Seventeen: Luna?
1528 Words
"Why are you so close to my pack?" Alice demanded once she could retain control of her voice again.
The wolf in front of her wagged his tail slow as he continued to grin. "I never thought I would meet you in a place like this. We're in the middle of nowhere."
"Answer me," Alice growled. Her wolf whined at her as the beast struggled to take full control. Her wolf had already forgotten about Justa, all it wanted to do was be with its mate now.
Alice wasn't ready to make that distinction yet.
"Why are you being so hostile?" the other tilted his head. "You're my mate. We're one now. I couldn't tell you why I'm here. I felt drawn to this lake and when I was staring into it I heard the most beautiful sorrowful voice. I heard you."
"I wasn't looking for you," Alice spat out. "I needed to be alone."
He frowned and his tail stopped wagging. "But, but we found each other. We're mates. You know what that means."
It would have meant something different a few days ago, but now? Now it meant something she didn't want to think about. She didn't want this man, but her wolf did.
Every fiber of her being demanded that she connect with this wolf before her. That she forego everything else just to be with him. "I know," she answered as she looked away.
"Then, why are you being like this?" he stepped forward and butt his head against hers. Alice's first instinct was to bite him and punish him for daring, but her wolf refused to let her.
The damn creature was wagging her tail.
Damn it.
"I don't want a mate, whoever you are." She jerked her head away.
All she wanted was Justa.
But even Alice knew the truth. Her wolf would never allow her to be with him again. The one tryst was all she'd ever get from him.
A wolf's mate was for life and she'd found hers.
"Harris."
"What?" Alice demanded with a glare at him.
"My name is Harris," he answered with a shake of his head. He glanced around the surroundings. "I left my pack when I felt the pull. I'll have to get back to them and let them know that their life is about to change. They're about to get a Luna."
Alice's scowl deepened and she growled at him. The darker wolf's ears dropped and his head lowered to the ground.
"I'm no one's Luna. I am an Alpha myself, and I'm not giving up my pack for anyone, not even my mate."
Though maybe, maybe she would have given it up for Justa. In another life perhaps. But not now. Now she was yoked to this Harris guy, and even so, she would never give up her position.
He'd have to give up his own.
"Then I'll bring my pack to meet yours. Perhaps we can meld together." Harris suggested with a smile and a slow wag to his tail.
Her wolf was dancing in delight. It wanted full control to run and frolic with their mate.
Alice didn't want to frolic. She didn't want to dance. She didn't want to mate with this one.
"I'm not about to introduce my pack to a bunch of strangers. I don't know anything about you or them. I won't risk their safety like that."
He c****d his head as he stared at her. "You're such a strange wolf. Very well, I'll go to my pack to let them know that I'll be leaving them for a time. I'll return to you as soon as I can. Don't worry about giving me directions. I'll be able to find you no matter where you are."
There was little doubt about that. If she wanted to she'd be able to find him anywhere as well. Now that they'd met? They were tied together. No matter how much she hated it. She wanted to reject him, just walk away, but her wolf would never allow it.
Being a human would be easier. If she was but a mere human she could be with Justa.
"I'll arrange the mating ceremony on my end. You won't have to worry about dealing with that at all. I'll make my pack prepared to accept you as Alpha." He chuckled. "Perhaps you can tell yours' that I am your Luna."
Alice didn't want one of those either. But it was pointless to resist this. It was what the Goddess wanted. If she dared to defy her, she knew the consequences. "I'll talk to mine as well." she glanced up at the moon's position. "I will come to find you before the night is over."
He grinned and his tail wagged again. "What's your name, beautiful mate of mine. I've been so dumbstruck by your beauty I forgot to ask."
"Alice," she replied. "I will see you soon, Harris."
He butt his head against hers again letting his muzzle brush against hers. "I'll be counting the minutes, love."
Alice hid a wince. Love? No, she wasn't the type to love. Even with Justa that wasn't a case of love.
Just pure unbridled lust.
She turned away from Harris and ran back. She followed the path she had taken and as she crossed the border to her own territory she recognized the wolf waiting for her. "Mark?"
"I was worried." He looked out past her with a frown. "What happened, Alpha?"
Alice sighed. She couldn't hide this from him or anyone else. Harris's stench was on her from even that brief touch. "I found my mate," she spat the words out as if they were poison.
Mark frowned. "You don't sound happy. Isn't that what every wolf wants?"
"It's not what I want," she replied. "But the Moon Goddess has given me this gift. There's always purpose in all of her actions. He's an Alpha of his own pack, not far from here."
Mark growled. "I don't like the thought of others being so close. That's dangerous."
Alice nodded. "I agree, I had no idea another pack was so close to ours. I accept this as my fault for not paying more attention."
Mark snorted. "It is mine. I've been running routes and I never noticed myself. Considering that our game has thinned out, this makes sense. I thought it was just the changing of seasons and-" he froze.
"And humans hunting," Alice finished for him. "I know what you were about to say."
Mark sighed. "I don't envy your position, Alpha. What should we do with the Justa?"
It amused her that he had graduated from calling him human to the Justa. Not that it mattered now. "I'll take him back to his kind. There's no point in him staying here much longer."
"But, the food," Mark whined.
Alice stared at him.
Mark didn't stop. "We have to have him cook for us one final time before he leaves. I searched for all those ingredients yesterday. And to help us blend in with humans," he added as an afterthought. It was clear food was his motivator.
She wanted to cry. Could she manage to be around him for a few more days? Wanting him but unable to touch? And what would happen if Harris learned about him?
No, Alice couldn't let that happen. She didn't know what Harris and his pack thought of humans, but she'd never let anyone else near Justa.
Never.
"He's already cooking. Wait to tell him." Mark stared at her with those big eyes of his.
Alice sighed. He rarely used this tactic on her, but when he did it had a high success rate. "I'll wait until he's done. We'll keep it from him for now."
How was she going to manage that? Maybe it was a good thing they'd had that disagreement before she left. She could use it as the reason she wasn't throwing herself on him again.
Mark grinned and his tail wagged so hard he looked like he'd take flight. "Thanks, Alpha."
"You're really addicted to his food, aren't you?" she asked.
Mark grinned at her. "I'm going to do my best to learn how to do it too. I'll cook for the whole pack." He c****d his head. "Can I go back with you? I want to start studying right away."
Using Mark as a buffer would help this situation. "Come," she said as she trod back to her own home.
Passionflower and the scent of s*x invaded her nostrils as she entered the tunnels. Even the aroma of the chicken wasn't enough to drown it out. She glanced over at Mark and he was shaking his head hard as if he'd been stung by a bee.
"We can still turn back," she offered.
"No," Mark said with a growl. "I'm going to learn how to cook, I don't care what else I have to endure to do it."
Alice hid her smile but shifted as they walked through. She entered the kitchen and she stopped as she watched Justa's back as he prepared things. The broken table was gone with just a giant rug in its place.
"Welcome back," Justa called over his shoulder.
Alice's wolf was silent, almost as if she was on strike. But none of that stopped Alice's mouth from going dry as Justa turned around to watch her. His dark blue eyes studied her and Mark but the smile on his lip made her insides melt.
How was she ever going to let this man go?
- Writer
