Two weeks...he only gave her two weeks to win the hearts of his pack. Looking over their faces now, she had a hard time believing the possibility of that happening. Sure, they were kind...welcoming, but they did not know who she was or what possible harm she could do. Their Alpha was taking a big chance on her. She hoped she would not let him down. The mating bond would devastate him if he had to let her go.
When Veirae had first explained to her about mates and their instant connection, she had smiled and listened, but inside, she was highly doubting that such a thing existed. Sure, she had a natural draw and attraction to Greyson when they first met but she had chalked that up to lust. But now, since he marked her, she couldn't stop thinking about him. She wanted him with her, every passing minute. The man was beautiful; perfection in every way and a wonderful leader to his pack. They were his family. Marie laughed softly at her own thoughts and shook her head. Christine would have rolled her eyes if she ever admitted that description of him out loud.
For the moment, she hadn't yet approached any of them. Her feet remained firmly planted on the stained wood of the front deck, toes barely teetering over the edge that would descend to the first step. Inside, her stomach was fluttering with nervousness. Yes, she had met them before, mingled, conversed, but she had not set out with the intention to win their hearts. And not with the same knowledge and curse that she now knew hung over her head. It was all so new to her. Greyson said his mark placed a leash around her metaphysical self, but they did not know that for sure. It could be possible that she was waiting for the perfect time. At least she didn't feel like she was fighting her true self. There was no lingering darkness or hatred. She felt like Marie.
With that warming recognition, she took the first step down and instantly caught air when her foot met ice and slipped out from under her. She braced herself for a hard fall, both eyes squeezing shut while her hands tugged from warmed pockets to stretch beneath her, palms flattened. The hard impact never came, odd.
One eye peeked up, followed quickly by the other when she found herself staring into the face of the man who tortured her those first few weeks. A tiny shriek slipped free as she struggled against his strong grip latched onto her upper arms. So he was her savior, fat chance she'd thank him.
"Please let me go." Her voice sounded meek as she tugged against his hold, sighing thankfully when he set her on the ground and stepped back.
Alec cleared his throat and looked away from her. He did not regret the way he treated her while she was being held with the suspicion of being a hunter. What he did regret, was their not discovering sooner that she wasn't. It would have saved them both a lot of grief and her fear of him. Not a great way to start a relationship with their Luna. Yes, they all knew. Their bond with the Alpha is strong, when mated they felt the connected link.
"Greyson asked me to accompany you today. Show you around some more." His eyes did not meet her face as he spoke. Both of them seemed more interested in their surroundings than each other.
Of course he would have to pick Alec to guard her. And what happened to the second one she'd requested? Surely the beta alone wouldn't be enough to stop her should her hunter's specter decide to take over? Needless to say, it was obvious both of them would have rather not been around the other. To her, it looked like he still did not trust her. To him, he felt like she would never forgive him. Both were unsure and anxious.
Knowing she could not complain, seeing as how she was trying to win their love, not make them detest her, Marie forced a smile and took a deep breath. "So...where to first then?" The bite of the winter wind forced her hands back into her pockets to warm again, hiding their inability to sit still. The shaking could not all be blamed on the cold. Alec's stern face remained as such, though his furrowed brow did relax a little bit with the sight of her smile. If she was trying, he could at least do the same.
"Stephany's house. She's a charming woman. Her mate was lost during a rogue attack several years ago. Most mates lose themselves when their other half dies but she stayed strong and took in the children who'd lost their parents to rogues or hunters." Alec started forward, glancing back at her quickly to make sure she stayed with him. The corners of his mouth ticked with affection for the woman he spoke about, Marie could not help but wonder if there was something between the two. "She also happens to make a mean omelet and I'm starving."
Their small journey was made in silence, allowing her to study her guard and the pack's land. He walked about like Greyson, long sleeve shirt and slacks. Before she had thought them crazy. Now that she knew their body temperatures were ridiculously high, she understood it. Even if it still looked a little odd. And were any of them unattractive? She had yet to meet an average looking male here. Even Alec, with her slight dislike of him, had an appeal that would make the women in the city swoon. Didn't help that he resembled Brad Pitt. When he looked back at her again, catching her appraisal, she forced her attention to their surroundings. His soft chuckle did not go unnoticed.
The community was larger than she had originally thought. Some of the homes were further out to give more privacy. She assumed it was because of their amazing hearing, they probably didn't want to hear each other at night. When Greyson had first told her, trying to express how important it was that she be careful with what she said, she had freaked out. Could they hear them? Did they already know what she was? It took a little while for him to calm her down. Promising that they hadn't. The Alpha's home was sound proof. There was sensitive pack information that just didn't need to get out.
"We're here."
Alec's voice pulled her attention back to him and the house they stopped in front of. It was only slightly smaller than Greyson's and he had the largest one. It was obvious that several additions had been done. Some of the wood didn't match the main unit. She could see where the owner made attempts in making it less obvious with the taller bushes where the walls met. Flower boxes sat empty beneath each window. She imagined they would look beautiful during the spring and summer months. Several clotheslines peeked from the side of the house, void of clothes during the winter months.
He had mentioned the orphaned children of the pack before, surely there were not that many? Even as she asked herself that, a group of them rounded the back of the house, older boys, wrestling. They had not changed yet, judging by their thinner frames. The fight was by no means gentle or playful. Both of the boys sported bloody noses and split lips. One of them had a cut on his forehead that gushed a stream of crimson. The sight of it made her blanch.
She opened her mouth, ready to ask him to break them up when the front door wrenched open and a tiny woman with a mass of red curls bounded down the steps. "Enough!" Her head barely reached the boys shoulders yet she managed to hook the necks of their shirts and pull them apart with ease. Both of them continued to struggle but instantly stilled when she growled at them. The sound even caused the hairs on the back of her neck to stand up. Stephany, she presumed.
"Get back inside. Charlie – you get the girls bathrooms. Eddy – you get the boys. Not a word! Go!" Marie watched in admiration as both boys bowed their heads, muttered a yes ma'am and trumped up the steps, disappearing into the house.
Her eyes watched the transformation in Stephany from a scornful mother to a warm and inviting woman. She reached up and smoothed down the wayward curls while a friendly smile spread across her beautiful face. Marie could definitely see why Alec seemed to hold affection for her. Her almost siren-like voice was definitely a plus and drew her in as the woman approached.
"You must be Marie. I'm so happy to finally meet you."
Instead of the offered hand for a shake that she expected, Marie was drawn into the woman's strong hold for a firm hug. There was something about this woman that made you want to melt against her contently. She had the motherly touch all women wanted. It made Marie wonder if she had any children of her own.
"Come inside, I just finished feeding the kids. Everything is still out for breakfast and I'm sure Alec is starving."
Alec's grumbling stomach made them all laugh as Stephany hooked her arm through Marie's and led her inside. "So Marie, please tell me more about yourself." She was definitely charming, knew exactly what to talk about. Avoiding the subject of her capture and recent mating was perfect. She wasn't ready to discuss them.
"Well." A seat was offered at a ridiculously large table, already cleared from their breakfast debris. Marie folded herself into one of the chairs and planted her forearms on the table. It was funny to watch Alec dance around Stephany as she prepared the omelet he so desperately wanted. Possibly using the watch as an excuse to be near her. The way he watched her made it seem like they were the only two in the room.
"I'm twenty-three. A graduate student...or...was rather. I was working on my master's degree in business operations. I have a knack for numbers and innovation. My creativity and research skills aided in my simplifying and improving protocols within companies. Once I graduated I planned on opening my own business, becoming a consultant. I'm not the type of person that can work for someone."
Both Stephany and Alec paused to look back at her with wide eyes. Alec froze with the first bite of his omelet dangling in front of him on the fork. She laughed softly and turned her hands out palm up. "What? Did you expect me to be some ditz? I may be emotional, but I assure you, my mind is intact and works very well." Stephany finished the second omelet and dumped it on his plate, rushing to take the seat across from her. The woman kept surprising her and did so again when she grasped her hands within her smaller warm ones.
"What's it like? In the city?"
Now, that, was definitely unexpected. Her gaze peeked up at Alec quickly. He shook his head. Not that it stopped him from scooping up another healthy bite of omelet. A piece of ham dribbled from his lips, left a cheesy skid on his chin and was lost to the floor. It's progression forced her to lift a hand to stifle the humored laugh. Trying to ignore the mess he was making, Marie turned back to Stephany with the intent to indulge her curiosities. Alec may get angry. But she still heeded his warning and did her best to dumb down her description. They did not like to entice their pack to venture outside, but she saw the excitement in Stephany's eyes and couldn't resist telling her a little bit about it.
"After living here for the past few months, the city does not compare to your home. However, the technology and comforts it offers most surely rivals. At night, everything is lit up. Buildings stretch for miles into the sky and change their lights at the top depending on holidays, occasions and seasons."
"Holidays?" Stephany's brow pulled down over her eyes as she tried to figure out what she meant.
"Christmas." With the look of continued confusion, Marie tried another. "Thanksgiving?" No...she didn't know that one either. Well, this was sad. "July fourth?" Another shake of her head told Marie that their pack didn't celebrate any holidays she knew of. "Do you have traditions? Something you celebrate every year at the same time? Other than birthdays."
"Oh yes. We celebrate mating, our moongoddess on full moons and we have a solstice every winter and spring."
"Alright, so, our holidays are similar to that."
"What else?" Stephany's interest was increasing with every word and though she could see Alec's leveled stare behind her, Marie couldn't help herself. Describing home was as close to home as she would get now.
"There is always something to do and so many opportunities. Last summer my best friend and I set up a month where we visited one attraction and one restaurant every night. At the end we realized we still had not seen everything the city had to offer. It was an eye opener for two girls who grew up there."
Marie smiled at the woman who was barely able to contain her bouncing form in her chair. She did not realize the repercussions for showing delight in the outside world. The warning growl from Alec had her gaze lifting again to meet his stern glare. She returned it as if to tell him she wasn't done yet.
"But, there are several hidden dangers as well. Everywhere you go there is a homeless person waiting with a cup, cold and starving. There are murders, assaults, drugs. Our city has one of the worst schools in the nation. Families don't feel safe in their own homes. Most lock themselves inside at night and often have alarms to alert to anyone trying to break in." She felt bad as she watched the woman's face fall and drew back as Alec flung his arm around the redhead's shoulders.
"Your omelets were to die for as usual." Marie noticed his lips lingered a little longer than necessary when he pressed them to Stephany's cheek. But it helped to pull the woman out of her slump. She in return reached up to pat his cheek and smiled. "You always say that. I think it's because you don't get a home cooked meal at home."
Well that answered her suspicions. Either he was unmated or his woman was terrible in the kitchen. Judging from most of the women in the pack that she had met...she'd go with the unmated factor. She made a mental note to ask him about it later...if he'd even talk to her.
"Can you cook Marie?" Brown eyes dipped to the ground for a minute before lifting back to the red head. She was certain she was asking to make sure Greyson's woman could care for her Alpha.
"Haven't really needed to. I lived with my parents while attending school. My mother stayed at home; she cooked for me." Talking about her parents caused a lump to form in her throat, even as she fought to swallow it she could not stop the tears that started to cloud her sight. Stephany quickly recognized the signs and stood, collecting Marie's hands once more to tug her from the chair.
"None of that. Here...I'll teach you. Let's start with scrambled eggs. They are easy and I think Alec could go for another round."