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Some pointed at Derek while others ran up to greet him. It became clear to Iris that he was loved, evident by the embrace he shared with everyone.
“Derek!” yelled a woman, wrapping the alpha in an iron grip. “I was so worried. The scouts didn’t find your body, and I thought for a moment …”
“It’s all right, Maria. I’m here now, and not a scratch on me.”
The woman’s eyes scanned Derek, a move that Iris found herself strangely jealous of.
“How?” gasped Maria.
“Well, it was thanks to this wonderful woman right here,” beamed Derek, gesturing to Iris. She blushed ever so slightly and stepped forward with an extended hand.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” greeted Maria. “I’m Maria, the pack healer. Thank you so much for saving Derek. We were all worried when he didn’t return to the house.”
“Please, it’s the least I could do,” replied Iris with half-certainty, recalling her inner struggle when she saw the dying Derek on her doorstep.
“So, will you be joining us?”
“Yes,” the pack leader answered for her. “After all, you did say you could do with some help.”
“Yeah,” sighed Maria. “It can get a little hectic looking after everyone, and I’m more than happy to have another healer with us.”
“Come then,” said Derek, pointing Maria toward the house. “We’ve got a lot to discuss.” Before he followed, he turned back to Iris, whispering into her ear. “There’ll be a pack gathering later on where we’ll tell everyone that you’re the Luna.”
They disappeared inside the house as annoyance came over Iris. She hated that Derek had spoken for her. She felt crazy for finding him attractive.
It wasn’t like he wasunattractive.He was the epitome of a good leader in the short time she’d known him. Still, she was aware of the fact it was the mating bond driving him to do all of this.
Fate wouldn’t possibly destine me to something so terrible, right?
A group sitting by the fire called her over. They shared their friendly introductions, each one sharing a short story of how they came to the pack.
There was Elias, a former member of the military, discharged honorably after an injury on the battlefield. Derek had saved him from a group of rogues while hunting. He bore marks on his ribs and arms, both scars from his long life of fighting.
Casey was a veterinarian and often made jokes about how he could help heal the others, but only when they were in shifter form. He and his wife, Larissa, were lost in the wilderness with their child, Bruce, when they stumbled upon a wolf. It turned out to be Derek, who offered them shelter and a place to stay.
Agnes was a single mother of two children, James and Lisa, struggling to feed her family to the point where she would hunt in shifter form just to put food in front of them.
All of the pack members seemed to share one thing in common. They were all in need of dire help, and Derek came to their aid. There was glowing praise for the pack leader from everyone here. All the while, Iris felt something inside of her, a spark of community that had been dormant for many years. She looked around as Elias played with the children, breathing in the air of a family-centered pack. She had missed this. She wasn’t going to deny it any longer.
A voice called out to her. Iris spun around, spotting her friend bursting out of the house. Ava ran toward her, and in the blink of an eye, the two friends embraced in an emotional reunion. Iris had never been hugged so tightly before.
“I’ve been waiting forever for this day,” cried Ava.
“You’re the one person I missed,” whispered Iris, smiling so hard it hurt her mouth.
Ava pulled back, beaming widely, and stuttering over her words in excitement.
“You look remarkable. How long has it been?” she asked.
“Too long with too many phone calls.” Iris laughed.
Ava took her by the arm and guided her inside the house. The common room was immediately after the entryway. Iris guessed it was large enough to fit however many members of the pack there were, judging from the many couches that surrounded a lit fireplace. Each direction led off to a new room, from sleeping quarters to a kitchen and bathrooms. It somehow seemed bigger to Iris than when she was outside.
Ava took her upstairs to the primary suite. There, Iris set her belongings down before catching a whiff of a man’s scent lingering on the sheets.
“Did you say this was the main suite?” she asked.
“It sure is. Derek said to take you to the best room in the house.”
