Fated From the Start

Breakfast with the Fam

Ash POV

"You keep walking around looking like that and I'm not going to be able to keep taking things slow." Harlow's voice piped up sleepily from her spot in the bed. I'd just gotten done showering off the morning pack workout and was tiptoeing to the closet with just a towel wrapped around my waist. Apparently I'd failed at not waking her. 

"Don't let me slow you down," I quipped back playfully, changing my trajectory to the bed. Before she could respond I captured her in a deep kiss. God this woman was mesmerizing. Before I realized what was happening we were rolling around in the bed, lost in passionate kisses, my hands roaming every inch of her soft supple skin. My self control was quickly fading. 

"I want you." I breathed huskily in her ear, before trailing kisses down her neck to the spot where I prayed she'd one day wear my mark. I grazed my teeth on her skin, instinct and desire battling their way to the surface. 

"I want breakfast," she replied with a smirk. This woman would be the death of me. 

"Gaaaahhhh, Harlow Eslynn, I am going to completely destroy you the second you give me the green light." I groaned low in her ear. 

"Exactly, which means I won't be able to walk down to breakfast, so you have to feed me first." She was toying with me and loving every minute of it. I really wasn't sure this girl had a serious bone in her entire body. 

"You said first, that means after I feed you I can finally ravage this body of yours." Two could play her game. 

"We'll just have to see..." she arched her eyebrows at me as she trailed off. 

"Let's put clothes on and go see what's on the docket for breakfast." I finally murmured in defeat. 

A few moments later we were headed down to the kitchen and Harlow was practically happy dancing at the idea of food, she was going to die when she saw what a pack breakfast actually included. Before we even reached the kitchen the smell of bacon and french toast hit us and Harlow looked awestruck, audibly moaning as it filled her senses. Once we made our way to the kitchen you could see the complete smorgasbord set out on the dining room table that about 30 wolves were starting to go absolutely ham on. Pack meals were served family style in the commons and anyone that wanted to join could, it usually solicited about 30-40 people. 

Much to my pleasure, everyone was too engrossed in their food to notice us come into the room. We made our way to the area of the table inhabited by all the ranked members and found two seats saved for us between Brice and Cedar Harlow of course plopped down happily next to Cedar and started instructing him to use his gangly ass arms to fetch her the food she wanted. 

I sat between Brice and Harlow and imagined what every meal would be like this way. I loved how seamlessly Harlow was becoming a part of our everyday life. I mean hell, today she was up three hours earlier than normal just to partake in pack breakfast. 

"There's my big strong man," Maeve cooed as she drug her nails across my back. 

"f**k off Maeve." I growled back in complaint with our usual back and forth. 

"But baby, you smell like a human for some reason, let's go grab a shower together." She continued with her antics and I was instantly livid, this may be the day I actually end Maeve for her bullshit. I stood from the table to rip her a new one, but before I could open my mouth to speak I saw that Harlow had stepped in front of me. 

"b***h he said f**k off. Keep your nasty, skanky, little claws to yourself." She snapped at Maeve giving her a hard shove. I was honestly impressed. Last week she couldn't talk to wolves and this week she was ready to throw down with one. 

"I figured out why you reek like a human, did you really bring some random piece of meat home with you?" Maeve scoffed, disregarding the tiny, fuming, Harlow between us. 

"This random piece of meat," Harlow's voice was short and she clipped each syllable, absolutely and viscerally angry, "is his fated mate and the soon-to-be Luna. Step the f**k off or I will have the skin removed from your body with a vegetable peeler." And just like that she had outed us to everyone and honestly I was super turned on by her fearlessness. 

"Really? Slumming it with a human instead of what you could have with me? She can't even give you a suitable heir! At least with me our next Alpha wouldn't be some hybrid mutt." Maeve was still speaking directly to me like Harlow didn't exist and wasn't threatening her life. Brice, Cal, Cy, and especially Cedar were on their feet now and ready to defend their Luna. 

"ENOUGH!" Harlow boomed, and the whole building fell silent. It was as if she'd already found her Alpha tone, despite not being a sworn Luna yet, not even Maeve's rampant mouth made a noise. "You will not continue to disrespect me by pining after my mate, pretending I'm not even here, and slandering me simply because I am human. I will not further disrespect myself by allowing this back and forth to continue. Keep away from Ash, he's officially spoken for, go find some other low hanging fruit to latch on to. Or better yet Maeve, go find your mate, it truly is an amazing feeling." Harlow's voice no longer reverberating with anger, but instead was firm and unwavering yet completely calm. I'd seen my mom address members of the pack in this manner before, this was full Luna setting. Harlow turned to return to the breakfast table, now utterly dismissive of the whole mess.

"And Maeve, get used to the reek of human around here. I'm not going anywhere honey." Harlow tossed the comment back over her shoulder with a smirk. The guys and I were at a loss, we were still seething with hatred for the things Maeve had said and here Harlow was making wise cracks with a smirk on her face while piling bacon on her plate. 

"Back to breakfast everyone, this scene has stolen enough of our time and our food is getting cold." Harlow called out to the crowd and like pushing play on a paused movie, everyone went back to what they were doing. The guys even simmered down and returned to their plates. Harlow already had a way with her people. 

"You are incredible" I murmured as I kissed Harlow's temple while sliding back into my seat next to her.

I heard Maeve's heels clunk angrily down the hallway and away from us as I sat in utter amazement that Maeve hadn't had any further retort. I was also amazed that no one else present at pack breakfast seemed to question what Harlow had said about being the future Luna. They waved and smiled at her, doing their best to make her feel welcomed, but not a single person questioned us. I was beyond relieved. 

"You told Maeve you're not going anywhere; does that mean you're moving in?" I playfully questioned Harlow as we headed back upstairs. 

"In due time my love," Harlow smirked, knowing her vagueness would kill me.

As we reached our private floor I swept Harlow up in my arms devouring her in kisses. "You insinuated some extra curricular activities after breakfast." I grumbled into her ear before kissing down her neck to her marking spot. 

"Oh, but the torment of making you wait is so fun for me. Plus don't you have work you should be doing?" She eyed me curiously.

"I'm literally in charge of everyone, if I want to slack off to spend time with my girlfriend, who's going to stop me?" I mimicked her curious look.

"I am, I can't have everyone hating me because I distract you from the important things" she rebutted.

"You are the important things, everything else is secondary." All joking in my voice now gone, I would never stop making sure Harlow knew exactly how important she was to me. 

"Well according to your mom I'm supposed to be your perfect balance. Today I'm going to perfectly balance you by making you get work done. Go do pack things until lunch at least." She was soft, but firm in her instruction, I knew I wouldn't win if I tried to argue. She really was going to be so good for me.

"What are you going to do while I work?" I questioned her. She may have handled herself impeccably well at breakfast, but I certainly wasn't ready for her to be gallivanting around the territory unaccompanied yet. 

"I'm going to wander around up here and decide where all my stuff will go, make a shopping list for stuff we need to make this feel less like a bachelor pad, and then I'm going to make Cedar take me shopping." She was feigning nonchalance, like everything she was saying was no big deal.

"Well then you'll need this." I handed her the bank card I'd ordered with her name on it, two could play this nonchalant game. 

"Who's account is this linked to?" She interrogated.

"Ours." Still as cool as a cucumber. 

"WE don't have a bank account, you have a bank account and I have a bank account. So how is my name on your card?" She was getting accusatory. 

"WE do have an account together now, therefore it's our money and you can spend it as you please. " I shrugged, but I was elated with my loophole.

"Putting my name on your account doesn't make it our money Ash. I don't want your money." She was firm, the joking gone from her voice entirely. I don't understand why she's so hung up on not taking my money.

"Can we at least agree that when you're buying things for us or the house or the pack that you will use this card? I won't fight you on the rest of it for now, but please, if you're going to go buy stuff for OUR home use OUR money." Compromise, compromise was good, right?

"Fine." She was reluctant to say the least.

"So when are you moving in?" I asked emphatically, trying to bring the lightness back to her mood.

"In due time my love." She repeated her line from earlier, but her bubbliness didn't quite return. 

"I love you Harlow, I want you to have everything you could ever dream of. I know we won't always see eye to eye on things, but I'm never going to stop trying to give you the world." I decided to try a more serious approach, wrapping her in a tight hug as I spoke. "This is going to be our home, our pack, our family; it's all ours, together. I'm not trying to buy you and I know you're not with me for the money, please don't let the money continue to be this big hang up for us." I felt Harlow's body relax against mine.

"I've always worked really hard for everything I've ever had and it's still never been much. Taking money from you feels like a handout or like you pity me." She whispered, the topic obviously a tough one for her.

"Harlow, I give it to you because I can and because in my head it's already yours, no other reasons, I promise." I squeezed her tight and felt the last of the tension fall off of her. "Now go figure out how you're going to redecorate everything and then come tell me all about it."

Her beautiful smile had finally returned to her face and I could breathe a little easier. While I was grateful to be able to address these things head on and early in our relationship, it didn't make it suck any less to have to.