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I take a big drink from the bottle of water as I eye the people in the room. They’ve all been so kind to me, with the exception of Crew at first, and I’ve felt safer and more accepted around them than I ever have before.
When I lower the water bottle, I take a deep breath and let it out slowly before I demand, “Explain.”
Words come tumbling out of Crew. He gives a brief description of the lore of how shifters came to be by the grace of the Moon Goddess. Pride fills him as he tells me about packs and their hierarchy. I don’t need him or anyone else to tell me that he’s the Alpha, as his father was before him. It’s like I can taste his power in the air around us.
It should have me running the other way, but, instead, I’m desperate to lean into it.
As he explains about rogues, I feel badly about their fate. It’s only when Crew explains that rogues who are forced out of their packs by no fault of their own or are running from a bad situation are usually given a chance to join a new pack that I relax a little.
“Only rogues who are feral and who don’t care about the harm they cause are put down without a second thought,” Crew tries to soften the blow of his words with his tone, but I still wince.
I nod slowly, trying to take in everything I’ve already learned about werewolves, packs, and the world I’ve stumbled into. There’s only one more question to ask.
“Why? Why did they try and attack me and Tilly?”
Crew’s chest expands and his eyes glow the way they did when he was a wolf. His voice holds an echo when he speaks again, “There is one more thing you need to know about shifters. It’s probably the most important thing. The Moon Goddess pairs two souls who are perfect for each other together as mates. Mates are for life. We do not choose our mates, but I’ve been reminded recently that the Goddess doesn’t make mistakes.”
His eyes are so earnest when he looks at me as if he’s trying to make me understand something so much bigger than what he’s talking about.
I grab his hand, the instinct and need to do so overriding my fear about everything I never believed in before seeing it with my own eyes. Tingles and warmth cover my skin, a cascade of pleasure and rightness that makes everything he’s said so far much realer.
My tone is suspicious, “How do you know who your mate is?”
“Their scent calls to you,” he tells me softly and I think about his burning wood and crisp apple scent. “When you look into their eyes, everything feels like it stops around you and our wolves know instinctively who our mate is.” I look into his eyes and, for a moment, get lost there. “Lastly, there are the tingles.”
I gasp as my grip on his hand tightens. Me. This. Us.
“We’re mates,” I whisper.
“We are,” he confirms. “Which means you are the only other person with as much power as I have in the pack. The Goddess chose you to stand at my side as my Luna. You are my equal while also being the only person who can ever bring me to my knees.”
“Luna,” I choke out. Tears blur my vision and I croak, “Is that why you call me ‘little moon’?”
The smile he gives me is luminous, but also sad. “Yes.” One word, but it’s laden with weight and emotion. “I know this was a lot to take in. How about some sleep and if you have any questions, I’ll be there to answer them?”
I nod absently, unsure if I can sleep, but needing a little space and time to come to terms with what I’ve learned today.
How is it possible for it to feel like my world has both expanded in scope and gotten smaller at the same time? What do I do now that I know the truth?
Can I really stand at Crew’s side and rule this pack?
There are too many questions in my mind and the only thing I can do to try and quiet them is run.
CHAPTER 11
CREW
I’m barely conscious when my wolf snarls, “Must find mate right now.”
The tone of his voice puts me on high alert immediately. I focus on the tendril of the bond I have with her and jump out of bed when I realize that something is very wrong. The bond is stretched thin like she’s far away from me.
When I walked her to her room last night, it felt like the bond was pulsing between us and begging us to complete our connection. Knowing she wasn’t ready to be marked and needed some time to process everything that she learned, I left her at the door to the guestroom and walked away.
All night I thought about seeing her this morning and being able to put some of her fears and concerns to rest. I never thought about what would happen if I had to explain the supernatural world to a human because she is my mate. It’s probably not something I could have ever prepared myself for.
“I don’t think she’s here anymore,” I grunt as I jump from bed and get dressed quickly.
I’m pounding on Tilly’s door in no time at all. When the door swings open, Tilly’s eyes are sad, and she doesn’t look at all surprised to see me. I stalk into her room without her inviting me, my wolf on edge and taking me along for the ride.
