My Sapphire-Eyed Luna

Chapter: Five

Raven POV

Surprisingly nothing happened when I got home. It was the usual nonsense of trying to get everything done before midnight. I can’t believe how much washing needs to be done in a day, but werewolves are s****l creatures. I think about that with a bit of disgust as I put the last load of washing on before making my way up the stairs.

I missed dinner again. That never shocks me, but as always, Amber has left me a plate of food on my bed. It’s stone cold, but I eat the mashed potatoes, chicken, and gravy because I am starving. I don’t care that it’s cold; it’s still delicious after such a long day.

William has left me a book about plants again. I giggle as I flick through it. It’s his way of trying to take my mind off things. I laugh again as I think I would rather watch golf.

Taking my plate to the kitchen, I wash up and quickly duck into the communal showers.

I scan the area and have a very quick shower. I hate showering alone and usually shower with Amber. After how brazen Luke was today, I can’t take my chances.

With soap suds still clinging to me, I quickly get dressed and head to bed.

I lay awake for a long time, thinking of those forest green eyes sparkling in my mind. I wonder why I could sense him from such a distance.

“I do,” Ruby chirps in.

Geez, she’s been quite attentive since spotting Aiden. “What do you mean?” I ask her, and she just chuckles. Cryptic, she thinks she’s so funny.

My thoughts circle back and continue to replay it in my mind until I drift off to sleep, thinking only of those warm green eyes, calming me as I drift off.

*************************************************

Smoke fills the air, “Run, you need to run.”

I am running, but there are these yellow glowing eyes chasing me.

“Sweetheart, you need to run!” The voice whispers.

Running, I find myself in a clearing. The ghost gums are circling, and the opening is bathed in the glow of a blood-red moon.

Standing in the clearing is a woman. “Raven, you are more than you seem. Everything will become clear soon,” her angelic voice dripped like honey from her lips.

I stand there like a deer caught in headlights. Suddenly the yellow eyes fill the sky, and the trees become teeth, snapping at me…

…

I wake in a pool of sweat and tears.

Gasping, I stand up, still wobbly on my feet. What the hell was that!?

My heart races as I sit on the mattress.

That was like no nightmare I have ever experienced. The feeling of a full-blown panic attack looms deep in my chest.

I start to shake, crying hysterically, trying to breathe through it.

I look at my phone with shaky hands. 3:02 am. I lay down, trying to steady my breathing, helping subside the panic.

I definitely won’t be able to go to sleep now.

I drum my fingers across my arm, just trying to calm down while my heart rate is still whooshing in my ears.

Ruby senses something; a delightful aroma fills the air and I lift my nose in the air. “It smells like smoky vanilla,” she purrs.

“What is that? I’ve never smelled it before,” I ask her. While I think about it, I’ve actually never smelled that scent before. No one in the pack smells like this. It’s intoxicating. Surprisingly, it’s calming.

I sit up on my mattress, and without thinking, I stand up. My ears prick up as I hear footsteps.

Oh goddess, what now!? Seriously, if this is Luke, I’m going to be sick.

But the footsteps stop at my bedroom door and just stand there.

Who is it? Why are they outside my room?

I feel this sense of calm wash over my mind and my dream becomes a distant memory. The panic is completely gone and replaced with a warmth I’ve never felt before.

Safety. I feel safe.

Then I hear an audible sigh.

Should I open the door?

Is that the wisest thing to do?

“Open it, they aren’t dangerous,” Ruby purrs.

I decide to open the door, and to my absolute shock, I find Aiden standing outside my bedroom, staring straight at me.

He looks a bit panicked. My wide eyes stare into his green ones, colored like the thickest of forest canopy, swirling with a deep black color as rich as the night sky.

His wolf is stirring. I drink him in with my eyes. This is my first face-to-face encounter with the soon-to-be Alpha. His thick brown wavy hair tousled around his frantic, breath-taking face.

My eyes scan lower, mesmerized by his shirtless figure. He is absolutely gorgeous in every sense of the word; built like a warrior. There are tattoos across his chest and arms. And I realize they would only be witnessed in an intimate setting, which automatically shifted my thoughts from PG to more of an R-rated peep show as I scanned his tanned body.

Swallowing the lump building in my throat, I go bright red. Mouth wide open, I am unable to withhold the shocking arousal rushing my blood.

Lost in my own naughty thoughts, I remember I only have a tank top on and my underwear.

Turning shades of pink and crimson all over my body, I am frozen, unable to move or say anything.

He is still staring, and he’s looking over me, too, roving over my face and body. I notice how his eyes grow tense, stopping at my arms and shoulders. Looking at my scars.

When his eyes go a deep black, no trace of the green left, I gasp and lower my gaze, shaking, I don’t know what to do.

He suddenly grabs both my arms and makes me look at him. Wow, his fingers… he’s strong.

Ruby starts to growl, but suddenly calms before saying, “Mate.”

“What! No, he will reject us surely.” I let out a small yelp. “And how!? We aren’t 18, Ruby! How can you possibly know?”

“I am not 18.”

“How?”

“I just know,” Ruby replies.

He’s my mate, I think in astonishment.

Aidan growls and starts to bare his canines. I try to scream, but he shoves me back into my room and closes the door.

The swirl of green coming back into his eyes, he finally says, “Please put some clothes on.” Anger and disgust dripped from his words.

Am I that ugly?

He hates me, well that’s no surprise. I’m a mutt after all.

I lower my gaze, and I feel so horrible at this moment. Why won’t the Earth swallow me whole where I stand?

I am shaking while I pick up some jeans and put them on. He’s watching me, but then turns his attention to the room. His gaze softens as he takes in the shameful conditions I live in.

Sighing, “Yes, Atlas has revealed you are my mate.”

I gasp and lower my gaze. Why me?

Surely he will reject me here and now and continue his search for someone better.

Suddenly, he grabs me again and looks at me with such intensity that I start to shake again. “No one must know, do you understand?”

Quivering, I respond, “Yes, Alpha.”

Of course, he will reject me.

Seemingly satisfied with my answer, he releases me, looks me up and down, and swiftly leaves the room. I am left with my mouth wide open and my mind is swirling.

Holy crap!! I look upwards and say, “What are you playing at, Goddess!?” To no one in particular, I just needed to say it out loud.

Shit!!! What am I meant to do? Why didn’t he just reject me? I start pacing the tiny room pondering everything.

I sit on the floor still reeling from what just happened.

Him… My mate?

What!?

Why didn’t he just reject me?

I know that Alpha wolves can go mental at a rejection, but surely if he rejected me now without getting close to me, without letting the bond grow, it would stop any sort of retaliation from his wolf.

He could take a mate worthy of their bloodlines. I know that’s what all Alphas want. Obedient Lunas and strong genetics for strong heirs.

That’s absolute bullshit about keeping the bloodlines strong. I’ve seen Omegas give birth to powerful wolves, seen Omegas and Deltas have pups that surpass an Alpha’s offspring. It’s not the way, but it’s frankly disgusting and archaic.

He needs to reject me. I am sure he will do it in the morning.

I won’t get back to sleep now. I don’t think I can. How can I!?

I rest my head against my pillow and think about it some more.

His scent is still in the room. Surprisingly, it calms me, and the darkness takes me into a blissful deep sleep.