Ally
"We are ten minutes away. Five minutes less than the last time you asked." I chuckle into the phone.
"Hurry up Momma, I wanna show you the picture I drew with Kelly."
"A picture, eh? What's it of?" I feel my cheeks start to hurt from smiling. I missed him.
"A suprise. How far away are you now?" He squeals, and I have to pull Daniel's cell away from my ear.
Laughing, I choke out an answer. "Nine minutes." Then clear my throat, trying to compose myself. "Now I'll see you in a little bit. Give Kelly her phone back. I love you bubba."
"Love you, momma, bye." He replies and the phone clicks signalling he's hung up.
Smiling, I lean my head back and look over at Daniel. His eyes are focused on the road but I can feel his anxiety radiating off of him. My smile fades and I try and find the right words to ease his tension.
"If we are longer than nine minutes I'll take the blame." I joke, trying to get his mind off what ever it is conflicting him.
"Hmm? Oh, no we should be there in five minutes actually." He mumbles out.
Reaching a hand out, I grasp his shoulder giving it a small squeeze. "Is everything okay?" I frown.
His eyes meet mine for a moment before he pulls down the dirt path, leading to the pack border.
"When we get there I need you to stay at Kelly's. A friend of mine is going to help you train. I'm going to be busy the next couple of weeks. I trust him with my life. So please listen to him. He's going to help you prepare for your first shift." He states. His eyes now on two men standing beside a tree, he nods before passing by and turning down the path towards his house.
"So I won't see you at all?" I question, confused. I thought mates weren't supposed to be apart. "Is that why you're so tense?"
"You can tell?" He asks as he puts the car in park, his brows pulling together as his eyes study my own.
"Uhm yeah, it was rolling off you in waves." I laugh. "You don't have to be a wolf to tell when someone's upset "
"Maybe not, but I wasn't. My wolf was." He grunted before opening his door and shutting it before I could respond.
I watch as he stomps up the front steps of the pack house and walks inside, slamming the door. Jumping slightly in my seat I open my door. I'm about to follow after him, force him to tell me what's wrong. Since I woke up this morning he's been off, and I want to know why. Now. Before I can even take one step towards him I'm knocked into the side of the car as a body launches at me. A started squeal passes my lips, little arms circling around me.
Xale's sweet scent fills my lungs, calming me. My wolf purrs and I feel her happiness mix with my own, and all thoughts of Daniel are pushed aside.
Crouching down I pick him up in my arms and squeeze him tight. Inhaling his calming scent for Amaris and I. She's been as anxious as I have, being apart from him. "I missed you." I whisper in his ear, kissing all over his face making dramatic smooching sounds.
"What about me?" Kelly jokes. Gazing past Xale's shoulder, I meet her eyes and smile. Her arms crossed staring at Xale and I.
Setting Xale down, I grab onto his hand. "How could I not. Come on. Let's go unpack. We are staying with you, right?" I fake another smile.
I see her eyebrows pull together before her eyes go foggy. Snapping out of it she smiles quickly. "How could I of forgotten. Let's go."
"Was that Daniel?" I question.
"Nope, just linking an omega to bring some extra stuff over." She answers almost to fast.
I don't believe her but continue to smile anyways. My wolf and I both uneasy with her lying to us. Obviously Daniel doesn't want me around. Why? Was it bad for him last night? Does he not want me anymore?
Xale tugs at my hand pulling me towards Kellys'. I can hear his sweet voice ramble on about what they did the past four days, I can't seem to focus though. The thought of Daniel rejecting me suddenly pops inside my head, and I physically halt. My wolf goes from overjoyed to upset then enraged, and I can't help my feelings from following her own.
"Well if he doesn't want us, he doesn't deserve us." I offer my wolf.
"He is our mate. If he doesn't want us he is a fool." She growls.
I can't help but laugh out loud. Xale's hand squeezes mine and I look down into his dark brown eyes. "You okay, Momma?"
"I'm great Bubba, I just missed you." Forcing a smile I wrap my arm around his shoulder and continue towards Kellys'.
Looking over at her I watch as she chews on her bottom lip, a nervous tick I've noticed since getting to know her. Shaking all the negative thoughts out of my head I decide to focus on here and now. Walking through Kellys' door, I walk over to her couch and plop myself down.
"So how about you show me that drawing!" I chirp.
____________
"Faster! Come on! You can do this!" Greg shouts at me. We have been training for hours. I'm tired. We already ran ten miles before we even started, now he wants me to run twenty. He's insane.
"You run it yourself if you're so obsessed with cardio." I huff, stopping and crouching down. My breath coming out in fast pants.
"Look, we are already half way done. It's been two weeks. You're doing better then most wolves, but you're going to be Luna. That means something. Come on we can turn back now and run back ten, or we can run this way and I can show you my favorite hidden spot in the pack." He smiles.
Rolling my eyes, I stand up straight. "You would really show me the secret place you run off to everyday?"
"If you promise not to show anyone else." He smirks.
"It better be worth it." I groan, sprinting off again.
"It will be!" He shouts behind me.
Soon I hear his pace start up behind me. We run for about another five miles before I feel my breathing pick up again. Taking a deep breath through my nose I blow it out my mouth and repeat, trying to calm my breathing and heart rate. Another trick Gregg taught me.
"You're doing good. Just up here turn into the woods at the big rock."
"If you're leading me in there to kill me just do it now." I chuckle.
"Daniel would torture me for years before slowly killing me. I think not." He jokes back and I can't help but roll my eyes.
"Like he would care." I mumble, turning down a path into the woods when I notice the huge rock.
Gregg passes me and leads me off the path. We continue like this for about three miles, when suddenly a big opening appears. A small river to my left his pace never slows. Following after him till we get to some brush and stop.
"Nice hide away." I mutter. "But definitely not twenty miles special." I groan. "You lied."
"It's through here, princess. Don't worry. A gentleman never lies." He smirks.
Pulling some dead branches out of the way revealing a small tunnel through the brush, he grins at me. Huffing, I get down on my hands and knees, crawling through. The opening in sight, I gasp and go to hop out when I trip and twist my ankle. Screaming out in pain, I fall to the ground barely catching myself with my hands outstretched. I feel my palms erupt in pain, burning, and grit my teeth. Gregg rushing to my side as I slowly lower myself onto my back, careful with my left foot. I hold my hands above my face to examine the damage. Just some small cuts and scrapes, I sign. Feeling Gregg's hands search around me I can't hear his cuss to himself about Daniel having his ass for this and chuckle.
"I'm fine, I'm fine." I reassure him.
"You look at this ankle and tell me you're fine." He groans, removing my runner from my foot, I wince.
Propping myself up on my elbows I look down at my ankle and see bruising already start to appear. Wiggling my toes slowing before I go to slowly twirl my ankle, pain shoots through my foot but I clench my teeth to choke back my tears. Definitely sprained, maybe even broken. I huff before throwing myself onto my back and closing my eyes. Thinking of a plan to get back, I hum.
"Fuck. Okay. Let's wait ten minutes before freaking out, maybe it's just a sprain. I can hobble back." I grunt.
"Okay. Okay. Uhm. Okay." Gregg Stammers, whipping his palms on the front of his gym shorts. "Here. Let me wrap it and we can wait a bit."
Taking off his shirt, I gasp. Scars marring his chest and shoulders. I've never seen him shirtless before now. He's covered in them, and when he turns to my foot his back shows they were not even the worst of them, scars thick and white decorate the entirety of his back. I feel my eyes start to water at the thought of someone or something hurting him. The man who protected my son while I was gone. The man who's kept me company while Daniel's ignored me. Trained me and pushed me to be better, and always reassured me he believed in me. A person so caring didn't deserve what was done to him. My fingers reach out to touch one without thinking and I feel him still.
"They do not hurt anymore, Luna. Don't worry about me." He whispers. "Let's worry about you now."
"May I ask how you got them?" I question.
"You may." His eyes turn to my own and he grabs my hand, pressing it against his chest. "These are from my mates husband."
My eyes bulge and I pull my hand from his. Staring at him, I watch as he stands and turns away from me. "And these are from her and her father for wanting to mate with her, and killing her."
"Why would he do that?" Confusion evident in my tone.
"Because she was promised to the Alpha. In some packs ranks can be made through offerings. Her father offered her. The Alpha agreed to the Contest of Mates. It's forbidden in most packs. Daniel almost bannished me for it. Instead he took my title of beta. I'll forever be indebted to him."
Sitting infront of me he continues to wrap my foot as I ponder his words.
"What's a 'Contest of Mates' entail?" I know it's not my business but I can't help but ask.
Tying a knot he turns to me. "When another person wants a claim on your mate, or in my case has been promised them you can ask for the contest. If they are already marked you are to late. The first day you must both whip eachother strike for strike. The first to submit losses. The whole time your mate feels your pain. The possibility of the bond breaking is high. Not as high as the second day." His eyes glaze over as he stares off at the water.
"The mate in question must strike you both. The pain from your mate hurting you is almost unbearable, meaning the ones destined feel it harsher. My wolf cried out to stop but I pushed us to continue. He wanted to badly to cut the tie of our bond, to stop hurting her. Watching the Alpha laugh at her pain pushed me harder to go on. I could tell near the end she was close to giving up but I begged her to continue. With her final blow I felt pain consume me and then nothing. Darkness consumed me and I woke up strapped to a post. Silver chains held me in place with wolfsbane. She had died. Her father carved into my skin with a silver dagger till nightfall. I was almost dead when Daniel arrived. I wished for a long time I had. Daniel never gave up though."
Reaching out, I grasp his shoulders pulling him into my arms, hugging him tight. "You did not kill her, and I would have never given up on you either. You're a good man. Maybe someday you'll find another mate."
"I would never want that. No one will compare to Angela. We will one day be reunited in the afterlife. That is good enough for me." He whispers.
Running my hand up and down his back, I feel the bumps of the scars, and his breathing evens out eventually. I hold him tighter, to express in action what thoughts cannot.
"It's getting dark, we better head back." His voice even and without feeling.
"Yeah, let's go. Xale must be worried." Going to stand, I wince and grab onto Gregg's arm. Stopping myself from falling back down.
"You think you can slide yourself out and then I can carry you?" He offers, eyes filled with worry.
Nodding, I lower myself slowly to the ground and sit on my butt. Lifting my left foot slightly I use my hands to lift my bum and right leg to maneuver myself through the small entry through the brush. Once on the other side I shift out of Gregg's way and wait as he covers back up the opening.