Finally Her Turn

Chapter 28: John

My day started with a broken nose, and it hasn’t really gotten less interesting from there. Of course, Uncle Ben and the guys got a kick out of that, especially since I chalked it up to nothing more than Marissa not being used to sharing her space with anyone.

“All I can say is I definitely do not want to get on this woman’s bad side for real because her hits pack a real punch,” I jested, hoping that if I blamed her warrior reflexes and made it into something we could all laugh about, then there wouldn’t be too many questions.

I didn’t want to have to explain that what really happened was her headbutting me when I had the dimwitted idea to try to hold her in place so I could explain myself. Of course she lashed out. I probably would have done the same thing in her shoes.

But I could also tell that she still felt embarrassed about everything that led up to that, and I hoped that her silence during my explanation meant that she appreciated me taking the fall for all of it and helping it seem not all that interesting to the others. I don’t think Uncle Ben was entirely fooled, though he did enjoy a good laugh at my expense, but I also noticed the concerned, questioning look he gave me over the top of Marissa’s head.

He, like me, must suspect that there’s something she’s not telling us, but I don’t have any answers for him since I don’t know what it is either. All I know is I’ve never seen a wolf as introverted and antisocial as her. Werewolves are social creatures by nature. It’s why we live in packs and strive to create rewarding bonds with our packmates.

But she’s defensive by default. I’m learning that she rarely smiles, and she almost always seems uncomfortable. I’d even go so far as to speculate that glaring and scowling come more naturally to her than smiling and laughing. And though it’s concerning that she’s like that, I have to admit that it also makes it incredibly rewarding when I do manage to make her c***k a smile or give one of her short laughs. They’re really more of a burst of air through her nose, but it’s something at least.

All through the process of packing up our rooms, checking out of the hotel, and riding to the airport, Marissa was quiet. I could tell it was kind of a mood killer for the other guys, so I did what I always do in such a situation and turned myself into the class clown to lighten the mood. It seemed to work, especially once Stevie joined in with me. We practically drained my entire bag of stupid jokes, but I’ll admit that it was kind of fun.

Have you told your mate that Elder Ben is a really cool guy and only expects all the formal stuff in front of the other Elders? She can relax. We’re not at New Horizon anymore, he commented over mind-link once there was a lull in our stupid humor.

And though I was relieved to learn that that’s what he thought her problem was, and was maybe even a little bit questioning it myself once he mentioned it, it didn’t seem to change anything once I brought it up to her. She just kind of shrugged it off, telling me that it didn’t feel right to treat him like anything other than an Elder. Which I relayed to Stevie, who was amused by it. He seems to think that her rigidness is endearing.

As soon as we got inside the airport, Marissa reacted to it the same way that she did inside the restaurant last night. She grabbed my arm and let me lead her around, though I’m not even sure if she realized it. The hopeful part of my brain chalked it up to a subliminal effect of our budding mate bond.

Things got really interesting once we were on the plane, though, or at least I think it was interesting. I expected her to be anxious about flying, but she wasn’t. I’d say she was actually less anxious than me in that respect. People make her uncomfortable, affection too, but planes? Not even a little bit.

She was so relaxed, in fact, that she managed to fall asleep. That worried me, remembering back to how she said that she has nightmares like the one she had last night pretty much every night. I wasn’t sure if she meant that it happens every time she falls asleep, or just at night. The possibility of her starting to thrash around and call out in her sleep while we were on the plane made me nervous, and it turned me into a hovering mother hen.

I held her hand the whole way and kept stroking what I hoped were soothing patterns all up her arm, trying to prevent the nightmares from setting in. I couldn’t focus on anything Stevie was telling me because I was busy watching her and fretting over every little sound and movement she made, until finally he couldn’t resist teasing me about it.

“You’re like my older sister with her new pups. Are you gonna take out a bib and wipe her drool too?”

“Shut up,” I grumbled at him. “I’ve never had a mate before, okay? And I can’t help feeling a bit like this is a dream, and she’s going to magically disappear when I’m not looking.”

It was kind of a lie, or more like an exaggeration, but it felt like the right explanation to get him off my back. It’s just the sort of sweet, possessive, borderline over-the-top stuff that I’m used to new mates saying.

“Aww, look at you. Whipped already,” he went on mocking me, and glaring at him only made him laugh harder.

Which is probably why he’s still unmated. I’ve never asked whether he’s met his mate, and he’s never offered that information. But I imagine that whoever does eventually get stuck with him will have her hands full.

To my relief, it wasn’t long after that when Marissa finally woke from her nap, and she never did seem to have any nightmares. She was embarrassed about falling asleep, but Stevie was surprisingly gentle and supportive with her then, all hints of his mockery suddenly evaporating once she opened her eyes.

“Where are we going after we land?” she asked me, both her nerves and her curiosity shining through at once, and thankfully, no traces of the anger I would have expected with a question like that.

Because once again, I didn’t think to give her much of a heads up. She knew we were headed back to Crescent’s Boon, but I got the impression that she was interested in knowing more of the details, which I should already have told her.

“To Crescent’s Boon,” Stevie explained to her what she already knew, and then I watched with mild horror as his face shifted into the expression he takes on when he’s about to tell a hell of a story.

“It’s a magical place where the women are drop-dead gorgeous with curves straight out of your wildest imagination, and the men are all god-like. Massive, ripped, sun-bronzed skin, chiseled features, you name it. The stuff of your wet dreams.”

She scoffed and rolled her eyes, and then shocked me speechless.

“Oh, so you transferred there from somewhere else I’m assuming?” she asked him, somehow managing to keep a straight face while shooting him directly in the ego.

“Ouch,” he cringed, laughing. “I deserved that.”

“I’ll have to take you to see the Alpha first,” I started to explain more seriously, which was a struggle because I was also laughing. “My cousin Will, in fact. Uncle Ben will have to give him all the paperwork that you and Alpha Kane filled in yesterday, and then he’ll have to give his final approval and decide what to do with you, you know, like job-wise.”

“Oh,” was all she said after that, resuming her quiet tendencies for the rest of the flight.

I’m sure it was because she was getting anxious about meeting with Will, but I also suspect that she wasn’t feeling like discussing it in front of the others. Since we’re not mated yet, and since she’s not completely joined to the pack yet, mind-link wasn’t an option either.

Which is why now that we’re finally back on Crescent Boon territory, despite the fact that I know she must be curious about her new home and in spite of Uncle Ben’s insistence that we meet him over in Will’s office straightaway, I’m taking a little detour. Just a tiny one.

“I think this is a closet,” she comments as soon as the door closes behind us.

Which is true. I led her straight into the packhouse just like Uncle Ben said, but we’ve stopped inside a storage closet just down the hall from Will’s office. We're surrounded by shelves filled with paper, toner, and all kinds of office supplies, but it's spacious enough that it isn't overly intimate to be crowded in here together.

“It is, and it’s also private and not that far off-course from what Uncle Ben wants us to be doing right now,” I explain. “I just wanted to –”

“You’re unbelievable sometimes,” she complains for the second time today, already trying to push past me to get to the door.

“To take a minute to talk before we go in there,” I finish the sentence I started before she interrupted, fighting back my irritation at how she’s always jumping to conclusions about my intentions. “Which I feel is important, and I was hoping you’d agree.”

“Something you need to get through your thick skull is that I’m more likely to agree to plans that I’ve had a say in making. Do we need to talk? Yes. Do I appreciate you tricking me into hiding in a closet with you? No. Now let me out.”

“Okay, fair point,” I concede, groaning with frustration, though this time it’s at myself. “But please, just give me a minute. I need to run something by you instead of just springing it on you in there.”

And then there's the part I’m not bothering to say out loud, which is that I want a chance to resolve it with her now so that I don’t embarrass myself by arguing with her about it in front of Will.

“Thirty seconds,” she says flatly, crossing her arms over her chest the way that I’ve grown all too used to her doing.

“I want you to come stay with me instead of doing what I suspect you’re going to, which is ask for a room at the packhouse,” I hurry to say, feeling like I’m on the clock. “Don’t get me wrong, you have every right to do that, and I won’t fight you if you still insist on it, but I just think it would be better if you were with me.”

“Denied. Is that all?”

She’s definitely back to being defensive and pissed with me, which I kind of understand, but I’m already exhausted by this endless loop we seem to be on. She didn't even let me explain my reasons for suggesting it, which are topped by the fact that she has such trouble with nightmares, a concern that I feel is entirely legitimate.

“Ugh, no,” I groan, and it comes out sounding harsher than I intended. I can’t help noticing the way she clenches her jaw in response. “Hold on, one more thing is all. I just wanted to say that you don’t have to join the warriors if you don’t want to. You can do anything you want, or nothing for now if you’d like some time to consider.”

“I bet you’d like that,” she grumbles under her breath, and then more loudly she adds, “Are we finished here? You’re making me late for my first meeting with your Alpha.”

Again, no chance to explain. She never wants to give me a chance to explain, but I really would have liked to tell her all about how much I just want her to be happy here, whatever it takes. I'm starting to think that might be impossible, no matter how hard I try.

“Yes, fine. We’ll go,” I concede, sighing my frustration as I turn around and open the door behind me.

This detour accomplished exactly nothing other than upsetting her again, which is a perfect state of mind for her to be in when we go to see Will in a minute.

She wastes no time pushing past me to get back into the hall, though she still has to wait for me to join her since she has no idea where Will’s office is. I mean, I suppose she could just follow Uncle Ben’s scent if she really wanted to be stubborn, but I’m glad she waits. I’m sure it would look weird if she showed up a few seconds ahead of me and slammed the door in my face, though I also suspect she’d enjoy it.

We make it to Will’s office just in time for the heartwarming family reunion between him and Uncle Ben, and since Marissa is already annoyed with me, I figure I might as well just go all in and leave her at the doorway to run over and join in on the group hug.

“Geez, come on, John,” Will complains almost immediately. “You’re messing up my hair.”

“Don’t worry. You still look super cute,” I tease him, letting my voice get all sweet and high-pitched at the end.

“Wasn’t your mate supposed to be coming?” he questions, ignoring my teasing as he smooths out where I crumpled his shirt a little.

“She's right here,” I tell him, pointing out where she’s still standing awkwardly over by the door. “This is Marissa Carter, our newest packmate.”

He shoots me an annoyed look which I know means he’s doubly unhappy about my behavior considering that we weren’t alone in here, though once he looks Marissa’s way, he’s all smiles.

“Alpha William,” he says, striding over to shake her hand and introduce himself. “Welcome to Crescent’s Boon, Miss Carter.”