#2 When the Moon Turns Red

Chapter 28: Noah

I sat on her couch as Evie gathered up everything she needed to make the packhouse feel like home. She stuffed pictures and photo albums into one of her bags. Then, she grabbed her backpack and filled it with her books and school supplies. I laughed at her as she filled a pencil bag with her colorful pens, sticky notes, and highlighters. She accused me of mocking her color coding skills.

“If I’m going to be staying with you and commuting to school from the packhouse, I need to have all my studying materials. It’s non-negotiable.” She said to me seriously. I held up my hands in surrender.

I was trying to contain my excitement everytime Evie talked about staying with me in the long term. I knew she was still wrestling with herself, stuck between giving in to the mate bond or her human instincts. But, I could also tell how much being apart the last few days has convinced her to just go with it. Despite her reservations, she was still making sure she was going to be comfortable at the packhouse and that was enough for me.

She grabbed a blanket from her bedroom and stuffed it into the bag with the photos. She also took some books from the bookshelf,

“You know we have a massive library, right?” I smirked at her.

“But, it doesn’t have my books.” She rolled her eyes at me. She walked into the kitchen and grabbed her favorite coffee mug,

“Do you have coffee?” She asked me, suddenly looking fearful. I laughed at her hysterically,

“Yes, love, we have coffee.” She pouted,

“But, do you have this kind of coffee?” She asked again, pointing towards her blue Keruig.

“We have a Keurig if you want to bring your pods. I can add them to the next grocery list.” I said. She nodded, seeming satisfied with that answer, and protectively wrapped her arms around the glass jar filled with coffee pods.

“I guess that’s it for now.” She shrugged, looking around her townhouse.

“You can come back anytime you want to get more of your stuff.” I assured her, grabbing her bags and taking them to my car.

“Do you want to follow me?” I asked her, opening the driver side door of her own SUV.

“Yeah, I’ll get lost.” She said plainly.

“I get the feeling your sense of direction isn’t so great.” I teased her. She pinched the underside of my arm,

“Don’t make fun of me!”

“Never, love.” I kissed her lips and shut the car door before climbing into my own truck and leading the way back to the packhouse. Evie parked her car next to mine in the garage and I carried her bags in one hand while holding her hand in the other.

When we reached the Alpha and Luna floor, I stopped in the middle of the hallway and pulled Evie in front of me.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, her perfect blue eyes pulling together in concern.

“Well, there’s a conversation to be had about where you want to stay.” I replied, motioning towards the two master bedroom doors,

“You can stay in your own room, if you want, or with me.” I explained. Evie sighed, twisting her hands together anxiously as she wrestled with the decision.

“Everleigh, I want you to do whatever will make you the most comfortable. But, if you’re worried about what I’m thinking, I’m beyond thrilled that you’ve agreed to move in at all, no matter where you decide to sleep.” I smiled softly at her, ducking my head so we were eye level with each other.

“First off, I’m not calling it moving in, I’m just spending more time here then at my place.” Evie replied stubbornly. I laughed at the pouty expression on her face,

“I’ll take whatever you want to give me, my love.” I smirked, grabbing her face in my hand. She grinned beautifully,

“Secondly, I think I want to keep my things in there.” She said, pointing towards the empty room and eyeing me suspiciously, like she was waiting for my bubble to burst. But, of course, it never did.

“Okay, love.” I shrugged, giving her another little kiss,

“I figured you’d feel most comfortable with that.” I added. I grabbed all her luggage again and kicked open her bedroom door, dropping the bags on the floor. She started looking around the room, pacing away from me. Her hands were folded together in front of her and I could tell she had something on her mind.

“Evie, baby, what’s wrong?” I asked her, watching her from the doorway.

“I keep waiting for you to argue with me.” She said nervously. I looked down at my petite mate,

“Argue with you about what, baby?” I asked her curiously.

“About anything. About me bringing my stuff here but not committing to moving in, or me wanting my car here so I can come and go as I please, or about me still going to school. I keep waiting for you to want to….I don’t know, control me.” She admitted. I pulled her into me again,

“You think I want to control you?” I asked, hurt by her accusation. She quickly shook her head,

“Not exactly.” She thumbed at a ring on her right hand and bit her bottom lip nervously.

“Everleigh, I don’t want to control you, we’ve talked about this. Honestly, I’m just trying not to sound too excited.” I told her.

“Excited about what?” She asked, meeting my gaze.

“You wanting to stay here at all. I didn’t think I would get this lucky so soon, especially after you shut me out the last few days. I was sure it would take an unbearable amount of time to convince you to stay here. I want you near me all the time, but I don’t want to cage you nor do I think I have the ability to control you. I want you to live your own life, go to school, be with your friends. I just want to know that you're safe, and have you with me when you wake up and go to sleep.” I explained. She grinned, the weariness leaving her face as she wrapped her tiny arms around me.

“Thank you.” She mumbled into my chest. I laughed at her, bringing her face to mine for a kiss.

“I can’t get enough of you, little mate.” I purred at her, dramatically stretching out our kiss. She giggled against me,

“I’ve noticed.” She blushed but I knew she wasn’t mad or put off by my attention; she secretly loved it, but she wouldn’t admit that to me,

“I’m just incredibly lucky that you’re being so patient with me and so understanding. I acted like an i***t the last couple of days. I wish I would have just given into my feelings from the beginning. I’ve made this so much harder.” Evie sighed and I laughed at her,

“Nothing good is ever easy, love. You wouldn’t be you if you didn’t analyze everything and take your time making a decision. I love you just the way you are and I never want you to change.” I assured her,

“Can I ask you to do something for me, little mate?” I asked, keeping her close to me.

“It depends on what the favor is?” She smirked.

“The pack can’t stop talking about you since we showed up to the Den together. They’ve figured out that you’re my mate and the rumor mill is going crazy, especially after the debacle with Russell. It would make my life a lot easier if I could officially introduce you to the entire pack as my mate.” I explained to her and her eyes widened in horror. I quickly reassured her,

“I would only be announcing you as my mate. It’s nothing official in regards to becoming the Luna. It would just be a chance for the pack to see you and to clear away any confusion. It’s okay if you’re not comfortable with it.” She started gnawing on her bottom lip again and I struggled with my composure. Finally, she nodded,

“Okay.” She mumbled.

“Are you sure?” I asked.

“Yes.” Her voice was small and shaky. I knew she was nervous but I was so proud of my little mate for agreeing despite her fears.

“Are you ready now?” I asked. Her eyes flashed with fear for a second before it was replaced with mock confidence,

“I guess.” She muttered. I smiled and gave her a bear hug, crushing her to me and willing her to feel all the confidence and pride I had in her.

I mindlinked the pack and asked them all to gather in the lobby. I was very specific with my instructions. They would be calm and patient, they would not overwhelm my mate. I led Evie back down to the lobby. In the center was a large, brick fireplace that had a huge hearth. It made for a good make-shift stage for Evie and I to stand on and overlook the pack.

“Blood Moon pack, I have called you all here today to address the rumors that I have found my mate. I would like to introduce you to Evie Bellamy, my beautiful destined mate!” I wrapped my arm around Evie’s waist and pulled her towards me. She smiled sheepishly at the pack who all cheered at her presence. I held up my hand and silenced them.

“As many of you have heard, Evie is human. This doesn’t matter to me and shouldn’t matter to any of you. She is smart, compassionate, strong, and beautiful. She’s my perfect mate and she will make a perfect Luna. However, she needs time to adjust to our way of life before she’s ready to officially become our Luna. I expect you all to treat her with respect and kindness.” I spoke seriously to my pack, leaving no room for arguments or questions in my tone.

The pack nodded submissively. I looked around the room and saw genuine smiles and joy on my pack members face. That was all the validation I needed.

“Welcome Luna!” The room vibrated with the pack’s greetings and cheers.

I looked over at my little mate with pride as she grinned at our pack. I squeezed her tightly and she looked up at me. I could tell she was feeling happy but also weary. It was time for my little mate to get her quiet time.

“That’s all for now. Thank You.” I dismissed the pack and escorted Evie back upstairs.

“That’s it?” Evie asked as she followed me into her bedroom.

“That’s it.” I laughed at her.

“That wasn’t so bad.” She shrugged.

“Do you want to unpack?” I asked her. She looked around at the room full of her bags and sighed, an exhausted expression on her face.

“Or I can order dinner to your room and we can just relax tonight.” I offered. She lit up at that idea and nodded eagerly. I quickly mindlinked the kitchen staff and had them prepare a small dinner for us.

“How about we settle in and watch a movie this evening?” I suggested. Evie agreed, admitting that she was excited to spend some quiet time with me after a crazy couple of days.

We settled into Evie’s bed. I promised her I would leave when the movie was over. We ended up watching two Disney movies since neither one of us could sleep after the first one. By the end of the second movie, I felt Evie dozing off against me. I tucked her in sweetly and gave her a goodnight kiss before leaving her alone for the night.

It definitely wasn’t what I really wanted to do, the idea of sleeping just a few rooms away from Evie was going to be a huge challenge. But, I was just so beyond grateful that she was here at all that I was ready to make any sacrifice I needed to, to make her happy.