Chapter 14 - Jace
Her eyes are glowing with anger as she shoves me away from her. I don’t let go of her arm, shaking her and demanding she acknowledge what she did wrong.
“My mate, flirting with another man, how does that make me look?” I snarl.
She scoffs. “Flirting? I was doing no such thing. And how dare you humiliate me in front of another pack member as though the Luna of the Rose Falls Pack can’t be trusted.
As though she’s some loose, unfaithful wolf who would ever even think about dishonoring her mate!
” she snarls back at me. “You embarrassed me horribly now, Jace. I had that conversation under control. If you’d waited another fifteen seconds, you would’ve heard me introducing myself as the Luna and doing it in a polite way that didn’t disrespect the man! ”
My chest tightens. Fuck. That did look bad… me dragging her away like a jealous infant.
I clench my jaw and squeeze my eyes shut, scolding Jux for making me so impulsive.
“Mira, I’m…”
“I’m not done!” she demands, pulling her arm free of my grip.
“I’m also furious that you reduce me to nothing more than ‘your mate’.
Yes, I am your Luna, I am your mate… but I’m also Mira.
I’m a person. A whole person with thoughts, feelings, and choices.
And if you can’t trust me, if you don’t have faith in me to handle situations like that one…
how will I ever be a good fit for you?” she demands.
But before I can answer, she spins away and storms off in pure rage.
“Fuck,” I mutter quietly beneath my breath.
That really did not go well. I acted like a total asshole.
I saw flashes of the old me. Uncontrolled emotions and lashing out embarrassingly.
Groaning, I push my hand through my hair and shake my head at my own stupidity. Then I run after her to apologize.
“Mira,” I call out, jogging toward her.
“I don’t have anything else to say to you, Jace,” she huffs quietly, glancing around to make sure no one is listening.
The music from the party a little way away is loud enough that our conversation and argument are still private.
But it’s not a good look for the Luna and Alpha to be fighting, especially in front of other packs.
I wanted tonight to be about progression and showcasing the new era and pack dynamics. But now I’m risking showing everyone that I’m a jealous idiot who doesn’t trust his Luna.
“Mira, please, give me a chance…” I sigh.
She looks up into my eyes and pulls her mouth into a tight curve of disapproval and impatience. “Go on, then,” she snaps.
“I’m an idiot,” I groan. Immediately, her expression softens.
“Ok, I’m listening…” she knots her brows, curious.
“Black Ops taught me a lot about controlling my anger…all of my emotions, actually. To the point where I struggle to express myself in normal ways. I guess I’ve always struggled with that…
uh… my point is…. Black Ops taught me to think before I react, but when I saw that guy all over you, Jux went absolutely crazy, and it made me absolutely crazy, and I acted like a complete asshole.
I’m really sorry. Please, I’m better than I was in the past, but I still make mistakes,” I sigh softly, hoping I’m making sense and not babbling nonsense.
She’s watching me closely, studying my face and taking her time to respond. It’s driving me crazy with tension. Anxiety I’m not used to feeling.
Sometimes words aren’t enough. You have to show her. Put in real effort.
“Let me take you out tomorrow. Just you and me. I can make it up to you. Anything you want to do, I’ll take you,” I smile, feeling good about this. “I promise not to be an asshole,” I add, grinning mischievously.
“OK, that sounds like a good plan,” she giggles, shaking her head. “But you can’t expect to just flash the smile and get away with things. Don’t even talk to me like that again, ok?”
“Ok,” I nod, still smiling, but more serious. I wrap my arm around her waist and lead her back toward the party. “So, where are we going tomorrow?” I ask.
“You’ll just have to wait and see. And I expect you to pretend you like it even if you don’t,” she smirks.
This makes me chuckle. How do I end up with the quietest, meekest she-wolf in the pack as my mate, yet she’s feisty and sassy with me?
***
It’s early morning, and Mira is already up and dressed in a long, flowing, floral dress. She sets a cup of coffee down on my bedside table and grins at me. “Come on, we’ve got to get there early to get all the best things,” she says.
“Get where?” I stretch my legs out beneath the blankets and yawn.
“To the thrift market. They usually have the prettiest things. Books, clothes, odd little treasures…”
“A thrift market?” I repeat, trying not to sound bored out of my mind already.
“Yep, drink your coffee. We’re leaving in twenty minutes.”
Her excitement is like a spark in the air. It makes me curious. Not about the market. I couldn’t give a shit about a thrift market. But about her. What makes her smile, what she does for fun. Her interests outside of work.
I get dressed quickly because I made a promise to her last night to make it up to her, so today is about making her happy.
She is my Luna after all, and it is my duty to make her happy.
If she is satisfied and our relationship is peaceful, then I will be presenting a good example for the rest of the pack.
Dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans and a black T-shirt, I tug the Jeep door open for her, and she climbs in, carrying an empty canvas shopping bag.
“That’s a big bag, what are you planning on buying?” I ask, sliding into the driver’s seat.
“I definitely want to get some fresh strawberries from the farmer's stall. And I’ll need cream and butter too.”
“What for? Why don’t you go to the pack's store?”
“Because the farmer is really sweet. He and his wife work hard in their fields, even though they’re really old, and their only income comes from selling their fruits and jams at weekend markets.
I like to support them. Besides, they honestly have the best strawberries and figs I’ve ever tasted.
And when you taste the strawberry tart I make, you’ll understand,” she grins.
“Ok, well, you should have just started with a strawberry tart. I’m all in for strawberry tart,” I chuckle.
Watching her from the corner of my eye as we drive away from the compound toward the little town nearby, I’m struck by her softness.
Her sweet heart. How she’s willing to go out of her way to support someone else and uplift them, even though all her life people have treated her like shit. Including me.
The market is bubbling with laughter, and the low hum of many conversations blurred into one atmospheric sound.
It’s set in a tree-filled, hilly area overlooking the little nearby town.
Warm sun spills dappled light through the tree leaves onto the stalls beneath them.
It’s quaint and peaceful, yet energetic.
Mira is loving this. I follow her from stall to stall as she examines old books, delicately touching their covers and flipping through the crisp pages. She finds a lace skirt she clearly likes, but seems hesitant to buy it.
“What’s wrong? I thought you loved it?” I ask when she hangs it back up on the railing.
“Oh, it is too beautiful for words, but that is for someone… um…. more feminine.” Her cheeks flash pink with heat.
I pick the skirt up and take it to the lady managing the stall. “We’ll take it, and the matching top,” I say.
“Jace, I don’t…”
“I think it will look stunning on you, Mira,” I insist. And I mean it too. I have no idea what she’s talking about with this more feminine rubbish. She’s gorgeous. She’s beautiful. Her body is curved, soft, and pink, and couldn’t be more feminine if she tried.
Mira grins, biting her lower lip, and it spikes desire in me.
Clearing my throat, worried my wolf will start noticing and complicate things, I drag my eyes away from her. But obviously, Jux has been paying attention the entire time. He never seems to stop paying attention to my mate.
He’s always paying attention. Always eager.
Mira slips the lace items into her canvas bag and gives me a quick, slightly awkward hug. “Thank you, I love it,” she says.
“I’ll take you out to dinner next week so that you can wear it somewhere nice,” I smile.
We roam and explore. She gets a few classic, old books. She tells me about her favorite author and takes me to her favorite coffee stop. She introduces me to the old farmers, where she gets the strawberries and figs, and she’s right. They are the most incredible strawberries I’ve ever tasted.
The day goes by, and to my surprise, what started out as a dutiful obligation, at some point, becomes the most fun I’ve had in a very, very long time.
Her energy and enthusiasm are infectious, and watching her smile brings me joy.
My mind has stopped racing with the pack business and the long list of things I need to attend to. I’m calm. I’m relaxed and it’s a wonderful feeling.
There are a few people in this world that I can truly relax around and
“Oh!” she exclaims, jumping up and down. “You’re going to love this!”
Mira grabs my hand and pulls me toward a stall tucked away in the corner beneath a shady tree. “He only comes to these markets once a month and practically sells out the moment the market starts, so we’re really lucky he’s still here!” she explains.
“What is it?” I ask, intrigued.
“Only the best waffles you will ever have in your entire life,” she says with a glimmer in her eyes.”
“Fantastic, I was about to say I’m starting to get hungry again,” I tell her.
We’ve been tasting biscuits and muffins and homemade pies all day, but we’ve also been walking around all day, so Jux is whining for another snack.
“Two, please,” she says, wiggling her hips in a happy little dance.
I chuckle, watching her with fondness. “They’re that good that they warrant a dance?” I ask.
She nods. “Better.”
I watch with growing fascination as the guy makes the waffles.
Golden brown waffles coated in syrup and butterscotch sauce.
A giant scoop of vanilla ice cream. A generous sprinkle of crispy bacon bits and a sprinkle of homemade fudge crumbs.
Top it all off with another drizzle of butterscotch and… boom.
The guy hands two carryout bowls with our waffles, and Mira leads me to a bench on the other side of the tree. We sit looking out over the small town.
My mouth waters as I take the first bite.
Hot bacon, hot waffle, and cold ice cream.
Closing my eyes, I moan softly as I chew, taking a moment to really savor it.
“Right?” She asks, watching me.
“Oh my word…” I groan, taking another bite.
It’s a culinary adventure. Different flavors, different temperatures, and different textures that all blend in the most perfect way to create the best waffle I’ve ever had in my life.
I hear Mira giggle and open my eyes to find her watching me.
She’s chewing, her eyes glimmering with amusement.
I nod and throw a thumbs up because my mouth is full, and I can’t speak.
After the waffle, we sit for a while, quietly watching the scene around us and enjoying the slow, late afternoon. A soft breeze keeps carrying her scent to me. She’s sitting right next to me, but every now and again, it gets stronger, teasing me.
Becoming even more enticing.
Without thinking too much about it, I stretch my arm around the back of the bench, around her.
She stiffens for a second but then relaxes again, pretending it’s completely normal.
“I had an amazing day,” I tell her, glancing at her.
She smiles with a radiant and happy smile. “Me too. It was super fun.”
“Did I earn your forgiveness after being such a tool last night?” I grin.
“You did. In fact, you got some extra points too,” she laughs.
“So I’m in the plus? I can be a tool for free?”
She laughs louder and punches my arm. “Don’t you dare,” she giggles.
“Are you ready to go?” she asks, standing up. “The sun is going to start setting in an hour or so. I can’t believe we’ve been here all day.”
I gather her things to carry them for her. “Ready whenever you are.”
“I feel like watching a movie. And getting started on making this strawberry tart,” she says.
“Sounds like the perfect way to end a perfect day,” I grin.
Driving into the compound, my heart feels full and happy. Today was a pleasant surprise, and I have a feeling that it had nothing to do with where I was, but rather because of who I was with.
Mira’s phone rings.
“Hello?” she answers.
She lets out a frustrated groan. “I’ll be right there,” she sighs.
Hanging up, she turns to me. “Sorry, I have to go into the tech lab. One of our systems is giving errors, and I’m the only one who can fix it. You can just drop me off,” she explains.
I turn toward the lab.
“That’s disappointing. I was looking forward to our movie night,” I smile.
She flashes a smile at me. “You can still enjoy a movie. I have no idea how long this will take.”