Lexi awoke to the happy sounds of the forest right outside her window. The sun was shining, birds were chirping, animals skittering about, all as if none of them had witnessed the brutal murder that had taken place the night before. They had been privy to the making of history, seventy years of peace destroyed in a single act of violence.
And the day seemed as if it didn't happen.
She wished it hadn't. Her whole life, she'd never had to worry about any of the things within the stories passed down through the pack over the years. Immortals slaughtering humans relentlessly, attacking pack after pack, weakening werewolves at every chance, the merciless battles that waged over the centuries. But that was all about to change.
Lexi had tossed and turned in bed for hours last night with thoughts of what it all could mean. Was it just an isolated incident and meant nothing? Did it mean that the rumors of Immortal sleeper cells were true? Where had they been all these years?
And then her thoughts traveled to the Guardian Games. Did the attack mean that the peace was broken and the games were now off? Had she been training all this time for nothing?
Sitting up, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and sat in silence. Between agreeing to become Cole's mate, and the attack, yesterday had been one of the most eventful days she'd ever had. It was exhausting.
But she didn't have time to lay around. As future Luna of Moss Creek, her schedule would change significantly. She would have to learn the ends and outs of leading the pack, take on new roles around the territory, not to mention she now had to plan a mating ceremony.
And somewhere in all that, she still had to train for the games.
"Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life." She said to herself and proceeded to shower and dress. It was a jeans and t-shirt kind of day.
She wasn't surprised to find that her mother and father had already left the house. It was certainly imaginable that there was much to be done and she knew that with her new title, a lot of it would fall on her shoulders.
Leaving her house situated near the back of the territory, it wasn't much of a drive to the pack house that was front and center of the only road in and out of their lands. She parked her grey Nissan Altima in the already full driveway and wondered if she was prepared for what she was about to step into.
Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she made her way up the wooden front steps and into the front room. It was buzzing with activity. Every ranking member was present. Omega's were scurrying to and fro making sure everyone had exactly what they needed and were comfortable. Just the main room at the entrance alone was filled with wolves looking to their leader for an explanation and guidance.
She immediately noticed Cole as he stood on the stairway landing and addressed the crowd.
"I know everyone is nervous and scared and you all want to know what happened and why. You also know that as your alpha, I will not lie to you." He started with a strong and commanding voice. "Nothing will be gained from hiding the truth. We cannot prepare for any possible situation if you don't know what to expect."
His eyes traveled over the group and settled on Lexi. Was she imagining it, or did his features seem to soften at the sight of her?
The corner of his mouth tipped up just the tiniest bit before he broke eye contact and continued his speech. She had to admit, the awkward feeling she would get before when Cole seemed a little too friendly with her, had dissipated. He was growing on her.
"Last night, one of our own, Marcus Black, was attacked and killed. The murderer was gone before we arrived, but the distinct stench of immortal was everywhere in the area."
The group gasped and faces turned to looked incredulously at the others around them, followed by hushed whispers. Cole held up his hand to silence them before he continued.
"Other than that, we no further information. A hunting party has been dispatched to try and track down the perpetrator. I have video conferences scheduled with the other Alphas later this morning."
A voice rang out from the crowd. "Does this mean the filthy blood suckers are back? Is the peace over?"
Cole took a deep breath. "Listen, I know everyone is worried right now. You should be. This hasn't happened in over seventy years. But I can't give you any more information until I speak with other packs. I can tell you that we will be doubling security around the territory, enforcing a curfew, and I highly recommend that everyone adopts the buddy system. Try not to go anywhere alone if you can help it, and certainly not after dark."
With that, the Alpha thanked everyone for their patience and left them with the promise he would update them soon.
Lexi waited for some of the others to clear out, hanging back by the front door. She watched Cole speak to a few individuals, nodding every so often before everyone was finally gone.
He turned his attention to her, and a soft smile graced his lips. She returned the gesture and made her way across the room. Cole looked down at her, his brown eyes searching her emerald green ones before he wrapped his arms around her lean frame and placed the gentlest of kisses to her forehead.
"Good morning." He said grinning down at her. "How are you feeling this morning?"
Lexi scoffed. "Me? I'm fine. I should be the one asking you that question. You've had to deal with all the chaos since last night. I just had a wrestling match with my bed all night, so I'm good to go."
Cole chuckled and released her. "A wrestling match huh?" He narrowed his eyes playfully at her. "Who won?"
He turned and gestured for her to follow him up the stairs. Since the pack house served as sort of a common area for the whole pack, the Alpha's and other leaders each had offices inside. It kept their personal residences private and made it easier to be found in case of emergencies.
The black-haired she wolf followed her alpha and soon to be mate up the wooden stairs, each step creaking slightly beneath their feet. It was mostly wood throughout the whole house, with the typical look and feel that you would expect in a log cabin. The walls were sparsely decorated, but what was there had a nature type theme to it.
She shrugged. "There were several rounds of tossing and turning. I was afraid I was going to lose for a bit there, but I eventually walked away with the victory."
He laughed. "You mean you slept away with the victory."
She nodded as they turned down the second-floor hallway and made their way to a door near the end. He opened it and allowed her to enter first. "I guess you're technically right." She nervously flipped her ponytail off her shoulder.
The two entered the large office where the walls were lined with bookshelves full of books of all shapes and sizes. The farthest wall was nothing but windows side to side that looked out over the garden and training field. Just in front of that was a massive mahogany desk that housed a computer and plenty of documents to cover nearly the entire surface.
Shutting the door behind them, the Alpha moved to his desk and sat in the black cushioned desk chair, waving Lexi over. She closed the distance between them and stopped at the window, looking out at the serene landscape bathed in beautiful rays of sunshine. She'd been in there plenty of times before, but still she never got tired of taking in the view.
"So how are you really?" He asked, breaking the silence.
Inhaling deeply, she gave him a sideways glance. "A little anxious." She admitted. "But it's nothing I can't handle." She turned to face him and gave a reassuring smile. "It's just the uncertainty of it all, you know?"
Cole nodded. "It's understandable."
"As if agreeing to be Luna wasn't enough to shake things up, then all this."
Cole stood and grabbed her hands, pulling them up to his chest where he held them as they locked gazes. "Not just a Luna, Lexi." He said quietly. "My Luna." He paused. "And not just as your Alpha, but also your mate, I promise to do everything within my power to make sure you are safe and happy."
Lexi smiled as he pulled her close and placed his lips to her temple, letting them linger. Any uncertainty she had seemed to melt away at his tender touch. This was her childhood best friend. She knew practically everything there was to know about him. They'd grown up together. He was very handsome, strong, smart. Why had she ever been uneasy around him?
Because something just didn't feel right. He was a brother to her. She didn't see him in a romantic light... Yet.
Could she ever?
He pulled away and looked down at her. "I'm so glad you said yes." He smiled. "I've been meaning to ask you for a while now." He nervously rubbed the back of his head. "Just never got the nerve before now."
She laughed and playfully hit his chest. "Cole Connors nervous?" She clutched her chest in mock shock. "I never thought I'd see the day."
The Alpha turned and resumed his seat. "Yeah well, you're pretty intimidating sometimes."
Lexi rolled her eyes and leaned against the corner of his desk.
"I mean it! You're smart, strong, a born leader, not to mention incredibly beautiful."
She could feel a blush creeping up to her cheeks. He'd never said those things to her before. Not like that at least.
He laughed and leaned closer almost as if he were going to tell her a secret. "And I've seen you take down Tank at least 100 times." He shrugged and sat back. "It's a little scary."
Lexi shook her head and laughed. A short silence followed as she turned her attention back to the windows. Cole cleared his throat.
"Speaking of that, I think it's best we wait a few days to tell the pack about their future Luna."
She nodded. "I think that's a good idea. Give the pack some time to mourn Marcus."
Marcus had been a good wolf. He was mated to his beautiful wife and had a daughter, Myra. She hated what had happened to him.
Looking at his watch, Cole turned to his computer then back to her. "I have a conference call in a about ten minutes. You're welcome to stay if you like."
Lexi shook her head and pushed off the desk. "No that's alright. I have a few things to do." She gave him a smile. "I'll see you later though? " She asked.
A wide grin creased his face. "Absolutely."