Under the Crescent Moon

Chapter five

Devon’s POV

I was quite anxious when the Mason family didn’t show up at 11:00 on the dot. Perhaps they had changed their minds and weren’t coming? Maybe something happened to them on the way here, or they got lost? I hadn’t known Tara for very long, but the thought that I might never see her again was driving me and my wolf River crazy with worry! Tara’s phone is in Seattle, so I have no way of checking with her to find out if anything is wrong! Then when they arrived at the gate about 11:07, I felt extremely relieved, as well as just a bit foolish for jumping to conclusions.

Everyone gets out of the car, and the Masons are greeted by my folks. Whom I am surprised to see can manage to act exactly like humans.

“Call us Liam and Lottie, all our friends do!” Dad was telling Mr. and Mrs. Mason while inviting them to come inside, but they decline. They tell my folks that they are just dropping off the kids, and taking the opportunity to spend the day by themselves. They’d be back by early evening to pick everyone up. Then they get back into their car and drive off. Cool!

I lead Tara and her brothers inside the pack house and give them a brief tour.

“You actually live here?” Tara asks, incredulous, as we walk around the huge log cabin style pack house. “I don’t quite understand. What exactly is this? A mansion? A hotel? A fancy apartment complex?”

“I guess it’s sort of like a cross between an apartment complex and a community center.” I say as we enter the basement recreation room.

“This place is so cool!” Gavin says, checking out the foosball table, and Jayden agrees.

“This is the basement level, where we have this rec room, a gym, laundry, and storage. The main level has the lounge, my parents offices, the kitchen, a dining room, and a library. The second floor has a couple guest rooms, as well as a couple family sized apartments, and the top floor has a few more family sized apartments, including the one I currently live in with my parents and my sister Gabrielle.

“Your parents have offices here… do they work from home, then? What do they do?” Tara asks innocently enough, but I gotta think fast! Make it the truth, but give it a “human” spin.

“My parents own this whole area, which is kind of like a resort community. I guess their role is rather like president of the HOA,” I try to explain. Tara makes a face of disgust.

“My dad is the vice president,” Troy pipes up, cottoning on to the theme. “Lucas’s dad is kind of like a secretary of the organization, I suppose.”

“We live in a townhouse in Ballard with an HOA, and my folks hate it!” She says. “Is that what your folks do? They go around giving people fines because they left their garbage cans in front of their house too long, and decide what color people can paint their house and whether or not you are allowed to put plastic flamingos in your yard?”

I laugh at that, and shake my head no. Humans are so absurd!

We wander around the grounds a bit, and I’m glad to see all the pack members are following orders not to shift or use our titles around the visitors. I’m definitely not ready for that conversation! I want Tara to feel comfortable and start to trust me before I give anything resembling the truth of who I am. I would be devastated if I scared her off before giving her a chance to know me. The human part of me. The wolven part will have to wait a little while, even though River is beyond excited and wants to be introduced to our mate immediately. Thankfully he understands that she might be afraid of him at first, and is willing to wait for now.

I had requested a picnic basket be made ready for our little group, and we eat a picnic down near the lake. Lucas had brought along a couple frisbees, and the six of us play with them after the lunch of turkey sandwiches, chips, carrot sticks with hummus, and brownies. Gavin and Jayden refused to eat the hummus and carrots on the grounds that they have eaten enough veggies at home in recent months that they were sure they would both turn orange soon!

After lunch and once we decided we’d had enough time playing with the frisbees, we head over to the training grounds and check out the obstacle course, which is usually not in use in the early afternoon. However, my sister Gabby was there already, along with her friends Summer, Savannah, and Carla.

I send a mind link to Gabby not to have her friends hanging all over me like they usually do. Savannah in particular is very bad in taking the hint that I’m not interested. She is the one that had started the rumor that I was gay, just because I refused to sleep with her. I told her “you’re not my type”, and she took that to mean I don’t like girls at all. She was probably hoping I’d feel the need to “prove” I’m not gay by sleeping with her.

I believe Savannah is only friends with my sister in order to get close to me. I think she’s hoping I’d get her knocked up so she can become Luna of the pack. But I’m definitely not interested in a power hungry b***h who could give any human HOA president Karen a run for their money!

I also wasn’t interested in sleeping around with underage she wolves, and was hoping when Savannah turns 18 in November that she’d find her mate and lose interest in me. I thank moon goddess I had found my mate, and that it wasn’t Savannah!

“Oh good!” Gabby says when she sees us. “We want to use the zip line, but we need someone to help at both ends!”

“Help? Why would you need any help? It’s easy!” Troy reminds them.

“I’d feel safer if someone checks to make sure my harness is secure,” Savannah says, slyly, and batting her eyes. “And I prefer to have someone big and strong like Devon to catch me at the other platform, in case I have trouble stopping!”

Me and the guys roll our eyes at Savannah’s obvious ploy, but it also makes sense. Especially since it’s the first time for Tara and her brothers.

Lucas volunteers to check everyone’s harness, and I demonstrate how it all works to everyone. I go first so that I can be waiting to “catch” anyone who needs help at the other end. Jayden goes next. He may be the youngest and smallest, but he was also the most fearless, shouting gleefully the entire distance. Gavin, not wanting to be outdone by his little brother, went next.

“That was so awesome!” He told me as I helped him out of his harness, then they both ran back together to do it again. Then Gabby and her friends were taking their turns. Savannah was the next to last one, just before Tara. She made sure to pretend to stumble right into my arms, and kissed me on the lips. I pushed her away firmly and let her know I didn’t appreciate that.

“Whoops! I hope your girlfriend didn’t see!” She says, then did a little finger wave and trotted off.

A few minutes later Tara came zooming right up to me, and by the look on her face I guess she had seen what Savannah had done.

I help her out of her harness and then wrap my arms around her to calm her down while she vented.

“Ooooh, that sneaky b***h!” She was saying, highly irritated. “Do you know what she was saying while we waited in line? First she said I looked like a flat chested boy! Then she claimed that she was your fiancé and that she thinks she might be pregnant with your baby!”

I laugh at the absurdity of it all. “She only wishes that were all true.”

“That’s exactly what Troy and Lucas said.” She tells me, and I was glad Tara wasn’t alone back there having to listen to that utter crap. “I saw how she stumbled and tried to kiss you. She said she was going to prove she was your fiancé by kissing you, but you obviously looked as if you didn’t enjoy that.”

“I only want to kiss you!” I tell her. And then I do just that. And this time, I took my time. I held her tight, and kissed her passionately. It was amazing! Until I suddenly hear Jayden coming down the zip line again, shouting gleefully about how much fun this was, and interrupting us. We break apart with a laugh. Everyone who wants to gets another turn on the zip line, and then Lucas suggests water skiing, now that the afternoon was turning out to be a hot one.

What a shame our power boat only has room for 6 passengers! Lucas says via mind link. Yeah, the gamma position is definitely underrated!