Chapter 57 A Walk in the Moonlight
2072 Words
Chapter 57
A Walk in the Moonlight
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Louise
Tye and I walked together, hand in hand, without speaking. The refreshing night breeze tousled my hair, fluttering it around my face. The moonlight illuminated the path before us, casting the shadows of the main street buildings across the ground. The moon was close to full and expected to reach full on Thursday. It added to the enchantment of my upcoming birthday and the bonding ceremony.
“So,” I looked over at Tye, but his gaze seemed far away, lost in thought. “Are you sure about taking over this home? It’s a stone’s throw to the packhouse,” I hesitated, trying to compose myself. “Are you sure you still want me?”
“Louise!” he exclaimed, coming to an abrupt halt and facing me. The radiant glow of the streetlights created a stunning halo around his head. “There are no words to express how much my heart yearns for you… And how much I want to share this home with you! It’s a home for us...” He tenderly stroked my cheek. “What more could I possibly want?”
Something was bothering him. I tilted my head to the side, attempting to read between his words. “You’re tense... either because of Joseph or the Gamma title...”
His eyes dropped. It was the title! His worry was about this position in the pack! Gamma ran in his dad’s blood, and Beta came from his Mum’s side of the family. Rank was everything.
“We can always leave the Mist Clan...” I blurted out. A shiver ran down my spine. How long had the thought about leaving dwelled inside me? I knew I was Alpha blood living an Omega life, but I was content. Wasn’t I? I mean, why had this thought only occurred to me now?
“Is that something you want to do?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. “Do you want to leave?”
“Err… umm…” I hesitated for a moment, then began to walk away. “I don’t know, but I said it, so it must have crossed my mind,” I admitted.
Tye quickly caught up to me and stopped me again. “As Alpha blood, it’s only natural to consider leaving. Since I found out your Alpha, I’ve thought about it myself, but...”
“Your heart is here with your pack.” I sighed. “I know...”
“But all my heart is with you.” He kissed my cheek. “If you still want to leave after Thursday—after I mark you...” His thumb caressed the spot he would make on my neck, leaving goosebumps in his wake. “Then we’ll leave together. But things will be different... you’ll be connected to me—to the pack.”
To Joseph... I inwardly sighed. That jerk would be a part of my life no matter what.
“We should go before the coffee shop closes.” I turned to walk.
“All right,” he reached out and linked our hands again. “And I still mean what I said at the hospital... I chose you. Only you...”
The lights of the main street grew brighter. The storefronts shone yellow streams over the bitumen, fighting over the ground with the moon for rights. As we walked through the glow, Tye continuously peered across at me. A tiny smirk hung in the corner of his lips.
It wasn’t until we were standing before Carlo’s—the coffee shop, that he finally faced me.
“Louise...” he drew me against him, his face inches from mine. “Why don’t we go somewhere else more private? Maybe I could claim you tonight instead.” He kissed my forehead, and a contented sigh left my chest. “I could do it… I want to do it…”
The idea was tempting in more ways than one. It would awaken my wolf, and that was a bonus. It would heal my body faster. And it would be an intimate experience with Tye that I craved more each day. The bonding ceremony was public and not as romantic as I could imagine it would be if it were the two of us. The ceremony was like a wedding, but he would bite my neck instead of giving me a ring. And later, when we sealed it with a hot and lust-fuelled night, I would bite him back.
If we found a secluded place and jumped straight into mating, it would be more natural for mates selected by the Moon Goddess. That idea grew more merit as he ran his hands down my arms.
“You know,” I whispered into his ear, my lips caressing his flushed skin. “You will be the one to steal my virginity...”
“I know…” His hands seemed to tremble as he brought my face to his. “I will look after you...”
I pressed my lips to him, wanting to feel every inch of him. I didn’t care if my body was healed enough or not.
“Well, that’s an openly public display of affection... Not something I was expecting.”
Panting, I pulled away from Tye to see Agatha and Kingston standing behind us. Her black eyes were wide but different. There was a glow to them.
“Kingston,” Tye offered the grinning Beta his hand. Kingston took it. “We weren’t expecting to see anyone else tonight.”
“I took my mate on our first date.” Kingston was smiling triumphantly.
“I’m not your mate...” Agatha protested, rolling her eyes. Something about her words seemed playful—nothing like their first crash meeting.
“Sorry, I mean girlfriend.” He linked his hands with her, and she didn’t protest.
“We’re not there yet…” She warned with a smirk.
Was this the mate bond in action? Did it change a person so quickly? Even in a witch, there was a connection to Kingston and his wolf. There was no mark on her neck yet, but her body was drawn to his.
Is this the pull I was destined to feel once I was bonded to Tye? The thought made me look at him. We met eyes. Had he been thinking the same thing?
“How are the ceremony plans?” Agatha asked, eyeing me closely.
“Good,” Tye answered for me. “Looks like Louise and I will move into my parent’s place afterwards.”
“Closer to the packhouse?” Agatha and Kingston asked in unison. There was a hint of uncertainty in both of them.
“Is that a bad thing?” I demanded, filled with a budding frustration. Was the hesitation because of Joseph, or did Agatha fear my potential to be used against the pack by the Celestial Moon? I needed a clear answer.
When Agatha and Kingston remained silent, Tye stepped in, pulling me protectively into his embrace.
“I need an explanation,” I demanded, glaring at them.
“It’s just...” Kingston hesitated, running a hand through his hair. “You’re still Joseph’s mate. Getting closer to him could endanger everyone.”
“Not to mention you are the cursed Alpha daughter to the pack trying to destroy the Mist Clan,” Agatha added matter-of-factly.
“You don’t say!” I said through gritted teeth. My neck burned with anger. Was it true? I took a step closer to her. “If your mother hadn’t cursed me, I wouldn’t be in this predicament in the first place!”
Agatha stepped forward, letting go of Kingston’s hand. We locked eyes, and I sensed a shift in her demeanour. As she stepped back, her shoulders slumped.
My anger dissipated, replaced by a sense of curiosity. “You saw something in me, didn’t you?” I closed the distance once more and heard Kingston growl protectively. I reached out and took Agatha’s hand. Lowering my voice, I asked, “What did you see?”
“Nothing,” she sighed, her tone becoming solemn. “I can’t read you at all. I know your lineage and sense your illness, but my mother’s curse has blocked everything else about you. “That’s what worries me.”
“I don’t think I’m strong enough to fight anyone,” I said, dropping my hands and turning away. I met Kingston’s gaze, and even though his eyes were wolf-black, I knew he understood. “And let me clarify… I’m not Joseph’s mate, despite what he says. I’m tired of his mind games!”
Kingston’s eyes returned to their human form, and his expression softened. He placed a hand on my shoulder, and Tye snarled in response. “It’s Joseph’s mistake but Tyrone’s gain.”
“We have to go...” I said, pulling away from him. Without saying anything else, I opened the coffee shop door and went inside.
My head throbbed as I took in everything about the shop, from its empty tables and booths to the miserable worker behind the counter, wiping it down with a contemptuous frown. The mellow music made my teeth grind. The heat returned, burning through my chest.
Now I don’t feel so great! I dropped into the closest booth and cupped my face in my hands. The scent of coffee and sugar churned my stomach. Agatha had seen something unsettling in me. She was concerned about my abilities. Was I dangerous? Was I a weapon against the pack that had raised me? Cursed Alpha blood!
“Louise, are you okay?” Tye asked, sitting across from me. I could hear the concern in his voice. “I’ve seen you angry before, but not like that.”
I looked at him with a migraine-intensity headache, my eyes hazy. “She’s scared of me, Tye. I can sense it. Am I dangerous?”
“Not any more than the rest of us.” He admitted. He reached over and felt my forehead. His wolf eyes took over. “You’re burning up. I should get you home.”
“No...” I shook my head, then regretted it. The pain was intense. “I...”
“I’m taking you home. That’s final.” He pulled me out of the booth and lifted me into his arms.
“Okay, maybe I don’t feel right.” I groaned as he cradled me against his chest and carried me out of the coffee shop.
The air was cold against my skin, making my headache spread down my neck. Was my body fighting my cancer cells still? Did Doctor Anderson get everything?
“Hang with me,” Tye whispered as he ran to my house with me cradled in his arms.
“May!” Tyre growled as he opened the front door. “Louise is burning up!”
“What?” Mum said. Her shadowy figure stood before me. She felt my forehead. Her eyes grew small. So much for that being a myth, Joanne! “We need to get her in a cool shower to lower her temperature.”
“I’ll call Doc Anderson.” Gamma Archie added.
“And I’ll grab towels.” Madeline hurried away.
“I feel so hot,” I panted, gripping Tye’s neck. What was going on with my body?
“I know,” he kissed my burning forehead. “We’re going to cool you down.”
The hiss of the shower startled me. I tightened my grip. Tye held me tighter.
“Stand her under the shower.” Mum insisted.
“I’ll go in with her.” He stepped into the shower cubical.
The next thing I knew, cool water rained over me, making me jump. I clung tighter to Tye, attempting to avoid it. “That’s too cold…”
“I’ve got you...” he cooed as he held me in the bottom of the shower. “Let the water do its job…”
“My head hurts,” I winced, placing a hand over my face. “What’s wrong with me?”
“I don’t know,” Tyrone said, removing my hands and letting the water reach every inch of me. “But I’m staying with you.”
“You always save me…”
He brushed the wet hair away from my face. “And I always will.”
- Writer
