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“Uhh, why don’t you wait here? I was almost done,” she said, quickly turning and trying to go into a little door behind us. I put my foot in the door when she tried to close it behind her.
“Celeste?” I asked, and I couldn’t help but feel hurt that she didn’t want me in her room. I saw her blush deepen, but she didn’t try to close the door again. She sighed and opened the door for me before she retrieved a bag on the ground.
I took in the toilet, the broken sink, and the futon below the sink. I could feel Atlas' rage building when he understood what this was before I did.
“This is where you sleep?” I growled lowly. The blush on her face reappeared, but she grabbed an old brush and toothbrush from the sink and added them to the almost empty bag. I continued to watch her, noting when she stood before me uncomfortably, not moving or meeting my eyes.
“Is this all you’re taking?” I asked, holding out my hand to take her bag.
“This is all I own,” she said, still unable to look at me. I took the bag from her and looked inside. There were several outfit changes, none of which seemed to be in decent shape but with neatly patched parts from other garments, and my heart broke for her.
When I looked up, I was surprised to see that while her face still showed a blush of embarrassment, her head was raised as if daring me to comment on any of it. I looked around the tiny half bath again. While not suitable for a person to live in, it was tidy, and I could see she took care of what little she owned. I sighed, dropped the bag and pulled her into a hug. She froze at first, then slowly relaxed and returned the hug.
“We’ve got plenty of stuff at home. You can leave this here. Maybe some of the other girls can use it?” I asked, and I felt her nod in agreement against my chest. I sighed, trying to let her touch soothe my anger. “I wanted to let you rest more, but I need to get you out of this place before I kill the entire pack.”
“I’ve been trying. You kind of take up the whole door.” She let out a tiny giggle. I laughed and let her go, hanging on to her hand to keep by my side.
‘Are we ready?’I mind-linked Gillian.
‘Yeah, we’ve got Maya and the guards in the car. I slipped some cash to one of the girls Maya said could be trusted and told her to find a way to buy food for the other omegas. I also grabbed our stuff. The recipes for the desserts were on the nightstand as well, so I grabbed them. I figured you still owe them to Alpha Rhett since we’ll have the master with us.’He laughed in my head.
‘Christ, that feels like a lifetime ago. I’d completely forgotten,'I said, looking down at the small hand holding my own as I made our way out the door.
‘Yeah, I noticed the place they kept her. This is going to be a long road for her. I hope you’re ready to be patient. I don’t think it will be an easy transition for either of the girls. They will need a lot of help,’he said. He was my best friend for a reason.
‘Yeah, I know. There’s something we’re missing about her past, too. She’s been lying about her age all this time, and I am not entirely sure why. She also wouldn’t tell me what her real last name is,’I said, trying not to feel hurt at the secrets she was keeping from me.
‘What do you mean her real last name?’
‘While we were alone at the hospital, she said she would be twenty in December, not eighteen next month like Luna Luisa said. She also said her name was really Celeste but did not give me her last name, so I’m assuming her last name isn’t Pierce. She looked so scared even telling me that much. I have a feeling there’s more to her than meets the eye.’
‘Whatever it is, the pack is behind you and the luna,’he said.
‘Thank you, my friend.’
‘Don’t thank me. The way she had Atlas practically purring after he lost control... I’m sure the entire pack will be jumping with joy.’He laughed at me.
‘I’ll be sure to repay you when you find your mate.’I rolled my eyes and heard him laughing behind me.
“Duly noted,” he teased and winked at a confused Celeste.
We got in the car, and after she took a moment to look back at the pack house, we sped off. We made a quick stop to grab her and Maya a new set of clothes to change into, then settled in for the long ride home. Celeste tucked herself in the groove of my arm and yawned, cuddling close.
I was surprised and more than elated by her actions. Hope rose in me that I would get her to trust me if I didn’t fuck this up too badly. I just hoped I remembered enough of my mother’s teachings on how to treat a mate.
My chest exploded with adoration for the woman tucked into my chest, and I didn’t want to move so as not to wake her. I spent most of the drive to my pack answering texts while Celeste slept the entire ride home. I only woke her up for food and when we got close to the pack grounds. I wanted her to see the territory.
I knew I made the right decision when her eyes widened and filled with wonder. The entrance to Crescent Moon was separated by the Gila River outside of Phoenix. The only way in was to cross a giant bridge that was gated and guarded. Immediately after crossing, there was a massive scattered forest before the path opened up to the pack grounds. The pack itself was modern and rustic at the same time. It had a small-town feel with modern amenities. I made sure of it.
I hoped desperately that she would be proud of her new pack and proud of the work I’d done. When we arrived at the pack house, I stifled a laugh when she gaped at the image in front of her. The building was six stories high and about the length of a football field. There were enough rooms to house about seventy-five percent of the unmated males, the ranked families, and the staff and their families.
Mate likes our house,Atlas puffed his chest inside my head, and I smiled, also beaming with pride at her reaction.
“Welcome home,” I whispered in her ear as I lightly wrapped my hands around her waist after we got out of the car, settling my chin on her shoulder. I didn’t want to seem controlling or pushy. I didn’t want to scare her or push her too fast, but I felt a constant need to touch her and hold her close. She was tall enough that I didn’t have to bend to reach her, and I loved that about her.
She looked away from the building when a couple of pups came running out screaming, “Luna! Luna!” with papers waving in their hands. They were followed by a couple of the kitchen staff running after them, screaming, “Leave her be!”
Celeste laughed and bent down to the kids when they gave her the pictures they drew for her, making my heart burst with affection at the scene in front of me.
