Two days had now passed since the incident, and Jonah had almost fully recovered. The only visible signs of the attack was the bruises on his face which had turned from an ugly purple to a pale green.
Alec had spent the first day with him, making sure the bandages of his abdomen hadn't loosened. The beta used the alone time with his mate to tell him more about the pack and some of its members who he was close with. While he wanted to know more about Jonah's life, he knew it could be difficult for him to talk about it, so he decided to wait until his mate breached the subject himself.
On the second day, the pair went back to see Moira. She told Jonah that his ribs were fully healed, courtesy of werewolves' fast healing, and that he wasn't on bed rest anymore. As they left the tent, they crossed path with Zoe who smiled at them.
"I'm glad you're okay now. Do you want to come with me to the fields again today?" Jonah nibbled on his bottom lip and hesitated. He instinctively looked to Alec, who seemed also reluctant to let him leave his side.
"Eric doesn't work today, if this can reassure you. I'll watch over him." She addressed Alec. The beta relaxed a bit and looked back to Jonah.
"It's your choice. I have to help train the young pups, but you can accompany me if you want and watch."
Jonah felt conflicted. He wanted to spend time with his mate, but he also enjoyed working in the meat house with Zoe, who had proved to be good company. Finally, he figured that since he had spent the whole day yesterday with Alec, he could go with Zoe .
"I'll come with you," he announced in his soft voice to Zoe. The young luna didn't waste any time as she grasped his hand with a grin.
"Let's hurry! We have a lot to get done!"
As much as he looked forward to the day with Zoe, Jonah couldn't help but feel apprehensive because of what happened yesterday. He looked around and over his shoulder as Zoe walk in front of him in the row they went through.
When Zoe looked back to check on Jonah and saw he seemed anxious, she stopped and turned to him.
"Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you again okay?" She held such conviction in her eyes that Jonah couldn't help but believe her. He nodded slightly, and he was a bit startled when she came forward to hug him.
"We're friends now, and friends look out for each other." Jonah felt himself melt into her embrace, and his chest felt all warm inside.
As they gathered the tools they needed for the day, a woman with grey hair pulled in a bun came to greet Zoe. The young luna grew excited and turned to Jonah.
"This is Alec's mother, Vivian. Vivian, this is Jonah, Alec's mate." The woman gasped in surprise.
"So you're my son's mate! I did hear about him protecting a rogue who had trespassed, but I didn't think you were his mate." A displeased frown appeared on her face and she continued. "Still, he could've at least tell me and present you himself. I'll have to give him a good scolding when I see him."
Until then, Jonah had stood stock still while the woman ranted. He didn't know what to say or do in the presence of his mate's mother, and the thought of meeting his parents hadn't crossed his mind until now. But it seemed like he didn't have to worry much longer because Vivian took the initiative and embraced him in her arms.
Vivian did notice him flinch when she approached him, which worried her. She kept the hug brief to make him uncomfortable, since it seemed like the boy was not used to physical affection, which was usually very common among wolves. It made her wonder about what he went through to be this wary of people.
"I'm so happy to meet you Jonah!" She turned to address Zoe, who had been watching them interact, "Do you think I could join you? It will allow me to get to know my son-in-law."
"Certainly!" The luna linked her arm with Vivian's and lead her away while Jonah trailed behind, content to follow them from afar.
As the three of them worked side by side, Vivian quickly noticed that Jonah wasn't much of a talker, and she barely got five words out of him. Still, the woman was not deterred and told a bunch of stories about Alec's childhood which made Zoe laugh out loud and Jonah smile slightly every now and then.
The sun was just starting to set when the three of them finished for the day. Even though Jonah had felt awkward around the older woman at first, he couldn't help but admit that she was quite nice.
"Alec! You didn't tell me you'd met your mate! I had to find out from Zoe!" Jonah looked to see who Vivian was talking to and saw Alec coming towards them with a sheepish smile.
"Sorry mom, I didn't get the time to tell you. We've had a lot going on these past few days." The beta whined in complain when Vivian swatted the back of his head with her glove.
"Well, I expect you to bring him to supper this evening to make up for it." Alec wanted to protest but the woman was quick to cut him off.
"I'm off then, it was nice to see you Zoe! See you later Jonah!" Alec looked exasperated as he watched her walk away. He approached Jonah and lightly touched his arm.
"I hope she didn't scare you too much." The boy shook his head and gently smiled.
"She was nice." Zoe punched Alec on the arm with a mischievous grin.
"She told us all your embarrassing childhood stories. It was very entertaining." Alec groaned and rubbed his face with his hands.
"You're not gonna let me live in peace are you?"
"Nope."
To say Jonah was nervous was an understatement. He was almost shaking from nerves as the cabin of Alec's parents came in sight. Sensing his unease, Alec grabbed his hand which made him look up.
"Don't worry too much, you already talked to my mother. I'll also be there the whole time, so I can tell them to lay off if they get too intense." Jonah squeezed his hand to thank him for his support.
Just as Alec was about to knock, the front door swung open to reveal Vivian smiling at them brightly. She had probably seen them approach from the window.
"Hi, come in, come in!" When they entered the house, Jonah noticed a man who was probably Alec's father standing in retreat.
Vivian came to the man and brought him forward. "This is Matthew, my mate and Alec's father."
Jonah muttered a greeting as he shook the man's hand.
"It's nice to meet you Jonah." Matthew wore a gentle smile, and the boy thought that his calm nature complemented Vivian well. The woman, who had taken the opportunity to bring her son in for a brief hug, clasped her hands together.
"I already finished preparing dinner, so I'll set the table and we can eat." Jonah followed Alec blindly to the dinning area, and the beta gestured for him to sit. Jonah expected him to sit beside him, but when he saw him go and help his mother with the plates, he felt guilty he hadn't helped the woman as well. He was pulled away from his thoughts when Alec's father began to ask him some questions about his impression of the pack so far.
Despite feeling terribly anxious, Jonah thought the dinner went pretty well. The meal Vivian had prepared was delicious, and he hurried to complement her as well when Alec did after a few bites.
Jonah always worried that he would offend somebody in some way because he wasn't used to social interactions, so social cues or common acts of courtesy were still pretty unknown to him. That is why he preferred to spend time with Alec since he had gotten familiar with his presence and his habits.
When they were all done eating, Jonah made sure to thank Vivian for the meal and for inviting them. Alec noticed he seemed tired, so he announce to his parents that they it was time for them to leave.
After Vivian hugged her son goodbye, she turned to Jonah with a gentle smile. "Don't hesitate to come see me if you want to talk or just spend some time with me, okay? You're family now."
Jonah felt his eyes well up with tears as he heard this, and he kept his head down to hide them. He thanked her again and with one last goodbye he followed his mate outside the cabin.
The boy found himself slipping his hand inside Alec's as they walked to the cabin.
"So, how did it go? My parents weren't too overwhelming I hope." Jonah shook his head.
"No, they were nice. I like your mom." Alec chuckled at the admission, which made his mate blush.
"I'm glad then."
As they prepared to go to sleep, Jonah gathered his courage and shyly asked Alec if they could sleep in the same bed again. The beta was quick to agree, and soon enough the two of them laid side by side in bed.
Just as Alec was about to fall asleep, he felt Jonah scoot closer and press against his back and his breath falling onto his neck. Both wolves fell asleep with a smile on their faces.