Thorne

9

I woke up to the feeling of a warm body pressed up against me. I opened my eyes and saw Thorne's face inches from mine. His eyes were closed and his breath was steady. I couldn't help but smile at how peaceful he looked. I snuggled closer to him, enjoying the feeling of his arms wrapped around me.

Suddenly, Thorne's eyes flew open and he looked at me with a smile. "Good morning, beautiful," he said, kissing my forehead.

I blushed and giggled, "How did you know I woke up?" I exclaimed.

"I'm an Alpha, Anastasia." Thorne chuckled, "I know these things."

I smiled, looking at him, and suddenly noticed just exactly how close his face was to mine.

Thorne leaned in closer and I could feel the tension between us. I knew he wanted to kiss me, and a part of me wanted that too, but he turned his head away.

"Thorne," I said hesitantly, "is everything okay?"

Thorne let out a sigh and looked away. "I want to mark you so badly."

My face instantly flushed and I let out a small gasp at how direct Thorne was.

"I know you're not ready for that yet, but it's hard to control the wolf inside me. It wants you as its mate more than anything."

I could feel my heart racing. I knew what marking meant to werewolves, and I was overwhelmed at the thought of it.

"Thorne, I do want you to mark me, but..." I hesitated, "You know, a few days ago, I didn't even know what a mate was, and maybe I would feel better if maybe we did things the old-fashioned human way first. "

"A date." Thorne stated, "Of course I will take you on many dates, darling."

I smiled nervously at him, "And, you don't have to explain, Ana." Thorne said, "You have amnesia, and we just met. I'm okay with going a little bit slower, okay?"

"Okay," I replied somewhat awkwardly.

Thorne gave me a knowing look, and took in a deep death, "Come on, let's get ready for the day."

I nodded, and we both got up from bed. I went and got dressed in the bathroom while Thorne grabbed his clothes from the dryer. After I was ready, we both sat down on the couch and got down to business.

"So, we have a lot to do today," Thorne said.

"Yea, we do." I agreed, solemnly.

"All I need for you to do is to ask someone to call a pack meeting to be a few hours from now." Thorne said carefully, "Just leave everything else to me. Once you schedule one, we can get some breakfast, and swing by my parents so I can get dressed for the meeting."

I nodded, "Okay, I can do that." I agreed, "I've become good friends with the Delta, Rachel."

"Rachel O'Rourke," Thorne said, nodding, "Nice girl, I used to know her. You can tell her about all of this, but make sure that Marcus does not know what the meeting is about."

"Why?" I asked.

"I'm not sure how he will react." He explained, "He and Ethan grew up together, and they were close friends."

"Okay, makes sense, I guess" I said, staring at the phone in my hand. I had to make this call, but I was really nervous. I took a deep breath and dialed the number, hoping that Rachel would never answer.

"Hello?" Rachel's voice came through the speaker, clear and strong.

"Rachel, it's Anastasia. Could you call a pack meeting to be in a few hours? It's important."

"Sure, what's going on?" Rachel asked, her voice laced with concern.

"I can't explain over the phone, but it's about the old Alpha. He's returned, and I need your help to call a pack meeting."

"He's your mate, isn't he?"

"Yes," I said nervously, "And we have some information about Ethan that I think the whole pack needs to hear."

"I'll let everyone know as soon as I can. Just give me a few minutes to gather some things."

"Okay, thanks. And one more thing," I said nervously.

"Yea?" She said curiously.

"Make sure that Marcus does not know what the meeting is about."

Rachel paused and took in a breath before she said, "Okay, Ana, I trust you," and we said a short goodbye.

I hung up the phone, feeling a mix of anxiety and determination. I knew that revealing what Ethan had done wouldn't be easy, but it was the right thing to do.

Thorne sat down next to me and nodded, "Thank you, princess." I nodded, and smiled nervously at him. "Come on let's go get some breakfast."

"Oh, can we go to the Luz coffee?" I asked excitedly, wanting to go back to the same place I had been to before.

Thorne smiled, "Yea, I remember that place," he said, nodding.

As I walked into the coffee shop with Thorne by my side, I noticed the barista, Liam, doing a double take. He clearly recognized Thorne, but I couldn't tell if it was a good or bad thing. His eyes widened and his mouth gaped open for a moment before he quickly composed himself.

"Thorne, is that really you?" he asked, leaning over the counter towards us.

Thorne nodded and smiled. "Yeah, it's me. Good to see you, Liam."

Liam shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe it. Everyone thought you were gone for good."

Thorne's smile faded a little and he looked down. "I know. It's been a tough journey, but I'm back now."

I couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness at the mention of Thorne's difficult journey. I knew that he had been through a lot, and it must have been hard for him to come back and face everyone after being gone for so long.

"What happened?" Liam questioned.

"There will be a pack meeting in a few hours, I trust you will be there?" Thorne quickly replied, almost as if he had rehearsed the response, "I will answer all of your questions then."

Liam nodded, "Of course, Alpha. I'll see you there. Now, what can I get for you two?"

I ordered a latte and Thorne got a black coffee, and we sat down at a small table to wait for our drinks. As we waited, I realized that maybe all of this happened for a reason. I found my mate, and now that Thorne was back, everything was going to be okay for the pack.

"Thorne and Anastasia?" Liam called out to let us know our drinks were ready.

"Thank you, Liam." Thorne said warmly, grabbing our drinks from the counter.

I gave Liam a wave and we both left, the door jingling as we opened the door.

As Thorne and I walked through the wintery forest, he took me to a small, dilapidated house. It was surrounded by tall trees and overgrown bushes, and seemed abandoned and forgotten.

"This was my parents' house," Thorne said, his voice laced with sadness. "I haven't been here since they passed away."

I looked at the house with a mix of curiosity and sadness. It seemed familiar, but I couldn't explain why. I walked up to the front door and tried the handle, but it was locked.

Thorne noticed my interest and pulled out a key from his pocket. "I have a key," he said, unlocking the door and pushing it open.

We walked inside, and the musty smell of an old, abandoned house hit me. The furniture was covered in dust and cobwebs, and the windows were covered in grime. But as I looked around, I realized that this was the same house that I had stumbled upon when I first came to the pack.

"This is where I found shelter when I first arrived here," I confessed, turning to Thorne in surprise. "I didn't know it was your parents' house."

Thorne nodded, a sad smile on his face. "I'm glad you were able to find some comfort here," he said. "I'm sorry I wasn't here to help you when you needed it."

"It's not your fault, Thorne."

'I'm going to go and find a suit in my dad's closet and get changed," Thorne announced grimly, "Don't leave the house, okay?"

"Okay," I promised, happy to get an opportunity to look around.

As I walked through Thorne's old house, I couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia wash over me. It was clear that this place had been loved and lived in by his parents, and I couldn't help but wonder what their lives had been like.

I wandered upstairs and looked in a few rooms until I stumbled upon an old art studio. The room was filled with canvases of all sizes, each one more stunning than the last. I couldn't help but be drawn in by the vivid colors and brushstrokes that adorned each piece.

One painting in particular caught my eye. It was a portrait of a woman, her face contorted in a mixture of pain and rage. The brushstrokes were jagged and raw, and the colors were dark and ominous. It was a powerful piece, and I couldn't help but feel like it was evocative of something deeper.

As I stood there, admiring the art, I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the talent they possessed.

"My mom painted that after my dad died," Thorne said, walking in the room and startling me out of my deep thought, "She used to paint all the time, but after he passed, it was like she channeled all of her grief into her art. It was like she was trying to keep him alive through her paintings."

I reached out and touched the canvas gently, feeling a deep sense of connection to the woman who had created this piece. "It's beautiful," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I can see the love and the pain in every stroke."

We stood there for a moment, lost in thought, before Thorne led me out of the room and back into the cold winter air.

........