His Mute Luna

Chapter 6 - The Rude B*tch

June

Tipper licked my face excitedly, jumping around me with her tail wagging nonstop.

"I swear my dog loves you more than me," Tom chuckled at her exuberance.

She was a Hungarian vizsla with a beautiful russet red-coloured coat and at 6 years old she was still as energetic as when she was a little puppy. Despite that, she was incredibly gentle, loving and fiercely loyal to my brother. She'd never wander too far from him.

"Come on, Tip, in the back," he called, opening the door for her.

As soon as I was in the passenger seat though, she was standing on the arm console licking my face while I silently laughed and rubbed the side of her muzzle. Tom tried to push her back on the seat but she just switched her affections to him.

"Great, now I've got dog drool in my beard," he complained with a small smile while wiping his face.

Tipper eventually circled a few times on the back seat and curled up, still with her tail wagging gently. I looked around my brother's truck, disgusted at its state. There was a stack of papers in the back, tools in the front footwell and three empty travel mugs, all in need of a good clean.

The man was such a bachelor!

"Do you ever clean this thing out? It's gross! You're lucky Tip isn't a chewer," this wasn't the first time having this conversation and I doubted it would be the last.

"I live and work in this thing, what do you expect?" He laughed as he reversed us out of the hospital parking lot.

Tom was a carpenter within the pack, he was exceptionally talented and, as such, his work was always in demand. But he lived like a pig, the guy needed someone else in his life to nag him into domestication because I was about at my limit with it. Though, it wasn't something I would ever voice. I knew how much a mate meant to Tom and I also knew how much of a sensitive subject it was. He didn't know whether he'd ever be able to find his mate with not having a wolf and if he had ever dated anyone he had certainly kept it to himself, which was unlikely.

"I want you to stay at mine tonight, just for my peace of mind," he asked as he stared out onto the road as we drove, sparing me a glance to see my response.

I nodded because, in all honesty, I really didn't want to be alone tonight anyway. I motioned for his phone so I could write something to him. He could hardly look at me while he was driving for me to sign to him.

"Oh, I actually have your phone on me and your keys...that's how I knew you were missing."

His brow furrowed as his gaze grew tense and his grip increased on the steering wheel.

"Can we stop by my house to pick some things up? I can actually get you that custard pie?" I wrote on my text to speech app.

He exhaled loudly, "are you really sure you want to go back there so soon?"

"I need a change of clothes for tomorrow and if I'm having a shower I want my conditioner."

I wasn't particularly looking forward to seeing where I was kidnapped, but it was my home and I needed to go back at some point.

"Fine," my brother relented.

We didn't live far from each other, barely a ten-minute drive. Both our homes were by the Rogue River on the edge of the Siskiyou Forest. We had kayaked along with it a few times and was a huge motivating factor for me wanting to study ecology.

Gritting my teeth and sweeping through my door, I tried to push past the anxiety I felt and quickly packed a small bag. After almost forgetting the pie...again, no wonder Tom called me 'goldfish' all the time, I jumped back in his truck instantly gaining Tipper's attention with the small pie in my hands.

Oh no you don't, madam.

Knowing she wasn't about to get anything from me, she sulkily laid back down, snuffling with a loud sigh.

Her attitude made my brother chuckle a little, "goddess, anyone would think I never fed you, girl."

...He would definitely be sneaking her some pie tomorrow, he spoiled her all the time.

Back at Tom's home, I was pleasantly surprised it was actually tidy and clean...ish...except for the stack of washing up by the sink, he always did hate doing the dishes.

"I was meant to go to Idaho tomorrow, but I'll cancel...I'll probably need to go Tuesday though. I'll only be a few days, but I really want you to take up Alpha George's offer of having a guard with you," he said as he led me upstairs to a guest bedroom, carrying my bag.

"Ok, I will, I promise. You going to your wood supplier again? You can still go tomorrow, I'll be fine. And obviously, I'll have Tip here to help protect me," I signed, and then rubbed Tipper's belly as she already snuggled down on my mattress.

My brother had been going to a wood merchant out of state a couple of times a year for a few days each time for just over two years now. He always came back in a slightly better mood. I think it did him some good to get away for a while, like a mini vacation of some sort. Since I'd been back from university, he'd drop Tipper off with me to look after, which I loved of course!

"No way in hell am I leaving you the day after you've been kidnapped. I'm a rude b***h not a prick," he signed, nudging my shoulder playfully with a rueful smile. "My business can wait a day."

"Come on Tip," Tom called as he left my room. She jumped off to go follow him, she was so his little fur baby, it was adorable.

It was a relief to wash all the events of tonight off of me, the feeling of those men's hands on me, the rope around my limbs, that damn spay they coated me in…I shuddered, but relaxed quickly remembering how the future Alpha himself came to rescue me...US!...He came to rescue all four of us...

Dang it, why was I always so hung up on him?

He wouldn't even know who I was anyway and even if he did, he'd never be interested. He was famously known to be awaiting his mate and only his mate, who would never be a human like me.

Settling in bed to finally sleep, I thought about what I'd do about tomorrow. I was meant to be in work and carry out my sampling up by the mouth of the estuary of the Rogue River, along with the reedbed. It was supposed to be a fine day and the sediment of the river wouldn't be churned up by rain, perfect for my study.

I'd see how I felt in the morning. Everything always looked brighter after a goodnight's sleep.

Looking around my room, I wondered whether Morgan had helped Tom build this room? My brother had mentioned when he built his home two years ago, the future Alpha had helped, as thanks to Tom helping with his six years prior. It was how those two met.

I couldn't stop my mind wandering again to those two times I had seen him nine years ago...when he had seen me, too.

~~~~

I had been a freshman a few months now and this was the first time I had ventured over to the seniors' campus. I was helping Tom carry his project through to the physics classroom before lessons began. Standing in the hallway and waiting for my brother to come back, I felt a gaze linger on my skin, warming me through to my centre.

I didn't need to be told who he was, everyone knew him or had seen at least a picture of him. The future Alpha of the pack was said to be a white wolf, despite the fact he hadn't shifted yet.

Morgan Anderson.

I'd hear the girls in class swoon all over him, swap pictures, all the typical teen things. I'd never spoken or even seen him before, but I had heard he was supposed to be a total sweetheart and never tolerated any bullying when he saw it.

He was looking at me with those white diamond eyes. The hood of his jacket pulled up just over his head with his auburn curls poking out and his skateboard clasped under his arm, giving me a crooked cute smile that showed off that chin cleft and those cute little dimples...until a couple of girls came along and distracted him.

I shook myself free of my daze, realising how silly I was being; he was a senior, a werewolf and an Alpha. No way he'd ever be interested in me.

I waved goodbye to my brother despite him pulling me in for a playful headlock, messing my hair up again, and went back to the freshman campus, taking my ponytail out since it was a mess because of that damn nuggie!... Rude b***h.

----------

In late spring, I saw him again, just after school let out.

I was doing some reading, waiting for a friend and enjoying the warm air around the willow tree. I spotted him skating by the half wall across the grass separating us. He looked up as he rolled past and gave me a little wave, which I returned. I wasn't sure why he would wave at me; we didn't know each other, we never ran in the same circles and I was just another human of his pack. But, my word, was he cute! I think I could stare at that face and those eyes all day...I was starting to sound like those fangirls in class.

At that moment, right in the middle of whatever split-second and weird stare-off we had going, my attention turned to my friend who called out to me and by the time I looked back to Morgan, he was nowhere to be seen.

Where the hell did he go?