Ember
” Mates or not, I have already made a vow to keep you safe. Nothing or no one will harm you”, he promised. His promise made me feel a lot better. I had more questions, but I covered my mouth as a yawn came from me. I looked at the time. It was approaching midnight.
” I have more questions,” I told him.
“I know, but you need sleep first. I will answer your questions tomorrow. Come”, he said, holding out his hand. I took it and followed him out of the mansion, back into his lambo. We drove off and I laid back, watching the streets fly past in a blur. I hadn’t even realized I had fallen asleep, but when I woke up, I was in bed, with the cover being pulled over me.
” Don’t go”, I said, sleepily. Carter looked at me, wondering if he should stay or not.
“Please”, I begged. Tonight was a lot to process, and I’m sure I would in my own time, but right now, all I wanted was to fall asleep with Carter next to me. My mate, as he called it. He took off his jacket and climbed into bed with me, wrapping his arms around me. He was warm and comforting. I snuggled against him.
” Goodnight, little red”, I heard, as I let sleep take me over. I woke the next morning to an angry alarm and an empty bed. I looked at the time. It was only six in the morning. I had about an hour before I had to get up for work. My apartment smells heavily of citrus. Carter must have recently left. I contemplated going back to sleep, and laid back down, but just as my head hit the pillow, the weight of last night’s events sent me into a full-blown panic attack.
What. The. Fuck…. I said to myself. Werewolves. Fucking werewolves. Who would have known? I did a Google search and tried to find information on them. The only things that kept popping up were stuff from movies and books. They really did a good job of keeping themselves secret. Who knew just how many wolves I passed on a daily basis? I took a shower and got dressed after washing my work uniform. I made a mental note to get more uniforms today. I saw a text from Carter.
Take some time off. I know last night was probably a lot for you, and you may be feeling emotional right now. Take as much time as you need.
Did he suspect me of cowering in my room all day? I didn’t want to stay home. I wanted to see him. He had to answer the rest of my questions, and whether Seth wanted to or not, he and I needed to talk as well. I heard a knock on my door and opened it. It was Jax. His eyes were down, and he would not look at me. He was waiting for me to make the first move.
” Jax”, I said. His eyes were still down.
“Luna”, he said to me. He was still waiting for me.
“Look at me”, I said in a commanding voice. As I said it, I felt something inside me stir. I blinked a few times because of that, as Jax raised his eyes to me in shock.
” I forgive you”, I told him. He smiled and reached out his arms. I hugged him. He pulled back immediately.
“You smell like Carter.” he said, sniffing the air in my apartment. ” So does your apartment. Did he stay here last night?”, he asked, coming in. I smiled.
“Yes, and before your pervasive mind assumes anything, we didn’t do anything. We just slept”, I told him, getting everything I needed to carry with me. He threw his hands up.
” Hey, I’m just shocked. You aren’t freaking out”, he said to me.
” Trust me. I am, but freaking out won’t change what is happening. The way I look at it is this. The world is still the same. The only difference is, I can now see what is going on in the shadows.” I told him, grabbing my keys so I could lock the door as we walked out.
” Look at you. All positive. The only human getting ready to walk in a den of wolves. “Jax jokes. I paused.
“Den of wolves?”, I asked.
“Yea, you didn’t know. Everyone that works at Moonlight is a werewolf of the pack, ” Jax said. We kept walking to the car. Well, that explains the strange glances or glares I received yesterday.
“Even Ivy”? I asked him as he took off.
“Yes. Unlike the fairytales, we are actually born, not bitten. No one has ever survived a bite from a werewolf. The venom from our fangs would kill a human, though I suspect it could be different for you, “he said.
Me? A Werewolf? “How so?” I asked.
“Our goddess mated you not to one, but two powerful Alpha males. These types of bonds are only created if you are somehow equal to them in power. I suspect maybe you have some hidden abilities we have yet to see,” he said. I pondered what he said while we made our way to work. If that were true, I would like to find out. Just what kind of powers would I have? My mind went to my mates. It sounded so strange to say it before, but now it is starting to feel sort of natural.
My mates. Carter. Sweet and caring. A natural protector. Then there is Seth. Hot-headed and much more of a fierce protector. Then there was me. Their human companion, given that he hates humans. Am I mated to him to be a lesson or a gift? Either way, I was not as weak as Seth probably thought I was. Knowing him, he was probably making some silly remark about me being scary since I’m human. I scoffed. Yea, we will see, Mr. Alpha.
Seth
“Fifty-thousand, says she doesn’t come back to work, she is only human after all”, I bet Carter. He had just come back home not too long ago, and Ember’s smell was fresh all over him. I could smell enough to tell they weren’t sleeping together. Just slept, but I was still irritated nonetheless. Even though I said I didn’t want her as a mate, the bond was fucking with my head in many different ways.
” She is stronger than you give her credit for. Look at all she went through with Ryder, and still managed to escape. She found her way here, to us”, Carter said.
“hmp. She found her way here because her daddy told her to come here. I wonder how he knew to tell her. Did Lamonte give you any hints his daughter would be mated with us before he left?”, I asked Carter. He shook his head.
“Ember would have only been a few months old at the time. I remember seeing her as a baby in his arms as he was leaving, and feeling a connection with her, but you and I were only two at the time. How could we even understand the connection? All I know is, every day since then, I have been looking for that void I lost, and now that she is here, I understand it completely. ” He said.
“Are you going to tell her the rest of the story?”, I asked him. We were both getting dressed for work. I had the pack stuff situated for now, so I was going to join and help with Moonlight.
” I am, if she even shows up. I was thinking you should tell her the rest though. I know you have this thing where you hate humans and blah blah blah, but I think you talking to her can do her some good. Plus, you can fool yourself, but I know you are already fascinated with her.” Carter taunted.
“Yea, yea, keep your imagination to yourself, lover boy”, I said, annoyed, because maybe he was a bit right about that and I hated myself for it.
” I am an alpha wolf, and one half of your soul. I know these things, bro”, Carter said, finishing up with his outfit and checking himself in the mirror.
” You never fail to remind me, ugh”, I said, smirking. I could still smell her scent in our room. It was a comfort to fall asleep in the night.
We arrived at work and smelled the air. Her scent was here but faded. Which means it was her scent from yesterday. I linked Carter who was in the office.
” I told you she wasn’t coming. You owe me fifty thousand”, I taunted, though in reality I was a bit disappointed. A small part of me thought I would be proven wrong.
” I suppose I do. I’m texting her to check in on her. Poor girl must be terrified, ” he said back. I went into the office to change into my kitchen outfit. We both kept spare suits and Chef’s outfits in the office in case we needed to change here.
“What did she say?” I asked.
“No response,” he said. It was nearing eight am, and we needed to start Moonlight. Just as we both walked out, we both paused as her smell engulfed our noses. Carter grinned.
“Looks like someone owes me fifty-grand, ” he taunted.
” Yea, whatever”, I told him. Secretly though, I was happy inside. I’ll give credit when it’s due. Maybe this human is a little different after all.
“Consider it paid, if you take her out after work today. I have some pack business I need to finish. Yesterday threw me behind and you know how I am falling behind. Given the situation, I told him okay. Though, is it for him, or is it for me? Fucking mate bond.