My Future Luna

BK2| 7| Take two

| Micah |

I wore a more relaxed outfit in the afternoon. I needed to do some shopping- apart from gym wear, I was lacking in anything other than business attire and this pack didn't really run that way.

Caleb introduced me to the other managerial members. I'd met most of them when I was a kid. Gamma Daniel was an older gentleman, Caleb not replacing him when he took over as Alpha. The Gamma oversaw a lot of the municipal activities of a pack- a little bit of an overlap where Gamma Daniel looked after the guard workforce, Delta looked after our fighting force, the elite and warriors and the physical training of the pack. It was a traditional splitting of duties. My time working in the human society and in their business structure, I couldn't help but think of better ways to structure the roles and responsibilities. But I wasn't here for that. As Beta, my role was varying. I was a bodyguard and second in command. My role now was to support the Alpha and Luna's.

I shuffled after my brother as he unloaded an avalanche of information on me about the pack and its inner workings. Lucky for him I had a mind like a steel trap. Anything work related, it was secure. Anything personal and it was forever lost, but I could do work.

I craned my neck and looked out for Dana everywhere we went.

“And what did I just say?”

I stopped in my tracks, my brother catching me not paying attention. But I had been, mostly, so I responded. “You have three lines of patrols, with more members on the middle line to create a wall should there be a border breach.”

Caleb eyed me. I cast him my winning smile, my eyeline being tugged by movement over his left shoulder. A quick glance showed just some random pack member and not my mate.

“She should be at the food hall for dinner,” amusement laced Caleb's voice.

My smile softened. Dinner was only a couple of hours away. I was cycling through how to approach her. In hindsight, just wandering up and hugging her wasn't the way to go. I'd wanted to do more. Her scent awakened a desire I'd never known.

I had just been so thrown by scenting her as my mate I'd not really thought. I'd also thought I'd detected her attraction to me, but with her immediate talk of rejection…

When she didn't come with the brunt of the elite warriors that came to the food hall, I'd even wandered down to the barracks feeling like an absolute tit. She wasn't there.

I lingered, feeling untethered, in the food hall, chatting with other pack members. I pretended I was just getting to know my pack but really I was waiting to see if Dana would eventually show up.

Caleb swung by where I sat, nursing my twentieth tea- which had been significantly irished up.

“You could just mind link her,” he spoke softly.

I blushed. I hadn't even thought of that. A quick mind link wasn't something I'd been able to rely on in the human world. I laughed at myself, chuckling as I shook my head. “Of course.”

I glanced around. It was just dribs and drabs of pack members now. It was late. I didn't want to bother her- and part of me didn't want to risk annoying her. I'd see her at training in the morning in any case.

Caleb poured himself a tea, sipping it while he regarded me.

“Everything okay?” I asked.

“Just wondering how you're doing?”

I let my eyes wander. There was just one other table of people now having a late supper.

“It's strange to be back in a pack,” I admitted. “Finding my mate at the same time… it just makes me think of things I've never really considered before.”

My brother smiled sadly. I could tell he was about to impart some sage advice. He was always the one to come to my rescue.

“I know you think you don't belong,” I swallowed thickly at his words, his cool blue eyes kept mine in place. “But you do. Being here is what you need. I wish I'd called you home sooner. I wanted to give you the time you thought you needed…”

I could tell he felt guilty. A deep somberness settled in my chest. “I didn't want to come home… nowhere felt like home.”

This wasn't where I grew up. I swore into this pack, but I had never been a part of it.

Caleb nodded in understanding. “Well, hopefully this will start to feel like home.”

I wasn't too sure, but this was only day one.

I farewelled everyone I passed on my way through the more communal parts of the packhouse. It was going to take some getting used to- being around so many other wolves and living in proximity to others. I could go almost a whole day without talking to anyone in the city.

My room felt quiet and empty. It was perfectly serviceable, something in between an apartment and a hotel room. The bedroom was separate with a central kitchenette, dining nook and sitting area with a sofa and a television that looked about ten years old. I grabbed myself a whisky and plonked myself in front of the TV. I only channel surfed, not staying on anything long enough to get invested. My mind went frequently to my mate, likely sleeping only a mere ten minute walk from where I sat.

I could feel Asher was being very deliberate in ignoring all my thoughts of our mate- but I was used to him being quiet, so I just stewed with my own thoughts with my drink as the drone of whatever drivel was on TV played in the background.

~*~

| Dana |

I successfully avoided Micah the rest of that first day. I'd been so worried about facing him again so soon, I had avoided eating at the packhouse- scampering off, outside the pack for dinner. I needed just a little more time before I faced him. I was feeling all gung ho on the rejecting, but the idea was actually completely terrifying.

I'd even smelt him near the barracks when I returned home- catching myself as I became lost in his lingering scent. I must have looked a right sight, sniffing at the air, little bubbling growls leaving my chest without my control. Thankfully, it was late and no one else was slinking around the training grounds.

But I couldn't avoid him forever and training was something I couldn't get out of. Our training started with the introduction that was supposed to happen yesterday. We all had to introduce ourselves one after another as we stood in our row formation. I spoke robotically, not looking at Micah when it was my turn. I felt everyone's attention, making my insides curl. But I pushed the bad feeling down. I hadn't acknowledged I had found my mate and no one had said a thing to me. I felt how weird and awkward it was for me to just ignore it, but I felt so thrown with having a ranked mate. And his intense attention wasn't helping.

I could feel Micah's eyes on me throughout the session. He was not looking at me like he wanted to reject me. In fact the heat in his eyes was soul quaking.

I just kept my head down, and tried not to notice how f*****g good he looked not wearing a suit. He had a pair of sweat shorts and a close fitting tank on- those broad shoulders on full display. His hair was half up, half down, a little whisp having come loose. I wanted to tame it.

I tried to stay with the other women, hoping my flashes of arousal would be obscured. We were she wolves, we all got turned on. A big portion of us- those that still lived in the barracks, were unmated, so we found others attractive. We had more unmated women than men. Most of the men were mated. We travelled to other packs, so it was common for warriors to find their mates, but the sad fact was that most mated she-wolves stopped the corp and instead went to become mothers when they found their mate.

I thanked the goddess once training was over. I scurried to the dorms, going with the group and refusing the link Micah tried to open with me. I rushed to jump under the cold water of a shower.

I shivered as the icy stream did nothing to put out the fire in my nether region.

That wasn't so bad, I thought. I'd kept my cool. I'd resisted my urges.

Aurora snorted at me. Okay, she was right. I'd barely held it together. My body had wanted to pull me to him. It was like my body had been magnetized and he was the driving force.

But I had resisted.

I just had to continue to resist that until he left or rejected me.

“He's really pretty,” Aurora thought softly to me.

I didn't respond, visions of Micah as he watched us- or more importantly, me- as I trained. He joined in in a few drills, his muscles mesmerising in how they flowed under his lightly tanned flesh. Almost without thought, my hands moved down my body. My fingers brushed my erect n*****s along the way, my skin gooseflesh from the chill of the shower.

I dropped one hand between my legs, feeling my warmth. Hot water hit my tongue as I let my head loll back, the heat bringing thoughts of my mates mouth to mind.

The familiar feeling of a mental prod from Alpha Caleb shocked me from my reverie. I inhaled harshly, my hands freezing in place. I choked on my saliva, coughing as I opened the link.

“Yes, Alpha,” I responded promptly, grabbing my towel and wrapping it around me as I twisted the shower tap off, even as I still spluttered.

Alpha let me hear a little sigh. “Dana, my Beta has been trying to link you.”

My jaw dropped. He'd got his big brother to call me?

Aurora sang her happiness. “Mate wants us. Let's go.”

“Of course he wants us. That's what the bond does.” I rolled my eyes.

“Yes Alpha, I assumed it wasn't business so I ignored it.”

“It wasn't, but, it might one day- so best to at least connect and then cut him off.”

I couldn't help but smile. Caleb must really care about Micah to do this- I know they're brothers but I hadn't thought they were close. Micah never came here- we would have connected within the last three years since he turned eighteen otherwise. I paused at the reminder of how young he was.

The thought sobered me. Plus, Caleb was a busy man. Micah was supposed to be here to help him, not the other way around. I felt bad for causing this drama. I just had to have a proper talk with Micah. It couldn't be put off. I knew I was being contradictory with wanting him to reject me and yet not wanting to talk to him so he could. I was afraid to admit to myself how I just didn't trust myself. I had thought my self control was perfect. I'd never had the experience a lot of others had with moods ruling my life. It would be a true test. I knew I could continue to resist. Like I had just now at training.

Yeah, I thought to myself with enthusiasm, trying to boost my confidence.

“Okay Alpha,” I mindlinked back. I took a few breaths, standing in my small room clutching my towel closed at my chest. Maybe if I… service myself before seeing him, I'd be in a more level head.

I turned to Aurora for her thoughts. She did the cerebral version of a dismissive flick of her head at me. She wasn't going to give anything that came anywhere near advice to me.

Within seconds, I felt Micah's prod.

~*~

| Micah|

I took a deep breath. “Thanks brother.”

Caleb shook his head, turning away to make his way to the packhouse. I saw his look of amusement though. I'd lingered after training, wondering if I should enter, remembering finally about linking. When Dana wouldn't connect, I thought maybe I had done it wrong- being so out of practice.

“She doesn't want you,” Asher had said snidely.

“You know what?” I snapped back at him, “I liked it when you just ignored me.”

Asher shut down at that. But so did I. It would seem that was the case- that my mate didn't want me. Well, that was too bad. She would have to get to know me whether she liked it or not.

“Beta Micah,” her voice in my head made me feel loopy. Like, I knew I had a dumb blissed out look on my face.

“Dana,” I said it out loud in a breathy whisper. Clearing my throat, I glanced around- the path to the packhouse was clear. I couldn't even see Caleb ahead as it curved through the woods.

“Dana,” I linked her. “I wanted to invite you to dinner tonight- my place.”

There was a long pause before she responded.

“Just for dinner. And to talk.”

~*~