Noah shoved his hair back with impatient hands. He was on a call with Harvey in his home office.
Noah had had lunch with Lillian and the twins surrounded by pack members. She sat next to him while he told her about what happened six months ago, her scent teasing his nose, her arm brushing his and her entire being focused on his every word. He had wanted to keep talking just to keep her bright blue eyes fastened on him.
She left with the twins, and Noah had to get back to business. Now, sitting in his office with Harvey on the phone, Noah resisted the need to push everything away and go after them.
Benjamin paced in Noah's office. He'd come a little while after lunch to discuss a joint patrol schedule.
"The Council will convene in a fortnight," Harvey said through the phone. "Only Arthur and Venus from the Five will be in attendance."
"Do you know if Venus managed to break the hex in Santos' mind?" Noah asked.
"She did," Harvey replied. "However, I don't know what came out of it. I can ask Arthur, if you'd like to know."
"I would, thank you."
"I'll see what I can do," Harvey said, then his voice lightened. "How's Lillian? Have you reconciled yet?"
Benjamin snorted. Noah's grunt made Harvey chuckle. "You keep your nose out of my business, vampire."
"Oh, I don't think so. You're one of the hardest people to tease. Many will be using their leverage now that it exists."
Benjamin nodded his agreement from where he stood by the window.
"Is that Noah?" he heard a familiar voice through the phone. Elle.
"Yes," Harvey replied. There was a rustle, then Elle's cheerful voice filled Noah's ears.
"Noah, you asshole! I didn't know you got yourself a mate."
Noah sighed. "Not yet."
"Oh, shut up. You'll win her over by your gentle disposition and sunny charms in no time at all."
Benjamin and Harvey barked out a laugh. Noah growled.
"Can't wait to meet her. I'll attend the Council meeting just to see her, you know. I hate those snobby meetings," she grumbled. "Oh, by the way. The person you were coming to see the other day isn't doing so well these days. I'll let you know when she's lucid enough to make sense."
Noah appreciated Elle's cryptic words. He didn't want others knowing about the White Stag and Lillian. Not yet. "I appreciate it."
"Take care, Noah. Gotta go kick a certain vampire lord's ass. See ya."
Elle's wild energy disappeared, and Harvey was back on the phone. "I'll see you at the meeting. Are you going to represent the Alphas in your area?"
"Hell no," Noah growled.
"It's between you and Benjamin," Harvey said. "Settle it out and let me know. I've been assigned the delightful task of coordinating between the races. Let me know who'll be representing."
Harvey hung up, and Benjamin gave Noah a withering stare. "I am not representing."
"Both of us will be attending, anyway. You might as well do the speaking."
"No."
Noah stood up. "Only one way to settle this, then."
Benjamin grinned and preceded him to the door. "You're on."
It had been a while since the two alphas sparred. There were very few people in the pack who made a challenging fight for Noah, his brother and Jake included. But sparring with Jensen or Benjamin was always welcome. It pushed his limits. Which was why he made it a custom to have a session with one of them once in a while.
They walked to the training ground, Benjamin catching the eyes of more than one unmated, interested female. Noah caught him winking and growled low in his throat.
"Keep your damn dick out of my pack," Noah said, shooting the playful alpha a death glare.
Benjamin grinned, unrepentant. "Hey, I'm just looking."
Right. Noah almost scoffed. Benjamin was notorious for his extensive interest in bed sports. With his charms and looks, he never lacked bed companions.
Noah couldn't understand how he could do it, being in relationships he knew would not go anywhere, jumping from one woman to the other. Noah himself wasn't a saint, but he had always kept his sexual activities to a strict minimum, had never been in a relationship before.
And now that he'd met Lillian, he wished he could take it all back. She deserved the world, but was stuck with him. And Noah was a selfish bastard, he would never give her up.
The training grounds would be getting crowded as the day waned on. Noah led Benjamin to a ring on the edge of the grounds, away from the bulk of people, but he knew it was only a matter of time before curious wolves flocked around them.
Rubbing his hands excitedly, Benjamin faced Noah with a grin. "Alright, let's do this."
No preliminaries needed, Benjamin lunged at Noah from across the ring. Noah felt the familiar rush of facing an opponent who could easily put him on his ass. He dodged to the side. Benjamin skidded on the dirt, but managed to turn around and stretch his leg in a kick toward Noah's ribs.
Noah grabbed the other alpha's leg and pulled him in. A curse from Benjamin. He slid, barely getting his hands underneath him to keep his back from the dirt, and kicked with the other leg, nicking Noah's chin. But that put his other foot in Noah's grasp.
Noah lifted him like a sack of dirt and swung him around, hitting the ground with Benjamin's body. The crack of bones was loud and ruthless.
"Son of a -" Benjamin swore through gritted teeth, climbing to his feet. He shook the head that had just made contact with the dirt.
Noah's lips twitched. The two men circled each other, aware of the growing audience. Being the more impatient of the two men, Benjamin lunged first again. Noah braced himself, parting his legs and lowering his stance. Except Benjamin went low in the last second and slid between Noah's legs, catching him in the lower back with an elbow. Noah snarled and whirled around.
They went blow for blow, cracking bones and painting their bodies with bruises that would soon disappear. He should do this more often, Noah thought, dodging a right hook from Benjamin. Exhilaration sang through his bones and warmed his blood.
At some point in their fight, Noah's entire being grew aware of the weight of one particular gaze. But so did Benjamin. The blond alpha put distance between them after enduring a blow to the gut. His blue eyes flickered to someone over Noah's shoulder, and he grinned.
Noah bared his teeth, knowing Benjamin was up to no good. He charged at Benjamin first. Catching him off guard, he managed to nail him in the shoulder. Then Benjamin moved forward, only to zip past Noah. Confused, Noah turned to find him standing on the edge of the circle, right next to a surprised Lillian.
Brown hair in a messy ponytail, strands sticking to her sweaty face, she must have been training with Kate.
Then Benjamin bent down and kissed the corner of her mouth.
Several gasps filled the air, followed by a ghostly silence. Noah's wolf lunged at the reins. He knew that Benjamin was teasing him, trying to rile him up, but it did not help him calm down. Noah's growl moved the pebbles under his feet.
Lillian took a small step back, Blinking up at Benjamin. She glanced at Noah, realizing the other alpha's intention.
The next instant, Lillian did something that diffused the thick tension suffocating the air. With Benjamin's back to her, he didn't see her stretch her leg in a graceful kick aimed at the back of his knee with a skill that spoke of hours of training under Kate's watch.
It caught Benjamin right on the back of his right knee, wiping the grin off his face and sending him kneeling on the ground. Noah felt a twinge of pride.
"Jerk." Her mumbled insult rang in the air.
"Damn." Benjamin jumped to his feet, his eyes still on Noah. "Okay, I deserved that one."
A few snickers, some full out laughs, and proud smiles shot in Lillian's direction. Noah's wolf calmed down a notch, but not enough to not tear into Benjamin.
They resumed their fight with a bloody intensity. The crowd hooted their excitement as Noah and Benjamin matched blow to blow, shredding skin and breaking bones and drawing blood. They ended their fight in a draw, Noah's claws around Benjamin's throat, and Benjamin's fangs a hair's breadth from Noah's jugular.
They parted, both of them reluctant and out of breath. Noah pushed his hair back and wiped the trickle of blood from the punctured skin of his neck.
"Asshole," Benjamin mumbled, rolling his arm back with a wince.
"Jerk," Noah said, repeating Lillian's earlier insult. "And you're going as the representative."
Benjamin smirked. "Fine. Just because I got a sweet kiss from Lillian."
He dodged Noah's punch.
The crowd dispersed, discussing the fight. Benjamin looked over his shoulder at Lillian. "Hey, doll! Nice kick."
Lillian chuckled, shook her head and walked away with Kate.
Noah growled when Benjamin continued to look over his shoulder, at Lillian's backside.
"Don't, just don't," Noah snapped, having had enough of the other man's teasing. "I'm seriously a second away from letting my wolf out on you."
Benjamin's gaze slid away from Lillian to Noah. "Hey, Harvey's right, you know. All my life I never managed to get a reaction out of you. You can't blame me now that I've found the right button to push. Deal with it. Lord knows you've teased me enough, you and Jensen."
Noah grunted in response. It was true, Benjamin was the youngest out of the three alphas, only by a few years. He was also the most hot blooded, too easily provoked. Jensen and Noah took advantage of that fact quite often.
Noah accompanied Benjamin to the border, then went home and took a much needed shower, washing the dirt and dried up blood from his body.
His bones and muscles protested the abuse. Nothing was badly damaged, but he would be sore for the next few days.
After putting on a pair of sweats and debating whether to shave or not, Noah left his hair and beard intact and went out to the pack house for dinner.
People were out and about, the late afternoon sun close to the horizon, pleasantly warm. Noah didn't get to the pack house. A small body crashed into him. He looked down to find Elijah, half dressed in a pair of pants and breathless. The little boy went around Noah and hid behind his leg, He peeked through cautiously.
"Elijah Jackson Miller! If you don't get your butt here you're going to be in trouble, young man!" Lillian called from her front porch, carrying Ezra in her arms. The pup looked like he wanted to be anywhere but. A few pack mates laughed, someone teased Lillian.
Noah looked down at Elijah. The pup's mother hadn't spotted them yet.
"Why are you hiding from your mother?"
Elijah looked up, blue eyes wide with horror. "She wants to cut my hair!" he said in a loud whisper.
Noah blinked. Indeed, the twins' hair had gotten longer, their bangs past their eyebrows. Soon it would hinder their vision. But it wasn't at that stage yet.
Noah was debating how to get the twins a few days respite when Lillian saw them. She narrowed her eyes, pointed a finger at Noah, then at Elijah who went unnaturally still behind him, then she crooked her finger in a 'come here' motion before turning around and getting inside her cabin. She kept the door open, obviously expecting her orders to be obeyed.
Noah picked up Elijah. "Sorry, buddy. Your mom's orders."
Elijah groaned, going limp in his arms as Noah carried him like he would a football. They found Ezra sitting with a resigned expression on a chair in the middle of the living room. The chair was positioned on top of a white sheet.
"But mommy..." Ezra whined as Lillian walked out of the bathroom with a trimmer and a pair of scissors in hand.
"Nope, it's already too long. We're getting it done today." She squinted at Elijah. "You wait on the couch. We'll have a talk later."
Noah let Elijah go, the pup dragged his feet until he plopped down on the couch face first, the poster picture of toddler misery. Noah's lips twitched.
"Why do they hate it?" Noah asked as Lillian put the trimmer and scissors on a chair she dragged beside Ezra.
"I have no idea," Lillian sighed, tying a cloth around Ezra's neck that covered his body.
"But mom," Ezra resumed again. "Noah also has long hair! Why does he get to keep it?"
Lillian and Noah blinked at each other as Elijah jumped on the couch, hopeful. "Yeah! Why?"
Lillian cleared her throat, fighting back a smile. "He's a big man, if he wants to keep his hair long, he can."
"But we're big too!" Elijah said.
"It's not fair." That one was Ezra.
"Yeah, well. Life isn't fair. Once you get older, you can grow it out to your ankles, if you want."
Noah gripped his hair between his fingers. It was getting long. He couldn't remember the last time he'd trimmed it.
"I'll trim my hair," Noah said, three pairs of blue eyes stared at him, he looked between the twins. "Your mom will cut my hair after she finishes with you, boys."
Both boys grumbled under their breath. Lillian blinked. "Right, yeah...sure."
Noah took a seat beside Elijah on the couch, both of them watching as Lillian trimmed Ezra's hair. The pup was calm the whole time it took his mother to trim his hair to a reasonable length. He heaved a deep sigh when he was done, shook his head and joined Noah on the couch as Elijah reluctantly took his place.
Ezra leaned his head on Noah's arm and sighed a breath bigger than his small body.
"You don't have to cut your hair. It's okay," he said in a serious voice, shaking his head. As if cutting his hair was a big sacrifice Noah was willing to make.
Noah caught sight of Lillian's shaking shoulders as she smothered her laugh. He bent his head down to Ezra. "It's alright. We're in this together."
He held his fist for Ezra to bump, the pup did so with a grin, his fist much smaller and paler than Noah's.
He was hit by how fragile they were, all three of them. The visceral instinct to protect them from harm struck him with vengeance, tugging at the skein of his fears. The bonds with the twins were forming much faster than he'd expected, and so much stronger, even though the mating bond wasn't yet made.
Elijah was more jittery compared to his brother. But soon enough, it was Noah's turn on the chair. The twins sat on the couch, looking at his head with matching frowns.
"Mommy, he has a lot of hair," Elijah noted.
"And he has hair on his face too," Ezra added. "Are you going to cut his beard?"
Lillian looked at Noah with an arched brow. "What do you say?"
Noah scratched his beard. It had surpassed the stage of being labeled a scruff a few weeks ago. "I don't know."
"You can take your time to decide." Lillian moved around him. "And you'll have to do it yourself because I have no experience in trimming beards."
Noah definitely liked that fact. Her smell surrounded him. And when her arms came around his neck to place the drape, Noah decided he would be getting haircuts more often with the twins.
"So," Lillian said, after tying up the drape. "How short?"
Noah shrugged, not really having a preference. "Whatever you like."
Lillian chuckled. "You shouldn't say that. What if I decide to make you bald?"
"Do you like bald?" Noah said without missing a beat. Lillian went still behind him, and Noah held his breath. Maybe he shouldn't have said that. "Just cut it like the twins'"
Lillian cleared her throat. "Okay."
A pause, then delicate fingers threaded through his hair, nails grazing his scalp. Noah swallowed a groan. Oh yes, he was definitely getting more haircuts.
"So soft," Lillian murmured. If Noah was a cat, he would have purred.
Lock after lock dropped to the floor. His body thrummed with awareness. Lillian's hands on his head, the warmth of her body close to the nape of his neck, her inebriating scent as she moved around him to touch up her work from all angles. The boys wrestled on the ground nearby, their laughter drowning the buzz of the trimmer.
All too soon, Lillian stepped away with a satisfied smile. "All done."
Noah mourned the loss of her nearness. He shook his head slightly, it felt lighter. His brows shot up when he ran his fingers through his hair. It was cut closer to the scalp in the back of his neck, but longer in the front.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." Lillian handed him the trimmer. "You can use the mirror in the bathroom for your beard. Alright, boys, help me clean up."
The boys sprang up. Noah went to the bathroom. Neat and clean surfaces. The sterile white color of tiles and sink was broken by the colors of the toys in the bathtub, product bottles on the sink, and bathrobes, two little blue ones and one large white one, hanging on the back of the door.
Noah turned on the buzzer and focused his attention on his face. He felt naked without his beard, which was why he kept it a slight stubble. He rubbed his face once done. The scar jumped at him in the mirror, looking even more garish than usual. Guilt and self-loath burrowed in his guts, as they did whenever he saw the scar.
The twins' squealing snapped him out of his daze. Noah looked away, cleaned the sink and the trimmer and got out of the bathroom.
The twins were in wolf form, tangled and rolling on the floor. Lillian was by the stove, one hand on her lower back as the other stirred something in a pot. She looked over her shoulder when Noah approached.
A slow blink. Her lips parted. Noah scratched his face and waited for her reaction.
But he was not ready.
A delicious blush crept up Lillian's neck and into her cheeks. She swallowed. The fire and spring of her scent streaked with a heady spice that almost drove him to his knees. Something he'd never smelled on her before. Desire.
Nostrils flared, and against Noah's every instinct, he nodded at Lillian and spoke in a gruff voice, "thank you. I need to go."
Without waiting for a reply, Noah hightailed it out of that cabin through the back door before his wolf took over. He shifted mid step, shredding his pants, and ran the opposite way of where he desperately wanted to be.
*** **** ***
Lillian was still reeling from the full impact of Noah's face.
It flashed before her eyes every time she blinked. She knew he was handsome under that messy hair and wild beard, but... goodness, he took her breath away.
His sharp jaw and those distracting lips. The amber eyes that seemed to have become even more intense. For the first time in her life, Lillian actually understood those silly heroines in romance novels when they drooled over a man.
Dear Lord, with that body and that face, Noah could make a woman weak in the knees. A shiver ran down her spine and heat pooled into her belly. Her blood warmed. Lillian groaned and turned the heat off the simmering chili. she needed to get her mind out of the gutter.
She wondered what had made him literally run out of the house. It had to be an urgent matter. With everything happening these days, he would be busy.
A knock sounded on the door just in time to get Lillian's attention off the tall, dark alpha.
"Come in!" Lillian called out, turning off the stove.
Kate walked in, a little girl with corkscrew curls in her arms. Wiggling as soon as she spotted the twins, the child dropped down to the floor and ran toward them, jumping on top of the bundle of fur.
Kate shook her head at her daughter. She put a container on the counter. "From mom. Dessert."
"Thanks," Lillian smiled. She looked at the kids when Kate's daughter giggled. "Elijah, don't chew on her hair."
A thoughtful frown tugged Kate's brows down. She sniffed the air for a second. "Anyway, you want to plan your dinner tomorrow, right?"
"Mhm," Lillian nodded, taking five plates out of the cupboard. "I already invited Robert. He's a little grumpy these days, so I thought why not?"
"He'll be pissed if he finds out what you're planning."
Lillian grinned, dishing out chili. "Good, it's about time he got his head out of his as- butt. There's shredded cheese in the fridge."
Kate took out the cheese and placed the plates on the table. "I didn't invite Jasmine yet. I want it to be last minute in case she hears Robert will also be there."
"Good call," Lillian said, then looked as Kate's daughter struggled with taking off her dress. She ripped out a button in the process and glanced at her mother with wide eyes. When she saw Kate wasn't looking, she kicked the button under the couch, peeled off the dress and shifted.
Lillian bit back a smile. "Say, do you think it'll work out? Between Robert and Jasmine?"
"I sure hope so."
"Yes, but do you honestly think they have a chance?"
Kate leaned on the counter and chewed on her bottom lip. "To be honest, it depends on Robert. I know Jasmine, I've known her for a long time. Sure, she's dominant, but she's also very reserved."
Kate must have noticed Lillian's skeptical look because she chuckled. "You know, just because someone is dominant doesn't mean they're outgoing or opinionated or whatever. Did you know mom is a submissive?"
"Really?" Lillian's eyes almost bugged out of their sockets.
Kate nodded, amused. "What makes the difference is actually the wolf side of us. It's true that submission reflects on the human character in a lot of cases, but it's not a general rule. One could be dominant and soft spoken at the same time. And Jasmine is a lot like that, she's very ... wary of others, doesn't let people in easily.
"She recognized the mating game when it started with Robert, but seeing as he didn't make any further moves, she won't make one herself. She's ... afraid that he would abandon the game at some point, so she plays it safe by not pulling him in like most females would have done by now."
Lillian remembered someone, maybe Kate or Jennifer, telling her that Jasmine had lost both of her parents when she was younger, and that Robert had distanced himself from her in the last few years. Maybe that was why she was reluctant to make an effort in pulling Robert in. She was afraid of letting him in only to have him walk away, gone.
"Robert has to suck it up," Lillian said.
Kate sighed, "It's not fair to blame only Robert. I want to push Jasmine, but I'm lost on how to do it. She's afraid, more so than he is. I just hope he moves the game along. It's going to be one hell of a bumpy ride, but if he sees the worth in it, he'll suck it up, like you said."
Determined, Lillian nodded. She'd give Robert the push he needed. It was time he pulled his head out of his ass and claimed the girl he wanted.
Which was how the next evening, she found herself hosting a dinner with Robert, Kate and her kids, and Jasmine.
Kate arrived earlier than everyone else, bearing food gifts from Jennifer. She and Lillian set the table she'd borrowed from Eva; Lillian's table was too small.
The pups' excited screams floated through the open back door from the backyard. The setting sun cast a lattice of orange glow and tree shadows in her living room, warming the air and cozying the atmosphere.
Lillian put her hand on her hips, surveying the spread of food. "The food is way too much."
Kate shrugged next to her. "The pups will be starving. If there are leftovers, we'll split them."
Various dishes of pasta, meat and vegetables filled the table. Lillian only made a few paltry dishes, Jennifer had sent the rest. Chocolate mousse was setting in the fridge, along with raspberry cheesecake. Jennifer had outdone herself.
A knock on the door.
"It's Robert," Kate said, making her way to the door. She opened, and Robert walked inside, dressed in a simple gray t-shirt and jeans, his red hair seemed afire under the coral sunset.
"Whoa, that's a lot of food!" were his first words.
"Jennifer," Lillian said as way of explanation.
Robert nodded, his eyes greedily drinking in the delicious smelling dishes on the table. Lillian hugged him, and over his shoulders she saw Kate look at the front door with alarm, then turn to her with goggle eyes nodding her head toward the back door furiously.
"Right!" Lillian squeaked, she pushed from Robert. "Why don't you go tell the kids to come in!"
She practically pushed Robert through the back door. He looked at her like she was crazy. She closed the door in his face and turned to Kate.
"She's here?" Lillian whisper-yelled.
Kate nodded, hurrying to the door. She opened it to reveal Jasmine, standing still with a frown on her face. She opened her lips to say something but Kate dragged her inside.
"Finally!" Kate said, closing the door. "Everyone else is already here, why don't you-"
Right then, the back door opened. Robert walked in with four kids hanging onto him like monkeys. He stopped short, wide eyes fixed on Jasmine.
Lillian cringed. Jasmine had shown up earlier than expected. Lillian thought they'd have more time to set things up so the meeting wouldn't be awkward. Exactly as it was happening at the moment.
The pups jumped down to the floor and ran toward the food. That snapped Robert out of his surprise. He opened his mouth, closed it, then walked back outside, closing the back door behind him.
Kate covered her eyes with her hand, Jasmine looked as if she wasn't breathing, and Lillian laughed nervously.
"Just a second!" Lillian said cheerfully, walking backward. "Why don't you guys have a seat before the food cools down. Don't go anywhere. I'll be right back!"
Closing the back door behind her, Lillian found Robert standing on the edge of the porch, shoulders hunched. The lines of his body were tense. He glared at Lillian.
"You-"
"Shh!" Lillian said, taking him by his arm. She led him down the steps and away from the house. "Dude, that was not cool. You should've at least said hi."
"I don't care!" He hissed. "You didn't tell me she'd be here!"
They stopped by a tree, a good distance from the cabin. "Why in the world would I? You wouldn't have shown up!"
"Of course I wouldn't-"
"See!" Lillian threw her hands up.
Robert groaned, covering his face with his hands and looking up. Lillian sighed and poked his stomach.
"Come on, Robert. It's not that big of a deal. It's just dinner."
He dropped his hands and looked at her, eyes so worn out it tugged at Lillian's heartstrings. "Not for me. You know that."
They stood in silence. Lillian hoped Kate would manage to keep Jasmine in there. According to Kate, Jasmine was very kind. Too kind. So she probably wouldn't leave when dinner is already all set up and ready.
"She deserves better," Robert mumbled all of a sudden, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jeans.
"What do you mean?"
He looked back at the cabin, a deep yearning in his eyes. His voice was quiet when he spoke. "Jasmine. She deserves more."
Lillian crossed her arms. "Why do you say that? You're quite a catch yourself."
"Right." Robert rolled his eyes. "She's beautiful, smart, kind and strong. She's also dominant, she needs someone more..."
"Dominant?" Lillian provided when he trailed off.
"Well... yeah."
"Really?" Lillian crossed her arms. "So if some other wolf decided to pursue her, someone more dominant, you think she should go with it."
"It's not that simple!" Robert snarled, amber bleeding into his gray eyes. He faced away from Lillian. She'd never seen him so angry. "Even if we get together, one day she'll wake up and realize her mistake, and then what? She'll leave, or worse, she'll stay even though she's miserable because she's too kind. She's dominant, her wolf will need a mate with power and strength to match, not-"
He stopped. Lillian kept quiet, until Robert's breathing calmed down and his shoulders slumped as if the weight of the world sat on top of them. She narrowed her eyes at his back, the man needed a kick in the balls.
"Have you ever talked to her about it?"
Robert looked over his shoulder at Lillian, blinked. "No."
"Then how do you know what she wants? What she needs?" Lillian asked, her anger slowly building up. "Not two people are the same, Robert. Just because she's dominant doesn't mean her mate has to be a big, bad wolf. Maybe she needs someone gentle and caring, someone to love her, someone tender to come home to at the end of a hard day of training."
Lillian took a step closer and poked her finger in his chest, punctuating her every word. Robert took a step back. "You don't know what she wants, and if you keep going down the same path, you'll never find out. Because let me tell you something, sooner or later, someone else will see just how special that girl is, and they'll stop at nothing to have her. And when that happens, you'll have no one to blame but yourself. So man up. If you want the girl, work for it. If you truly believe she deserves more, then talk to her and let her go. Being in this constant state of limbo isn't going to help anyone, especially you two!"
Leaving Robert gaping at her, Lillian stomped back to the cabin. She could feel her cheeks heating up from how frustrated she was with him. Ugh. She wanted to slap him silly.
Why hadn't anyone talked to him before? Made him see reason? Kate and Anna had said that no one got involved in the mating game, that it was a very private process, but in this case, not getting involved was plain stupid. Lillian cared for Robert, she truly did, and if she had to play the nasty older sister for him to open his eyes, she would do so in a heartbeat.
Jasmine was also to blame. She shouldn't just sit back and wait for Robert to make all decisions. She should meet him halfway, or at least try to. Fortunately for Jasmine, however, she and Lillian weren't close enough for Lillian to poke her nose in her business and give her a piece of her mind. So Robert would just have to bear the brunt of her frustration.
Inside the cabin, Kate, Jasmine and the kids had taken seats around the table. The kids were already eating.
"Sorry about that. How's the food?" Lillian said.
Kate quirked a brow, Lillian subtly shook her head. Jasmine was watching the back door.
It was all up to Robert now.
Taking her seat at the head of the table, with Jasmine, Kate and her two kids on one side, and the twins on the other, Lillian had just picked up a spatula when the back door opened.
Lillian smiled, dishing herself a hefty portion of Lasagna. Yum.
*** *** ***
Lillian ended up texting Eva during dinner, telling her the plan to extricate her and Kate during dinner was canceled. Robert was silently thoughtful during dinner. The pups managed to make an otherwise awkward dinner quite fun.
Lillian felt hopeful, though. She had spoken to Robert, it was up to him now. Beyond using mind manipulation, she couldn't possibly force him to do anything anymore.
Her hopes were rewarded when, after dinner, Robert sheepishly offered to escort Jasmine home. Kate's jaw basically touched the floor. Jasmine blushed a pretty shade of pink under her tan skin.
Kate turned toward Lillian as soon as the front door closed behind the couple. "What did you say to him?"
Lillian snorted, putting leftover salad in a container. "Why do you think I said anything?"
"Oh please." Kate rolled her eyes, loading the dishwasher.
"Fine. I might have chewed him out a bit," Lillian said. "Maybe more than a bit. But I think he just needed a little nudge to act now, he would've done it eventually."
Kate nodded. "Probably. Let's hope they work things out."
Kate's eyes were bright, her face more openly delighted than Lillian had ever seen her. Lillian crossed her fingers. Let's hope.
After cleaning, Kate and her sugar-high pups went home. By the time Lillian managed to somehow get the excited twins bathed and in bed, she felt run over by a bulldozer.
She showered, made herself a cup of hot tea, wrapped a blanket around herself and curled on the chair on her front porch.
The lights of the other cabins slowly went out, one by one, as another day came to an end. Soon, only the lampposts were left, their faint glow stretching shadows all around, the forest ghost-silent. It should've been eerie, a dark night in the woods, a scene right out of a horror movie. But it wasn't. Not to Lillian. She felt at home. Safe. Peaceful. She sighed and took a sip of her tea. The warmth in her chest wasn't just because of her hot drink.
After a few minutes, Lillian put her empty mug on the floor then slumped deeper into the chair.
She must have dozed off. A rustling noise startled her awake. She blinked, expecting to see a familiar black wolf. Instead she found the man.
He walked up to her, his features cloaked in shadows, but she knew him. The way he walked as if nothing stood in his way, proud and tall, his broad shoulders, those impressive arms, and the hair that looked as silky as she remembered.
And as always, half naked. She should give him a shirt as a gift just to see his reaction.
"You're a man," she mumbled, the drowsy word escaping her lips unnoticed.
He was on the porch now, close enough to make out his features. He sat on the floor across from her chair, his back against the railing. He arched a brow at her remarkable observing skills.
She missed him.
The thought hit her like a ton of bricks. She hadn't seen him since the day before, when he'd stormed out of her house after shaving. Dear God, she was in trouble.
"Robert and Jasmine had dinner at your place."
Shivers danced along her skin at the sound of his deep voice.
"Yeah." Sitting up straight in her chair, she wrapped the blanket tighter around her. He was watching her like nothing else existed.
"He walked her home."
Lillian hummed. "How did you know?"
"How could I not?" He said. "The entire pack noticed."
Lillian snickered. Wolves gossiped more than old ladies in a salon. Noah rested his forearms on his bent knees, leaned his head back on the railing, but kept his eyes on her. He really looked great with that light scruff on his jaw.
"Busy day?" Lillian asked. She hadn't seen him in the pack house, nor anywhere around the pack the entire day. Not that she looked.
Okay, maybe she had.
"Yes. I met with other alphas and the wolves in the infirmary. Some of them want to go back to their lives as lone wolves. But most want to settle down in packs. At least for a while."
Lillian perked up. She had visited the infirmary first thing in the morning. "Will anyone stay here? Can Violet stay?"
Noah nodded. "She will, along with a few others. We got everyone else assigned to new packs. Once they feel better, they can leave."
Lillian breathed out a sigh of relief. She really liked Violet, and wanted her to stay close until her health improved a little. This meant Lillian would get to watch over the girl much longer.
Lillian shifted on the chair. "What about the High Council?"
"The meeting will be in less than two weeks," Noah said.
"You'll go?"
"Yes. But not as a representative of the region. Benjamin will fill that role," Noah said. He considered his next words carefully. "You should come along, too."
Lillian frowned. "Why?"
"People are curious. You're the first human to live in a pack. It'll do well to see you. People fear what they do not know."
"Hmm. Okay. If you're going to be there, then it's fine, I guess." Dealing with the attention from a group of powerful immortals didn't appeal to Lillian. But with Noah there, she wasn't worried.
Lillian yawned, her eyes drifting close. She was so tired. When she was on the edge of sleep, when thoughts were scrambled up and anything could leave her mouth, she murmured, "Noah?"
"Mhm?"
"What is this? Us?"
Silence. Lillian tried to open her eyes, but they wouldn't cooperate.
"We're mates," his voice said from far away, a touch of warmth on her cheek. "If you'll have me."
Black cloaked Lillian's mind, the last thing she remembered was an intense warmth surrounding her. Safe. Peaceful. She wished she could stay here forever.
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Hey guys! Sorry I'm a bit late, but it's a long chapter!
I hope you enjoyed it.
Vote if you did. I appreciate it.
Also, thank you for the continuous support, and to everyone who takes the time to comment nice words, you make me want to write more!
Much love <3 <3 <3
M.B.