Her Little Secret

Chapter Three

The weekend of the twins' party had Clara running around the town like mad, searching for the last-minute details she wanted for their theme. She was glad to have the distraction from Jaxton and his petulant gaze every time they were in the same room. Her sisters were no help either, teasing her mercilessly about the light yellow remnants of the hickey that had been left on her neck. The spoon trick worked only slightly, but the makeup, on the other hand, was a goddess send to cover it up from her father's scrutinizing gaze. She was wandering around the party store, looking for the battery-operated tea lights, so they could hang them from the ceiling when she heard them. The status grabbers from the pack. They were talking about Jaxton's party that would be happening the following weekend.

"I can't believe he's set on taking that wanna-be warrior! I wouldn't be surprised if she was a lesbian," The gorgeous blonde said obnoxiously loudly.

"Yeah, he should be falling all over himself to ask you! Not some chick that would rather kiss a girl," her friend said, popping her gum loudly as she finished talking.

Clara blushed furiously, she knew they were talking about her and it stung deeply. Deciding not to make a scene, she grabbed the items she needed and hurried from the store before the girls could say anything more about her. It was her sisters' big day, and she wasn't about to ruin it for them. They deserved to be happy on their birthday. The words stung and reverberated through her head as she walked down the sidewalk, not paying attention to her surroundings when she walked straight into a wall of a man. "Ooof," she said. "I'm sorry," Clara muttered without looking up, she didn't want them to see her tear-stained face.

"Hey, are you okay?" the familiar voice asked.

Dammit, Clara thought. Of all the people in the pack I could run into, it was Jaxton, the upset woman thought to herself. She looked up at the concerned face of her friend, "Yep."

He cupped her chin and tilted her face to look into her eyes, "If you're so okay, why do you look so pissed at seeing me?" he asked gently. "I'm still your friend." The young alpha reminded her.

She smiled wryly, "Because all your little followers are furious that you want to take a wannabe warrior to your birthday party," she informed him smartly. Conveniently leaving out the jab about her being a lesbian.

Jaxton scowled when she called the girls his little followers. He wasn't like that. "Let me guess, Jasmine and Tiffany? Those gold diggers will be lucky if the moon goddess blesses them with an omega. So don't let them get to you." He pulled Clara into a hug. "You know I hate those girls."

Clara laughed, "You're right. I guess being the top female warrior isn't the worst thing I could be."

"Exactly," he leaned in and whispered, "And I know just how soft you can be," Jaxton straightened as Clara blushed and changed the subject. "Now, let's get these things over to your house. I know two girls who are waiting for these things and a very frazzled mother who will be happy to see you," Jaxton said with a toothy smile, satisfied he'd gotten the reaction he wanted from his friend.

Clara leaned her head on her best friend, "Don't I know it, I've only gotten about three hundred texts in the last twenty minutes from the girls."

"Knowing those two, I know it's not an exaggeration," Jaxton chuckled.

They walked along laughing and making jokes about different things before Jaxton turned serious, "Clara, I meant it when I said I wanted to take you as my chosen Luna. Have you thought about it some more?"

Clara looked away from her best friend. She couldn't curse him with that, no matter how much she cared for him. And if she were honest with herself, she wanted it for her too. The young she-wolf wanted that feeling of excitement that came along with finding her goddess-fated mate, the exhilaration of their touch, and she wanted that for her best friend too. She gave Jaxton the best nonchalant shrug she could, "We'll see."

Jaxton looked hurt, "At least it's better than a no."

Clara chuckled and gently bumped her friend with her shoulder, "I'm serious Jax, you deserve your goddess-fated mate," she sighed. "And so do I."

They continued their walk back to Clara's house in comfortable silence. As they walked up the sidewalk to her house, they could hear the girls fighting. Jaxton laughed, "Let the games begin."

"Jax!" The girls called, running to their sister's best friend. "Are you staying for the party?" They asked in unison. After their sister had come home that night with the hickey on her neck, they'd devised a plan to get those two together as often as possible so that Clara would finally open her eyes and see what was right in front of her. How often does the Alpha of the pack actually pick their mate?

"Ah, young Alpha Jax, how are you, son?" The girls' father greeted the alpha warmly.

"Very well, sir." He extended his hand in greeting.

"Good, I see my girls are already bothering their alpha to spend time here," he teased.

Jax laughed, "Yeah, but it's fine," he glanced at Clara, who seemed to have gone slightly pale. "You know that Clara and I are best friends, and that means that those two are my friends as well."

"Well, that's very kind of you."

"Jax!" Clara's mother called, "Just the man I needed."

Her mate looked affronted, "Am I not man enough for you?" he questioned, feigning hurt.

The older woman laughed, "You are all the man I've ever needed. But, he's about three inches taller than you and a good twenty years younger!" She poked her mate in the chest, "Besides that, your leg is still healing, and the doctor said no ladders." She turned to Jax, "Be a dear and start helping with the streamers, will you?"

"Yes, ma'am." He laughed at how stern the woman was with her mate. He could see the love between them and could imagine him and Clara having that kind of relationship if she'd just accepted it.

"So, any news about your mate?" Clara's mother asked. Jax could tell by her tone that she was hinting at something, and was certain that the wise woman knew what had happened between him and Clara.

Clara's eyes widened, and she shook her head slightly, her eyes pleading with her best friend not to say anything about what had transpired between the two of them.

"Uh, no, ma'am. My mother and father have invited many other packs to the party this year in hopes that my fated mate is there."

"Oh, so you haven't found her yet?" She tutted slightly, "Such a shame, too. Well, hopefully, you've waited for her," she said with a knowing look.

Jaxton blushed furiously, but wouldn't say another word. Luckily, Layla and Leslie came bounding into the room in matching black outfits and that was enough to distract the sage woman from anymore prodding.

Clara's aunt came out of the kitchen, "Can you come in here with me, Clara? I need to know if this is what these girls are after for their 'aesthetic'." the woman, who resembled Clara's father, used air quotes for the last word and the younger woman chuckled.

"I've got you, Aunt Frankie," Clara replied, grateful for the distraction. She entered the kitchen and the multiple smells coming from everything on the stovetop and counter made Clara's nose twitch and her stomach clench. She rubbed her stomach as it did dangerous somersaults beneath her hand.

"Clara, are you okay?" Francine asked.

The young woman nodded silently, and swallowed the acidic taste in her mouth, hoping to keep her breakfast down. "I'm just stressed over the warrior training coming up. They're deciding placements, and I'm hoping to become a trainer."

The younger sister to Clara's father patted Clara's cheek, "You're going to do great, dear." She turned to the bubbling creation on the stovetop, "Now, try this for me."

Clara swallowed the spoonful of chili and prayed that her stomach would cooperate. "It's great, Aunt Frankie." She left the room quickly as her stomach protested the spoonful of hearty chili.

Jax watched as his friend ran up the stairs, her complexion pale and a hand over her mouth. He paused his assistance in the party decoration duty to check on his friend.

Knocking on Clara's door, he was greeted by silence on the other end. "Hey, you good?"

"I'm fine," Clara said, "Just stressed over everything going on."

Jax didn't believe her but knew better than to try and force his way into the room. "Okay, well, don't be too long, huh?"

Clara was leaning over the sink in her bathroom. "I won't be!" She washed her face and rinsed her mouth, "Just what I need, to catch a stomach bug before my sister's birthday party," she mumbled.