Chapter 24
Junie
Silas is gone. Again.
He’s such an asshole. Things shifted between us yesterday, unless I was imagining it. Maybe it was only because of the trauma from the day before when we both almost died.
Fuck. I almost died.
How am I going to tell Ophelia? I can’t hide anything from her, especially not something this traumatic. She’s the same way, though—telling me all the gruesome details of her night with my brother. I shiver at the thought. That’s the last thing I need to be thinking about right now.
I also don’t want to think about Silas, but I’m only so strong. Why has this week felt like so much longer? An entire lifetime could have passed, and I wouldn’t have realized. That’s how it feels with him, with my mate.
There’s so much I need to learn, want to learn, if Silas will let me.
Hell, he’s not going to let me do anything because he’s clearly pushing me away. Again.
He does know how stubborn I am, right?
Luckily, I still have all the baking supplies Mauve gave me when I first arrived. Baking is my one solace, the thing I turn to when everything is going wrong. It won’t take my mind off what happened, but it could help me process some of the angst and sorrow I’m feeling.
I place the tote on the kitchen table and unpack everything to see what I have to work with. She’s spoiled me. There are chocolate bars, which is all I need to see.
For the next two hours, I throw myself into baking.
I make croissants. But while those are doing a quick proof, I find myself fidgeting, thinking about last night.
So, I make cookies. Then, a quick bread.
Because honestly, why not? Silas’s kitchen is empty.
He needs good food here. And his pack needs to eat.
I know one of the reasons Silas is so against this working is because of where we live, but what’s stopping me from moving Forever June to wherever he is? Nothing. It might be harder to bring my pastries to some of my regulars, but I’d figure it out. I’d figure it out if it meant being with him.
He’s the Alpha; he should decide where he gets to live. Right? Since he’s the man in charge, can’t he do whatever he wants? I punch the dough over and over, and surprisingly, it’s helping. Tears are falling, and I have to wipe them with my arm, but it’s therapeutic.
“Um, Junie?” A voice echoes from behind me, and I jump, taking a handful of flour and throwing it in the direction the voice came from. The person yelps and mumbles a string of curses.
That’s when I open my eyes and see a flour-covered Fran.
“Sorry.” I cringe. “You scared me.”
“Clearly.” Fran pats down the front of her body, sweeping as much of the flour on the floor as possible.
“I, um, have those extra clothes? If you want them?”
“No, it’s fine.” She chuckles, and I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear her laugh. My shoulders drop, and I laugh for the first time today. “I’m used to being around wolves.”
“Can you not sneak up on wolves?”
“We have enhanced hearing, so no. Honestly, I’m surprised Silas was able to sneak up on the rogue group in the forest. Between the snow and lack of wind, they should have heard him coming a lot sooner.”
I grimace, a shiver running up my spine. “I think they were rather preoccupied.”
Fran slaps a hand to her mouth. “Fuck, Junie, sorry.”
“It’s fine,” I say, grabbing a towel to run over some water. I pass it to Fran, and she accepts, using it to wipe the flour off her face.
“No, it’s not. It’s not an excuse, but I’ve been talking to the other pack groups non-stop since you two came back.”
“And? Any good news?” I don’t know if that’s the right question to ask, but I could use some positivity right now.
“We are consolidating the packs next month. We didn’t have a date set prior, and some believe that’s what led to the rogue packs forming.
It gave them time to think about what it would be like without Silas and to try to take the north for themselves.
But, as you saw, the groups are typically small in numbers. ”
“And your consolidation will help?”
“Oh, yes. It will at least show everyone who isn’t compliant and give us more grounds to search in the other territories since they would be under Silas.”
“Ah.” I take a seat at the kitchen table, the non-stop moving from baking catching up to me. “How do you consolidate the packs? I still don’t know much…” I trail, fidgeting with my hands.
Fran sits next to me and wraps a hand around mine, giving me a gentle squeeze. “It’s okay, Junie. We don’t expect you to know everything.”
I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear that.
Fran takes her hand back and continues. “I don’t remember when the last consolidation was, but it’s been a while.
We are essentially doing what happens when a new Alpha takes over.
All packs will gather under the next full moon.
Silas will give a short speech, then we all shift and run together for the first time. ”
“That sounds beautiful.”
Fran smiles softly. “It’s going to be incredible. I can’t wait for you to see it.”
“Oh, I… I don’t think…” I shake my head, averting my gaze.
“You’re the Luna, Junie. Silas can’t exist without you.”
“I’m the what?” I ask, looking back at Fran.
“The Luna. The mate of the Alpha.”
“What if the mate doesn’t want his… Luna?”
Fran’s face twists into disgust. “He’d regret it for the rest of his life if he didn’t want you.”
I shrug.
“I’m serious, Junie.” Fran persists. “You make him whole.”
He makes me whole.
“He told me he’s spellbound.”
“Mm. Yeah, there’s that.” She opens her mouth to speak again, but she must think better of it because she closes it again.
I wait a moment, hoping she will unveil some secret, but she simply stands to grab the cookies from the oven when it beeps. She places them on a cooling rack and sets it on the table between us.
After sticking a cookie in her mouth, she looks at me. “What? Why are you staring? These are good cookies, and it’s after ten in the morning.”
“No, it’s not…” I shake my head. “It’s not that. Do you know how to break the spell?”
“No,” Fran says, but I don’t believe her for one second.
“Fran.”
“Junie, I promised.”
I cross my arms. “You promised your Alpha, the asshole, to keep a dumb secret that’s preventing his happiness?”
“I… yes. Actually. I did.”
“I need you to tell me how to break it. Maybe if it breaks, everything will change.”
“Or,” Fran mumbles with a cookie half in her mouth, “he could still reject you.”
I grumble. “Sure. That could happen. But I’m willing to take the risk.”
Fran sighs and rubs her hands on her pants, the crumbs falling to the floor.
“He’s going to punch me for telling you.”