we picked up in Mexico, maybe twelve or thirteen years old. Just getting her tits. Anyways, she was fighting tooth and nail when we go her on board. He brough

  • The Wolf Moon Rises   Chapter Thirty Six - The Creeps

    "For the love of the moon!" Yelled Mark, "how do they expect us to find what they can not? A Lycan who doesn't want to be found can not be tracked by werewolves just because the council commands it! We sure as cats can’t make him come here just by asking politely."The words were barely out of his mouth when David, Jake and Zinnia all cried out, "Lia!" Mark spun to look at his Alpha, surprised to see hope radiating from his smiling face."She is alive!" He said, "Her wolf is linking with me, though not well. I'm getting a jumble of images and sensations. I can't really figure it out.""I got the message scared, stuck, and a call for help as clear as air," David said, "but that is the sort of message Selene taught her to send specifically to me, so her wolf has known how to do that for many years. I don't have a location or anything useful. Usually useful information comes with the call for help.""She in on or near the ocean," Zinnia said, "and I think Selene is with her. I am getting

  • The Wolf Moon Rises   Chapter Thirty Five - Lycan Secrets

    Jake heard David’s yelp of surprise at the same time he got his linked message. Lia had been there one moment, sneezed, then disappeared into thin air! There one moment and gone the next. Literally vanished in the blink of an eye. The werewolves around him were frozen in shock, looking at each other and trying to make sense of what they were seeing in the link. Only a lycan could make werewolves vanish like that, and they only did that when a law had been broken. There was always a warning too, not a hearing really, but a sentencing so the wolf and their family all knew what was happening and why. Jake took a slow steadying breath. Lia had done nothing wrong that he knew about and a lycan would ensure one mate knew the other’s transgressions. Usually their entire family and the pack as well. Lycan were heavy-handed and unforgiving when it came to law breaking, but they too followed their own laws to the letter. The family had to be notified first. Jake suspected the point of that was t

Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status