Turk realized he was scaring his mate with his harsh words and instead turned his true fury on the alpha before them. "Lower your hackles! My mate does not deserve your hate!"
The alpha merely turned his eyes to Turk and said, "She threatened my pack! She dares to raise her hackles at my pack who have every reason to be looking at you with bloodthirst."
Turk narrowed his eyes, tightening his arm around Mazelina. Before he could say anything, Mazelina said in a defiant yet small voice, "I threaten those who wish my mate harm!" She looked up at the alpha and her voice raised, her fury pushing ahead. "You are no better than the terror we all fear! Yet, you can't even see what's right in front of you!" She spat towards him. "Either give us what you offered my mate or let us through and leave us alone! I won't stand for this behavior!"
Turk was impressed and proud. The alpha of Darkridge Pack now tilted his head in curiosity. "Who are you, girl?"
Now, Turk growled. "Don't talk to her like that!"
He felt a soft squeeze on his bicep and looked down. Mazelina looked up at him with determined eyes. "Don't let him get inside your head, Turk. It won't do you any good."
"But he's belittling you!" he hissed.
"And he will know soon enough that I am no mere girl," she said with a smile. "Let me handle it, please?"
Turk saw the confidence in her purple eyes and reluctantly nodded. Mazelina came up and kissed his cheek affectionately, then turned to the alpha.
"My name is Mazelina, Turk's mate and his pack's Luna. Disrespect me, you disrespect him. Disrespect him," she paused, shaking her head gently from side to side. "You won't have time to even defend yourself."
The alpha smirked. "Oh really?" Mazelina didn't answer him. Turk thought she was coming into her role as his mate nicely. The alpha gave a sharp laugh, then bowed. "It is my honor, Mazelina, to offer my home to you. I am Alpha Skrimir. Welcome to Darkridge Pack."
Turk could see the gleam in the alpha's eyes that meant he would try something when she'd least expect it and tried not to attack. Mazelina didn't say anything, just turned to Turk and buried her head in his shirt. He held her close as one of the males that escorted them in, led them to a group of cabins nearby where he and his warriors would divide to sleep for the night.
He ordered his packmates to be ready in an hour to go to dinner, then took his mate inside their cabin and shut the door behind him.
"Lina?" he asked softly. She shook her head quickly. He furrowed his brows but tried to make her look up. She resisted. "Lina, what's wrong?"
"I spoke to him so rudely!" she hissed. He was barely able to hear her through his shirt. "I wasn't thinking! I'm sorry!"
"Lina," he sighed and helped her to the couch where he sat down beside her. "That's what I wanted you to do." She stilled. He went on. "As my Luna, you are allowed to speak your mind. You are allowed to speak to anyone however rudely you see fit."
She slowly looked up into his eyes with her calculating purple ones. "But I have never done it before."
"In Owain's pack, you weren't allowed. Only he was. But in my pack, you are my mate and Luna. Being Luna means you have a say in anything and everything that pertains to the pack." He paused. "My only wish is that if you have a problem with me, tell me in private."
"That's it?"
"That's it," he said and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear.
Mazelina looked around for a long moment then said, "Did I really threaten his pack?"
Turk chuckled. "Yes and no." Her eyes widened. "Relax, Lina. You did threaten them by putting yourself in a fighting position, however, it wasn't a complete threat. You have to either be in wolf form with your jaws around their throat or holding their Alpha under your wing with some kind of blackmail." He paused again and cupped her face. "I didn't mean to frighten you back there. I wasn't mad at you. I just didn't want you to step down from your amazing defiance because the alpha didn't like what you were doing."
"I figured that out," she whispered.
Turk kissed her brow then sighed. "We have a little under an hour before we go to dinner. Either do as you wish, or you can come with me."
"Where are you going?" she asked, and her eyes went wide.
Turk put a hand in hers and squeezed. "Just outside to talk with our packmates."
She grimaced. "I'll stay here."
"You do not need to be afraid of them," he assured her.
"I'm not afraid. I just don't think they like me that much." She shrugged. "I don't want to make them feel uncomfortable."
Turk wasn't convinced but nodded. "Okay then. I'll just be outside if you need anything."
Mazelina stared out the window watching her mate and his companions talk, feeling like a coward for not going out there. Of course, she knew they couldn't hurt her in any way, but she didn't want more insult to her character.
She sighed and left the window to go into the bedroom where a large bed was made with white sheets and warm-looking quilts. She didn't like the Alpha Skrimir. She didn't like this pack. If it weren't for how they were looking at Turk and treating him, she might feel guilty for her words and actions. But no guilt would arise for those who shunned her mate without knowing the full truth.
Her mind began to tingle as if feathers were tickling it, then her ears rang and she shut her eyes. Putting her hands up, she tried to shut out the ringing, but it got louder. She dropped to the ground and whimpered at the ache building not only in her head and ears but in her heart and the rest of her body.
She writhed on the ground, hearing voices in her head. "She's a brave one…"
"Ah, look at that cute little face!"
"You are supposed to be on patrol!"
"Don't worry, our Alpha will bring back his mate and everything will be fine."
Too many voices! Too much pain!
Blood began to drip from her nose and ears, carrying the scent from the room to the outside where all seven beings froze before one gave a blood-curdling roar.
Turk slammed through the cabin's front door to search for Mazelina. He was barely keeping himself from tearing the place apart in fury for her pain.
Glancing around, he just barely caught sight of her in the bedroom on the floor. Leaping over the couch, he took two more strides before kneeling by her side. "Lina," he hissed.
She whimpered, hands to her ears which were still bleeding.
Gently, he turned her face to him and saw more blood coming from her nose.
"Make it stop!" she cried.
"Make what stop?" he asked softly, already guessing from her position on the floor and the blood.
"They're too loud!" she cried a bit louder. "Too many! Too many!"
Turk covered her hands and ears with his own and bent his head down to touch his brow to hers. "Lina, I want you to relax. Let me in."
She shook her head. "I can't! Turk, it hurts!"
"I know, LIna. Let me in and I'll help you," he said, sensing others coming into the room. "Just let me in and I'll make it stop."
She continued to shake her head. "I don't know how!" she gasped.
"Relax your mind. Open it to me. I will come in and make all of the voices go away."
Mazelina whimpered again. Turk scented her fear and pain, but also trust in him if she did as he said. He waited patiently as she opened her mind slowly, so slowly because he knew the voices got louder and louder. He knew how much pain she was in, yet couldn't believe it had happened so far away from home. He had been hoping to tell her what was to happen, prepare her for it. But now, he would have to figure out a way to shut all the other voices out and only have her mind open to him.
Finally, her mind was open enough for him to swoop in and lock down every other voice she heard. He did it quickly, efficiently, and made sure that each voice would come to her slowly enough for her to learn to block them out at ease.