Chapter 7
I'm vaguely aware of Ransom carrying me to bed, I must have only needed a short nap, because it's only an hour later when I wake up at 10 am. Ransom has left me a breakfast tray and a note.
"Be back this evening, pack business. We WILL be eating spaghetti for dinner. There are some things I want to speak with you about. Yours, Ransom"
I roll my eyes, the last time he left a message saying "There are some things I need to speak with you about." I stressed for an entire week about what it could be. When he finally came back, he congratulated me on my training, and told me he thought I was ready to move up a class.
I examine the breakfast tray, but my stomach isn't happy with any of the selection offered. I grab a throw blanket from the living room and drape it over my shoulders, wrapping it around my body. When I peek my head out of Ransoms door, I can see down the hall that my door has been repaired. I pad as quietly as possible down the hall. No such luck, however, as Phoebe and Kira choose this moment to come around the corner that leads to the stairs. They exchange a look, I'm not sure exactly what the look says, but I also don't like having my business out there.
"Hey guys, what are you up to?" I say, trying to laugh it off. Phoebe shoots Kira another look, Kira spins on her heel and walks off without another words. Phoebe purses her lips and shrugs, "We were coming to check on you. We heard about what happened, Walt said you were both really upset, so I came for you and Kira came for Ransom." Phoebe is the Gamma female, and one of my closest friends, Kira is a high-ranking member of the Special Ops team that Ransom uses for sensitive missions. Kira and Ransom grew up together, their mothers gave birth to them on the same day. Sometimes she's friendly, but I think having Ransom shut her out after his mate died might have ended any possibility of a real friendship between us. Phoebe does a deliberate scan of my body, "Sooo…. What are you doing?"
"Oh," I choked out, "My door was busted and Ransom let me take his Suite for the night, but the intruder caught me as I was about to get in the shower, and I was kind of traumatized so I just kind of bolted without clothes."
"Oh…" Phoebe shrugs. "I'm glad you're ok, I was hoping we could spend some time in the garden today? I want to pick some vegetables for dinner, but it's so hot outside I bet dipping our toes in the spring would be dee-vine." Phoebe is from Texas and she has the sweetest drawl I have ever heard. I love it when she talks, and she likes to hear me sing while I work. She says she'll meet me in the garden, and I hurry to my room to get dressed.
I see why the girls looked at me like that. My curls are a wild tousled mess, and that's just your every day look. Sprinkle a little "I got fucked and came so hard I went to sleep" on them, and it's like a tornado picked them up and set them back down. I finger comb like a maniac, patting oil on the ends, and tying it all back with a blue scrunchie. I throw on some biker shorts and a black sundress with bell sleeves, and give my appearance another once over. I have slight shadows under my eyes, and I'm a little paler than usual, but all in all I look like myself. I don't think there's a "sex aura" around me, but I'm paranoid. Athena was all about the sex, but she's been on edge, she says she feels like she has to stay focused now. I dab on some creamy blush and a light coat of mascara. My eyelashes are naturally pretty dark, and I have to be careful about eye makeup. With hooded eyes, high cheekbones, and a sharp, heart shaped jaw line, my features make me look mad or intimidating. The alpha stare doesn't help, which I have been working on these past few years.
I slip on my trusty old bobs, and hustle down to the garden. It smells like it will rain tonight, which lift my spirits. Storms always bring so much energy, I can feel the electricity. If I'm going to receive a vision, that will usually also come with the storm, or right before.
When I reach the garden, Phoebe is yelling at Sam about who was on pack house guard duty. I don't understand at first, because Phoebe never yells, but then I see. Someone has ripped up nearly everything in the garden. The trees are all ok, but the vegetables and flowers are all ripped up, like a monster came through with plant murder on its mind.
I rest my hand on phoebe's shoulder and tell her it's ok, I can fix this. I kneel and pat the ground twice, laying my palms down flat, pushing energy into the ground. Plants begin to weave their roots back into the ground, torn stems sew themselves back together. It takes a few minutes, but pretty soon mostly all of it is back to normal. Phoebe is still furious though, when I ask her why, she looks shocked.
"I'm mad because I think this is Kira. It's childish bullshit, and she knows better. Listen, honey, I know you and Ransom were canoodlin' last night, he told Walt and Sam." She must see my face fall because she holds up a hand to stop me from interrupting. "Now now, don't jump to conclusions. He needed some advice, and he trusts those two to keep his confidence. Sam saw Kira slinkin' away when they opened the door to Ransoms office. He didn't even tell me any of this until this morning when Kira came to see if I knew where Ransom was going to be. She wanted to go over details of the attack and set up a potential sting, and also comfort him. The whole pack could feel his fear and anger through our link. I think, if Ransom is experiencing feelings for you, and were to one day decide to make you Luna, that Kira would need to set aside her pride and respect you. As it stands," She sweeps her hand out over the garden, "She's throwin' herself a little pitty party on your dime." She heaves a sigh and pinches the bridge of her nose.
"Well, that's too bad for her, because I actually don't attend pity parties. Besides, that's not what this is, between me and Ransom. You know, we could never mate. If I die, or he dies, it would be the worst thing we could do to each other. Not saying I didn't welcome the canoodle….But, who know where the future is headed?" I smile, a little sad that Ransom wasn't my chosen mate. A little sad that he lost his mate. A little sad that I haven't found mine, if I even have one.