CHAPTER 10: BACK IN THE PACK
CHAPTER 10: BACK IN THE PACK
Alana's POV
I woke up feeling both antsy and relieved about finally leaving the clinic and back to the pack. Not knowing what to expect coming out made me even more nervous and restless.
Being mated to the Alpha meant one thing for sure —all attention would be on me— which wasn’t a norm on my path. I always kept my head down and maintained a side character role in the pack.
And the bullies…I thought of Britney, my nemesis… Ughh! Shake the thoughts away. I couldn’t.
Axel who had stepped out to handle pack business opened the doors and his masculine scent wafted into my lungs, instantly calming me down. My heart gave a little excited leap and I snapped my head up in his direction.
Axel was hands down the most handsome man I had ever seen.
His rich raven black hair which contrasted his shiny blue eyes, fell over his face to accentuate his striking features. Damn, he was fine!
Well over 6 feet tall, he only needed no more than four strides to get to my side of the room.
“Good morning, Alpha,” I greeted with a smile.
“Good morning, Luna,” he responded sarcastically, stretching his hands and enveloping me in a warm embrace.
We already clicked like peas in a pod.
The scent of lemons and fresh rain that he exuded made me nearly dizzy.
He must have picked the scent of the rain from the downpour that watered the pack grounds this morning.
The hug lingered for a second longer than necessary before I finally pulled away.
Axel was perfection itself and the overwhelming thought of being with him sent a visible shudder through me. And with the way both mated and unmated she-wolves usually laid claim to him, I knew I was in for one hell of a ride.
She-wolves practically drooled over the thought of making pups with Axel alone, even though they never once got a peal of laughter out of him or already had mates.
Even Britney fancied herself as his chosen mate to be since he was still unmated at 28. Would I have to contend with all of that?
“You’re tensed,” He inferred.
“I can’t help it.”
“You have nothing to be worried about, Alana,” concern laced in his voice.
“Yeah.”
“We’ll be moving to our quarters of the main building today…”
“Our?” I cut him short. Did he mean I would live in the same quarters I was made to clean out just days before?
Flashes of my only night there crossed my mind.
The night with Axel was still a blur as I was overwhelmed by his presence and the fast-paced events of that day. Even still, I could still feel his deep, gritty voice on my nape, brushing over my
sensitive spot.
I blinked quickly as the same gritty voice cut through me.
“Yes dearest, our.” He said, his voice low-pitched. “As Alpha and Luna of the pack, we are to live together.”
I probably didn’t think this through when I acknowledged our bond.
“I cannot let you remain in the omega quarters. Not after how I found you there,” he added, his eyes flickering back and forth, visibly fighting a fit of rising anger.
“I understand,” I nodded. “It’s just a lot of change to take in at once.”
“We can take things slowly, I promise,” he said as he cupped my face in his hands and planted a kiss on my left cheek, his eyes returning to the calm color of an open ocean. I reacted…no, liquefied.
I was about to respond when a knock came through the door, disrupting our flow. I was slightly irritated but the sight of the intruder made my heart flutter with joy. Lexi.
“I was so damn worried about you, girl,” she said as she ran to hug me tightly. “I thought I lost you,” she said amidst sobs. “Don’t you ever leave me again!”
“I think you might lose me now if you don’t let go. I’m choking” I managed to speak out.
She chuckled and released me from her death grip.
She then turned to Axel and quickly wiped her teary face with the back of her palm.
“Alpha, it’s good to see you again. You have my loyalty.” She bared her neck in submission as she paid her respects to Axel.
“Hello, Lexi, good to see you’re safe.”
I didn’t recall telling Lexi the full story about Axel and me, since that banshee of a she-wolf interrupted us rudely, so I was a bit surprised that she had already filled in some of the blanks in my absence. I cursed silently.
The perplexed look must have been evident on my face seeing as Axel rendered me an explanation.
“The doctor should be here in a minute to clear you and we’ll be good to go,” he added, his eyes never leaving mine.
My eyes prickled as the light from Doctor Keith’s ophthalmoscope jarred at my eyes but I tried to remain still for the process.
She only spoke when she was done. “You still have to rest and recover fully from your injuries. Also, abstain from doing too much strenuous work.” She shot a glance at Axel who kept a blank stare.
“Here,” she tore out a note and handed it to me, “some prescribed vitamin tablets for you.”
A subtle smile crawled up her face as she said, “The perks of the mate bond should do the rest for you. Good day, Luna, Alpha,” she said as she retired with a curt nod.
“Thank you, Doctor,” I responded, relieved that I could finally leave the confines of the room.
Lexi’s head snapped in my direction and I gave her a once over and a smile, meaning I was going to fill her in on the details later.
As Doctor Keith left, Axel stepped out to thank her, giving Lexi and me some alone time together.
“Girl, start spilling!”
A laugh reverberated through the room.
“I will, once I get out of this bed that I’ve been cooped up in.”
“Isn’t it much better than the goddess-forsaken millipede hole we call rooms?”
“You’re right though, it is,” I said with a laugh.
“Damnnn, I knew it had to be him when he came looking for you after Britney’s show. You had to see how worried he was when that attack started and he couldn’t find you. It was mad scary.”
“Really?”
“It was warming to know that the terrifying alpha could exude expressions other than a hard, cold glare.”
We were still giggling when the door propped open and Lexi froze like a rabbit caught in headlights.
Lexi wasn’t one to be shaken so easily or quickly, except…I snapped my head past her to see Axel accompanied by beta Tyler strolling in. Oh, that explained why.
Beta Tyler was handsome, yes, but he could not compare to Axel’s god-like features.
With him being just a little under 6 feet tall, Axel easily towered over Tyler. In place of Axel's striking blue eyes, Tyler had warm green eyes, brown hair, and a more rugged look that made him easily labeled the clown of the pack. Axel on the other hand had a more imposing figure that seized everyone around him.
Axel was blessed with the right amount of muscle on his perfectly toned skin, while to me, beta Tyler had too much in that aspect. But the excess muscles only made Lexi fawn over him ten times harder.
She even named some of her favorite pieces of cleaning equipment after him.
“Luna,” Tyler greeted me in my direction with his head bowed. Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.
He locked eyes with Lexi and for a brief second, a glint flashed in his eyes but disappeared quickly, and I questioned myself if it was ever there.
“Lexi,” he purred, stalked over to her, and planted a kiss on the back of her palm.
She still looked like she was caught in the headlights.
“Get a room, will you?” Axel barked as Lexi and Tyler seemed to forget we were even there.