Fated From the Start

Babysitter

Harlow POV

I awoke tucked tightly in Ash's bed. Unlike the last time I'd woken up here it wasn't like waking from a bad dream, but rather like waking from a fantasy. I was the most well rested I'd been, well possibly ever. For the first time in four weeks I hadn't had a single wolf related dream or nightmare. I just slept like the dead.

I apparently slept so hard that I didn't notice Ash sneak out, taping a note to my forehead on his way.

Sorry love, as much as I'd love to be here for you to wake up to, duty calls. Text Cedar when you're ready to leave and he'll help you out of the house. I'll pick you up in front of your place at 6 for our usual Monday night date. 

~Yours Always Ash

*I love you Harlow* my usual morning wake-up text pinged through just as I jumped from the bed in pursuit of the bathroom. 

*I love you too Ashton* it felt good to actually respond instead of leaving him on read like I'd done so many times prior. 

*Did you get my note?* he replied.

*You taped it to my forehead Ash, how could I possibly miss that.* 

*it's a big room, I didn't want you to miss it ;) *

I stumbled into the closet to retrieve my clothes from yesterday and they were gone, but the side of the closet that had been barren just last night now held a small handful of my clothes. Set on a dresser in the middle of the room was my favorite coffee tumbler from home and another note.

Totty!

Ash had me run a small errand for you this morning. Will packed your clothes so hopefully she grabbed everything you need. She also made your coffee so it should be just to your liking. Text me when you're ready to go home.

~Your best friend Cedar

The boys had collaborated to fetch me clean clothes and coffee while I lay sound asleep in the world's most comfy bed, maybe I could get used to this Luna treatment after all. And since when was Will their doting accomplice? 

I got dressed quickly. Will had literally only packed my sluttier clothes and nothing comfy, so I pieced together a pair of painted on distressed jeans, a deep scoop tight tank top that more than showed off the girls, and thankfully she'd at least given me my chunky knit cardigan to go over it since it was Autumn. My shoe choices from her were only heels so I headed back to Ash's livin. room hoping to find the black boots I'd worn yesterday. Luckily, they were still next to the couch where I'd left them. I shot a text to Cedar real quick while I slid them on.

*Ready when you are.* 

By the time I turned to leave the living room I ran straight into Cedar's brick wall of a chest. 

"Damn that was fast." I let out with a groan.

"I literally live one floor down Totty, I can do fifteen steps in three strides." He said cockily, like somehow his mile long legs made him a superhero. 

"You live downstairs?" I had wondered who else lived in the monstrosity of a house but I honestly had no idea. 

"Yeah, the fourth floor is for the other ranked pack members. Technically Cy and I aren't supposed to live there, but we've been riding Cal's coat tails our entire lives and we don't plan to stop now."

We were headed for the garage as we talked. 

"What are ranked pack members?" I inquired. Apparently I was always going to be asking questions around here. 

"Well you know Ash is our Alpha, he leads the pack, but he can't do it alone. So he has a Beta, or second in command, which is Brice and a Gamma, or third in command, which is Callan. Because we're so close in age to Cal and also of the Gamma blood line, Ash gave Cypress and I almost like honorary rankings. I'm the head of pack security and Cypress handles a lot of day to day functions as well as the packs finances, we have authority over other pack members but still have to answer to Ash, Brice, and Cal if the time comes." Cedar explained. "And you little lady are a Luna, the most mighty of them all." He added with a wink and a jab. 

"Oh yeah, all bow before the mighty human." I said with thick sarcasm. 

"You don't understand yet Totty, but you really will have the power to bring us all to our knees." He said softly and reassuringly.

We reached my car that someone had moved into the garage for me, "All right, Cedar, I'll see you later."

"Nice try Totty, I'm to escort you home." He chuckled, knowing the protest I was about to put up. 

"If you ride home with me, how will you get back here?" I asked sternly, hoping I could get out of being babysat. 

"What if I told you wolves run really fast and really far and we quite enjoy it?" He was sassing me more than I'd ever expect from a full grown man. 

"I live in the city, you can't just run around like that!" I exclaimed. 

"Do it all the time Totty, don't you worry about me." he reassured with a wink. "Now are you driving or riding?" 

"I suppose if I have to take you with me I might as well take advantage of you, you drive." I turned to go around to the passenger side and he was already there holding my door for me. 

We talked and laughed all the way back to my apartment, this kid was really becoming one of my best friends. When we arrived he followed me up the stairs like he wasn't just inviting himself to my apartment. 

"Planning to hangout?" I turned to him with a raised eyebrow. 

"I can" he responded with a shrug as he followed me into my apartment.

"Don't you have to get to work or something?" I puzzled back, it dawned on me that in all the time we'd spent together we'd never talked about Cedar's job. 

"I am at work." He shot me a smirk. "I'm the head of pack security and you're my Luna who is off territory."

"Your job is to guard me?" I interrogated. 

"Since the day we met you," his smugness was quickly replaced with sheepishness. 

"So all the time we've spent together was a lie? You came to work with me all those nights on orders? You stalked me under Ash's instructions?" I was irate, I was an adult and certainly didn't need a goddamn babysitter. 

"Hey, Totty, relax please. My job is to keep you safe, how I do that is my choice. I spend time with you because I enjoy it, not because I have to. And Ash has no idea that I continued to protect you while the two of you weren't speaking."

"I don't need protected, I certainly don't need a babysitter!" I couldn't stand these men and their incessant need to treat me like some frail child. 

"Harlow, stop!" Cedar's usually playful demeanor was suddenly replaced with a stern intenseness. "There are still many, many parts of our world that you do not yet understand. One of those is that we are literally always at war. Ash runs one of the biggest and most successful packs in the world and you are his biggest weakness. It doesn't take a genius to know that harming you is the easiest way to get to Ash. Take an alpha out and you can take his pack. So stop the childish tantrum and understand that you are vulnerable, you are in danger, and I have a duty to you, my alpha, and my pack to keep you safe."

I just stared at him blankly. I'm certain he was not supposed to tell me anything he just had, Ash was doing everything he could to keep me from feeling like surrounding myself with wolves put me in danger. I was glad Cedar told me the truth, but how dare he call me childish.

"Excuse me for not understanding a world I didn't even know existed when no one is telling me things." I sighed in complete exasperation. 

I flopped over the back of the couch. 

"THE f**k!" Willow and I both screamed as I came crashing down on her body that was sprawled out on the couch.

"It's Monday, shouldn't you be at work?" I questioned her.

"I'm a person, shouldn't you get the hell off of me?" She retorted, shoving me hard. I expected the usual thud on the hard floor but instead I was swooped up in Cedar's arms, maybe I could get used to having a bodyguard. 

He placed me on my feet and fell back in a chair, making it clear he wasn't leaving. I suppose now that I knew he was always watching me he didn't have to lurk around to do so.