It was almost ten in the morning when someone knocked on Dalia's door. She ignored it.
Isabella had left earlier along with Beta Caleb, so she had the bedroom for herself. She heard another knock and decided that it'd be a bad idea to ignore it again, so she stood up from the bed and opened the door. Luna Nora was standing outside with a big travel bag in her hands. She smiled as soon as Dalia's face came into view.
Dalia did not return the smile.
"Yes, Luna?"
"I was not sure if you knew, but we are meeting in ten minutes in the main office downstairs. I brought you and Isabella some clothes and shoes for you two. I hope they are the right size."
Dalia looked over at the bag again and took it from her hands slowly. She did not really like Luna Nora, the woman had a way to make you feel safe with one smile. She disarmed her, making her feel exposed with just one look. Now, personally delivering clothes was another reason for Dalia to respect her more, but also dislike her even just a tiny little bit more.
Annoying.
"Thank you," she said. When she was about to close the door, Nora stopped her with unexpected strength. Dalia was taken by surprise, she thought Nora was more delicate than she looked, but it seemed it was the opposite.
"I'm not done talking," she explained. "Please respect this house, you are guests here but understand that you are still expected to clean after yourselves. Things will be provided for your comfort, but we are not maids. Also, all five of you will be given a duty eventually, make sure you report when expected."
Dalia shook her head, a grin on her face. "SO, baby Caleb complained to you this morning?"
"Beta. Beta Caleb," the sweet smile that was always on the Luna's face was gone, replaced by a hard expression. "Respect this pack as much as it has respected you."
Dalia kept her comments to herself. After all, they had helped her escape Miles and a life of prostitution, Caleb had been the one in said mission, and the least she could do was to not be… rude. "Okay, okay. My apologies, Luna."
Nora's sweet smile returned, and Dalia found another reason to dislike her.
"Please be on time. See you!"
Dalia closed the door after the Luna had left. She went back to her bed and threw the gab on top of it to examine its contents. Inside was a variety of clothing items as well as personal hygiene and self-care products. She took the first t-shirt she saw and a pair of sweats, complimenting her fabulous outfit with some sneakers and a high ponytail.
Confident with her disheveled appearance, she walked down the hall to the stairs. Caleb was still in the kitchen, talking to the woman mated to the son of the moon Goddess.
She had to start learning their names.
"Morning," she made the attempt to start anew.
Caleb simply looked over and returned to his conversation, but the woman greeted her back.
"Good morning."
"I'm sorry, but I did not get your name yesterday," she smiled. "What was it again?"
"It's alright," the woman replied. "It's Adira."
"Dalia," she introduced herself, extending her hand to shake it with Adira's but Caleb interrupted them.
"We all know who you are," Caleb intruded. "We have a meeting, let's go."
Dalia was not sure who she disliked more. Nora, and her abilities to get into people's heads and make them spill their darkest secrets, or Caleb.
Annoying.
Dalia followed them into a big office. She could not help but stare at the people inside and the many maps along the walls. They were all illustrations or satellite images of the Canyon area. In one of them, she saw the old camp of Mile's group, as well as the new one, the one she was at just yesterday. She observed the other maps, some had small notes next to blue circles and big red X's over some of those marks.
"What are those?" she asked nobody in specific, but it was the Alpha who replied.
"Adam told us of old settlements where Miles had taken his group to before. Some of our allies are doing us the favor to check them out."
Alpha alexander started the meeting then, Dalia caught some phrases here and there. They were looking for other camps because according to Adam, that one camp was not the only one. Dalia was aware of the number of followers Miles had, most of the locations of the other camps, and who was important in the organization. Every so often members of the meeting would ask questions to the others, including Dalia, Luisa, and Isabella.
Both the Alpha and Luna directed the meeting. Caleb seemed to be a resourceful man, offering information she thought had been a secret. A woman with short hair, the Gamma, seemed to be the one in charge of the warriors, and the pale man, Luca, offered advice for each of the strategies. Adira and three other men stayed by the door, listening to the meeting but offering no input. Isabella and Luisa were next to Dalia, both were also asked questions and they shared their information about the organization.
Dalia observed the maps closer, trying to remember what she had seen inside Miles' papers and maps. She took one of the markers and made small circles in the Canyon, separated by a few miles every so often. She then made small checkmarks around the territory of this pack. She remembered all those maps, the ones she used to put away for Miles after every meeting.
"What are you doing?" Caleb asked her.
"Helping," she continued to make marks here and there, showing the weak points she remembered Miles mentioned. She pointed at the circles she made, "Here is where Miles keeps some of his men, each camp is about one hundred men strong, few non-combatants," she then pointed at the circle further away from all pack lands and camps. "Here is where he keeps about fifty of his fighters and almost all younglings. He mentioned to me once that he trains them there or something like that. But that is also where he sends all pregnant women."
"What are you talking about?" Luisa interrupted her.
Dalia turned to see an offended Luisa. "Miles had maps in his office."
"But how is it that you know them?"
Dalia ignored her, after all, she had been the favorite toy for a reason. Sure, she had been considered the most valued, not because she was beautiful but because Miles saw potential in her. She had helped him plan many of the attacks, find hiding places, and the right people for his plans. To others, she was just a good fuck.
But she was valuable.
She had to be.
"Because I helped make those maps."
An uncomfortable silence grew in the room. She felt the Alpha get closer to her but she continued watching the map in front of her.
"What are you marking?" Alexander asked her.
"These," she pointed at the circles. "Are hiding areas. You will be able to find things like water and food, the 'special' meat, and a place to rest. Some are small for just one person, or big enough for a large group."
"Miles would only share certain locations with certain people" Isabella interrupted, taking the marker and circling other areas. "He secured three more small camps last week." She explained.
"They seemed to be too close to our land," Nora noticed.
"And a little close to each other as well. He is trying to bring a group big enough to attack this pack without you noticing them. The one you got us out from is the closest one, and also the biggest one. He has about ninety fighters there and less than fifty nonfighters." Said Luisa.
Dalia knew the locations of almost all camps and their sizes, however, she was not up to date with which ones were currently being used.
"Fernanda might be able to help you find out where he sent the last groups to," Dalia told the Alpha. As Fer was not present, the meeting would probably be stopped. They had spent too much time talking already.
"She's not well right now," Nora told Alexander. "I'll ask her to come down after dinner, is that okay?"
The couple had a mental exchange and Alexander nodded after a few minutes.
"You are all dismissed, except for you, ladies," He pointed at Dalia, Luisa, and Isabella.
Everyone left the room with the exception of the Alpha and Luna. Dalia took a seat on the couch and Luisa followed her example. Isabella sat on a chair next to the entrance. Alexander took a seat behind the desk and Nora stood next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Thank you for your cooperation."
Nobody answered him. Dalia knew there was a "but" somewhere in there coming up. When he said nothing, Luisa spoke up.
"So?"
"My behavior last night may have been aggressive. However, we hope you continue to cooperate with us. Friendships are hard to come by, especially with outsiders."
Outsiders? Dalia wanted to laugh. He clearly avoided saying "rogues."
"Rogues are not all the same, Alpha." Dalia was not blind, the Alpha feared having rogues in his territory. You could not blame him for that though, he had an entire pack to care for. "We might not have a pack but we know how to behave. As long as you keep us safe, we will offer you assistance." She looked over at her friends, "And I know I am not speaking just for myself."
The two of them nodded, confirming her assumption.
"Then I guess I don't have to beat around the bush," he declared. "You will be allowed everywhere in the pack. However, you cannot be by yourselves when you exit the tree line around the houses. And I am letting you know now that you will be under surveillance twenty-four seven."
He looked at each of them, maintaining eye contact for an uncomfortable amount of time.
"If that's understood, you guys can also leave. Maybe go check in with your friend."
They left the room in silence, closing the door. Dalia noticed the three men who had stayed back in the meeting standing up when they exited the room.
"Let's go." Luisa noticed them too and guided her two friends upstairs.
Some people followed them with their eyes, and the newly acquired shadows followed them upstairs as well. The three girls stopped in front of Fer and Sam's door, knocking and then entering after hearing Sam's response from the other side.
He looked upset when they stepped in, Fernanda, who was in bed, appeared a little pale on the face.
"You okay?"
Fer nodded, pulling a trash bag away from her lips. "I will be."
"What's going on?" Luisa asked.
Fer refused to reply so they all looked at Sam, waiting for an answer.
"We have just an idea of what might be going on," he explained with a heavy sigh. "Since… we found each other, we have been feeling the mate pull, but we waited since we, and I quote, 'had to get his permission'" he made quoting signs in the air with his hands. "But we marked each other to keep in contact last night. This morning though, her mark was gone, and she felt nauseous. Luna Nora and I have some speculations."
Fer's gagging sounds interrupted him. he rushed to her side and held her hair back while she emptied her stomach. The rancid smell reached Dalia's nares, but she was used to smells like that. Living in a place such as the one she came from made you somewhat immune to that.
"We think it might be due to her body releasing my venom since we did not complete the mating bond."
The mating process was a simple procedure; simply have sex with your mate and mark each other. If the sex part happened but there was no marking, then no connection was formed. But if the marking happened… Dalia had no knowledge about what could, or would, happen.
"Luna Nora sent the doctor in a few hours ago. What Sam did not tell you, is that he said this might be a reaction my body has since it is trying to clean the toxins that come in our venom. So there should be no reason to worry."
"Why did you just not complete the bonding process when we arrived yesterday?" Isabella asked them.
Sam turned his face, watching at a point on the wall with hatred, Fer looked down at her hands holding the vomit bag, ashamed.
"Because Sam tells me I smell wrong… because… of what happened."
Dalia understood how Fer was feeling. The shame, the feeling of being dirty.
She had told them what had happened when she found her mate. He had rejected and told her, no, showed her, the disgusting smell that emanated from her. Sam was definitely a good person; he spared her feelings by not telling her just how disgusting she smelled to him at the moment.
Truthfully, she was jealous. Jealous of what her mate could have done for her but chose not to. Dalia observed him as Fer spoke, his eyes stayed glued to the wall but Dalia noticed him furrow his nose every time Fer moved.
She left the room, giving her friend a sad look. With the man assigned to follow her, she went downstairs but found a large group of people socializing in the living room. Annoyed, she opted to leave the packhouse, tears threatening to come down her eyes. She was not being careful about where she was going, she simply put one foot after the other and walked away from everyone. She could hear the man behind her, who was thankfully keeping a good distance.
She found him annoying.
She ended up in front of a building that looked like a jail. There were people guarding the entrance and they immediately noticed her.
"Hey!" one of them yelled at her. "What are you doing here, rogue?"
They looked like they were about to attack her, so she immediately threw her hands up in the air. her sense of fight or flight kicking in. Useless, apparently because she froze.
"Alpha allowed them to walk freely," she heard the man behind her, stepping into view. Never in her life had she been as grateful as she was now. The guards looked between the guard and Dalia, who kept her arms above her head, frozen, unsure what to do. She had wanted to thank him, but he returned to his previous location, making sure to send a clear message; he was just following orders, and he did not care about her. "Put them down, you stink." He told her after the guards lost interest in them and went back to their duties.
The tears came down then.
Was she really that unpleasant to be around with her dirty smell? Was her smell so awful not even her mate could handle it? Was she that disgusting? Feeling self-conscious, she placed a hand under her armpit, running a finger across it and pulling it up to her nose, sniffing it.
It smelled like her deodorant, a light lavender aroma.
She stumped back to the packhouse, avoiding facing the man following her. She felt the tears run down her face.
Annoying.