Mated by Marriage

Chapter 11

Chase is relentless, craning his head back further to expose more of his neck. He looks insane; no reasonable alpha would ever expose his neck so willingly. Especially not to another alpha.

"Come on, smell me, I'm serious."

I hesitate for a second, but honestly, I don't really want this to drag out any further than it already has. I lean forward, my nose almost pressed to his neck, and inhale deeply. His scent hits me like a wave, wood and leather wrapping around me like arms. My wolf attempts to rampage in my chest, but I follow the breath techniques Tia showed me, and she rests, albeit unwillingly. Despite my wolf calming down, I still haven't. My pulse races out of control, a bead of sweat forms on my forehead, and my head is light.

"What do you smell?"

Chase cuts through the haze, his voice guiding me through the swirl of emotions coursing through my body.

"Uhm, mahogany, leather...sweat..."

"What does my scent tell you, what does it say?"

I think about it for a moment, because despite my training, I hadn't really given it a thought. I inhale deeply again, this time really reading the scent. It's warm, inviting; it feels safe, almost like home. There's no trick or deception in his scent; it calls to me, urging me to follow it. I shake my head, trying to force myself to speak.

"It tells me...I can trust you."

Chase pulls away, covering his neck again. He stares at me for a long while before speaking again.

"Good. Let me spell it out for you; I'm on your side. I'm not going to tell anyone; that alone is a security risk. If Tia says she can handle it, then I trust her to. Just know, I'm here to help in any way I can."

I nod, feeling exceptionally pathetic at the moment.

"I'm sorry, Chase. I know I'm difficult. I'm not trying to be. All of this change, it can't be easy for you."

He shrugs, his energy feeling colder and more reserved than it was earlier.

"You left your home and your pack. It can't be easy for you either. I should be the one apologizing; it seems I'm always making you cry."

I gasp, reaching up to find a single tear streaking down my cheek. Chase reaches into his pocket and hands me a neatly folded handkerchief. I take it, turning it over in my hand and examining the finely embroidered Silvermoon crest.

"Keep it. Dallas is old-fashioned; he had a ton of them made for our last gala. I'm sorry. I need to head out now. Derrick is waiting on me to give the warrior unit a debrief while Tia takes on the strategy team. You should meet with her when you're ready, of course. Your insight will be key to this whole operation. I'll see you at dinner."

With that, he was gone. Disappearing down the gravel path winding through the garden. I dab the handkerchief to my eyes, drinking in Chase's lingering scent before stowing it in my pocket. I stand in the garden for what seems like ages, replaying our conversation. It felt like Chase's demeanor had flipped immediately after I smelled him. The warmth in his eyes had dimmed, and his cold indifference had returned all at once. For someone so determined to know me, he sure keeps his feelings close to his chest. I suppose it's natural for an alpha heir to go out of their way to avoid showing anything that could be perceived as weakness. How could I judge him when I've been living with my own secrets for the last few years? I give up on analyzing him and our conversation for now, resolving to peel back some of his layers tonight over dinner.

*****

It's a little after two by the time I make my way to Tia. She's tucked away in the strategist building to the west of the pack house, buried in a pile of paperwork when I finally find her.

"Tia, you doing okay in here?"

She groans, sliding an array of papers off the desk and onto the floor.

"Noooo, I'm not doing okay at all, Melissa. I can't find anything I'm looking for."

She rests her head on her arms, leaning precariously on yet another stack of paperwork. I smile weakly, grimacing at the disaster displayed before me.

"Let me help, I've had plenty of clerical experience in Ironmoon, especially with strategy. Get me a list and I should be able to find it all."

I hesitate, thinking back to what Chase said about Tia trusting me.

"By the way, you can just call me, Meli."

Tia's head whips up from the desk, not a single trace of gloom remaining in her expression.

"I can? Oh my Goddess, yes! Meli, I love that so much!"

I feel my face redden in the wake of her excitement, but I brush it off, shooing her out of the desk chair. It doesn't take Tia very long to get a list together, and I start my task. It's tedious, but a welcome distraction to pretty much every single thing that's happened in the last week. Tia chats idly at my side, explaining the layout of the pack house grounds and the adjacent township. She brings me snacks between building descriptions, and then dives into an explanation about which pack members are single or mated, and the relevant drama related to each of them. By the time I finish, I can't help but feel like I know Silvermoon better than I ever knew Ironmoon, with the exception of a couple of people I guess. Tia yawns, stretching across the freshly cleared desk, as if the two of us have been working equally hard all afternoon. I smile, she's the polar opposite of me in every way, and I'm finding that it's a welcome change. Tia grabs my shoulders suddenly.

"Have you been to the steam house yet? If you have time before dinner, we should go! I love going there after a long day. I always tell my warriors, if you don't deal with the stress, the stress will deal with you."

Tia smiles eagerly, her innocent blue eyes shining with anticipation. If I didn't know her rank, I would never assume she was the most skilled fighter in the pack, excluding the alpha bloodline.

"Fine, fine. It's not fair, you know. How can I say no when you're looking at me like that?"

Tia is all giggles and bubbly energy as she leads me from the strategist building to the steam house behind the barracks. I gesture toward the barracks building.

"Do all the warriors live here?"

Tia shakes her head lightly, gesturing for me to keep up with her. Her excitement is clearly getting the better of her.

"No, not really. Single warriors who want to save a little money stay here. We also house the warriors here when we're at war."

As we round the corner, the steam house comes into view. We make our way inside, showering off and changing into some cotton robes kept well stocked on the bath side of the building. Tia cranks the steam up, melting into the bench. I have to admit, she was right. The steam eats away at the tension in my neck and back. I sigh loudly, feeling like a large weight has lifted from my chest.

"Soooooo, are you ready to tell me what's bothering you?"

Tia wiggles her eyebrows at me playfully. I c**k my head at her, pouting my lips out.

"You're too good at that. I haven't been able to hide a thing from you since the day we met."

Tia shrugs.

"It's a gift and a curse. Now, spill."

I stretch out, draping myself over the back of the bench.

"Well, for starters, that Bloodmoon scent thing is eating at me. Oh, Chase knows about my wolf now, and..."

I trail off, not sure if I should disclose the less than appropriate encounter between me and my soon-to-be stepbrother. I decide against it for now, opting to pretend that never happened.

"I guess I'm just overwhelmed with all of the stress of moving and joining a new pack."

Tia nods empathetically.

"I can only imagine. But, don't you think Chase knowing about your wolf is a good thing? Now he can help us train. Plus it's one less secret to hold. Your heart gets heavy if you hold too much in."

Tia drapes a hot towel over her face, sighing contently. I wonder if she's always this direct, but I appreciate it nonetheless. I follow her lead, tossing a towel over my head and allowing my mind to empty for a while.