The Accidental Luna

Chapter 7: Word On The Street

Grace stuck out her tongue at Levi. She wheeled herself out of the room to have breakfast.

Vanessa sighed. She was free for now. The look Grace had given her was one of - we'll talk later when there'll be no intrusion.

"Good morning Levi, thank you so much," Vanessa smiled at him.

He looked so handsome. She wondered how she looked like. Her hands flew to her face to stop the color spreading on her flushed cheeks.

"You're welcome," Levi said.

"I thought something had happened when you didn't come early for breakfast," Levi regarded her.

"I'm ok. I just slept a little bit late last night. I guess this bed has some charms," a smile spread on her cheeks as she stroked the bedspread.

Levi nodded. Silence. Vanessa removed the bedspread from her body after some seconds of awkward silence. She shuffled on her feet and glided into her slippers while Levi watched her.

Vanessa wondered what she could say to reduce the tension in the room. Nothing came forth. She turned around to speak.

"Alright, I'll be leaving now," Levi said walking to the door.

"Wait," Vanessa's voice stopped him in his tracks.

He swung around. His expression was quizzical.

"Levi," she exhaled.

She wanted to say something. Something about them. She has been something for him but she didn't know how to say it.

"Don't you feel the bond between us?" She asked.

"What bond?" Levi pretended he didn't understand what was going on.

"I feel something between us and I know you feel it too. Aren't you going to say anything about it?" She was surprised he was acting this way.

Why did he always push her off each time she hinted at the topic? Why did he always act like he didn't know this butterfly feeling she felt in her?

"It's not fair, Levi," she said.

"I don't understand what you mean, Vanessa. Come down for breakfast before it gets cold." Levi said and turned out of the bedroom into the hallway.

Vanessa sighed in frustration. Of course he knew. He was faking pretence. She sat on the bed for a moment, gazing outside the green fields for a while. She wanted to use the moment to nurse her broken heart.

Then she stood up and arranged her bed. Placing the thick bed spread over her, she arranged the quilt on it before she entered a bathroom by the corner to have a quick bath. It was cold outside.

Vanessa rushed through her bath. She dressed up quickly in another cloth Ryan had ordered to be gotten for her. A wine A shaped gown with crisscross back. Then she took a brush on the dresser and ran it through her thick silver hair.

Vanessa dropped the brush and took a look at herself in the mirror. She was good to go. She traipsed out of the room with a rope of her gown playing in her hand.

She walked down the hallway into the living room where she could hear noises. Vanessa walked into the living room to see a almost filled table.

She walked towards them. Ryan wasn't at the table. There were people she had met on the night Ryan announced her as a new intake.

They all stopped talking and turned to her. Vanessa stared at them as they looked at her.

"Hey Vanessa, good morning," Ulah stood up from the table.

"Good morning, Ulah," Vanessa smiled at the lady she had taken a liking to on the first day. She was kind abs behaved well to her unlike the others who were angry that she was a new member who didn't go through the normal processes and was even new to Archwood.

Ulah circled round the table with a smile on her face

She opened her arms to hug Vanessa. Vanessa beamed at her as she embraced her. The hug was enough to set her mind at ease.

"Don't mind them," Ulah whispered into her ears.

Then she took Vanessa's hand and led her to the big table. Ulah made sure she had kept a seat by her side for Vanessa because the others hadn't really come to terms with being around.

"Good morning," Vanessa stared back at Hugh and Bryant who seemed happy to stare at her. Their looks made her nervous.

"Can't you reply? You both must be naughty. Do you want to get Ryan's bad side?" Ulah added, knowing quite well the effect that would have on them.

The duo looked at each other resignedly. That was true. Since the Alpha had accepted her, they could as well stop being acting up and get used to her being around. Moreso, she didn't seem harmful.

Hugh mind linked Bryant with what he thought. He had the special power to mind link anyone he wanted to in the pack. Bryant nodded and they both turned back to Vanessa who had picked up her fork to devour the lamb roast before her. She was hungry.

She hadn't even given them a second thought when they had ignored her greeting. She had other things to think of than the sassy young men before her who couldn't control themselves.

Things like why Levi was acting up. She clenched her fists and munched the food down her throat while Ulah stared at her.

"We are sorry for acting up. It's just that you are new here and we felt jealous that you had achieved what we couldn't within a short period of time.

"And what is that?" Vanessa dropped the fork from her hand. It clattered on the plate, causing a noise in the room.

Ulah jumped at her cold reaction.

"Are you okay, Vanessa?" She asked out of concern.

Vanessa huffed.

"Yes I am. I just need them to explain what they are talking about. What have I achieved within a short period?" She quizzed as she stared at them.

The food had lost its taste to her. She was tired of everyone acting up around her. Grace, Levi, these two and the others who weren't here.

Ulah shook her head slightly at them as they moved to reveal the truth. For a while now, the Alpha missed meetings and each time he made himself available, he was moody. You'd feel it in his voice.

However on that day he introduced Vanessa, he had sounded different from his normal self. She mind linked them, telling them not to say a word because her mood was bad.

"I'm sure that slipped from them, Vanessa. Don't mind the two," Ulah said.

Vanessa picked up her fork and ate her meal.

"We'll try making others come around. That punishment should be enough right?" Bryant spoke.

Vanessa took a sip from her cup of water. These two really knew how to bargain. She smiled at them. It wasn't bad, at least they had extended a hand to her. That was ok.

"You drive a hard bargain, Bryant. No problem." She said,

Ulah took the floor. She wanted to say something to ease Vanessa.

"What are you doing after you have breakfast?" Ulah asked, lacing her hands together as she spoke.

"I guess I'll read a book I saw last night" Vanessa said

"Why don't you visit the tavern? You'll find it interesting there," Ulah said.

Vanessa reasoned it. The first time Levi had taken her to the tavern, she hadn't had the time to listen to the good music, it was rumored to have, because of the incident.

"You can also catch in on the latest piece of information the tavern always has to offer. It is never boring," Hugh added

She wanted to avoid Levi for now until she could understand why he was behaving that way. Maybe this was the way for her to leave the house. She could even play around and come back later to have a nap. There were so many things she could do.

"And what about you? Why did you have breakfast here?" She asked them all.

"Ryan called us for a meeting," Bryant replied.

Vanessa finished the scraps of food on her plate. She spoke only after she had swallowed it.

"Just the three of you?" She quizzed and wondered why.

"Yes and don't ask us why because we don't know yet," Ulah said.

"How…" She was interrupted by footsteps in the room.

"Look who just came in," Ulah said

Vanessa raised her head to meet him. It was Ryan with his mask on. He regarded her for a moment.

"Good morning, everyone," Ryan greeted them and took his place at the table.

A maid came from the kitchen to serve him. He ate little and turned to them.

"Let us go to my study," he summoned them, standing up on his feet and not giving her a single glance.

She took sips of her water. Ulah bade her goodbye.

Vanessa stood up to go pick her shawl in her room. She donned it and walked out of the house to go to the tavern. She could do something while others busied themselves with their business too.