Turk finally was able to return to Mazelina after fifteen minutes of asking the pack to calm down because they wouldn't listen to Rudi. But when he got to his car, she wasn't inside. Shocked, he looked around but didn't see her. Realizing she must have tried to go look for him, he went back towards the elevator and went up.
He asked every packmate he saw if they saw someone wandering around. Anju went running to try to find Mazelina. Soon, the six were frantic to find their Luna.
It wasn't until five minutes later when he heard someone calling from a floor-to-ceiling window that he found out exactly where she went. Chuckling with both relief and amusement, he saw Mazelina climbing a ladder built into the tree to a treehouse.
Turk ran down emergency stairs and outside. "Mazelina!" he called up to her.
She looked over her shoulder and tilted her head to one side in question. "Where were you?"
He shook his head and climbed up behind her, wrapping an arm about her waist. "I told you to stay in the car," he whispered.
"You were taking too long," she complained.
"So you came out here?"
"There's no one around," she pointed out with obvious disappointment.
"That's because you're in the wrong place, LIna." He kissed her lightly. "Ready? I'm going to jump."
She tensed, grabbing his forearms, and squeezed her eyes shut. "Okay."
Turk jumped and hit the ground with both feet, then set her down. When she opened her eyes, he took her hand and led her back to the car garage. "We only use those for celebrations. Our living quarters are in the mountain. It's safer and easier to defend."
Mazelina looked back at the forest. "But I like those."
"I'll bring you out later to see them," he said and went to the elevator. Pressing a button, he ushered her inside and pressed another button. The doors closed and they began to go up. Mazelina didn't seem surprised by this, but when the doors opened again, the many faces waiting for them did make her go wide-eyed.
Turk scowled at Anju. "I thought I asked you to make sure they scattered."
"I tried!" she said with pleading hands. "You know how the pack is!"
Turk rolled his eyes and brought his mate closer, feeling her body begin to shudder. "Move," he said in a very cautious tone which everyone sprang into action. They went about their own business and made a straight path for Turk to take Mazelina to his room.
Once there, he shut the door firmly behind them and let her go, waiting for her to say something.
Mazelina was now wide-eyed in awe at the beautiful balcony right across the room where she knew she'd be able to see the forest treetops and any creature on the ground as a tiny ant. The large bed in the middle of the room dominated the space. There were two closets, a huge desk, and a door which she supposed led to a bathroom.
She took a step, then hesitated and glanced at her mate. "Go ahead," he encouraged softly.
Mazelina swiped fingertips across the soft comforter on the bed, over the beautiful mahogany desk, and opened one of the closets. It was filled with male clothes. She blushed and closed it, going to the other one. This one, to her surprise, was filled with all her clothes. Although, she suspected it wasn't even half as much clothing as Turk had.
When she finished inspecting the closets, she went to the balcony and looked at the door handle. Then remembered this wasn't her room and turned to her mate again. "Can I?"
Turk smiled. "Lina, this is your room as much as mine. You're allowed to go anywhere." He walked up and unlocked the doors. Opening them, he ushered her out onto the private balcony where her imagination had been proven true. "This whole place is hidden from the world. This balcony looks just like the mountain from below."
"So no one can see me?"
"No. No one except for pack."
Mazelina leaned against him and sighed. "It's beautiful."
"I'm glad you like it."
Sometime later, after Mazelina had taken a nap and took a shower in the luxurious and large shower, Turk asked her if she was willing to go to the dining hall to eat. She looked nervous, but nodded her head, wanting to explore.
Turk led her out of the room and into the hall, where she saw others milling about with dutiful expressions. They glanced at her, gave a welcoming smile, then went on about their business. She was quite intrigued with how friendly their reactions were. Mazelina was expecting something like how she'd been welcomed with Anju and Rudi.
She tugged Turk's arm and leaned up to quietly whisper, "Why are they all being nice to me?"
He gave her a frown. "Why should they not be nice?"
"Well, they don't know me. Anju and Rudi didn't know me and weren't all friendly."
Turk nodded his understanding. "Anju and Rudi are the two the others look up to when looking for a signal to treat newcomers. They are my backup when my decisions are questioned."
Mazelina scowled at this. "But an alpha shouldn't be questioned."
"You're right," he admitted. "But, like you, most of my pack have heard of my so-called reputation before joining. Anju and Rudi are good friends who know me better than anyone else here."
Mazelina was a little relieved she wasn't the only one who was looking to others for confirmation about her mate's background.
Not far from their chamber, Turk turned to a set of double doors, letting her go to throw them inwards to reveal a large glass oval table with dozens of chairs around it. A velvet cloth was draped down the middle with candles lit to light the large room. Along one wall were glass cases of fine china in which looked old and well-kept. On the opposite wall were another set of doors, she assumed led to the kitchen. And on the other wall was another table which held desserts from cakes to scones to cookies to puddings.
Mazelina's mouth watered considerably at the delicious display. She had never seen so many delicacies in all her life in one room!
"Alpha, if you don't mind. I would like to have a word with you." Mazelina turned from the dreamlike scene to a new male she hadn't met yet. He bowed to her politely but kept his attention on Turk who dipped his head in acknowledgment. "There is great distress over the matter of the ceremony."
"How so?" her mate asked.
The new male glanced at Mazelina as if he didn't want her to hear this, but when Turk did not say or do anything to dismiss her, he continued. "Your special area has been destroyed."
Mazelina felt a rumble in her mate's body and looked up at him, wondering what was so wrong. Turk noticed her looking at him and cleared his throat to calm himself, then thought for a moment. "Come find me after dinner. We shall go access the damage, perhaps find a different spot?"
"But, it is sacred," the male said.
"I won't delay, Yovel. I've waited for this for too long. I don't want to wait much longer."
The male bowed his head. "Yes, Alpha."
When the male left, Turk led Mazelina to a wonderfully cushioned chair and sat her down, pushed her in, then sat beside her, grabbing one hand to hold. She looked at him with worried eyes. "What happened? What's destroyed?"
He looked at her, deciding what to say. Finally, Turk sighed. "In my pack, we have a place where we have the ceremony to welcome the new Luna. It's also the place, though it can wait until you're comfortable, where we will finish the mating dance."
Mazelina furrowed her brows in confusion. "Finish it?"
Turk rubbed his neck and whispered in her ear, "I'll explain later."
"Why?" Turk gestured to the others gathering in the room and she bit her lip, now understanding perfectly what he meant. She looked away shyly, not believing what she had just heard.
Turk inwardly chuckled at his mate's innocence and gently made her look at him. "Don't look away, Lina. Never hide from me. I want to know what you're thinking."
She turned pink in the cheeks. "Why is there a special place for…" she trailed off, not wanting to say what it was that happened in this 'special place'.
"It goes back centuries before," Turk explained as more of the pack filed around the table. "It was to be believed that it held some kind of energy that, when Alpha and Luna were properly mated and Luna was properly sworn in, it would work in their favor to guide the pack towards forever lasting greatness."
Mazelina's eyes turned intrigued again. "What kind of place is it?"
Turk smiled at her curiosity. "A wonderful place." He leaned towards her and kissed her head. She closed her eyes and hummed. "But, someone has destroyed this area and I must find out who and see if I can do something to repair it."
Mazelina opened her eyes again and they were sad. "Why would anyone destroy such a place?"
"LIkely because they don't want our Alpha to have a mate," said Anju from Mazelina's other side.
"But why?"
She shrugged. "There are many reasons, but none are qualified. Turk is good and fair to us. He does not deserve this treatment from anyone."
Turk was grateful for his third's compliments but directed Mazelina's attention back to him. "Don't worry. I will find out what happened and see what can be done to fix it."
Mazelina nodded, and once the final pack members were settled in their seats, about fifty or so, dinner was served.
"Are they servants?"
Turk shook his head. "They are paid workers that do the cooking and cleaning. They all have weekends off and can go about as they please."
"Are they part of the pack?"
Turk was silent for a long moment as plates were set in front of them. He looked at her. "Not officially. They are not wolves, therefore are not pack. However, they are treated as well as anyone else you see here. They were interviewed for their jobs, and they chose to work here. I pay them well. They are allowed in on any ceremony, as they work for me and they have the right to know about any newcomer we have."
Mazelina ate, talking a bit with Anju and Rudi, but keeping her participation light. While her head didn't ache as much, there was still something there that she couldn't ignore. It nagged at her. She was delightfully relieved to note that other than that one little thing, the voices around her soothed her, just like Turk's group on their journey. She even felt safe here.
But after an hour, Turk noticed the strain on her face and excused them from the table. Mazelina didn't pay attention to where he was taking her, but felt cool air on her face and breathed it in deep. "Better?" he asked as they walked outside and into the trees.
"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I was trying not to show it."
"Do not apologize, Lina." She looked up at him with sincere regret. Turk said, "Next time, tell me. Don't hurt yourself by trying to get through the meal. I won't be mad at you."
Mazelina nodded and they walked for some time in silence, then Turk surprised her by having her get on his back and then jumping into the trees. In his ear, he heard her laughing as he went from tree to tree, jumping and running down the limbs as if he wasn't in danger of falling several feet to the ground. He enjoyed the sound of her laugh, enjoyed the feel of her arms around his neck, and enjoyed her company. It was something he never had until now. He didn't want anything to ruin this, didn't want anything to take away what was now his.
Something woke Mazelina that night. At first, she thought it was a dream and didn't recognize her surroundings. Then, she wondered if the roof was leaking because her face felt wet. Scowling, she wiped the back of her hand over her face, only to find out it was slobber. "Ew!" she cried and sat up quickly.
Silvery eyes met hers in the darkness and she squealed and jumped backward, hitting her head on the wall. A growl came out and she stared wide-eyed at the large creature in front of her, now standing up and coming towards her.
Mazelina shut her eyes, shaking in fear of the pain the thing would cause. But then felt a tongue and opened her eyes. She was about to snarl at the beast to stop, only to get a face full of wet tongue.
She wiped her face again and scowled. Those silvery eyes were amused as they watched her. Fear was forgotten, she reached out and laid a hand in coarse fur. She stroked the beast for a long time, wondering about the color and why such a thing was in her bed.
Her mind finally registered that there was no one else in the room with her. Mazelina gasped as she looked around, but Turk was nowhere to be seen. Her heart began to race in a panic until she glanced back at the beast and stared into the eyes. Hers widened in realization.
"Turk?" she gasped. The beast nodded. Mazelina now grinned and sprang to the lamp and turned it on. When her eyes went back to her mate, it was to see a large dark brown wolf with a bushy tail swishing behind him. His ears pricked forward, his pink tongue was hanging out of his mouth, drool rolling down to the end to ball before slowly dripping off. She scowled again. "Stop that!" she hissed.
Turk looked at her with an innocent face.
Mazelina crossed her arms and stood beside the bed. "I'm not getting back on until you stop drooling all over!"
He tilted his head in thought, then stood. Mazelina was amazed at how big he was. Turk jumped off the bed and circled towards her. He was probably up to her belly, maybe higher. She swallowed.
Silver eyes intent, he came towards her. She backed away. "What are you doing?"
He gave a low bark in answer.
"I don't know what that means," she said, voice trembling.
Turk gestured to the bed with his head and waited, looking at her with intent.
She again backed away, running into his desk. "I'm not going back there!"
Mazelina could have sworn the wolf shrugged, but had no time to ponder that. He moved faster towards her. She squealed and ran over to the balcony doors across the room. He followed. She found herself going to the bed, about to climb across to the other side when a lupine face appeared right in front of her. Hot breath warmed her face as they stared at each other.
Mazelina jumped back on the bed and lay there, somewhat scared. She knew it was Turk, knew he wouldn't hurt her, but his size was intimidating.
He jumped up and loomed above her, looking down with questioning eyes. She didn't say anything, just stared back. When he realized she wouldn't say anything, he laid down and rested his head on her chest, eyes pleading.
Mazelina shook her head and gently pushed him away. "N-no. I can't!"
Silver eyes narrowed Then to her shock and horror, he began to shift. Now, she did run. Mazelina had never seen a naked male before and was not wishing to start now. She ran to the bathroom, knowing there was a lock on there.
Arms wrapped about her waist and she screamed.
"Mazelina!" he growled in her ear. She whimpered, eyes squeezed shut and body shaking. "What is wrong with you?' he asked, voice gentler. "I know you know it was me. I saw it in your eyes. Why so much fear?"
Mazelina did not want to answer him, not wanting to offend her mate. So, she shook her head again.
"Relax, Lina," he cooed, his hands going to her sides and his thumbs caressing her. "Even my wolf won't harm you. It was a game. He thought you were teasing him."
She found her voice. "Too big."
This made Turk still. He hadn't thought she'd be so scared of him in his wolf form since she was accustomed to this part of him. "Lina, don't let his size intimidate you. With you, he's all fluff and no bite. He wants to play and cuddle. He wants to be around you and rub his scent all over you." He felt Mazelina relax now as she listened to him and continued. "My wolf will only intimidate others who try to harm you. He knows how much you want to trust me. He understands that we must protect you, care for you, provide for you."
Mazelina nodded and rested her head back on his chest, only to jump away again. She began to struggle, clawing at his arms to get free.
Turk was confused and held tighter, not wanting her to flee him. He smelled tears and felt her go limp as she began to sob. So shocked, he tried to pull her up and look at her, but she shook her head and choked out. "No! Please, not yet!"
"What are you talking about?" he nearly growled.
With one hand, Mazelina gestured stiffly down at his naked self.
He narrowed his eyes on her and then glanced back at himself. "I'm not going to hurt you!" His temper was now loose and Mazelina flinched. "Do you truly believe I'm that cruel male who would take you without your consent and comfort? Really, Mazelina!"
Turk carried her back to the bed and dropped her there, then strode from the room.
Mazelina hurried to hide under the blankets but paused when the door slammed shut to the room. Her crying stopped. Her mind cleared of the fearful fog within and she comprehended what had just occurred. "Oh shit!"