Strange how three days' worth of sleep makes you confident. Confident in facing people you are usually too shy to voluntarily talk to and confident in asserting what you believe is the right thing for you.
I was seated in a couch beside Damon at the King Alpha's office, staring at the King Alpha, his Beta, Gamma, Delta, Queen Luna Annabelle, Damon's would be officers and the three pack doctors.
The King Alpha called this meeting as a follow up investigation on what happened to me the day of the rogue attack on my pack, the Dark Moon Pack.
Personally, I didn't see the need as I think, I simply used up all my energy when I used my gifts to help with fighting the rogues and I fainted. As simple as that.
But they all seemed to think otherwise, saying it was more complicated than that. I almost wanted to roll my eyes at them. They all had this serious expression as they looked at me, the Queen Luna and Damon especially.
"Lu-ann, can you tell us what you remember before you fainted the night of the attack?" It was the King Alpha, asking me exactly what I asked myself when I woke up.
"Um... I smelled the rogues who were entering my pack's land through the east border. Damon allowed me to come with him so I can here and scent out the rogues better. He hid me by a mint bush. I listened and smelled everything I can then called Mark's phone to tell them. Damon came back and informed me of our victory. He hugged me tightly" - I smiled as I told them about that, and they all smiled in surprise that I even told them about that. Then I continued on. "We walked down to come here then... nothing more." I said. Finishing my short inventory of everything that I remembered before fainting.
I was holding hands with Damon as I finished my inventory with him holding mine in a full grip, but I looked down and interlinked our fingers slowly, feeling his touch more intimately.
"Errrrmmm... Sweetie." I looked up as I heard the Queen Luna addressing me. And I see all eyes on me and our interlinked fingers which I have obviously initiated earlier. I wondered why I wasn't shy that they were all looking at me holding hands with Damon. In fact, I even felt proud and happy that he is my mate.
I remembered myself blushing just by him cutting the meat I was eating. But now, I even initiated a closer, more intimate touch with our hands. And everyone seemed to notice.
"Sweetie, do you remember anything else that happened before you woke up this morning?" The Queen Luna asked.
I was silent, trying to remember anything that might happened while I was asleep, but I might have been able to wake up to before this morning; but nothing came to mind, and I shake my head.
"Babe, this gift you have of scenting from miles away, is it hereditary?" It was Damon, and judging from the nods I see around, it was a question everyone wanted to know the answer to.
"I don't know. I never knew my mom or any blood relative that I could ask. And my stepfather was not a good source of any information about my bloodline as he only knew my mother for three months and doesn't remember much about her." This was the longest, I could remember ever talking about my family background and I see eyes getting guilty, shocked or sympathetic.
But it doesn't seem to matter anymore. It was as if I don't care at all about anything they thought.
"When did you realize you had this gift sweetie?" Queen Luna's voice and endearment to me was at least something that touched my heart and I looked at her with a smile of appreciation before answering.
" I think when I was twelve." I said, thinking of the day I heard my little wolf talk to me. Explaining to me that she will always be here for me but that I could not shift yet as we were both too week to shift. I wanted to know I can be stronger to be able to shift but she only said, only the Goddess can show us how and that I just had to be patient.
"And you didn't use your power until now?" It was Rick who asked this time.
I shrugged my shoulders. "I used it to get away from you in school." I said, looking at the future officer's faces to see how they would react. I smirked when I saw them squirm in shame. I did not look at my mate who was seated beside me and with fingers still intertwined with mine, but I felt him lower his head.
"Ms... Ms. Lu-ann, if I may?" This was Doctor Cleo, one of the doctors of the pack. I nodded for her to continue.
"Have there ever had a time that you started shifting? Or that your wolf tried making herself known to you?" The million - dollar question I wanted to avoid.
That question reduced my confidence by twenty percent. I didn't want to admit to anyone yet that I have a wolf and I have known her since I was twelve years old, but she was too little, or I was too week to shift. This was a secret I wanted to keep to myself especially now that we haven't talked to each other since I woke up.
"Baby, we don't want to put pressure on you but, things happened while you were asleep that we think are strongly related to your gift. If we don't find answers soon, your life might be in danger." Damon speaks up for the group.
"Our expansive investigation led us to believe you might be the reason why the rogues attacked the Dark Moon Pack territory. We were able to keep one rogue alive and through the three days of torture, he admitted that they only came in to attack because they were offered the territory or the pack as long as the leader, who you have scented out, was able to get you alive." The King Alpha's Beta, Anthony explained expansively.
I was shocked. Who would want me so badly that they would attack a pack just to get me?
"Is there something they know that we don't?" Mark asked again.
"I...I... I don't know. You all know I haven't even shifted yet, and I only used my sniffing and hearing gift that night of the attack." I said, gripping Damon's fingers tightly.
I never talked to anybody about my little wolf even to Kaylee. How could anybody even know anything about my wolf?
I see Damon, the King Alpha, Queen Luna, Mark and Doctor Cleo look at each other and I knew, there was more I needed to know.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Baby, last night. Do you not remember anything at all about last night?" Damon asked gently.
I looked at him in the eye and focused. Last night. Did I see anything last night?
Then I remembered the pain. I immediately removed my hand from his hold. Looking at Damon in shock and stood up, walking away from them as they all watched me walk away from them in alarm.
"You were hurting me last night. I saw you. You tried to break my bones and tried to skin me." I said softly with wide eyes. My whole body trembling. I look at them all slowly standing up and I looked at the distance from where I stood to the door. I need to get out of here. I should not have trusted them at all. Any of them.
Then I looked at Doctor Cleo. I remembered; she was the one who made the pain go away.
"You helped me last night." I said to her. My eyes silently appealing that she helps me now.
"You shifted last night Ms. Lu-ann, no one was hurting you." Doctor Cleo said gently but firmly.
"I don't believe you! I should know if I shifted. I should be able to talk to my wolf. I don't have my wolf. She's not talking to me. She says we're too weak. How can I shift if I'm too weak?" Believing it was all I lie; I did not think before I answered. Saying everything that came to my mind. Not even caring that they were all looking at me in shock.
I ran to the door to get away from them all but Rick was standing by it. I pushed him away, using all the strength I had but it was like pushing against a brick wall.
Then I felt my mate embrace me from behind. Softly talking to me, calming me, willing me to relax.
"It's okay baby, everything's going to be okay." My mate kept saying relaxing words to me while rubbing my back until I slowly felt my breath get even. The beating of my heart went back to normal as breathed in my mate's scent.