An Alpha for Valentine

SEVEN

VALENTINE

A day after my bathroom accident, I found it hard to use the bathroom. I still washed but the bathroom was the only room that I believed I would feel safe pending my time at the Crow mansion. Devin was still convinced my anxiety was the enemy causing me to see things that were not there. But I couldn’t brush it off. Someone or something attacked me. At first, I believed it was Kerri. But her hands had not been dripping wet when Devin forced the door open. It could have been any of the pack members. They had a motive. Every one of them. Devin had assured me he would ask those he could trust in all ranks to keep watch for suspicious individuals. Like that would do anything to pacify me.

“You can’t keep yourself cooped up in this room forever, you should go out. A breath of fresh air and conversing with pack members will help clear your mind.” Devin whispered. But his lips didn’t move. He was doing it again. Peeking into my mind. While I hated it, I made no attempt to shut him out of the mind link. My mind was already in an exhausting place and Devin had to know why.

The unmoving stare we both shared assured me that this was going nowhere. So I gave in and spoke. “Conversing with pack members will do nothing to ease my anxiety. It is bad enough that you do not think I am telling the truth. Now, you advise that I fraternize with the enemy…” In retrospect, I winced after realizing how offensive that sounded. “I didn’t mean that.” I retorted only to be cut off by Devin.

“Yes, you did.” His voice was calm and collected. His mind… His mind was cool and refreshing, a sharp contrast from the turbulence that housed my thoughts. I didn’t know how he did it. Adapt to things. “Those are my people, Valentine. By default, they are your people too. You are my Luna and a compliment to me. Assert your authority with the pack.”

For a brief minute, I wondered if he knew how unhinged it was for him to word his sentence in that manner. Asserting my authority with a pack my parents had destabilized. That was like picking at a black widow. It would bite back and hard.

“Gently,” Devin added, but that was only because he could read my thoughts. I watched him step out of the makeshift bed he had constructed from extra blankets and pillows he had asked for the night before. He looked like s**t. Knowing how cold the night had been, it wasn’t far-fetched to reach the conclusion the floor had not been so kind to him. But Devin Crow did not deserve my compassion. If he continued to force me to stay by his side, it was only fair I got some pound of flesh. Not that a bad sleep session would count as anything karmic. I watched him stretch. His sweaty shirt rose to reveal a dark stubble of hair that disappeared further down his v-line. I turned away almost immediately in an attempt to hide how flustered I had become. I hated moments like this. Moments that reminded me that Devin was still my mate and even if I hated him, I was still attracted to him.

“I will do it,” I struggled to mouth. My pathetic attempt at getting him not to peek into my mind at that moment and see how far I had fallen into decadence. “I will converse with the pack members like you want me to. But only on one condition.”

Devin looked amused. “And what would that be?”

“Join me,” I answered, making my reply slow and slurred so he would not take it in a different context. I just didn’t want to do it alone. The last thing I wanted was to have a full-blown panic attack in public because of the crippling fear that someone in the pack was out to get me. That wouldn’t compliment my Alpha very much. “Your people have a bad habit of pretending to like me when you are close.”

Devin approached me. Every movement of his body made my blood run cold and I froze. His scent was almost intoxicating to refuse but luckily I had some restraint and could hold my breath until I was at the point of passing out. “As much as I would like that, Valentine, I have to refuse. My brother and I have a lead on Satake’s disappearance. We intend to make use of a Delicate to be certain that we are on the right track.”

There was truly nothing I could say to change his mind. Family came first for Devin Crow and he would choose his missing brother over my misplaced fears any day. “I understand,” I nodded. “I hope you find him.”

My words must have sounded sad and sincere to his ears because he took my face between his large palms and smiled at me. I should have shoved them right off. But I could not bring myself to. Not when his eyes were that dark and beautiful. “Don’t worry about me, I am sure we'll find him." Devin paused before continuing. "And you don't have to worry about my pack. History can be mended. The past can always be forgotten. Just show them who you are. Show them Valentine Monarch."

His voice was deep and comforting and he held my head in place with both his hands. He looked at me seriously, as if trying to commit every aspect of my features to memory. My heart hammered against my chest and I could barely swallow the lump in my throat. I could swear there was an undertone of...something there.

"You should go." I managed, hoping my voice was steady even though I felt anything but steady. This was weird. I know he felt too. The urge to succumb to our nature. But I couldn't. This wasn't some romance of a lifetime. I didn't even know what to call this.

Devin understood my vague request and pulled his hands away from my face. “I will see you soon, Valentine.” Then he smiled, a little sadly, and left for the bathroom.

When I heard him walk down toward the bathroom, I slumped back onto my bed. It was strange to feel so emotional over him leaving. Even stranger to think he might have meant more than what he said. And why did I care so much anyway? What did I have to lose by staying true to my nature? Nothing. I figured it was best to leave before Devin waltzed out of the bathroom all hot and naked. I sat up and fished for my slippers. I was going to get over it now. Show myself to the pack and get it over with. It wouldn't be the end of the world if they hated me. I was already convinced that they did.

I rummaged through the drawers and proceeded to dress in jeans, boots, and a long-sleeved shirt before leaving for pack grounds. The Crow pack ground was two stone throws away from the mansion that stood tall as the pack house.

I would be running but it was still fairly early. If things were how they were back in the Monarch pack, only the Sentinels, Enforcers, and Deltas would be training. As I approached the training grounds, the sound of clashing swords and grunts of exertion filled the air. The werewolves stopped their training and turned to face me, their eyes filled with disdain and suspicion. I could feel their hostility, their reluctance to accept me as their second Luna. But I refused to be intimidated. I held my head high, my resolve unshakable as I met their unwavering stares. My reputation might precede me, but I would prove to them that I was deserving of this position.

Kerri, Devin's appointed bodyguard and a sentinel of the pack scowled at me as she approached. "Luna Valentine, you know better than to show up unannounced. You're disrupting the training."

I ignored her reprimand and focused instead on the faces that surrounded me. Most of them, like Kerri, appeared angry but they said nothing. "I am here to observe the training and learn more about our pack, Is that wrong?"

"Our pack?" Kerri scoffed. "Just because you are Luna doesn't make you one of us. Do not for one second believe that you are Crow. You will never be a member of our pack and I don't care if you are second Luna. You are the daughter of cold-blooded killers playing house." The words were spat out with venom and contempt. She had probably been waiting to tell me since the day Devin paired me up with her.

"Kerri!?" A woman's voice echoed across the yard. I glanced toward it and saw a tall brunette approaching. Her hair was in pigtails which framed her pale blue eyes and made her cheeks glow a warm brown. Despite having a stern demeanor, she seemed friendly enough. "Watch what you say to the Luna!"

Kerri's jaw clenched. "What? We are all thinking about it. I just said the quiet part out loud. So the b***h-"

Kerri had barely gotten her sentence out when the woman's palm shot forward like a speeding bullet and slammed into Kerri's cheek, Kerri stumbled backward and fell.

"Leave," the woman snarled. Her voice matched her demeanor.

Kerri crumpled to the ground, blood pouring from her nose. The others in the group stepped forward, shocked by the woman's outburst. But none of them actually did anything which led me to believe the woman was a Delta training Sentinels like Kerri.

The woman's gaze left Kerri and focused on me. "It is an honor to finally meet you, Valentine Monarch." She extended her hand and I took it politely. "I am Maren," She said. "Devin has told me quite a bit about you. It is refreshing to finally put a face to the name."