AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Crew,” my dad’s voice was grave, “you’ve been doing an amazing job running the pack, but you have to know that something is missing.”
“I know what you’re going to say, but you don’t need to; I’ve been doing just fine without a Luna.” I glared at my parents, daring them to defy me.
“We aren’t saying that’s not true,” my mom tried to placate me, “but it would be easier on you with some help.”
“I’m not alone at the top of the pack,” I reminded them of the other ranked wolves who work at my side.
“No, you’re not,” Dad agreed. “However, that’s not the same as having a Luna. The pack needs a Luna. It might not seem like it now, but the health of the pack will deteriorate without its heart.”
I barely stopped myself from rolling my eyes, but I knew my parents were coming from a good place. They were always an amazing example of fated mates. I grew up watching their love, sometimes too much of it, and how that reflected within the pack.
“We’d like you to think about a chosen mate,” my mom’s voice held a note of sadness in it.
I narrowed my eyes at them and echoed, “A chosen mate?”
“Of course we would rather your fated mate be by your side, but it’s been years. It’s time to consider other options,” Dad tried to reason with me.
I was stunned, but I couldn’t deny that I understood where they were coming from. And then they scurried away after dropping the bomb of a chosen mate on me. My wolf turned his tail up at the very thought of a chosen mate.
And now to have Trina pawing all over me? She’s the last female I would take as a chosen mate. I haven’t wished my mate would show up in years, but now there’s a little glimmer of want inside of me. She would have to be better than a chosen female at my side. Right?
There’s a growl and a hint of my Alpha command in my voice as I address my Beta, “Did you need something?”
All amusement is wipes from Mayer’s face. That’s one of the things I love about him—he knows when he can joke with me and when he needs to be serious.
“I came by to remind you that Tilly is back today for her spring break,” his voice has a note of wariness in it, and I let out a groan.
“And she’s bringing her roommate. Who is human,” I fill in what he’s not willing to say.
He gives me a curt nod before getting up and leaving my office. With a sigh, I lean back in my chair and pinch the bridge of my nose. Just what I need—a human on my pack lands. I don’t have anything against humans and do quite a bit of business with them, but we live in the pack to be free and to embrace both sides of ourselves. Now I’m going to have to demand the pack take caution when shifting and with what they talk about.
“Attention Golden Summit,” I address the pack through the pack link. I feel the pack come to attention in my mind. “Please remember that starting today and for the next week we will have a human on our pack lands. Take care where and when you shift. Be cautious about what you say, especially when you’re in the pack house. I appreciate your cooperation and discretion with our visitor.”
Fuck.
This is going to be a long week. And it’s barely even started.
CHAPTER 3
ELODIE
The drive with Tilly has been kind of fun. I guess I knew it would be because she’s a fun girl. I’ve done things during this drive that I’ve never really had the chance to do before.
We’ve sung at the top of our lungs and talked about the most random things. I couldn’t relate to everything that she’s brought up because I missed some popular culture things over the years. There were a lot of movies, shows, and trends that I missed because it just wasn’t something I was exposed to, and I spent a lot of time working from the moment it was legal for me to do so.
Tilly didn’t seem to mind that I didn’t know everything she was talking about. She just filled me in and then told me we’d have to have a sleepover with a fort in the living room and all the movies that I’ve missed in the last few years. It probably shouldn’t have made me tear up, but I did as I stared out the window and watched the scenery pass us by.
I’ve never had a friend like her, someone who didn’t make me feel like a freak of nature because of my lack of family and support. Someone to just take things in stride when I’m not familiar with some common tradition or reference. Someone that makes me feel fucking normal when I know there was nothing normal about the way I grew up.
It’s clear that we’re getting farther away from civilization as we drive and I’m more than a little curious about what awaits me at the end of this drive. The trees are getting thicker, and it’s been a while since I’ve seen any houses, stores, or anything else.
“Wow, it’s really sparse out here,” I comment more to myself than to Tilly.
The giggle my friend lets out has me looking away from the window and eyeing her. She glances my way and shrugs one shoulder. “If you think this is sparse, just wait,” she warns me.
I bite my lip nervously while wondering what she means by that. Sure, she told me she lives with a forest around her and that it’s pretty rural; maybe I didn’t take her words seriously enough.
I’ve always lived in a city, even if it wasn’t a huge one. I’ve never even been camping. What the hell do I know about being out in the sticks?
