A New Dawn

Chapter 2

“Hey Monroe, are you going to stare at that girl all night or go talk to her?” Aiden chuckled at the third time he caught his friend staring across the room at this girl. David chuckled, downed his beer, gave Aiden a two-finger wave, and took off across the bar to the petite black-haired girl he had been staring at. Aiden shook his head, chuckled, and ordered himself another drink. The bar was lively, giving him a lot to watch as he began to sip and watch the action around him.

“Is this seat taken?” Aiden looked over at the seat David previously occupied, and he noticed a girl standing where his best friend once sat.

He looked at her and realized that the girl owned those brown eyes he had seen at graduation. She was beautiful; she had long blonde hair, which ran down her back and stopped at her hips, she had full lips that he wanted to slam his lips into right this second, and her voice was one of the most melodic sounds he had ever heard.

As he checked her out, he shook his head no to acknowledge she could sit there. The music seemed to have taken a side seat to his wolf screaming MATE in his head. Aiden held out his hand as he looked her over and smiled. “Nice to meet you. My name is Aiden Lockhart, and you are?”

She sent him a sheepish smile and lightly blushed as she extended her hand, placing it in his. “Roxanne Messick.” The blush on her cheeks darkened when he took her hand and kissed it, giving her a sexy smile. “Care to dance, Aiden Lockhart?” She asked with a smirk and a wink.

Aiden stood to his feet, took her hand, and led her toward the dance floor. The DJ was playing a slow song, so he pulled her close and began to sway with the music. Looking across the dance floor, he noticed that David was in a lip lock with the girl he left to talk to earlier, which reassured Aiden that he could concentrate on his mate. “So, what takes you here tonight?” Aiden asked as she buried her head into his chest and swayed with the music.

“My brother graduated tonight, so I had to go sit through that torturous ceremony,” she replied as she rolled her eyes.

“It couldn’t have been that bad,” he replied as he laughed at her crinkled-up facial expression.

“Oh, trust me, it was, but I know something that would make it better,” she said slyly.

“What’s that?” He asked as he looked into her eyes with curiosity.

Roxanne pulled her head off his chest and began playing with the top button on his shirt. “Well, if my mate would take me out of this Goddess Forsaken club and spend some quiet time with me, my night would improve immensely,” she answered with a smile.

“Your wish is my command,” he said as he took her hand and led her toward the exit. They walked back to his car, and he politely opened the door for her. Sending her a bow in courtesy, he smiled as she sat in the passenger seat. Aiden closed the door, grabbed his phone out of his pocket, and sent a quick text message to David instructing him to find his own way back. Aiden climbed in, started up his car, and they headed back to his dorm room.

The following afternoon, Aiden opened his eyes to see Roxanne asleep beside him. He rolled over and kissed her shoulder as he thought about the day and the evening before. They spent the entire time getting to know each other and mating.

This girl is perfect; she would make a great Luna. Hopefully, she will agree to go home with him and take the position that is rightfully hers.

He thought as he lay in the middle of an internal battle with himself, he was scared to ask her to go home tomorrow for the party. For the first time in his life, he was worried about what a girl wanted. When she opened her eyes, she rolled over and gave him a peck on the lips.

“Good Morning. Did you sleep well?”

He smiled in adoration at his mate; he couldn’t believe how lucky he was. “I did. I hope you did as well,” he answered as he kissed her. She nodded in affirmation as a sly twinkle sparked in her eye. He knew what she had in mind, but first, he needed to discuss the whole going home thing with her. Aiden cleared his throat and looked at her thoughtfully. “I need to head back to my pack tonight, tomorrow is my graduation party, and my parents are demanding I be there. So my question to you is would you like to join me? It will give our pack plenty of time to meet their new Luna before I am promoted to Alpha in a few weeks.”

Her eyes grew wide in surprise, and she rolled over on her back and stared blankly at the ceiling. Then, after a few minutes of internal debate on whether or not she would go, she rolled back over to face him. “I’d love to go back with you,” she answered as she climbed on top of him and kissed him passionately.

Aiden smiled into the kiss, wrapped her up, and decided to live for the moment.

The following afternoon, Aiden opened his eyes to see Roxanne asleep beside him. He rolled over and kissed her shoulder as he thought about the past day and the evening before. They spent the entire time getting to know each other and mating.

This girl is perfect; she would make a great Luna. Hopefully, she will agree to go home with him and take the position that is rightfully hers.

He thought as he lay in the middle of an internal battle with himself. He was scared to ask her to go home tomorrow for the party; for the first time in his life, he was worried about what this girl wanted and thought. When she opened her eyes, she rolled over and gave him a peck on the lips.

“Good Morning. Did you sleep well?”

He smiled in adoration at his mate; he couldn’t believe how lucky he was. “I did. I hope you did as well,” he answered as he kissed her. She nodded in affirmation as a sly twinkle sparked in her eye. He knew what she had in mind, but first, he needed to discuss the whole going home thing with her. Aiden cleared his throat and looked at her thoughtfully. “I need to head back to my pack tonight, tomorrow is my graduation party, and my parents are demanding I be there. So my question to you is would you like to join me? It will give our pack plenty of time to meet their new Luna before I am promoted to Alpha in a few weeks.”

Her eyes grew wide in surprise, and she rolled over on her back and stared blankly at the ceiling. Then, after a few minutes of internal debate on whether or not she would go, she rolled back over to face him. “I’d love to go back with you,” she answered as she climbed on top of him and kissed him passionately.

Aiden smiled into the kiss, wrapped her up, and decided to live for the moment.

***

Darkness took over the sky as Roxanne and Aiden crossed the border of the New Dawn Pack; Aiden smiled and waved at the border guards as he continued driving. He parked outside the pack house, got out of the car, and walked to the passenger side. He helped Roxanne out of the car and tightly gripped her hand as he walked her into the pack house. His parents and a few pack members had gathered in the vestibule to await their arrival and cheered when they entered. The surprise and excitement were apparent when they all realized that he had found his mate. Aiden clutched Roxanne’s hand as he walked her up to the Alpha and Luna. After he hugged his mother, he quickly pulled her to stand beside him. “Mom, Dad, this is Roxanne Messick, my mate. Roxanne, these are my parents, Alpha Jonathan, and Luna Mary Lockhart.”

Roxanne released Aiden’s hand and firmly shook the Alpha’s hand and then was whisked up into a hug by the Luna. “It is so nice to meet you both; I’ve heard a lot about you all,” she said as she smiled and looked around at the pack members.

Mary smiled at the manners her son’s mate possessed; she knew Roxanne was a keeper. She smiled at them both and ushered them into the kitchen. “How about we all sit down for dinner, and you two can get some rest? Remember, tomorrow is the big party, a perfect time for everyone to meet Roxanne. You can take her shopping for a nice dress if you would like in the morning.”

“That sounds great, Mom,” Aiden replied as he clasped Roxanne’s hand and led her into the dining room.

Dinner went off without a hitch, and the family and members of the New Dawn Pack got to learn everything they could about their future, Luna. Roxanne was not shy; she was extremely open about her life. They discovered that she came from the Crescent Moon pack, and she followed in her parent’s footsteps as a warrior. She had a younger brother who had graduated from college that same day. They also learned that she raised her brother when her parents were killed in a Rogue attack when he was six.

The conversation lasted through dinner, dessert, and a few glasses of wine later. Finally, Aiden looked at the clock and realized it was almost eleven o’clock. He decided it was time for them to turn in and get some rest; they had a long day tomorrow. He walked Roxanne up to his room and smiled about how his life had changed. He couldn’t help but think that his life is finally starting to fall into place. He sent her a charming smile as he opened the door for her. They entered the room, and he went into his closet and grabbed a shirt and a pair of shorts for her to wear to sleep. “Would you like to shower before bed?”

“Yes, please,” she shyly responded as she walked toward the bathroom.

Aiden chuckled at her sudden shyness and chalked it up to her being new to his pack. He shook his head at the cuteness of the situation. He walked into one of the guest bathrooms and quickly showered himself. Once he was finished and dressed, he went back into his room and lay down on the bed. The realization that Roxanne was still in the shower crossed his mind, so he closed his eyes to help him relax.