The Silver Siren

Chapter 12

Allie

Lana was ecstatic that Reece came back to us. She has been constantly nagging and begging me to reconsider the mate bond. She wants him bad. Slut!

I can’t deny that he’s gorgeous and just looking at him makes everything go crazy. My hearts starts thumping in my chest, and my breathing gets uneven, almost like I forget to breathe. But it bothers me that I don’t know how much of that is down to the mate bond and how much is genuine attraction. This is the problem with the mate bond. He still feels like a stranger. A hot one, but still a stranger. The draw to him was strong though, and I found myself wanting to be hear him. When he held me when I was hysterical earlier, I didn’t want to let him go, and in that moment, he was impossible to resist. I suddenly remembered that I hadn’t thanked him for rescuing me out if the shower.

The nightmare was horrific. A playback of the attack in the forest, only the ending was very different. I was captured and tortured and had no mate. No one came to my rescue. When I finally woke up, I was sticky with sweat, so I jumped in the shower, but I felt suffocated as I relived what happened. The next thing I knew, I was in Reece’s warm, strong arms and all the anxiety and distress from the bad dream had melted away. “Thank you,” I said. He looked at me, puzzled. “For rescuing me out of the shower,” I said.

“My pleasure,” he said, smiling, “It’s becoming a habit of mine.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I brought you back to the hospital on the back of my wolf when we found you in the forest,” he explained, “You were naked then, too,” He was grinning, teasing me. I liked finding out he had a playful side, and a habit of rescuing me! I felt the blush break out over my face, “Oh,” I said, “Thanks, I guess” He laughed. The sound of his laughter made my stomach flutter. I smiled at him. A knock at the door interrupted our moment.

“Come in,” he said, still looking at me.

The door opened and a tall guy with broad shoulders and huge muscular arms came in. He wasn’t quite as tall as Reece, but he was only an inch or two shorter. He had thick dark hair and green eyes and was quite good looking. He came over to us and stopped in from of me then bowed his head. “Luna,” he said. I wasn’t sure what I should say in return. No one has called me Luna before this, but it turned out I didn’t have to say anything because Reece, thankfully, started talking to him.

“Allie, this is Brad, my Beta,” Reece told me.

Being addressed as Luna was strange. Everything seemed to fell a little strange though. So much had changed, everything was new. I’d had little time to really think about it all. At first, I was determined to reject Reece. I’ve never wanted a mate and throw in all the responsibility that comes with being the packs future Luna, it’s a lot to process. It was certainly a different future than I had planned, and I didn’t know if I was ready to give up on that just yet. Rejecting your chosen mate doesn’t happen very often in the werewolf community, and it can be dangerous. Breaking the bond that has been bestowed upon you by the Moon Goddess causes unimaginable pain in your chest, said to be the pain of your heart breaking. Lana was furious at me for thinking about rejecting our mate. But the more time we spend together, the harder that is going to be. I can feel our bond getting stronger already. I wanted him near to me and I craved his touch. When he kissed me, I felt like I was on fire, his touch left my skin fizzing. But for now, I had to stop thinking about him. There were more pressing issues to deal with. I turned my attention back to the conversation.

“What do we know so far?” asked Reece.

“We have only been able to question a few of the rogues. Most are still recovering from the effects of the forcefield. They are all conscious now though, and medical staff are evaluating them. The ones that have been fit enough to question have confirmed that they are part of a rogue pack, with Lucien as their leader. They call themselves the Red Rogue pack. From what we have been able to piece together, Lucien has recruited these rogue wolves under the promise of security and safety, like they would get if they were part of a pack. We are still unsure of their numbers and location of the pack,” he said.

Reece nodded, “Do we know what their intentions were by attacking the pack, or what their intentions are going forward?”

“It’s still a bit sketchy, but we think that Lucien has put together a new pack to replace the pack he lost,” said Brad, “His warrior rogues were the rogues that attacked our neighbouring packs, which we believe was an intelligence gathering exercise. It’s possible that he is trying to find a pack to take over.”

“Why did they attack me?” I asked.

“Honestly? We don’t know yet, sweetie,” he said sincerely, “But I will do everything I can to figure it out and put an end to it.” He gently laid his hand over mine and squeezed it, calming my nerves and sending sparks of electricity shooting gloriously up my arm.

“We have questioned one or two of the rogues to find out what they know about sirens, and they actually know very little,” Brad interjected, “It seems they, along with the rest of the werewolf community, thought sirens to be extinct. The witch masking the Luna’s scent has helped cement that belief.”

“And that could mean that Lucien also had no idea you existed, as a siren, until the spell Melissa cast ended when you turned 18,” Reece concluded.

“That’s what I’m thinking,” Brad agreed, “Alpha Spencer has asked for support to protect the Luna from our neighbours. He hoped to have them here tomorrow.”

“Thanks,” Reece said, “It’s getting late, you should get some rest. Good job today. I’ll help with the interrogations tomorrow.” Brad nodded, bowed his head and left the room. Silence descended on the room, and I wasn’t sure how to break it. I nervously cleared my throat and said, “So, what now?”

He paused for a second before he answered, “Tomorrow you will be released from the hospital, and we should use the time to get ready for an attack. So we can go to the training centre and I’ll teach you how to fight.”

A small smile crept onto my face, “I can fight.”

“Really?” he asked, looking surprised.

“I know how to fight,” I said firmly. He didn’t look like he believed me and just smiled and said, “OK”

“I killed those rogues, didn’t I?” I said, trying to convince him. He looked thoughtful for a moment and then smiled and said, “Yes, you did, my darling. Let’s go to the training centre tomorrow and see what else you can do?” He smiled, and I melted. Knowing that he believed me felt amazing, like I’d won the lottery or something. A knock sounded at the door. Reece went to open it. I heard her before I saw her!

“Allie!” Kayla screamed as she came running in over to me and launched herself into my arms.

“Kayla!” I screeched, squeezing her tight.

“I’ll give you guys some time to catch up,” Reece said, as he made his way to the door.

“Thank you,” I called to him as he left. He nodded.

“Oh, Allie, I was so worried! When I didn’t hear from you on Saturday, I called Melissa and she told me what happened. I just can’t believe it! Are you ok?” she gushed.

“A lot has happened, but I’m ok. Still trying to get used to it all,” I said

“I bet,” Kayla said, sitting on the hospital bed cross-legged, getting comfortable. We spent the next half hour catching up on everything that has happened and what happens now.

“Oh my God! That is a whole bunch of stuff!” we giggled, and it felt good to talk about it with somebody else. “And, boy, did you hit the jackpot with your mate,” she said, “He is hot!”

A sudden bolt of jealously hit me but I squashed it immediately. I had never felt any jealousy towards Kayla, and I knew it was the mate bond at work.

“Yeah, I suppose he is good looking, if you like that sort of thing,” I said, smiling. I couldn’t help but smile because I knew she was right. He was utterly gorgeous in every way. And it made it so hard to resist him.

“He is a hunk, and you know it!” she said, giggling, playfully nudging me in the side with her elbow. “When do you think you’ll be out of here?”

“The doctor said I can leave tomorrow. Reece wants me to move straight to the packhouse,” I told her.

“That makes sense. You’ll be safer there and you are our future Luna,” she said.

“I’m not sure if I want to,” I said quietly. The mate bond was making everything blurry, and I was still unsure about leaving home.

Kayla looked at me for a moment, then leaned into me and wrapped her arms around me in a warm hug she said nothing, she didn’t need to. Her actions said everything loud and clear. Everything would work out ok. I felt myself relaxing in her embrace, and for the first time since the attack I felt like I could truly breathe, like I was myself again. I relished the moment because the future seemed so unclear. The road ahead looked to be tricky, but I was slowly coming to terms with that. We talked and hung out for a little while longer.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” said Kayla, “I brought some clothes for you from home. Melissa asked me to bring them in for you.” She pulled a small pile of neatly folded clean clothes out of her tote bag and a pair of black pumps.

“Thanks,” I said, gratefully. I was starting to wonder if I would have to wear this hospital gown forever!

“I’m gonna miss you so much,” she said.

“We’ll still see each other,” I said, “I’m not planning on staying at the packhouse forever”

“What?” she said, shocked, “But you’ve got to. You’re our new Luna, Allie!”

I looked away, really not knowing how to answer her.

“Oh my God. You’re not thinking about rejecting him, are you?” she asked.

“At the beginning, I was going to, but the mate bond is making everything fuzzy. I can’t think straight, and my wolf is giving me a really hard time,” I explained. She didn’t look impressed. “I don’t know, Kayla. I don’t know what to do. He is nice and I don’t want to hurt him, but I don’t want to be Luna, and accepting him means giving up all my future plans.” I covered my face with my hands. I felt awful for thinking of rejecting him at first. The mate bond is getting stronger by the hour, and it would be too risky now to reject him. Kayla gently took hold of my hands and drew them away from my face.

“It’s ok, Allie. You are our Luna, and you can do anything, and everything, you want,” she said, a slow grin breaking out across her face, “You don’t have to give up anything. You are the most powerful woman in the pack now! He’s a good guy, give him a chance?” She actually made a good point. I hadn’t considered that being the Luna could help me set up a gym and teach classes, simply because it never entered my mind that my mate would be the Alpha’s son! Talking it out with Kayla Had definitely helped me see that things weren’t that bad. At least where my mate was concerned. The whole Lucien/siren thing was a whole other bunch of problems. Nothing could ease my anxiety about it, but I tried hard to remain positive. Melissa said that sirens are strong and fast. I just had to think of it as another combat competition, only now I have extra skills to help me win.

A knock sounded at the door, and Reece popped his head round the door. “Mind if I come in?” he asked.

“Sure,” I said, as a light fluttering feeling tingled in my chest. He walked over to the bed.

“I’m going to miss you so much,” Kayla said.

“Same,” I said, “I’ll text you, maybe we can plan a birthday treat for you next month?”

She nodded, gave me one last tearful hug and gathered her bag. I hadn’t realised how tired I was until a yawn took over my face, without warning. I covered my mouth with my hand to hide it.

“I better get going. You need to rest,” Kayla said, “Call me anytime.”

“She seems nice,” Reece said as the door closed behind Kayla. “Melissa told me how close you two are, so I had Cole go get her so you could catch up.”

Hearing his words stunned me. It was such a nice thing to do! For a moment I was lost for words. Maybe Kayla was right. Maybe he was a good guy. Knowing that he did something so nice just for me made me feel amazing. The fluttering in my chest got stronger and a rush of affection washed over me. The mate bond was getting stronger. I wanted to reach out and touch him, kiss him even. Before I realised what I was doing, my arms were reaching up, circling his neck, and I was pulling him towards me.

“Lana!!” I said, “Did you do that?” I heard her giggle in my head. Jerk!

“It’s what you want, isn’t it?” she replied. I ignored her.

As our bodies touched, a rush of heat flooded my core. My arms wrapped around his neck, and I buried my face into the crease, inhaling his scent. I felt his arms wrap around my waist and he squeezed me gently.

“Thank you,” I whispered into his ear.

“I’d do anything for you, Allie,” he whispered back. We stayed hugging for a few more seconds before he said, “You know, we’ll have to mark each other soon.”

I wasn’t expecting him to say that, and it took me by surprise. I pulled out of our embrace, starting to feel panic rising.

“Why?” I said, a little more desperately than I wanted. I know I was all over the place at the moment, swooning over him one minute, then freaking out the next. It was the mate bond messing with me. I was still torn between accepting Reece and rejecting him, although things were starting to become a little clearer. It was true that I felt completely safe with him, warm and fuzzy inside, and stupidly, sickeningly happy which, to be honest, I found quite worrying considering the threat of another attack on me or the pack.

The mate bond was making it extremely difficult to focus on the threat Lucien posed and the seriousness of the situation because all I seemed to be able to think about, or talk about, was Reece. As much as I thought I should be scared out of my mind that some crazy nutjob was hunting me down to kill me and extinguish sirens for good, I just wasn’t. I didn’t feel any fear at all. Maybe there was something wrong with me? I felt more fear at the thought of Reece marking me! By marking each other, we seal our bond forever. I still had a nagging feeling that I wanted to be free and the thought of being Luna was truly terrifying. But maybe Kayla was right, and I really could do all the things with my life that I had envisioned.

“Allie?” a voice broke through my daydream.

“Sorry,” I said, shaking my head a little, “I zoned out a little there.”

Reece just smiled sweetly and chuckled softly. I looked into his beautiful eyes, shining with laughter, and I felt guilty. I was being selfish. Most unmated she-wolves would do anything to become Luna. Virtually every one of them wanted to be Luna, because unmated females were naturally drawn to power. Being Luna was a blessing, and I hadn’t thought about that at all. Reece was doing everything he could to keep me safe and make me happy. He had been waiting for a mate for so long. It was widely gossiped about at high school that the Alpha’s son still hadn’t found his mate at 21. Some wondered if he ever would as ranked werewolves normally find their mate soon after they turn 18.

“Marking each other will mean we will be stronger as one. Our bond completing will make us both more powerful and in tune with each other. I think it’s the right thing to do right now, sweetie,” he said. I knew he was right; it was just a big step.

“When?” I asked nervously.

He gently pushed a strand of hair away from my face and planted it behind my ear, gently grazing my face and leaving a trail of flames. “Soon,” he said.

“But it’s too soon, I need more time. I’m not ready,” I protested, “We barely know each other.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted saying it.

His face dropped, and I knew I had upset him. But he quickly rallied and said, “Don’t worry, we will get to know each other. We will spend the day together tomorrow after we are done with training,” he suggested, softly stroking my wrist, calming me until the panic went away.

The longer I spent with him, the less I wanted to reject him. But how much of that was the mate bond and how much was true attraction? As I stifled another yawn, I realised how exhausted I was.

“You need to sleep,” said Reece, softly. I nodded in agreement and went to use the bathroom. A nurse had laid out a fresh gown next to the basin, which I changed into, brushed out and re-braided my hair and cleaned my teeth. Boy, I’ll be glad when I can wear my own clothes! I finished up in the bathroom and made my way back to the hospital bed and, feeling weary, I climbed in. It was surprisingly comfortable, and I sunk down into it, pulling the sheet up over me. It still felt a little awkward being alone with Reece, but that didn’t mean I wanted him to leave. His idea about spending the day together was actually pretty good, and I was looking forward to it.

The spare hospital bed that Melissa had used was still in the corner of the room. She was back in the cottage tonight. Alpha Spencer had sent guards with her so that she will be protected. I wanted her to stay with me again at the hospital, but she said she had some work to do looking up spells and potions to fight Lucien with. It kind of made me feel bad that everyone was working so hard to make sure I was safe, and I was lying around in a hospital bed doing nothing. I really hoped that I’d be released tomorrow. I needed some fresh air, and Lana had been bugging me to go for a run. I sunk down into the bed and felt my body relax and my eyelids felt instantly heavy. I heard Reece say “Sweet dreams” softly before I closed my eyes and drifted off into sleep.