As the days went by, I was able to get Katie to trust me more and be open to me. I could tell that she was still scared of being alone with me, and I knew that she was feeling as if she was getting too attached to me, and I would walk away from her.
I had convinced my dad to let me finish my schooling at home, through online courses, with my mother's help. We both thought that it would be best for Katie and Sarah not to be in high school but have Mom teach them what they need, as well as other "life hacks."
Parker had wanted to stay at school, mainly because he was on the football team, so he threatened me to keep an eye on Sarah. This caused Mom to throw something at him and yell at him for not respecting his Alpha. (He and I agreed that hormones had caused her to be more annoyed than usual.)
Me, I wasn't on the football team, and I thought that the situation was kind of funny because I would have done the same thing if we had been in different places. I had tried to tell Mom that, but... she threw a wooden spoon at me. (I swear she keeps them on hand at all times.)
"You are in Lala land again, Daniel. Care to share what you are thinking?" Mom asked, looking up for her papers that she was grading. Amusement filled her eyes as she studied me.
I shook my head. "Nah, I am good," I replied. "It's nothing bad," I smirked when she just snorted and went back to whatever she was doing.
Katie pulled at my sleeve, and I looked at her. 'Can you help?' she asked, pointing to a question.
I glanced at my mother to see her helping Sarah out with a problem before looking at Katie. Her face was beet red, and I couldn't help but fall more in love with her. My heart ached because I knew that I wasn't able to act on it soon.
'So-' she started to sign before stopping when I placed my hands on hers. She widened her eyes in shock when she felt sparks but didn't pull away.
"It's fine," I said, smiling at her. "I was just making sure that you were comfortable with me doing it."
Katie took her hands out of mine and squished her face together. 'Well, if I didn't, then I wouldn't have asked,' she replied, sarcastically.
"I can hear the sarcasm from here," I said, sarcastically, and Katie beamed. I looked at what she was she was working on. "Mom, did you mean to make the problem hard?" I asked, looking up at her.
Mom looked up ad narrowed her eyes. "Are you telling me that you do not know how to do 'Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally?" she asked, knowing which question I was talking about. "And, if Katie had been paying attention to my lesson yesterday, then she should know it." She smirked at Katie, and she looked down and blushed.
"And what was Katie doing?" I asked, looking at her with a small smirk on my face. I knew what she was doing. I had felt her gaze on me while I was training. My whole body was aware of where she was and if she was gazing at me.
'Nothing,' Katie signed quickly. A blush took over her face, and her face became as red as her hair.
"Riiiiiiiggggggghhhhhhtttttt," Sarah said, sarcastically. "That is why you don't know how to do the problem." She gestured to herself. "Even I knew how to do the problem, and I do not pay attention to much of what Mrs. Jess says."
"I feel the love," Mom replied, sarcastically.
Katie didn't say a word but looked at her hands. Her face was still red, and I could tell that she was getting nervous. She didn't like being in the center of attention, and I hoped that Mom would help out with that.
"Don't worry," I said, reaching over and grabbing her hand. I smiled when she looked up at me with those big, green eyes of hers. "Mom had to deal with nuggets throughout high school that wouldn't pay attent-"
"Like you," she interjected, looking up at us. She smiled before finishing helping out Sarah and then going back and grading papers.
I pursed my lips, somewhat annoyed and angry at her for interrupting me. The sudden anger surprised me, and I couldn't help but pull away from Katie. I had no idea why I had gotten angry at my mother because I normally was fine when she interrupted me or interjected with something that made sense.
Mom, sensing my gaze on her, looked up in confusion. She studied me before pursing her lips. "Carry on," she said, cocking her head and looked at me with this deep curiosity. "I am sorry for interrupting." 'Alpha,' she said through the link, calming my Wolf and I down a bit more.
Katie grabbed my hand and pulled it until I looked at her. She smiled, coaxing me to finish what I was saying.
I cleared my throat. 'We need to talk later,' I linked Mom, and she subtly nodded. "As I was saying," I began. "She had to deal with nuggets that weren't paying attention to her lessons. Sometimes, some people had to go in after or before school to get help with Mom." I smirked at my mother when she looked up at me. "I think that she was having fun with the children."
Mom snorted and pushed a strand of auburn hair behind her ear as she looked at us. "Yes, because I had "fun" with children and was still a virgin," she replied sarcastically. "That makes perfect sense." She gestured for me. "Now, continue with helping Katie out. You should know what she is doing."
I narrowed my eyes at her, again feeling a course of anger running through my body. I stood up and cleared my throat, stunned and surprised about this feeling. "I am going for a run," I said. I looked at Katie, trying to keep my Wolf from surfacing. I didn't want her to know that I was not human yet, because I did not want her to get scared. "I will help as soon as I am done with this run. All right?"
Katie frowned but nodded her head. Worry filled her eyes, and I could tell that she was curious about why I needed to go for a run. She glanced at my mother before turning and watching me leave the room.
I shook my head, disgusted with myself for feeling angry at my mother. I knew that she was still a Luna and could basically cause me and my Wolf to submit if needed. I just hoped that she wouldn't tell Dad about my behavior...
***
I flicked my ears when I heard footsteps behind me. My whole body relaxed when I smelt that it was my mother and not some Rogues that had been hanging around for the past year. I was lying by a creek in my Wolf form, enjoying the peace.
"Was running what you needed?" she, finally, asked as she settled down next to me. She ran a hand over her legs, and from the corner of my eye, I could tell that she was annoyed.
I whined and laid my head on her lap, careful of my baby sister and the fact that Mom's legs were still not that good. I wagged my tail and apologized for being an ass.
Mom chuckled and ran a hand through my fur. "You weren't an ass," she said, looking out at the water. Different emotions ranged through her eyes, and I could see that frustration was the biggest one. "I talked to your grandfather," she said finally. "And, annoyance and anger issues are normal. You have been the Alpha for a year and a half, and I am pregnant with my first child."
I stayed silent and waited for her to continue speaking.
"My child should be the Alpha, well Luna, of this pack, considering that I am the True Luna and not some skank."
I snorted when she bared her teeth while she thought of my birth mother. I agreed with her, but I was curious about why I was starting to get annoyed now. I knew that her daughter should technically be the Alpha of this pack because I was a "bastard" child. A sudden yelp escaped my lips as I quickly stood up when Mom pulled at my tail. I narrowed my eyes at her and growled, laying my ears at the back of my head.
Mom narrowed her eyes and bared her teeth, not even trying to growl like a wolf. "Sit your ass back down now," she said, her voice cold and authoritative, not something that I was used to. She waited until I did what I was told to do before wagging a finger at me. "Never think of yourself as a bastard child," she warned. "Yes, you might not be from two mates, but both your father and maybe your mother loved you. You were made out of love, just like your sister."
I snorted but didn't say a word. I knew better than to talk back when Mom was pissed and annoyed.
"Now, as I was saying, your Wolf feels threatened that your father and I will give the position to your sister. That is why you get annoyed and angry at me easily." She studied me before offering a smile. "Your father and I have already talked, and we both think that you staying as the Alpha is what is best for this pack." She moved a hand over her belly and looked down lovingly. "Your sister is probably going to find herself an Alpha or a Beta from a different pack, and she will have to move. With the number of members we have here, I do not think it is wise to try and add two packs together."
'What if she is in a pack that is dangerous?' I asked.
"Then she will be able to kick their asses in shape and show herself as more than just a Luna, but also a Warrior," she replied. She shrugged her shoulder. "Besides, if any Wolf tries to harm my children, then they will have to face a very angry Mama Wolf."
I let out a chuckle and nuzzled my mother. My Wolf and I were satisfied with her answer, but there was this part that couldn't help but think that she was lying to us...