Awaken the Luna

Chapter 10: The Truth

I woke up to sunlight cascading into the room through the windows. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and stretched out across the bed. My hands and legs stretched out to feel the crisp cool sheets. I turned to face the other side of the bed but my hands didn’t find the same cool feeling, it was warm. My hands examined the area feeling the warmth that was being held there.

 The bed shouldn’t be warm on this side. I know I move in my sleep but not all the way across the bed. I placed my face on the pillow next to me and smelled it. His scent filled my senses, that amazing smell and my mind began to relax almost immediately. How could he have been here? Why was he here? 

I remembered last night, him transforming into a monster, into a wolf. Not just any wolf but the one from the woods that I was running from. Chills broke through my body and I pulled the covers around me tightly staring at the spot next to me where he had been. It wasn’t true, there is no way that a man can be a... wolf. It was a dream fed on by my fear and the wine. 

A light knock broke me from my thoughts and a piece of paper was slipped under. I stood and walked to the paper.

 Breakfast will be ready in 15 minutes. Please join me if you wish. - Cal

 Oh no, I can’t go sit at the same table as him again. Not after what I thought I saw last night, obviously the stress of my situation is getting to my mind. Maybe a shower can help me set my mind straight. I undressed and started a hot shower for myself. I began to search the drawers and found all of the items in the bag from yesterday. I pulled out a few things I needed, twisted my hair up into a messy bun, and began to rinse off in the shower. The hot water seemed to wash away my fears and uncertainty. My mind focused on Cal, his face, body, voice, his smell. I need to see him, to ask him about the woods and what I saw last night. 

The only way to know the truth is to face it head on. My dad always taught me to not back down especially if you believe in something. I know what I saw but there must be a better explanation. Thinking about my dad made me miss him, why did I have to leave home? I could be back home getting ready for the holidays. We had a small family but we still were thankful to have each other. Every year we went to my grandparents house and made all of our favorite foods. We made pies from scratch, while we watched the Macy’s Parade, the kids played football in the yard. I wonder if I’ll be able to see them this year or ever again. My plan was to be home for Thanksgiving. The grim feeling that I might not make it made my heart hurt.

 I turned off the water and wrapped up in a towel. Back in the bedroom I opened the dresser drawer and found some items to change into. I chose a pair of black leggings and a grey knit sweater. I left my hair in a bun making sure to mind the stitches. I cleaned off the left over make up around my eyes from the previous night. I felt more like myself with a natural and clean face.

 I went to turn the door handle and it surprisingly opened. It wasn’t locked and no one was outside the door for me. I stepped out and looked down the hallway in both directions. I could hear muffled voices down the opposite way we had gone last night. I walked slowly towards the direction of the sounds. The hallway led me to another turn where two French doors stood closed. The voices were louder and I couldn’t make them out completely but it sounded like multiple men and maybe a woman’s voice. I pressed my ear up to the crack hoping not to make myself known. 

“What are you going to do Alpha? If she doesn’t accept you as her mate we will be showing a weak link in the pack. Others may try to strike.” This was a man's voice. I knew it wasn’t Cal but I had only spoken to two people since I arrived. There was that word again... alpha. 

“She’s just a human James and a human from a region with none of our kind. This is a whole new world to bring into light for her. Not to mention her accident.” This was Alexis I could tell.

“Will you both shut up and let me think! I will not let everything my family worked to preserve be put in jeopardy James. I know my duty as alpha of the pack. I will do what needs to be done. Now please leave, I have a lot to do.” Cal did not sound happy. 

Oh crap footsteps! I moved away quickly from the door and rounded the corner. I pushed my back against the wall to take a breath hoping I wasn’t heard or seen. I hear the doors open but no footsteps or voices. This is my chance to make it down the hallway. 

“Come on in Wren. I know you're out there.” Cal’s voice was much lighter toned than a few seconds ago.

I could still walk away, he could be wrong, I could not be out here. 

“Ehem.” Cal was rounding the corner casually as if on cue to prove I was there. 

“Ummm good morning.” I put my hands behind my back fidgeting with my fingers like I always do when nervous. 

“Good morning”, he smiled down at me. “Are you going to come into my office or lurk around outside the door?”

My face was flushed I’m sure. I was caught even though I was trying to be sneaky. Cal turned back and walked into the room and sat down behind a huge oak desk. I followed him embarrassed at the events that had occurred. 

“So how much of that private conversation did you hear while you were out there?” His smile still didn’t fade. He was having too much fun teasing me.

“I’m sorry it was not my place to eavesdrop. I was on my way to breakfast and I heard talking and followed it to here.” I dropped my eyes to the floor feeling stuid for apologizing to the man keeping me here. 

“Wren, it’s fine you are my mate you will be a part of many meetings and important matters.” He motioned for me to sit down in a leather chair in front of his desk. 

“Who was the other person you were talking to, a man’s voice? Also where did they go I thought they were leaving?” I sat like I was told.

“James, my beta or in other words my second in command. They went through the other door.” He pointed to a door opposite of the french doors. “That door leads out to another main part of the house, the doors you found are a part of the house for family, my mate and myself.”

“James seemed to not be too happy about my being here.” I tried to gauge his reaction on how true it was.

“He is very happy you are here, you are the luna. I know you just learned about this last night but I promise he is. He is just worried about our bond and how difficult it has been to transition. Are you ready for breakfast? We can go down and eat, have some coffee, and talk more about what you saw last night.”

“What did I see last night? I don’t know what you mean.” I tried to play dumb but I knew he saw righ through me. 

“Come on let's go, we have a lot to talk about.” He stood from his chair and walked over and offered his hand to me. I took his hand and jumped again at the electricity pulsing through our touch. “I know it’s a lot to understand but if it helps ease your mind I feel the sparks too. It’s part of our bond, the magnet pulling us together and it will only get stronger every day.” He gave me a reassuring smile that melted my hard exterior and made me smile back at him. 

We walked down the hallway and down the stairs hand in hand. We were back in the grand dining room from last night. Breakfast was spread out across the table. “Wow, this is a lot of food for two people.” I was in awe of how amazing it all looked.

“Well after we eat some of the pack members will come take it to the pack house for everyone to eat later.” Cal grabbed two coffee mugs and began pouring us both  cups of coffee. “Go ahead get whatever you want.”

After pacing around the table I decided on blueberry waffles, fresh fruit, bacon, and eggs. It was the most amazing breakfast food I had ever tasted. The waffles almost didn’t need syrup; they were scrumptious. Cal watched me devour every bite of food on my plate with a smile that never faded. 

“That was so good.” I let out a sigh of content and leaned back on the sofa with my coffee.

“I am glad you are satisfied my dear. I know the cooks will appreciate how you marveled over the food.” He sat down next to me which made me recoil away. I still don’t know this man or why I am in such peace around him but for all I know he could be slipping something into my coffee or waffles. 

“Let’s jump right into it then, I know you saw me last night going into the woods.” he paused. “I want to talk to you about what you saw happen.”

“I saw you morphing into some sort of...a…” I struggled to find the correct words.

“A wolf. I’m a wolf, well a werewolf.” Cal said it like he was proud of the fact. “We are wolves here on our territory, our pack.”

I began to laugh which seems crazy to be laughing at this predicament I’m in but I don’t know how else to react. “So what all those movies and legends are true? You can’t be serious. It wasn’t dark yet so the moon wasn’t out and you changed last night and the moon wasn’t full.”

“Okay so there are some things about wolves that have been misconstrued in movies and books. But no the full moon doesn’t control our shift, we can change at will when we want to.” Cal stated matter of factly. 

I remembered why I was so terrified of not only seeing him shift into a wolf but because he was the wolf. "But you were the wolf, you were the one who was chasing me that night.” I wanted to see if he would admit to being the terrifying element of my nightmares.

“I was. I sensed you from the cliff and when I saw you I knew I had to get to you. My intentions weren’t to make you wreck your car and to cause you harm Wren I swear it.” His eyes were full of sadness and regret. The first time I had ever seen him show any weakness in his demeanor. He reached out to touch my leg to comfort me. 

 I recoiled my body away from his touch, I knew it would instantly make me calm in a situation I knew I should be furious over. 

“Please believe me, I never would cause you any harm or pain. It was a complete accident.” His voice was wounded from my actions. “You sure did give me a challenge in the forest though. I have never chased a human through the woods but you were quick and skillful that's for sure.”

“When you jumped into the river I was just about to reach you, I was terrified I had lost you forever just I had found you. When you came up on the other side of the bank I knew I had to get to you, to protect you.”

“Protect me? You are the reason I wrecked my car, you are the reason I was running through that godforsaken forest, it all comes back to you!” I was done being quiet. He was not about to sit here and make everything hunkydory when it was his actions that led me here. “And now you are keeping me here and not letting me leave? That’s your version of protecting me?”

Cal’s eyes lost their lightness and quickly faded to their dark blue. “You are my mate, mine. I apologized for the role I played in you being hurt but you do not speak to your alpha that way.” His body was hovering over mine trying to make me feel inferior to his broad figure. His face was only inches from mine as I sank deeper into the sofa trying to put distance between us. 

“I chased you, I caught you, and now I get to keep you.” he said almost as a whisper before he crashed his lips onto mine.