CHAPTER
SEVENTEEN
A D E L A I D E
I played with my hands in my lap anxiously, biting my bottom lip fiercely as the car drew closer to the territory of my old pack. Leo was driving and I could sense he was also uneasy. About what, I wasn't sure.
"If I were to change my mind, we could leave at any time, right?" I asked him. "Would you be mad?"
He shook his head, his knuckles turning white as we passed the first sign of a changing territory; a tree near the road had been scratched down to the bark. "Not at all. I would turn the car around now if you wanted," he assured me.
"I'm okay right now. But thank you."
Leo reached over with one of this hands and touched mine. "It'll be alright. And if it isn't, I will take you somewhere fun to spend the weekend, okay? Like a beach house or go up to a lake or something."
I nodded hurriedly. "That sounds nice."
He took my hand in his and brought the back of my hand to his lips tenderly. "This is going to be an interesting weekend to say the least," he said with a playful smile.
"Couldn't agree more."
~ ~ ~
Harrison was waiting for us at the entrance of the Pack House. The sight of him made my stomach churn in discomfort, but I couldn't place why. He had grown a lot in the time I had been gone. Not in height or anything, but work as an Alpha had already aged him. He had more facial hair, dark circles under his eyes, and seemed to have put on a little bit of weight.
Surprisingly, the new Luna wasn't with him.
Leo parked the car and got out, whisking over to my side to open my door for me and help me out. We made brief eye contact, Leo seeming to touch base with me on if I was okay or not.
"I'm okay," I whispered. "Hold my hand?"
The man smiled gently at me and entwined our fingers before we began the approach. Harrison stepped confidently down the stairs to meet us at the bottom. "Alpha Leo, Adelaide. How was the drive?" Harrison greeted politely.
"Long, but otherwise easy. Little to no traffic," Leo answered. "How are you handling things as the new Alpha? Do you have your system running smoothly?"
Harrison chuckled, shaking his head. "I have them running, but I'm not sure smoothly is the way I would describe it." His eyes fell onto me, where they softened ever so slight. "Adelaide, you look really good. Having freedom has completely changed you. Funny how that works, isn't it?"
I knew he was referring to the treatment of his father, the previous alpha. All I could do was smile and nod in response. Leo squeezed my hand and pulled me closer to his side. "How's Stella? I thought she'd be here, by your side."
"Stella is on bedrest. I was going to wait until this weekend to share the news, but I trust you two to keep it a secret. Stella is pregnant. Her morning sickness has been cruel to her, so our doctor advised that she rest and relax until it passes," Harrison explained, slowly guiding us up towards the massive house.
Leo reached his hand out to shake Harrison's to congratulate him. "Congrats, man. That's incredible. You two are very lucky."
I nodded in agreement. "I should have guessed it would be around this time, considering how long it has been since your ceremony. I'm happy for you."
"Thank you." Though something in his voice didn't sound so pleased. "Welcome home, Adelaide. I reminded everyone that we are all equals here and that I will not tolerate anyone treating you less than. Things are going to change around here, once I have built more rapport with the people. I never want my father's actions to be repeated."
I couldn't help but smile. "Thank you, Alpha. That means a lot to me."
"Please, just call me Harrison. We don't need formalities, do we?"
I shrugged awkwardly, feeling Leo tensing up beside me. Harrison cast him a short glance before gazing at me again. "Would you mind showing us to our room?" Leo asked. "We should get our bags in and move the car out of the way."
"Of course. Two separate rooms, right?" Harrison quizzed, having walked ahead of us now.
I glanced up at Leo, fighting back a laugh as he frowned at the back of Harrison's head. "No, we'll be sleeping together," Leo said through clenched teeth.
Harrison only offered a "hmpf" in response.
What the hell was going on between these two? Some sort of Alpha-masculinity contest?
Once we got up to the guest rooms, Harrison paused in front of a door and looked at me. "Ah, one more thing. I told your parents that you were coming. I figured it would be best for them to know to avoid you awkwardly bumping into them, so I hope you don't mind. Would you like to sit with them at the celebration or would you like to visit them?" he tested.
I looked up at Leo, who nodded encouragingly. "Honestly, Harrison... I'm not ready to see them yet. I think I might say something awful if I were to come face to face with them and we don't need that right now. I hate to trouble you more, but if you could pass on the message... I would appreciate it."
Harrison smiled sadly but politely. "I understand. I'll talk to them."
"Thank you."
He nodded before clearing his throat, slowly tearing his gaze away from me long enough to push open the door. "Here is your room. If there are any issues, let me know."
"Will do," Leo said curtly before ducking inside.
I waited for Harrison to be gone before I went in, but only stood long enough to see Leo appraise the room. "Want to see where the old alpha kept me?" I asked him.
Leo looked at me in shock. "Do you want to see it again?"
"Kind of."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?"
I shrugged carelessly. "I feel like I need to see it one last time. Besides, there might be more of my stuff up there."
Leo gazed at me for a while, as if trying to see if I was really fine. "I'm okay, Leo. Really. Come on, let's go explore my prison cell."
"That isn't funny, Adelaide," Leo grumbled, but followed me out of the room. "I don't know if I can contain my anger once I see it."
I snorted. "It isn't that bad. Actually, I had quite a bit of space, plus a great view. And the alpha would give me anything I wanted just to keep me quiet about shutting me away. That's how I got the money for the bus ticket and that crappy apartment. I'd been saving up for years."
"Hm."
I had half expected the attic not only to be locked, but emptied of everything of mine. Instead, it looked completely untouched, save for how clean it was. There wasn't dust build up or anything remotely dirty that would come from not touching a room for as long as I had been gone.
Stepping inside, I felt a wave of nausea hit me. Even the smell was the same. My bedding was there. My dresser. Inside the drawers, I was sure my clothes were still folded neatly. There were boxes of my "keepsakes" which really meant little to me now. A baby blanket. A picture of me with my parents. An old teddy bear I hadn't touched since I was a toddler.
I felt like a ghost, moving through the quiet room. My fingers brushed over the bed before I sat on it. "Is this too much for you?" Leo asked, not having moved from the doorway.
"No, I'm okay. I just... how did I let them lock me up here for so long? Why didn't I leave earlier?"
Leo finally stepped inside, coming to stand over me. His warm hands cupped my jaw and forced me to look up at him. "The people here made you believe that no one would want you elsewhere. Why would you leave if you thought there was nowhere else to go? That Alpha and the ones who followed him were and still are toxic."
"But he's gone."
"His son isn't."
I glared up at Leo. "Harrison is different, Leo. Didn't you hear him earlier? He's going to change everything-"
Leo sighed. "Don't you think it's a little suspicious that he's waiting until his pack likes him and approves of his leadership? That's a dangerous claim to make. That line of thinking can prove to have negative consequences."
"But why would they follow him if they didn't trust him?" I countered.
The man shrugged. "All I'm saying is that it doesn't sit right with me. I won't force you to believe otherwise."
~ ~ ~
That day was spent just lounging around the guest room and then going to dinner downtown. I wished there were places I could show Leo that meant something to my childhood, like a special diner or ice cream place or some sort of look out point, but seeing as I never got out of the pack house... I had nothing.
Though it was fun for both of us to try a new restaurant and for me to get to know the town I had heard so much about, but rarely visited.
The next morning was the beginning of the festivities. It began with a large brunch, where nearly everyone was given mimosas until the whole pack was tipsy. Leo and I both decided that alcohol was not our friend this weekend, so we just sipped water.
I was relieved that after a full brunch, not a single awkward interaction was had. But that was all thanks to Leo, who kept me distracted and entertained. While he had been less than kind at the beginning, I was really starting to see his good intentions.
Leo was also learning how to turn good intentions into good actions, which was helpful.
I giggled as Leo made some stupid pun about waffles, one of his arms sliding around my waist, discreetly moving our chairs closer together. "You're so dumb," I snickered.
"That was a good one and you know it."
"It wasn't though. There aren't even waffles being served," I pointed out.
Leo looked down at the bowl of fruit salad in front of me, picking up a piece of diced pear. "I suppose you could say that I wasn't prepeared," he said seriously.
I shoved him hard, nearly choking on the water I had just drinken. "Oh my god, Leo. Stop."
"You know what they say about guys who don't appreciate fruit puns?" Leo asked. Before I could stop him, as he had caught the attention of the whole dining room now. But knowing him, he loved the attention. "You gotta let that mango."
I slapped my hands over my face, bursting into giggles. Leo chuckled with me, along with several listeners. His arm pulled me against his chest. "I love your laugh. It's... berry cute," he murmured for only me to hear.
"You are unbearable."
I happened to glance up, meeting eyes with Harrison, whose face was tense and unhappy. This only lasted for a second before he blinked and tried to cover it up. I raised an eyebrow at him in question before looking back at Leo, who had also noticed.
"Is something going on? Am I missing something?" I whispered.
"I think so," Leo claimed. "I'm sure he'll pull you aside sometime today or tomorrow to ask you about it."
I sighed, folding my arms over my chest. "What do you think it could be?" He shrugged. "Well... would you come with me? I don't want to be alone with him."
This seemed to surprise him. "Of course, love. I'll be there."
There was a clinking on glass, pulling our attention back to Harrison and now, the Luna, who were standing side by side. "We just wanted to say thank you to everyone for coming. Especially our guests, Alpha Leo and Adelaide, from the Northern California pack. They traveled hours so Adelaide could come visit us for this event. Just like old times," Stella announced. "We are honored and humbled to have you in our home."
Harrison raised his glass to us and everyone followed suit, before all drinking. Once again, Leo and I just had our waters. Another toast was given, this time in thanks to the ancestors who built this pack from the ground up. It was the same speech as every year, with only a couple lines changed to match the modern era. Once the toast was up, pack Elders would take turns sharing the stories of the creation. Then, we would move outside for the reenactment by the children. After that, there would be socializing and a break for a couple hours before the dinner came.
As the Elder's were speaking, Leo's hand moved to rest on my thigh. I gave him a weary look, but he didn't appear to have any ulterior motive. His fingers just stroked my leg repeatedly, almost absentmindedly. It didn't try to go towards any unholy places, so I didn't stop him. It was actually kind of... comforting. Definitely relaxing, as by the end of the speeches, I was leaning against him and yawning.
"Let us skip the play. You can take a nap in the room," Leo hummed in my ear as everyone began to move.
I nodded in agreement, allowing him to scoot my chair back and help me to my feet. Before we were even out of the dining hall, Harrison intercepted us. "The backyard exit is over there," he claimed, motioning towards where everyone else was going.
"My girl is tired. I'm taking her upstairs to nap before dinner."
"Your girl?" Harrison repeated dryly.
As if she was meant to make this worse, Stella showed up. "Well if it isn't our ugly duckling," she greeted, holding her arms open for the fakest hug I had ever seen.
Be the bigger person, I reminded myself before hugging her back. "Congratulations, by the way. You're going to make a wonderful mom. And the pack is lucky to have you as a Luna," I said politely. Though I hardly meant any of it.
She grinned victoriously, throwing her arms around Harrison. "You're so sweet. But we do make a great team. I'm so glad we didn't wait to take over."
I pursed my lip at her usage of words, but otherwise remained silent. Her eyes turned to Leo and shamelessly examined him. She was pleased with what she was seeing until her eyes zeroed in on my hand in his. "Are you two... together?"
"She is my Chosen," Leo responded.
"What? Her? Why?" Stella sputtered.
I snorted and glared at the girl who made my life a living hell. "Because he's a decent person, Stella. Not everyone is as obsessed with looks as you are. He actually has a life and doesn't need to bully others to make himself feel better," I snapped. "We are adults now. Could you just stop thinking so shallowly?"
Stella's face began to turn red in pure anger. "Excuse me? Is this how you treat hospitable Lunas?"
"Shut up, Stella," Harrison muttered. "You aren't acting like a hospitable Luna." He paused to change subjects, looking at me. "Have you accepted Leo as your Chosen as well?"
"I... I haven't announced my decision yet."
Leo squeezed my hand comfortingly. "May I take her to our room now? We can continue this discussion later."
"Don't you think she should make her decision knowing all of her options?" Harrison quipped.
What was he talking about? Stella was the only one who seemed as confused as I was. Leo had a knowing, but angry look on his face. "Of course. But right now isn't the right time."
"When is the right time? When you've distanced her from everything more?" Harrison sneered.
Leo scoffed, throwing his head back. "Boy, you sure are defensive for already being mated."
"Stella, leave," Harrison ordered. "Conduct the opening for the play while I have a private conversation with our guests."
Stella, surprisingly, obeyed. She kissed his cheek before bouncing off, shooting me a warning glare. "Alright, what the hell are you two on about?" I tested once the three of us were alone.
Leo crossed his arms over his chest. "Harrison is ready to tell you why he really invited you here."
"Yes, I am."
Neither of them said anything for about thirty seconds, just staring at each other challengingly. I could not handle this testosterone battle. "Well? Get on with it!"
Harrison turned to me, his whole demeanor softening with a quiet, defeated sigh as his pretty eyes looked me up and down. "Adelaide, you're my mate."