2
T hat night, I dreamed that my mate was in bed next to me - holding me, nuzzling my neck, inhaling my scent; but when I woke up, his side of the bed was cold and I could hear him, probably packing, in the other room.
I quickly changed, went through my morning routine, and joined him in the living room.
“Good morning,” I said, suddenly shy and uncertain again.
Dominic looked up and nodded before returning to the task at hand. He froze briefly and I guessed he was mind-linking someone.
“My Beta, Elliot, will come up shortly to help with the bags.”
It was my turn to nod. What a couple we were. Thankfully, Elliot’s knocking soon broke the oppressive silence between us. He was probably present at our mating ceremony yesterday but it was all such a blur for me that I never noticed him.
“Hello Luna, it’s great to meet you,” he said and bared his neck respectfully.
“Likewise, Beta Elliot.”
“Where do you want these?” he asked, gesturing towards all my earthly possessions.
I looked from him to Dominic, unsure of how much contact between me and another male was acceptable now.
“It’s best you show him how to arrange the bags in the trunk,” Dominic said without looking at either of us.
Elliot met my eyes and shrugged so we made our way to the car.
“Do you have any questions for me, Luna?” he asked, clearly teasing.
It made me hope for an easy camaraderie with him. If everyone in the pack was this easy-going, it would be a change for the better.
“Your Alpha... what can you tell me about him?”
Elliot frowned as he glanced at my mark. It made me self-conscious for some reason.
“Well, I can tell you never to talk to the male when he’s driving,” he grumbled and then laughed upon seeing my surprised face. “Yeah, he’s absolutely incapable of doing two things at once. Whenever he’s working on something, you better leave him alone. He’s been that way ever since we were pups.”
“So you grew up in Greylock as well?”
“I did. It’s a great pack. Everyone’s gonna be so happy to meet you. Especially my mate, Grace.”
“I look forward to meeting her as well.”
I really was looking forward to it. I had exactly two female friends in this pack, and one of them was my cousin so that didn’t really count. I hoped that would change in Greylock. Both Flora and Theresa would be here soon to say goodbye. I refused to think about it.
I could already see Nana and Evie in the distance, making their way to guest housing, and my heart clenched painfully. This was a good thing. All females whose mates were from different packs had to move to be with them. Nana’d moved here from Georgia. And Mother’s home pack was in Wyoming. It was the way of the world.
The Blessed Family wasn’t one for big emotional displays, so we all briefly hugged as we said our goodbyes, although I did linger a bit longer than I normally would, just to take in everyone’s scent one last time. Father and Isaac shook Dominic’s hand and we left. Just like that, I was no longer part of the Uinta pack.
Elliot turned out to be the kind of wolf we needed for the long drive back. He was talkative without being annoying, he pointed out interesting things in the scenery, and generally took the edge of the tension I would have felt if Dominic and I were sitting alone in a silent car.
He didn’t seem disturbed or surprised by my mate’s silence, so I assumed it must not have been out of the ordinary. The two of them sat in the front, and I had the back to myself. Soon, the exhaustion of the past few days caught up to me, so I drifted off and didn’t wake until we’d arrived in Greylock territory.
I couldn’t remember the last time I'd slept for so long. I was disoriented. They must have taken a break at some point, because now Dominic was the one behind the wheel. His eyes found mine in the rear-view mirror and he simply said: “We’re almost there.”
From what I’d seen as we drove through it, Dominic’s pack was beautiful. His house was even more so. From the outside it looked like a cozy mountain cabin, but on the inside it was almost intimidating in its sleekness. The open floor plan was bathed in light thanks to the ceiling-to-floor windows on one side of the house. The furniture looked like something you’d find in the month’s “Best of” selection in Lipstick soft, wavy hair; long muscles on his back that trembled and twitched under my touch; a flexing, thrusting behind that I’d grabbed with more courage than I thought I had in me; coarse hair on his chest and thighs that produced the most amazing friction on my own chest and legs as they rubbed against him; the silky sheets I was gripping and pulling on.
His tongue touched every inch of my body; somehow, it even managed to reach inside me with its wet heat, and that made a spot in my lower abdomen feel like someone was tickling me; suddenly, I was suspended in the moment right before a laugh or a sneeze.
My tongue now knew the velvety texture of his earlobe, the heat of his mouth, the slight saltiness of his neck.
I heard both our hearts beating wildly, I heard our breathing, the moans we both made, the helplessness in both of our cries as we succumbed to the all-consuming pleasure of having each other so completely.
I heard my name whispered in his soft voice as if it was the answer to some unspoken question, repeated again and again, but I also felt it glide across my body like a feather.
When he stilled above me, I finally dared to open my eyes. Dominic was still breathing heavily, and for some reason, he seemed more vulnerable than ever. I could feel how happy and sated he was, but he was also embarrassed about something.
“I’m sorry.”
“About what?” I frowned.
“That it didn’t last longer.”
“How long was it supposed to last?” I asked.
He smiled and shook his head slightly.
“Nevermind. I’m getting in my head about things. Let’s get cleaned up,” he got up and helped me to the bathroom, where he threw the towel in the laundry basket and led us into the shower.
He gently cleaned my whole body with a washcloth and some soap while carefully keeping my hair from getting wet. He then quickly washed his body as well. He pulled my body into his under the covers and turned the lamp off without a word.
My last thought before falling asleep was how wonderful it felt being connected to him like that, body and mind, and how I couldn’t wait to experience it again.