"Alright, Red," Mason's voice pulls me from my slumber. I shrink further into the pillow. "I have to go do rounds with the pack. I'll be back later, okay?" As amazing as it is to hear his voice, I'm tired and he's interrupting my very good dream.
After Mason and I talked last night, I tried to get him to mate with me, but he refused saying he didn't want to hurt me further. I get where he's coming from, but that doesn't stop the need I feel for him. I have a feeling that if I'm not the one pushing it, he won't touch me like that until I am completely healed… and seeing as we are waiting to hear back from the doctor about what's slowing my healing down, I don't know how long that'll be. And I'm not okay with that.
"You're not even going to kiss me goodbye?" he asks teasingly. I can hear the smile in his voice, and no matter how tired I am, I'm not going to turn down the opportunity to kiss him. With my eyes still closed, I turn my head and pucker my lips for him. His chuckle vibrates against my mouth as he presses his lips against mine. I reach up and cup the back of his neck, holding him to me a few seconds longer before letting him go. "I love you. I'll see you later," he says before pecking my lips once more and standing up to leave. I relax back into my pillow and wait for sleep to take me back to my dreams with a smile on my face.
***
'I know the Alpha told me not to wake you up before you were ready, but Mary is hungry and I can't cook for shit. Can you come show her where everything is so she can make some breakfast?' Brandon's voice pulls me from my sleep as he speaks through our mindlink. I stretch and look at the clock. It's almost nine-thirty. I need to get up anyway. Hurt or not, there is no reason to sleep the day away.
'Yeah, just let me get dressed. I may need your help getting down the stairs though. I don't think I can do it with these crutches,' I respond back sleepily. I slowly sit up and take a deep breath. My ribs are still hurting, but it seems to at least be getting better. I push the covers off my legs and grab the crutches and stand up to get some clothes for the day. Seeing as I'm not allowed out of the house until my leg is better, I decide to just wear something comfortable. I grab one of my tank tops and throw one of Mason's hoodies over it and pull on a pair of my grey sweats. I walk into the bathroom to brush my teeth and pull my hair up in a bun so it's out of my face. The task is much harder than I first imagined it would be seeing as I still have to balance on the crutches without holding on to them. After I'm done, I look at my reflection in the mirror with a soft shrug before I turn around and head out of the room.
Brandon is waiting at the top of the stairs looking at his phone. When he catches my scent, he looks up and smiles at me. "Sorry for waking you up, but Mary gets cranky when she doesn't eat and I know how you are with your kitchen, so I figured the bet was to get you to show her where everything is so this doesn't have to happen again. She's not a big cook, but she can get by. Whereas all I can make is cereal and that is the thing she wants least of all."
"It's fine, I needed to get up anyway," I say as I wave him off. "Hurt or not I don't need to stay in bed all day." A yawn escapes as I grab onto his arm and hand him my crutches so I can hop down the stairs. It takes forever because I wobble on a few stairs, but we eventually make it to the bottom. He hands me my crutches back and follows behind me as we head into the kitchen.
Mary's sitting on one of the stools almost pouting as she looks around the kitchen window. I can't help but chuckle at her expression. Brandon walks over to her and presses a kiss against her pouting lips, and I look away. I'm not uncomfortable with them kissing each other in front of me, hell they're mates, but it's a private thing with them and I don't want to intrude. As nice as it'll be to have them both here, it'll take some getting used to on all our parts.
"Okay, so I can cook and show you where everything is, but since I'm basically crippled for the time being and having to balance on these dreadful things," I motion towards the crutches, "I'm going to need some help," I say looking over at the two of them after giving them enough time to detach their faces.
"You know, there are actual cripples that would take offense to that," Brandon says with a smirk playing on his face. I roll my eyes and turn around to grab the eggs from the fridge.
"You can't talk to her that way, Brandon. She's the Luna," I hear Mary whisper harshly. Brandon just chuckles, as do I. I glance back at her and smile.
"Yeah, Brandon, you can't talk to me that way," I tease him as I send Mary a wink. I can see her fighting a smile as she looks at me. "He's fine. I know I'm the Luna, and I do want to be treated with respect, but Brandon's Brandon and he's going to do whatever he wants… unless Mason tells him otherwise that is." Brandon glares slightly at me. I know he's afraid of my mate, and I can't help the pride that courses through me at the power that Mason emits over the pack. He's well-loved and respected like any Alpha should be. "I hope that in time, you'll come to be comfortable enough with me to joker around like that too," I say with another smile. She smiles shyly but doesn't say anything.
"What are you making?" Brandon asks as he moves to take Mary's recently vacated seat. Mary moves around the counter to help me. She watches where I grab things from with intent eyes. I take it she isn't one used to being waited on. I'm sure that has to do with her time as a Rogue when she was having to care for herself.
"Is pancakes okay with you guys? It's fast and easy." Brandon nods his head and drums his fingers against the counter. Mary moves around me to grab some of the things necessary to make pancakes. The two of us move around the kitchen with an ease that surprises me. Well, with as much ease as someone on a pair of crutches can at least.
"You two look like you've been around each other forever, not just recently," Brandon comments from his seat after Mary places a plate full of pancakes on the island and I place the eggs and sausage. I glance over at Mary and smile. "You two are just going to become the best of friends and then I'm going to be left out of everything!" he comments dramatically as he sighs and leans against one hand. "It's nice to see you being comfortable around someone besides me and Aiden," he says, his eyes solely on Mary.
"Who's Aiden?" I ask curiously as I sit down across from them to eat.
"He's been my best friend since we were pups," Brandon says as he busies himself with making a plate for Mary. I can't hide my smile at his actions. "Here you go, love," he says, sliding a plate in front of her.
"Thank you," she whispers before kissing his cheek.
"Anyway," Brandon continues, "you'll meet him today or tomorrow I think. I think the Alpha is going to add him to your…" he trails off knowing I don't like people watching me all the time.
"Go ahead and say it… you two will be my babysitters," I huff out. I stab some eggs with my fork and shove them into my mouth. I get why it's necessary, especially now, but that doesn't mean I like it. "Is he going to be a hard ass, or is he going to let me get away with stuff like you do?"
"I don't let you get away with everything. I'm here to make sure you're safe and that you do what the Alpha wants you to do. Everything I let you do is okay, it's just when you try to leave the house or anything like that when I have to step in and stop you," he says, a slight glare taking over his features. I know he takes this job very seriously. He has told me on numerous occasions that it's a great honor to be the Luna's guard and to be in charge of keeping me safe while the Alpha is out dealing with pack business.
"I know that, Brandon."
"You'll like him. He's a lot like me in ways, a lot more talkative though. It'll be fine, and Mason is only doing it to keep you safe before you start complaining about him adding someone else to the job," he quickly adds knowing I'm about to say something. Mary sits there quietly as we banter back and forth about how I don't need guards, even though everyone knows I do. Especially after last week.
"What do you think Mary? Would you like a bunch of guys following you around telling you what you can and can't do all the time?" I ask her. She glances over at Brandon for a second before looking at me and shaking her head no. "See? Even she sees why I complain about it." Brandon opens his mouth to argue back but I beat him to it. "Even though I don't like it doesn't mean I'm going to fight it right now, Brandon, so you don't have to defend the reasoning behind it. I get it, okay? Especially right now."
He settles back with a sad look on his face. He knows everything we learned down in that cell doesn't sit right with me. Suddenly, the phone starts ringing, successfully ending the conversation before it goes deeper than I care to go right now. I glance towards Mason's office. No one normally calls here when Mason is out, and I know it's not Mason because he wouldn't call the house, he'd use our link. In fact, everyone in the pack would use their link if they needed to get in touch with someone here.
I push my half-eaten plate away and stand to go into the office. Brandon doesn't follow after me, no doubt having no worries since I'll still be in the house. I take a seat behind Mason's desk and look at the phone. I don't recognize the number, but I figure if they're calling the house it must be for Mason. I click the answer button and lift the phone to my ear, but I can't ignore the sudden unsettling feeling that curls around my stomach.
"Hello?" I ask as I lean back in the chair. There's no answer on the other end of the line, but I know someone's there because I can hear their breathing. The uneasy feeling deepens and twists in my stomach as I sit up more. Brandon comes into the office with a questioning look. Thinking maybe the person just didn't hear me, I try again, "Hello?"
"Do you know what I'm going to do to you when you get back here?" a sickly familiar voice rings out through the phone. I stay silent, my eyes widening as I listen to that voice.
Robert.
Brandon catches onto my sudden change in demeanor and moves around the desk with a serious look on his face. My breathing escalates, and I can't bring myself to say anything else.
"Who is it?" Brandon whispers so my father – Robert – won't be able to hear him through the line.
'It's my dad,' I answer quickly through the link. I can't seem to find my voice. Brandon's eyes immediately become unfocused, and I know he's now talking to Mason. For once, I'm okay with him telling Mason what's going on. This shouldn't be happening. It can't be. I can't talk to him. Not after everything that's happened. Not after everything I've learned.
"What? Can't talk?" Robert taunts. "I can't wait to get you back here so I can kill you with my own two hands. Your bitch of a mother tried to play you off as my pup, but I knew you weren't mine the second you were born. I tried to look past it because I was her mate now and I tried to convince myself that it didn't matter to me… but it did. It still does," he growls. My hand starts to tremble and my crutches clatter to the ground with a loud bang. This can't be happening.
"Why can't you just leave us alone?" my voice is weak and afraid, everything a Luna shouldn't be. "This is all your fault! Just leave us be. You were the one beating your mate."
"Who do you think everyone is going to believe? A pathetic traitor who ran away from her problems instead of facing them like you should have done, or the Beta of this pack? Please, even if anyone would back you up, no one cares. Dylan knew all along, and he's the Alpha so if he says nothing happened, nothing happened." Anger wells inside of me, somewhat masking the fear. I'm not just some girl. I'm a Luna now, I have a higher ranking than he does. He has no right to talk to me this way. He is beneath me.
"I'm not a pathetic traitor, I'm a Luna and it doesn't matter if that pack doesn't want to admit that there is a monster living amongst them, this pack does. This pack is my home now and this pack will protect both me and my mother from you. We're not going back, and that's the end of this. Leave us the fuck alone!" I yell into the phone. My shaking is almost uncontrollable as my wolf tries to take control.
Just then, Mason comes bursting into the office with a murderous look on his face. Brandon and Mary – who I hadn't even seen come into the room – quickly excuse themselves and leave. Mason holds his hand out for the phone and I gladly hand it over. I don't want to hear his voice ever again. I hate that man, I really do. Mason wraps an arm around my waist and quickly lifts me from the chair. I wrap my arms around his middle and bury my head in his chest. Mason squeezes my hip as he lifts the phone to his ear.
"You have some nerve calling here you sick bastard," he says with a cold tone. His voice doesn't raise, but the threat is evident. "What the hell do you want?" Mason stays silent as Robert talks quietly on the other end. I can't hear what he's saying, but I'm okay with that. "You won't ever lay a hand on my mate or her mother again. You can pass that along to Dylan as well. If you want a fight, then so be it, but I will not let you harm them in either way," he speaks before ending the call and setting the phone on the counter. "Are you okay?" he asks softly as he reaches up and cradles my face with his spare hand.
"Yeah, I think so. I just can't believe he would call here. What did he say to you?" I rest my head further against his chest and let him hold me. I hear his sigh and I know that means nothing good. He shifts before falling back into the chair and carefully pulling me down onto his lap with him. It takes my ribs a second for the dull ache to dissipate but when it does I move to situate myself comfortably on him.
"He just said that if I don't send you back, then there's going to be a war. At this point, I don't see how a war can be avoided. I'm not sending either of you back there. Our pack is strong, we'll be fine." I know we have a strong pack, but I still don't want to risk it. I don't want to put all of these people in danger.
"I remember you saying you were friends with an Alpha that would help if a war broke out. Are you going to call him? Ask him to come to help us?" I ask nervously. I'm not sure how I feel about asking another pack to put their members in danger for us.
"Ace, yeah I plan on giving him a call. I'll probably call a few others too just to let them know what's going on. I have no doubt in my mind that Dylan is going to be calling around to get someone on his side. We know he's already dealing with Rogues and the two packs he's allegedly already won to his side for now, so it wouldn't surprise me if he tries to get more packs. But if I can get everyone I know to hear the real story, then I can try to stop as much bloodshed as possible." He runs his hand through his hair before running it up my back.
"Do you have to go back out there with the pack?" I ask quietly. I don't want him to go, even if I can just sit in his office with him while he works. I'd be fine with that.
"No, I'm going to make those calls. Do you want to stay in here with me? I know you're trying to put on a brace face, but I can see that Robert's call shook you up a bit. I can feel your wolf is unsettled." I smile up at him and nod my head. He helps me off his lap and gets my crutches situated so I can make my way over to the sofa against the wall. He pulls the throw blanket from the back of the couch around me before moving to sit at my feet. He sets a folder down on the table and reaches for the phone. I know there are eight packs, but I don't know all the Alpha's names. That's honestly something I should look into seeing as I'm now the Luna of this pack.
"How many Alphas do you know?" I ask him as I get comfortable. He looks so serious sitting beside me with his papers spread out on the table in front of him. He glances up at me briefly before he continues to filter through the many papers.
"I know of all of them, but I've only actually met five of them. It's my responsibility to know all the Alphas of the packs in case something like this happens." I shake my head.
"Who all do you know?"
"Dylan from Blue Bloods – obviously. Adam Jones from Nightcrawlers, Derick Danvers from Midnight Delta, Roman McKinney from Sunset Fire, and Ace Danielson from Silverback Banes. That leaves Lucian Black from Dark Moon Pack and Michael Draven from Night Howler. Michael has been Alpha for a long time now because his son and mate were killed in an attack many years back. His pack keeps to themselves, so I'll give him a call, but I don't expect his help on this," he explains.
"Do you think Ace will help us?" I ask timidly. I don't want to admit it out loud, but I'm scared that we will be on our own. I don't want that kind of damage to come to this pack. If Dylan is getting help, then we will need help as well.
"Ace will, I've known him since we were young. Our fathers were closer friends and allies, that transferred on to us. If I can talk to Roman, get him to see the whole story, I may at least be able to talk him out of backing Dylan. We aren't close, but we both respect each other. His pack and Ace's pack are the ones closest to ours." I just nod my head and stay silent as he makes his calls.
I lie back and just relax on the couch while Mason works. I feel my eyes becoming heavy as the time ticks by. As nice as it is to see Mason in his element as the Alpha, I decide a quick nap is in order. I close my eyes and wait for sleep to take me… but it never does. My wolf suddenly becomes very anxious causing me to sit up – too fast for my ribs – and look around the room. Mason isn't in here anymore, so I guess I did actually fall asleep. I listen so I can figure out where he is in the house, but I can't sense him anywhere. He wouldn't have just left me in the office without telling me where he's going. Not after that phone call today.
Getting worried, I stand up from the couch and crutch my way out of the room in search of him. Something is wrong, my wolf wouldn't be acting this way if everything were okay. I walk into the kitchen, but he isn't there. I go into the living room, but nothing again. Instead, I find Brandon sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. He glances up at me when he realizes he's no longer alone. The look on his face stops me in my tracks. Whatever has my wolf on edge right now, it can't be good.
"What is it?" I ask, slowly moving closer to him. I look around the room for Mary, but I can't hear her in the house either. That's strange since she's usually around Brandon. "Where's Mary?" Brandon's eyes fill with tears and he lowers his head again. Fear slowly swirls around my belly as I stare down at my best friend. "Brandon, talk to me. What's going on? My wolf is acting anxious, and the feeling was so strong that it woke me up from a nap. I know something's wrong." My worry is steadily starting to grow with each passing second.
"You were asleep for a while. A call came in when you were asleep that there was another attack," he whispers. He leans forward and buries his head in his hands again. I watch his shoulders move as he takes a deep breath. "Mary and I got into an argument after breakfast. It was about something so stupid and she left. She said she was going for a run to clear her head, that she needed some space, but now I can't get in touch with her. With that attack, I'm scared something happened to her."
"What did you fight about that would send her running?"
He sighs and closes his eyes. "Her being pregnant," he whispers hoarsely.
Oh no.
"Why would you fight about that?" I ask gently as I watch him.
"Because I'm an idiot!" he exclaims in a humorless laugh. "We were going to wait but clearly that didn't happen, and I freaked out on her because she caught me by surprise. She took off and now she's gone," his voice drops lower with each word as he closes his eyes and shakes his head.
I move to sit beside him on the couch and gingerly rest a hand against his back. I know I won't be able to give him much comfort right now, but pack members can always fall back on their Alphas in times of need. I can't do much for the pack right now, but I can at least try to help Brandon.
"If she would have gotten hurt, you would know about it. Just take a deep breath and tell me what I can do to help you," I speak softly as I manage to put every ounce of calmness in my voice. I don't like seeing him this way, all worked up and scared.
"There isn't anything either of us can do right now. Mason told me to stay here and keep you safe. I can't leave and neither can you." The hostility in his voice causes me to pull away slightly. I know he doesn't mean to be this way towards me, he would never treat me this way, but his mind isn't in the right place right now. I get that. I understand. I take a deep breath and try to think of something that can help him right now. "All we can do is sit here and wait to see what happens."
I look down at the ground while I think. The best bet would be to try and get in contact with Mason, but if he's fighting right now and I distract him, he could get hurt. I don't want to be the cause of him getting hurt… but he's an Alpha, so he should be fine, right? He's strong and very capable of taking care of himself and those around him. If I just let him know I'm safe at home with Brandon before asking anything, he won't have to worry about me. I look over at Brandon just in time to see a single tear roll down his cheek and my mind is made for me. He needs to know what's going on as much as I do.
'Mason, I'm at home with Brandon. Where are you?' I ask. It's quiet for several minutes and my anxiety shoots through the roof. My wolf begins pacing in my mind, wanting out to go find her mate, but I push her back. We'd only be in the way if we went out there now. I'm injured and would be a liability that the pack members fighting to protect this territory would have to focus on protecting instead of protecting themselves. I can tell that he isn't blocking me from his mind, so I force a breath into my lungs and wait for him to reply to me.
'There was another attack. Please save me the hassle and stay with Brandon inside the house. I'm serious, Alaina. I can't handle this when I'm worried about you getting hurt any further for not listening to me.'
'I'm not going anywhere but listen to me. Is Mary there?' I ask with another glance at Brandon. His red eyes are fixed on me, waiting to see what I'm going to say.
'Mary? Is she not at the house with the two of you?' he asks, clearly confused. My eyes close as I suck in a harsh breath. That is not the answer I wanted to hear.
'No, Brandon said that they had an argument, and she took off to go for a run. He can't get in touch with her and he's really worried. Mason, something is going on. My wolf was so anxious that she woke me up in your office. Please, can you try to find her or send someone to look for her since he has to stay with me? Please?' Again, there's silence. I can tell he's thinking about what I've asked. My wolf relaxes slightly after hearing Mason's voice in my head, but she's still on edge knowing there was yet another attack going on in our territory.
'I just sent Aiden to find her. He knows her well and he should be able to find her. Just stay there with Brandon and try to relax. We have the Rogues under control, but some of them are trying to escape. I'll be home as soon as I can. I love you.'
I look at Brandon and do my best to plaster a hopeful smile on my face. "Mason sent Aiden to look for Mary. Everything will be okay, Brandon, please calm down," I say. He nods his head and leans back into the couch. He looks like he's aged almost ten years since I saw him this morning. I look at the clock and realize it's almost two in the afternoon. "Are you hungry?"
"I guess I can try to eat," he mumbles as he helps me off the couch before following me into the kitchen. I make us both a couple of sandwiches and grab one of the bags of chips from the cabinet. "Thanks," he says as he takes a bite into the sandwich. I smile and sit down next to him, taking a bite myself. The sandwich is good, but everything is in hyperdrive with my body right now so it's hard for me to force the sandwich down.
Silence settles between us as we both eat our food. I just want everything to be simple. Everything is so complicated right now, and the pack is constantly being put in danger right now because of me. I'm supposed to be helping lead this pack and keep them safe at Mason's side. Yet all I seem to be doing is bringing more and more trouble to their doorsteps. What kind of a Luna does that?
"You really need to relax, Alaina," Brandon's voice drifts through my thoughts. I look over at him to see him watching me again. I try to fight my lip from wobbling before resting my head against the countertop.
"I know, but it seems like everything is just so hectic right now. Last week I was attacked by Rogues who either had help or managed to get something into my system without my knowledge that let them get the drop on me, and today there is another attack. I don't want to be the cause for the members of this pack to be hurt. I'm supposed to help protect them, not cause them pain. How can anyone ever truly trust and believe in me when I'm nothing more than a bad omen hanging over everyone here?"
"The pack loves you, Alaina. Everyone here would willingly put their lives on the line to protect you. Alaina, they would have done that even before you were officially introduced to them as their Luna, now there is no question in the matter. You're important to all of us. Don't forget that. If something were to happen to you, this pack would fall apart. Not only because Mason would be destroyed, but because each and every member of this pack would feel that loss on such a deep level. You are loved here," he explains, placing a hand on my shoulder. I try to give him a smile, but I'm sure he doesn't buy it. I shouldn't be making him have to give me any sort of speeches when he's worried about the wellbeing of his mate.
I know he's right. I need to keep my mind on just helping Mason whenever I can and doing what I can to help the members of this pack. I take a deep breath and close my eyes for a second as I focus on calming my wolf down. It works for the most part, but she won't calm down completely until Mason is back by our side.
When we finish eating, we both head back into the living room to watch the TV in hopes of distracting ourselves from what's going on. Brandon sits on one end of the couch while I lie at the other with my feet beside his leg. We both stare blindly at the TV, unsure if either of us is even really watching anything. The tension is thick in the house, but it's nowhere near as bad as it's been before. I do my best to relax into the cushions and enjoy the fact that my best friend is safe and here with me while we wait for both of our mates to come home.