Finding the Orphaned Luna

A Life in A Duffel Bag

Avery went into her bedroom, keeping the door cracked, and pulled a duffel out from under her bed. She had, despite her instinct, set up Conley on the couch for the night, making sure he had plenty of blankets and pillows and informed him that he was welcome to eat anything in the kitchen if he got hungry. She threw open the closet door, and grabbed a handful of socks. She picked out all of her favorite shirts, pants, and dresses, which amounted to an overwhelming majority of her clothes.. She grabbed her swimsuit and the couple fancier dresses she owned— in case Conley got any ideas. She giggled, hoping he would, and then scowled at how into she was already. She packed three pairs of her four pairs of shoes, leaving the fourth pair out to wear. She then carefully selected her bras and panties, some for comfort, some for exercise, and some for sexiness, and ended up bringing all her bras and most of her panties. She half-grimanced and smiled at the selection of clothes she got out, knowing she was overpacking, and was already banking on Conley still being interested in her. Sure, they were mates, and she could feel her desire for him, both physically and just emotionally, growing in the pit of her stomach, but in her experience guys often didn’t stick around much after s*x. Maybe for a few more rounds, a couple weeks if it was often enough, but they usually got bored of her fairly quickly and she was prepared for Conley to be the same way. That look in his eyes, though, made her wonder if maybe she was completely wrong about the type of man he was. She was wondering if, perhaps, she’d never met a man like him. His speech at the bathroom door, one that had been trying not to think about in an effort to avoid the emotions it evokes inside her, was certainly something the lights of which she had never heard before. Conley was certainly far more in touch with his emotions, and hers, than anyone she’d ever slept with before. And he’d certainly been the best she’d ever had, and not just because it felt like literal sparks wherever their bodies touched. 

Avery grabbed her laptop, spare phone charger, and medications. She wasn’t sure how her autoimmune would fare now that she was a werewolf with quick healing, and she had a feeling she was definitely going to need her anti-anxiety meds. She made sure to pack toiletries, a basic collection of makeup, and haircare. Her curls weren’t suddenly going to be easily tameable now that she knew her lineage and had shifted. Avery looked around her room and saw how sparse it was now that she had packed; she didn’t really have much, and basically everything was in that bag, save for a few odds and ends. Foster care had taught her to always be ready to move on a moment's notice, and she hadn’t been out long enough to get over that habit. She still had a go bag stashed in the bottom drawer of her dresser that had cash, a couple days worth of food, her important documents/pictures, and some spare clothes in case she ever needed to flee in a hurry. She slid the small backpack into her duffel. Despite Conley’s assurances that she could come back here in a week, she was fairly certain she wouldn’t want to. At least, not for more than a few minutes. This apartment, in the months she’d had it, had never really felt like home. It was nothing more than a place for her to sleep undisturbed and safe. She might not stay with the pack, but now that she knew who she was, her apartment felt.. Exposed. Stifling. Lonely. And the fact that Conley had gotten in so easily was kind of freaky, even though she was trying not to resent him for it. 

Having finally emptied her room, and her bathroom, of essentially all of her stuff, and packed it neatly in the bag, Avery was finally ready to leave in the morning. She was completely wiped. It hadn’t taken her long, maybe an hour or so, but it had been late when she started, and it’d been quite the day. She peaked out of her door towards the couch to see if Conley was sleeping. The living room was dark now, the only light the one shining above the stove in the kitchen across the room. She saw his unmoving body on the couch, his feet hanging slightly over the edge, and winced. She hadn’t thought the couch was too small for him. She quietly stole into the kitchen to grab a glass of water and her usual late night snack, doing her best not to wake the sleeping giant on her couch. She was hungry, shockingly so, after the emotional night. She crept quietly back to her room and slowly shut the door. She turned off the overhead light, crawled into bed, and turned on the lamp, munching all the while. A lot of people thought it was gross to eat in bed; Avery was absolutely not one of those people. 

She finished munching, scrolling social media, and her eyes started to close. She plugged her phone in, turned her light off, and then pulled up the blankets. She closed her eyes, taking a few calming breaths, and then sleep quickly took her.

~~~ 

Conley was trying to settle into sleep on the too-small couch. He heard her packing, and despite his desire to be close to her, and get to know his mate better, he gave her the space she seemed to so desperately need at the moment.  His anxiety was through the roof, and his nerves were giving his stomach butterflies, in both the best and worst ways. He was so excited for this week. But what if she decided not to stay? That her current life was better? That she never wanted to see him again?

Conley aggressively rolled to his side, almost falling off the couch. He heard her door open slowly, and he stilled, not wanting to give away that he was awake. He heard her scurrying into the kitchen and preparing a snack, quiet as a mouse. He stayed as still as he could, trying to control his breathing. His wolf was going nuts at the nearness of his mate, but he was trying so desperately to not overwhelm her with how much he loved her already. Her heard the bedroom door click closed, and heard her crawl into bed. It wasn't long when he heard her breathing steady as she fell asleep. He focused on that noise, and found the calm long enough to fall asleep.