As I'm playing with the children, I see Lykaon head towards the house alone, leaving Klyn on the bench. I'm not worried exactly, just aware that he's no longer near. Tasha, the girl whom I met the day of Lykaon's leaving here, came up and asked if we could talk. I hadn't minded and went to sit on the swings with her. She was very talkative and said her mother was very grateful for helping her find her daughter. I merely brushed it off, but smiled at the girl and said it was no problem.
Tryn also came up to embrace me in a hug, chanting his thanks for saving him. He also gave me a necklace made of string and beads as a gift. Slipping it on, I told him to go run and play while I took a break. Watching him run away into the playground, I walked over to Klyn and sat down beside him. "You can go do something, you know?" I asked him.
He chuckled. "Then I'd lose you in the sea of wolves and never be able to find you, which means you could be in possible danger and it'd be my fault."
"You don't need to watch me, Klyn."
"It's my job to protect you, Opaline."
I sighed and slumped back. "It doesn't have to be."
"As Beta, I am the first Lykaon goes to help protect you and the pack. As Luna, you are the heart of the pack, what keeps us all together, the glue."
"So?" I ask.
He looks at me. "So? It means you are well loved."
I shrug and sigh. "Your pack barely knows me."
"Our pack," he corrects. "Why do you all of a sudden not want to be Luna?"
"I do, but I don't like anyone hovering that much." I pause, then add, "Except him."
Klyn smirked. "He isn't always going to be around you to protect you, no matter how much you'd want that. He gives me the privilege of watching you, protecting you, helping you if need be."
I bite my tongue and think about my response. "And then there's others. Klyn, there are people around, you don't have to watch if there are other people around, do you?"
"Yes, I do. There are only children right now. And not everyone is as strong as I or Lykaon."
A throat cleared behind us and we turn to see Jacques there, rubbing his neck. "Father wants to see you, Opal."
"I'm not sure if she's ready for that," Klyn hisses.
Jacques looks at him. "I'm only obeying my Alpha's orders."
"I don't know if that's a good idea, Jacques," I say softly.
"Please, Opaline. Just talk to him?" he begs.
I look at Klyn. "Okay."
"No!" Klyn says darkly. "You aren't going!"
"I'm not sure if I will be able to avoid him much longer. What else am I supposed to do, Klyn?"
"Wait for Lykaon!"
"Um…" Jacques says, making us look at him. "No one else is allowed…Especially not him."
I go to stand, but Klyn grabs my arm. "No!"
Conflicted, I glance between the two and sigh. "I must."
"Lykaon will be pissed."
I slip my hand out of his and back away. "Do I have a choice? He'll see me at dinner. I'll have to face him at some point."
"Do you not remember that you broke down in Lykaon's lap because of their argument? Do you not remember your father wants to kill Lykaon?"
I narrow my eyes. "That will not happen, Klyn. My father—"
"He's going to do something stupid and hurt you in the process."
"If something happens, I'll mind link you. I don't want to do this, Klyn, but…"
He stood up and took hold of my shoulders. "Opaline, he may be your father, but he isn't your alpha anymore."
"I know."
"Then if you don't want to go, then don't. This is why I'm hovering. To help in situations like this, and worse. I can understand if you don't want to go, Opaline, just say so."
I glance at Jacques and back at my Beta. My heart was racing as I felt pulled in two separate directions, but didn't know which was the right one. From the distance, I heard, "Jacques!"
My brother flinches and looks at me with plea in his eyes. "Please, Opaline?"
Something about the way he looked at me made me snap. I pulled away from Klyn and nodded. "Opaline!" Klyn hissed in a warning voice.
"Mind link," I whisper and follow Jacques away and back to the house.
It was a few minutes before we made it to my father's office and Jacques stopped. "I'm sorry, Opal."
I nod. "It's fine. It was bound to happen."
Sighing, he opened the door and ushered me in. My father was sitting at his desk with a hard expression on his face. He didn't soften them like I thought he might, but only seemed to harden them further. "Son, stand outside the door until we're finished. Allow no one passage."
I silently begged my brother not to leave, but he did, shutting the door with a soft click. Now, I wasn't sure to run or scream, so I stood there silent, hugging myself.
"How are you, Opaline?"
I shrug. "Fine."
"Your hand?" I shrug again, feeling like a child who might have done something wrong, but I didn't know what. "How are you liking Lykaon's pack?"
"It's good," I say, looking out the window. This was really awkward.
"Do you agree with Lykaon's rules about not allowing family in to see their loved one unless the mate approves?"
"I respect them, and don't see the harm in it," I whisper.
"We weren't allowed in to see you," he growled.
"But he let you know what was going on, so I still don't see the harm."
"Opaline," Lykaon hisses through the mind link. "Why aren't you with Klyn?"
"My father requested me," I say hesitantly.
"Why didn't you wait for me?"
"Because my brother was getting anxious and I felt bad."
I hear him sigh then nothing at all. My father stares at me. "How would you feel if Jacques was in the hospital and the only one allowed to see him was Rona, and she didn't allow you in?"
"I would understand. I'd only hope he was doing better and Rona kept me updated," I say honestly.
My father growled fiercely and stood, walking around his desk towards me. "You are my daughter, and I don't want you getting hurt and not being able to see you."
I bit my lip. "I—"
A knock sounded at the door. "What!" my father roared.
The door opened and I turned to see my mother there with Lykaon. When my mate locked eyes with me, I ached to run to him, but something was keeping me in place. My mother said, "Why are you yelling, Merle?"
"I don't like being interrupted," he hissed, but it wasn't harsh like earlier.
"Opal, why don't you go with Lykaon and show him trails you took as a child?"
"No!"
I turned to my father and wrapped my arms around me. "I need to finish here, mother."
"No, you don't."
I looked up at her. "But—"
"You don't need to stay here and get ridiculed for something that isn't your fault. Go with Lykaon."
Lykaon held out his hand for me. "It's okay, Opaline."
My father seemed to seethe on the inside but he said, "Opaline, if he hurts you—"
"Why would I hurt my mate?" my mate growled.
My father ignored him. "If he hurts you, daughter, you can come home. You're always welcome."
I turn and face him, confusion in my eyes and determination in my voice. "I am grateful for your offer, father, but if I'm to be Luna, then I'll have to be strong, which means not coming here for help of any kind. Lykaon has done nothing but help me since meeting him. It is not his fault my hand is broken, more mine for trying to protect a friend. There is no need to give me a way out when I don't need one."
My mother grabbed my shoulders from behind and pulled me towards her. "Merle, Opaline is strong. Don't underestimate her because of the past."
"I'm not!" he hissed.
She gave him a knowing look. "They're mates, darling. You saw how she held onto him at lunch. You see how he looks after her just like you do with me."
My father glances at me and then Lykaon, and sighs, closing his eyes and relaxing his body. He seems to be taking deep breaths and thinking hard about something before nodding. "Fine. I see what you mean." He looks at my mother and gives her a small smile, which she returns with one of her own. She walks over to him and wraps her arms around his body while he kisses his head. "I'm sorry."
I let out a breath I hadn't known I was holding before feeling Lykaon's presence at my back. He wraps his arms around me, clasping hands on my stomach before resting his head on mine and breathing in my scent deeply. I lean back into him and sigh, contented. I feel him kiss my head and say, "My beautiful Luna."
I smile softly and turn to embrace him properly, hiding my face in his chest. I hear my father say, "Take care of my daughter, or there will be hell to pay."
"Don't worry, Alpha Merle. Opaline has my full attention every day for the rest of my life." I could still hear the anger in the background as my mate speaks, but he tries to sound polite in the way things have turned. "Once she is Luna, she'll be protected by everyone in my pack, not just me."
"If I see one more—"
"Merle!" my mother hisses.
My father sighs. "Opaline?" I turn to face him and see he's trying to be like the father I know. "Forgive me?"
I nod, then run into his arms. He hugs me tight, my mother getting behind me to trap me between them while I notice Lykaon is awkwardly standing alone. Pulling back, I try to go back to him, but then Jacques appears and tackles me into another hug. "Don't leave me!" he dramatically cries.
I roll my eyes and pat his back awkwardly. "You'll be fine, brother. Besides, we aren't leaving yet," I look to Lykan, "Are we?"
He shakes his head. "The plan still remains the same. Tomorrow night."
Jacques straightens and turns t my mate, still holding my shoulders. "Then, you won't mind if I steal her away for a few hours?"
Lykaon narrows his eyes suspiciously. "For what?"
I bite my lip and look away, but catch Lykaon glance at me and grin. "Just to catch up and give her a hard time. I mean, someone's got to tease her, right?"
My father chuckles and I see my mother shake her head. My mate on the other hand crosses his arms and doesn't let anything show. "I need to talk with her first before letting your torment session begin." I gape at him, fully staring at him with my eyes wide and mouth open. He smirks. "I'll bring her to you when I'm finished."
My brother grins and turns back to me. "See you soon, sister!" he says and smacks a kiss on my cheek before going away.
My parents walk around Lykaon and out the room as well, shutting the door behind them. Once I hear their footsteps fade, I cross my arms and glare at my mate, who laughs in return. "How could you promise him such a thing!"
"Men stick together," he says with a shrug and comes over to me. "Besides, I saw you look away and heard your thoughts earlier. I know what you were thinking."
I blush. "You know nothing!" I hiss and squeal when he lifts me onto my father's desk abruptly.
"Do you deny it, dear Opaline?" he asks, his voice husky.
Even on the desk, I still didn't come to eye level so I looked up at him. "Yes!"
His eyes widen for a moment before shrugging. "Shall I help you remember, then?" I paused and looked at him confused, unsure how he might do that. Seeing this, Lykaon smirked. "Allow me to help you, Opaline, then maybe things will go more smoothly for you."
"What do you—" I gasped as he pulled me to the edge of the desk and leaned down to kiss me. He kept one hand on my thigh as the other went behind me back to help him steady me as I leaned back with him over me. "Lykaon…" my voice trailed off as he kissed the corner of my mouth.
"It's okay, Opaline. I'm not taking you here, not on your father's desk. I'd rather it be my own." The hand behind my back came out to cup my face. "Do you trust me?" he asks softly.
I look up at him, meeting intense gray eyes. "To do what?"
He smiled. "Anything. Do you trust me to not harm you, or let harm come to you in any way?"
I scoff. "That's not possible."
"Baby, anything is possible."
"Not if I'm wanting to protect you," I say and raise my brows at him.
/He frowns. "Opaline, you don't need to protect me."
"But that's what mates do, they protect each other."
"I want to protect you, though. I want you safe. I want you to live your life fully."
I furrow my brows at him. "And live without you?" He shrugs. I shake my head. "No!"
"Opaline—"
"No, Lykaon! First Klyn, now you? I don't want to live without you, is that wrong?"
"No, but—"
I glare at him. "My final answer is no! I don't care how strong you are, we stay together no matter what."
He narrows his eyes. "I can't believe you're arguing me on this." I smirk and he sighs, shaking his head. "Fine. Stay together no matter what. That means we protect each other, have each other's backs, work together to do what's necessary."
I smile. "Okay."
After a moment of watching me, he smiles too. "Deal?"
"Deal."