Crowned Wolf (Original)(Completed)

Thirteen

 Audrey sighs for the billionth time as she lays next to Nathan on his bed with a wet ice pack sitting on her stomach. She's tried to get up and leave in hopes of meeting up with Luke and demanding to know everything but he's kept her there using his all mighty alpha force. She honestly didn't want to ignore it either. She's grateful for his attention and care. Even now, when he can get up and leave while ordering her to stay here and rest, he choses to lay beside her in the quiet even if they aren't on the best of terms. And she's grateful for that. Really. At the same time though, she's angered by it. He doesn't need to go to such extremes. It's only a big bruise and it'll heal and there are more pressing matters that she needs to see to.

She needs to speak to Luke as soon as possible. She can't believe that he's planning on finding support groups for the monarchy behind her back, without even hearing her opinion. She's one of the most important players when dealing with the monarchy after all. He should've told her right away what he was planning. Instead, she has to find out through her number one enemy and mate, Nathan. She definitely did not want him finding out anything about her part in the monarchy. That is a dangerous road she dared not tread on.

Her words on the subject seems to have upset him. As she peaks at him from the corner of her eyes, she sees he's glaring into space with a wrinkle on his brow as he thinks long and hard. He hasn't spoken to her since he told her of Luke's plans but she can sense the tension rise off him like steam on freshly watered hot rocks.

That's another thing. The tension of just being next to Nathan like this makes her want to scream. She feels like she's being split into two. His presence both calms her and frustrates her and she can't seem to make up her mind about which she likes more. She can feel his body heat rising off of him and fights with herself every second to restrain herself from him. Half of her wants to cozy up next to him and see what it would be like to really lie with him but the other half quickly chokes on these thoughts and keeps her in lockdown. Her nonexistent wolf is fighting with her for it. Her muscles tense up every time they relax and she's worried that in reaction to her inner war with her inner wolf, her body might do something without her permission and then her mind can't help but replay the dream she had last night.

They can't be this close already. They aren't even on good speaking terms. How the heck was he able to sense her emotions through her sleep last night and know exactly what she was dreaming about to tease her this morning? Why is he protective of her all of a sudden when the other day he was nothing more than a ranting kid who got rejected by his supposed true love? She can understand the jealousy he has towards her relationship with Luke. She can't exactly explain that without spilling all of her secrets. She can understand the possessiveness that comes with being an Alpha and a mate. His wolf wants her badly and she can sense that. She can understand the poor attempts of wooing her are due to losing control to the beast and she knows that if it were just the wolf, she could learn to forgive the beast for the past and move on. But it's Nathan too and Nathan doesn't like her. Still, she can understand all of these things. But why, when he didn't even want her, is he acting like she's important to him? Like he's already marked her and claimed her Luna? He didn't even say anything with Millis addressed her as Luna - unlike Leon, who received a growl in return. 

She sighs again, throwing the ice pack off her stomach completely and he turns to face her.

"What's your relationship with Luke?" He asks swiftly, his voice hiding an edge to it she hadn't heard before. Her heart skips a beat but she can't tell if it's because of his question, his voice or both. Either way, she didn't like the question, she found the voice attractive and she's not sure if she can handle much more of both.

"What's it to you?" She replies, folding down her shirt as she sits up and crosses her arms over her chest. His eyes stay focused on hers as he stares sharply at her. She gulps with nerves and again is thrown into a whiplashing storm of excitement or fear.

"Despite that Luke's pack is merging with my own, we aren't friends. You're my mate first before you're his friend; that I will make sure of."

Her stomach flutters, her heart jumps and her cheeks feel hot when she realizes that he called her his mate. He never truly addressed her as such. He always said she'd have to prove she was worthy and that she didn't have the right to reject him. But now, here, he called her his mate.

I don't think he realizes what he's doing to me.

But then she turns angry. She has too much going on with Luke to drop him like a dead bird and side completely with Nathan. Luke knows everything and if Nathan ever got wind of it all, he'd only use her. She would never accept him if he knows everything. She wouldn't be able to trust him.

She turns to face him completely and sharpens her eyes to make her point clear. "Luke has been my friend longer than you have been my mate - which is still unofficial anyway. If anything, I'm his friend before I'm your mate."

"Just answer the damn question." He demands, his voice raising a hair from her own angered one. She sighs, looking away as she rolls her eyes. Her hand reaches out for a pillow and she sits it in her lap. Her fingers find a loose loop of string and starts to mess with it as she thinks carefully about what she can say. Not addressing it would only cause more of a rift and she rather likes this peaceful quiet with him. If giving him some kind of answer means she just has to deal with this peace for a few more days, she'll do it.

"Luke and I are very close friends. There are a few people outside of my pack that I would trust my life with. He's the first person on that list." She notices his frown getting deeper and his mood turning darker. She can hear his wolf growling and snarling under his skin while his eyes dark black. She quickly whips up something to say in hopes of calming him down. "He's like an older brother for me and Ralph, my real brother. His mate, Rachel, is like my older sister."

"How long have you've known him?"

"I met him shortly after I met you - after you tortured me." His eyes widen for a second and then he turns away from her, frowning at particular spot on the opposite side of the room. She can hear his wolf whimper and feels apologetic to him. She knows he's filled with more than enough regret. "He and his cousin saved my life in more than one way."

He stares hard at her now, his eyebrows crunching together as if he's trying to read her mind. She knows that unless he marks her and claims her as his, it's impossible for him to penetrate her thoughts. Still, she waits for him to ask something else, hoping he doesn't ask too much of her. They're slowly treading on dangerous lines now and she doesn't want to involve him any further than he needed to be. Instead, she stares back into his now brown eyes, hoping to somehow deviate him.

It's a strange sensation that crawls over her skin then. She can feel that familiar string tugging at her heart but it isn't as persistent as before. It doesn't hurt. She's glanced into his eyes before but he always seemed to be angry or upset with her. Now, he's simply staring and his eyes are much lighter than before. They are practically incandescent with gold specks and an earthly muddy brown color circling the irises. She feels like she's looking at someone else. She's peering into a different Nathan Moore and it makes butterflies flutter deep inside her.

He opens his mouth to say something but a knock at the door stops him. She finds herself wishing he'll ignore it and say it anyway.

"Alpha?" Leon's voice called casually and calmly. "You've got a phone call in your office from Sullivan."

"Hold her off." Nathan calls back, sitting up. Audrey reaches out, unsure of what is driving her to do so, and sets her hand on his arm. He looks down at her incredulously as she gently pulls him down and reaches up. She doesn't know what she is doing when her lips press against his cheek softly but by the time she realizes how stupid that move was, she pulls away. She locks her eyes onto the pillows in front of her and clears her throat, her fingers twitching with each other in a nervous fit.

"Thanks," she mutters weakly, refusing to make eye contact with him. "For the ice..."