The Solitary Mate

Chapter Six

It was a long shot but sure enough the Luna did not disappoint and fulfilled my request. I was now the proud owner of a blow-up mattress. My thought was I could gift it to James but really without a room there was no purpose in him having it. It was too large for any pack hallway, but it fit perfectly in my room a few feet from my bed. Thankfully it came with two pillows as well as a set of sheets and a comforter, it looked arguably as comfortable as my own mattress. If I would ever invite James to use it was the real question.

I spent the rest of the day arranging my things in my office space. A few pack members working in the medical wing stopped in and introduced themselves and offered their services if I ever needed it, Beta Scarlett was one of them. I made frequent visits to the kitchen with the excuse of needing coffee or snacks but in reality, I was looking out the window at my mate.

From what I could tell James really was one of the strongest warriors. His blows appeared powerful and confident and although his body was covered in sweat he still moved with ease. The only indication that he may be tired were his quick breaths. Once he had removed his shirt it became physically painful to look away from his form but somehow, I managed.

When dinner came around I searched for James but like breakfast he was nowhere to be seen. Tonight's dinner featured steak and it was easy to see from everyone's heavy plates that food would be running out sooner rather than later today. After making my own plate and setting it down by Candice and Stephanie along with their mates I went back and made a second plate piling it with steak, mashed potatoes, green beans and carrots.

"Stocking up for later?" Candice asked while staring wide eyed at my large second plate. I placed a napkin over it and picked at my own plate not feeling like eating it until James had arrived.

"I wanted to make sure James had something to eat in case food runs out." I kept my eyes glued to the kitchen door, my senses on high alert in case he entered the room.

"That guy is always late, he hates being around the pack." This voice came from Candice's mate, his name was Ben and he was definitely the louder of the two. Candice cringed at his tone and glared at him in response. I wasn't quite sure how to respond but I tried to remain pleasant.

"That might not be the case." I lightly protested, and nobody said anything against it. Although I hadn't heard it confirmed by James it seemed that he had a difficult relationship with many pack members. I doubt he feels familiar enough with me at this point to explain it.

I felt my heart flutter in my chest as my nose picked up a delectable scent. I sat up straighter, my eyes scanning the room until they landed on James as he entered from the kitchen door. Like with breakfast the room quieted slightly and I saw more than a few gazes turn in his direction. Some looked down right critical while others look anxious. As he reached for a plate I quickly grabbed both of the plates I had made and stood from my seat.

"I'll see you later!" I called quickly and a received a combination of waves and smiles from the people that were slowly becoming my friends.

"Good luck." Stephanie said, and Candice followed up her encouragement with a quick wink. I rolled my eyes but smiled anyways. As I approached James' hand halted over the spoon of vegetables and his eye landed on me and then the plate of food I had prepared.

"I made you a plate in case they ran out of food." He stared at me a moment longer and then turned back to the vegetables piling them on his plate.

"You didn't need to do that I can feed myself." He moved further down the line scraping what was left of the mashed potatoes from the pan. It was crusty and dry from being stuck at the bottom.