For 2 days, I avoided and ignored Kade and his advances. If I scented him in a hall or on a stairwell, I speed walked in the other direction. If I felt his presence near my room as I planned on heading out, I found any reason to lurk inside my room until he passed. Sometimes he would stand outside my door and sign loudly as he walked away, when he realized I didn't plan on coming out while he was there.
While studiously avoiding Kade, I familiarized myself with the packhouse and all of its empty rooms. Fatima told me that Kade's most trusted advisors, the Beta, Omega and Theta of the pack should reside here with us, but they don't. I don't even know if Kade has any 'most trusted advisors'. The only one who appears to be here all the time is Ty, who I eventually cornered one day and apologized to.
Ty took my apology in stride, even if his shocked expression made it seem like he'd rather swallow his tongue than hear me apologize again. The thought makes me laugh. I'm not the Luna yet but Ty treats me like I am. He doesn't bother me with any Luna duties, but he has told me that if I want one, I'll have my own office to complete my work for the Pack.
I'll handle all things having to do with the Packs schools, parks / playgrounds, libraries and running trails. I'll also be the one women come to when they want to get away from an abusive relationship with either their mate or just another werewolf. That was my idea, once I learned that we didn't really have such a thing to protect our women or even men who may be in an abusive relationship. Hopefully with me running interference there will be peace and I'll save lives. Families are torn apart from domestic abuse, children hurt, mothers killed. I don't want to witness any of that.
I also talked to Ty about building an apartment complex for women or mothers and their children, to live once they get away from their abusive spouse. It'll have constant security and I want them to have a direct line to me in case of an emergency.
Now when I mentioned that bit about the women having a direct line to me, Ty gave me a look that said 'Hell no, I'm not losing my head', and I gave him a blank stare in return. However, when Ty just continued shaking his head no, I conceded to having only one direct line, on each floor of the complex, just in case. I also reminded Ty that if he told me no on this, I'd just go ahead and install the lines myself in every apartment.
I went to sleep satisfied that I'd get my way, and woke up to a shadow standing above me at midnight.
~
Opening my eyes to a shadowy figure above my bed, I almost let out an ear splitting shriek, but quickly realize, with some help from Fatima, that the figure is none other than Kade. Scary, Goddess damned dickhead.
"What the hell is wrong with you!?" I hiss, pulling my blanket up to my chin to try and hide my erratic breathing, although I know he can hear my breaths and heartbeat.
For the longest moment, Kade says nothing, just staring at me with his heated gaze. It's pretty obvious he's angry, but for what reason I have no idea. Kade takes his time to breathe and slowly clenches and unclenches his fists at the foot of my bed. I wait, not so patiently, for the man to speak.
He doesn't disappoint. Through gritted teeth he says, "What's wrong with me? You've ignored me since you've gotten here. You've been purposely avoiding me, avoiding my office, avoiding eating when you know I'm around the kitchen or the dining room. Hell, you won't even leave your room if I'm on this floor half of the damn time! And what's this I hear from Ty about the packs having a direct line to you? Let me tell you something." He leans forward, all in my personal space. "That. Is not. Fucking. Happening."
I jolt up so quickly that we butt heads and I groan just a little. "The hell it's not!" I snap. "That's my call to make! I'm taking on the responsibility of protecting these women and if they need me then they can contact me directly!" Yes, I ignored his rant about me avoiding him because, yeah, it's true. What does he want me to say?
Kade growls his fury and the next words out of his mouth are a direct blow to my heart. Although all things considered, I couldn't possibly understand why. "You are NOT Luna yet, you make no fucking calls. Even when you do become Luna, I override you and I say no one, and I mean NO ONE but ME, has direct lines or personal access to you."
All I hear on repeat is Kade telling me I'm not Luna and even when I become Luna, my word means nothing without his say so. I feel Fatima wake with a vengeance, fierce in her protection of me, when I feel like I'm weak. She guides me with her power and serenity, settling a calm over me even as I feel as though I'm breaking. So it's with golden eyes and a sense of peace and power that I respond.
"Not Luna? I make no calls?" Fatima chuckles and narrows her gaze on Kade. "You made us Luna when you bought Rura from her parents and moved her into your packhouse, proclaiming us as your mate. Even without you Kade, I'd be Luna. I was born to lead all of the packs, I hold absolute authority. No doubt, the moon Goddess created you with the intention that you could handle my authority so I wouldn't rule over you, but I still hold the upper hand." Slowly and sultry, I crawl on my bed, moving closer to where Kade stands.
"Make no mistake, we are fated Mates, we are a pair, but Rura and I are much more powerful than you. Now you may feel all big and bad, picking on my small human counterpart, but I am sick of it. Continue your ways and Rura will never accept you. I will make sure she knows she can reject your claim."
At this Kade pales just a little bit. For the longest while he just stares into my golden gaze, seemingly captivated with us. When he speaks, his voice is a hoarse whisper.
"How? How could you even know that you could reject me? Reject Ace?" But his questions were not to be answered, he wasn't really asking. Kade starts to pace at the foot of my bed, chin resting on his fingertips. "I thought you were a new wolf," he mutters. "There's no way you can be a new wolf though. Rura turned down learning about our people, taking classes and she shifts so seamlessly, so perfectly, like she's done it hundreds of times." Kade turns to me then, his eyes shuttered. Rura is buried in our subconscious, not aware or participating in our conversation.
"You wouldn't tell Rura to do that, because then the deal I made with her father is off, and all the staff I sent to her house would return here where they belong."
Fatima brims with barely restrained fury, her wolf form straining and begging to be let go, but she also has control.
"I wanted Rura to forgive you, because I want to know and be with my mate. However, every time I feel how broken you've left her feeling, I dislike you a little more. Every time she second guesses if she should give you a chance, I replay your interactions with her and advise against it. Because even though she damn near locked us in this room, if you really wanted to right your wrongs, you'd have come in here long ago and begged us to listen to you. You are content to sit back and tell yourself that you're trying your hardest or giving us space, but really you are a coward. You are a coward who runs from your own feelings, leaving those of use who try to care for you, feeling inadequate. You are a coward who hides behind anger, resentment and crippling control."
Fatima laughs silkily and Kade wonders what makes her feel so smug.
"I'd tell Rura all about how to properly reject you because I am a healer as well. I can heal her mother, but I've decided to keep that to myself because I wanted you two to get to know each other. You've hurt my counterpart so much that she doesn't want to know you, she wants to leave without endangering her family. If you don't get over your own insecurities and fix the mess you've made with my human, you will lose us forever."