As we walked outside the garments shop, I immediately looked around for Damon's future officers who usually followed him wherever he went.
"No followers today huh!" I said, smiling at Damon jokingly. He was now walking beside me, holding at least ten bags containing the clothes chosen for me by the Queen Luna.
He smiles back gently. "They're waiting at the cafe." He motions to a cafe on the far end of the mall.
"Oh." I didn't really relish this meeting with them all. What would I say to them anyway? I actually have no idea how to train "monsters into protectors." And I can't pretend to know just to impress them or the Queen Luna.
Queen Luna Annabelle slips an arm around my shoulders. "You'll do fine sweetie. I'm sure."
We get in the cafe, and I slide myself across a cushioned seat and Damon automatically follows beside me as the Queen Luna takes a seat across us. I then look up and see the future beta, gamma and delta coming forward. Mark takes a seat beside the Queen Luna, with Rick on his other side and Astor takes a seat on my right side.
I look around, wondering where the warrior - bodyguards were going to sit, but seeing none of them. "They went back to the pack house." Damon said.
"Oh."
"We'll be your bodyguards. Who better to fight monsters than monsters themselves?" Damon winked at me, and I felt myself redden. Did they know I called them that?
"There's only one here who needs to be guarded anyway." I said, referring to the Queen Luna. She was talking to Mark but when she heard my comment, she immediately faced us.
"And you were referring about who?" She asked in fake sternness.
"Me." I immediately say and Damon laughs heartily, followed by his three future officers as they hear me.
The Queen Luna laughs and signals the waiter that we are ready to order. I haven't even noticed that the Queen Luna has already looked at the menus. Not asking what we wanted, she orders pasta and burgers for everyone.
The men joked around while we were waiting for the food to arrive while I listened and sat quietly beside Damon, sometimes smiling or laughing with them. I noticed, the Queen Luna joined with their jokes but mostly sat quietly, as if thinking deeply about something, sometimes looking at me.
The food arrived and we dig in excitedly. The four men quickly demolishing their enormous burgers before attacking their pasta. I have cut my burger in half and because I knew I could not finish it with the pasta, I placed the other half on Damon's plate.
The Queen Luna watched this simple act and smiled knowingly at me.
While we were eating, more people came into the cafe. I felt the atmosphere getting hotter and felt myself starting to perspire. It was getting hot as the cafe was filling up. We wouldn't be able to talk here. Too many ears, and too many distractions.
The Queen Luna also noticed. "You won't be able to talk here. Why don't you come this us for tonight? I need to talk to you about something important anyway."
I looked at her, silently asking what it is about that was she wanted to talk to me about.
"Too many ears."
I was quiet for a minute, thinking about the Queen Luna's suggestion.
To tell the truth, I actually wanted to spend more time with her. I loved how she treated me like her daughter. I loved how she automatically hugs me, embraces me. I loved her sincerity towards me, how she seems to know what I need even without me telling her.
But I was reluctant, thinking about the sleeping arrangements. Am I expected to sleep in Damon's room? It is his home too. And as everyone keeps reminding me, being each other's mate, we are expected to spend time with each other as the mate bond strengthens.
"You'll have your own room if you're worried about that." Once again, the Queen Luna anticipates my thoughts and I blush, looking at Damon who was looking at me tenderly.
He takes my hands in his. "You'll sleep in the bedroom beside mine if that's what you want." He says. I willingly intertwine my fingers with his. Feeling comfortable, feeling the bond we have pull me to him. I look at him and nodded.
"Can you tell Kaylee I won't be home tonight?"
He pulls out his phone from his pocket and passes it to me. "You can talk to her if you want."
I hesitantly take his phone. Using his phone feels too intimate for me as this was his personal property. But I take it and I see myself and Damon on the screen. I was peacefully sleeping on his shoulder, and he was looking at me tenderly. My eyes darted at him.
"Kaylee took it last night." He said. Looking at my expression.
I nodded then proceeded to open his phone, at first not even sure how to operate. His phone was a way higher model than mine was and for a few minutes, I struggled where to find the right keys.
Instead of calling, I messaged Kaylee, informing her of the new plans. Then giving the phone back to Damon. He puts it back directly in front of me. "She might message you back."
I take the phone, then send Kaylee a message again. "Don't message back. Am giving back phone." Then give it back again to him.
I give the phone back again to Damon and he looks at me questioningly. He then opens the messages, reads, then looks at me quizzically before pocketing back his phone.
He looked like he was going to say something but decided against it and sighed instead.
We all went to the Dark Midnight Pack land after our "snack," driving in two cars. Mark drove the Bugatti Chiron, Damon seating on the passenger seat while me and the Queen Luna sat at the back. While Rick and Astor rode the Ferrari.
I enjoyed the ride so much as the Queen Luna opened her phone and we watched modern art strategies when she asked me what I usually did on my free times. She encouraged me with my hobbies and made me promise to exceed myself whenever possible.
The two men in front sat quietly, seeming to enjoy listening to our chatter and amazement about every new strategy we discovered through the internet.
We only stopped when the car stopped in front of an enormous, enormous mansion they said was the packhouse. It was almost ten times the size of the packhouse where I lived.
It was already dark when we drove in, and the mansion looked even more imposing though it also looked elegant with all the lights brightening every shadow. The meticulously manicured grounds capturing my attention as I imagined running around without my shoes on and stopping to draw under one of the gigantic trees scattered all around the wide, wide grounds.
I knew my smile was already so wide when I got out of the car. My excitement obvious and instantaneous that everyone was looking at me with smiles on their faces.
Goddess! I would have moved in here earlier if they showed me a glimpse of this paradise. I looked at the forest beyond and did my best not let anyone hear the soft growl from my little wolf.
We are going to have such wonderful time in the forest Marvy!!!
I knew my eyes were sparkling as I looked at the Queen Luna, who was looking at me lovingly. Then I couldn't help it, I hugged her so tight, expressing my excitement and happiness for stepping into this beautiful paradise.
Damon cleared his throat. "Hhhrrmm... Let's get inside?"
And it woke me from my exciting imaginations. "Oh, of course."
"Let's get in sweetie. You'll love it even more inside."
I doubt it, I thought.
We walked inside the house and I acted interested and excited as I was when I saw the wide, wide grounds of the Dark Midnight Pack grounds and forest. The interior has an elegance no one would ever guess werewolves resided in such dwelling.
Queen Luna Annabelle and Damon showed me the room I was going to sleep in, and I loved the pastel colored, spacious room with the king-sized bed at the center. There was even a reading area that I can turn into a drawing area by the window.
I looked around and saw that there was a double glass door leading to a terrace and I instantly walked to it, expecting to see the forest and I was not disappointed. The best part? The terrace faced the forest where my pack land was located, and I immediately felt at home.
I took a deep breath, sniffing to see if I can smell their scent. Instead, I smelled something that made my heart fearfully beat. This is the scent; no normal pack ever wants to smell on their grounds.
I faced Damon and the Queen Luna who has followed me and was expecting excited words and smiles just like earlier. "Rogues!!!" I said in fear.