Chapter 34
Devran’s large heavy hand came down on my shoulder and stopped me dead in my tracks.
“Why don’t you like my wolf? What does that supposed to mean?” He looked the most offended I have ever seen him.
“It was your wolf who was crazy possessive and caused all those fights. It was your wolf who thought it was bonded to me all that time and it was your wolf who rejected me!” I shouted for no reason at all. It was literally downpouring and we were here arguing about alter egos.
“We are one in the same,” he scoffed.
“Good, then I don’t like you either!” I shouted just as loudly before starting to walk forward again.
“I thought you didn’t care that I rejected you?!” His voice got louder as he followed along behind me. He didn’t need to be behind me but I think he wanted to keep an eye on me to see if I would fall or not. “I don’t!”
“Then why the hell don’t you wanna accept help from my wolf you crazy person” he was so bothered by this he couldn’t even hide it.
“Because I just don’t. If you wanna run off just go ahead” I told him. I should really shut up.
“I’m your Alpha whether you like to admit that or not. I can’t just leave you here to get hurt or lost, as much as I’d love to” he muttered in the last part.
“It’s funny. You tell me you think I'm hanging around the wolves too much because I think I am one then you go ahead and call yourself my Alpha. Contradictory, no?” I called out over the loudness of the rainfall.
Rain can be very loud. I was weirdly out of breath but I think it’s from clenching my belly as I tried to carefully descend the wet terrain. The dirt can get just as slippery when you're going down hill with wet ground.
“We’ve gone over this. If you're staying here in my village that’s what you’re gonna have to acknowledge me as. What do you wanna call me? Your mayor?” He asked sarcastically.
It actually made me laugh which made me slip. When I slipped he rushed to grab me but instead slipped with me.
“What the Fuck!” He growled when we slid down a little piece of dirt that was now mudding up our soaked clothes. I couldn’t help but laugh. He isn’t used to struggling and I found it hilarious.
He grumbled while he stood up and he pulled me up with him.“This is your fault you know” I hollered over the rain.
“How?!” He hollered back.
“You walked into the sacred circle and started talking shit! You pissed off the Moon Goddess and now she’s stuck us together to have to deal with this as a pair. A pair we shouldn't be, seeing as you rejected this exact pairing. You see the joke she’s playing” I waved around us.
“You talk about this rejection an awful lot” was all he got outta what I said. I slapped my arms at my sides and continued on. “Where is Jasper?” I asked him.
“Why? Do you think your prince charming is going to come looking for you out here?” He asked me. “No, because he doesn’t know I am out here. I was just wondering.”
“He was at our borders with some of our guys. He’s probably back at the pack house already because he would’ve shifted like a normal person would and gotten the hell out of this damn rain” he called me out.
I groaned and looked at him.
“Fine” I huffed. He looked pleased and I was not prepared for the moment he pulled his shirt right off. My eyes went wide and I quickly diverted them.
“You gotta carry my clothes. Can you do that and hold on at the same time?” He asked me. I was used to doing that because Jasper has run me to plenty of places.
I bundle the clothes up in the shirt almost like a pouch and then I either stick it in my own shirt or try laying on it as I hold the fur closer to the neck of the wolf.
They aren’t normal sized wolves. With his big shoes and everything I just figured I would shove his stuff in my shirt like a kangaroo.
When he was naked, which I was not looking at, he shifted. His wolf is very beautiful. It’s fur is all black like a midnight sky but his eyes are that same crystalized blue which is in stark contrast to the rest of him.
It’s stunning really but I would never tell him so.
I climbed on his back and secured his things before telling him to go ahead. My thighs hugged his body tightly too so I could hold on. A wolf can descend tricky terrain so much quicker and more gracefully than a human can.
We were utterly drenched from head to toe and I held tight as he got us down the mountain to our village. Just before we cut past the tree line he stopped. I knew it was because he was going to shift to his human form and get dressed.
I got off of him and put his clothes down before looking away. I figured there was no point in waiting for him but when he shifted he called out for me to hold on for whatever reason.
“I brought you practically to your doorstep. Now you gotta let me wait out this heavy rain inside because I’m not walking all the way down to the pack house” he informed me.
I scoffed but I wasn’t looking at him because he was naked. When he walked up beside me he was fully dressed except for a shirt. I glared at him and he smirked.
“It’s hard to put a wet shirt on” he blamed that as his reason.
“Oh please” I walked off. I couldn’t handle his slick hard abs glistening with rain water. I just couldn’t.
We quickly got to my cottage and I unlocked the door before we slipped in and sighed with relief. When I turned Nealin was lounging on our couch looking at us in confusion.
We were drenched, muddy, and together which is an odd sight within itself.
“Long story” I waved my hands for him not to ask. He sat up straight and bowed his head. “Alpha” he acknowledged his leader. Devran nodded and began kicking off his wet shoes.
“Bring me something dry, Nealin” he ordered him. Nealin Jr isn’t too big of a guy but Nealin Sr would probably have something that fit him. I went into the bathroom and grabbed us some towels.
Nealin brought out a pair of grey sweatpants and a grey, white, and black flannel top. He thanked him then suddenly Nealin was gone. Probably because his Alpha was present and he was nervous.
“Take that wet clothes off and get under some hot water” he ordered me to the bathroom. I glared. “I’m fine” I said before going into my room to get myself some dry clothes.
I was drying my drenched locks when Devran came out from the bathroom in sweatpants to snug for him and I swallowed at the obvious bulge in his pants. Crap.
His flannel was still entirely unbuttoned as he rubbed his hair dry with a towel. I had to look away.
“Do you need socks?” I asked when I noticed he had none.
“I have big feet,” he pointed out.
“I noticed,” I muttered before pressing my lips together. I didn’t mean to say that out loud. I hated the smirk on his face. I know he was thinking that I noticed something else that was big on him.
“Are you planning on buttoning that shirt or?” I trailed off with annoyance.
“Why does it bother you?” He smirked again. I growled in frustration which he found funny. He can growl for real but mine sounded like a frustrated child.
“Nealin is much leaner than I am. It’s tight” he finally gave the real reason why he didn’t button his shirt.
“I’m sure I have some sleep tops that are larger. I’ll grab one” I almost ran to my room but he stepped in my way and my skin collided into his. I repelled backwards.
This cottage feels so damn small right now. I’m almost claustrophobic with his half dressed presence.
“How about we make something warm to drink instead. Coffee or tea?” He asked me. When I didn’t respond he said, “Tea it is.”
I have a cabinet with shelves of different glass jars full of all kinds of herbal blends. He began pulling them out and scanning each one.
“You’re making a mess” I pouted. I just tried to ignore his exposed slate of abs. When he was satisfied with the blend he turned and handed it to me. I rolled my eyes but got the tea pot to boil water.
“You have to be chilled to the bone” he asked me, glancing over at me from head to toe. “I’m better now” I shook my head. I was in fact chilled to the bone even though my clothes were dry, my skin still felt cold to the touch. This tea would be good.
“You should really get a television. What the hell do you and Nealin do in your spare time?” He arched a dark brow at me as if insinuating something.
“Are you gonna get me a pole with that fancy line you have at the pack house? Who is paying for the cable?” I asked him. Those were luxuries not every household could afford.
“Maybe that’ll be your christmas bonus” he smartly remarked. I sighed and ignored him.
“You realize this means we'll have to chat to keep ourselves entertained” he tried bugging me.
“Or I’ll just go into my bedroom and enjoy my peace” I retorted quickly.
“I suppose we could go to the bedroom” he dared tease me.
“What is up with you today?!” I was flustered at his touchiness and his flirty teasing. What the hell was this about? Our mate’s bond is shattered.
“Do you ever know how to relax? You’re the most uptight person I know” he rolled his eyes.
“Coming from you? That’s rich” I laughed in his face. I added the herbal remedy into my steeper and grabbed the boiling teapot. “Mugs” I pointed behind him. He brought over two.
“There is no need for resentment between us. It only just occurred to me on our lovely walk home, but honestly, why the hostility? Our bond would've never worked. You are human and I am a werewolf with a pack to run. I need a strong Luna.
"I know the rejection came harshly but you pushed me to it with the way you called me out in front of the whole town” he brought up the subject I did not want to speak about.
“Devran, please. Drop it” I shoved him his mug and walked out of the kitchen. He obviously followed. Once we were both seated on my blue sofa he turned his body slightly to face mine.
Again I ignored his tan abs and smooth chest. Again I ignored the grey sweatpants that hide nothing from me with that generous bulge between his legs.
“Things had to happen the way they did. I didn’t mean for you to overhear my harsh speech but I have an image to uphold and the council was in an uproar about a human mate.
"I needed to take charge and show them it didn’t make me weaker. People can’t lose faith in their Alpha and I'm brand new to this. I have a lot to prove” he told me before taking a sip of his hot mug of tea. I'd been sipping mine quietly.
“Well, you proved to them that you don’t give a damn about anything but the title so I think you’re all good” I stated in a stale tone.
“See, you hold animosity towards me” he stupidly pointed out.
“You’ve been nothing but mean to me since the minute you got back here from training. Why are you randomly trying to make peace now?” I called him out.
“I don’t know. I just thought about it when we were standing under those trees waiting and we were cooperating for half a second” he shrugged.
I didn’t know what to say to him. I don’t trust him. He flips the script on me all the time.
We both looked over at one another at the same time and I wasn’t sure what I was going to say but suddenly everything went pitch black.
“Oh you have to be kidding me” I groaned. We lost power.
It gets extremely dark here with no electricity and with a stormy sky I don’t even see moonlight. I stood and went to go find candles but when I hit my shin on the corner of the table I cursed seven times over.
“I can see in the dark. I can get it” Devran pointed out. I groaned about needing him. “In the cabinet next to the one you were touching the herbs in” I plopped back on the sofa.
Nealin finally showed himself. “Is there anything I can do, Alpha?” His voice was the most serious I have heard it, even if it’s still a shy sweet voice.
“I’ll send a general announcement out that we'll wait out the storm and fix the power when the weather clears. If anyone needs anything I’ll instruct them to reach out to either myself, Diego, or Jasper.”
The room went silent and I knew it was because he was using his mindlink.
“Get us a lighter Nealin” Dev’s deep voice spoke as he reentered the room. “Here, sir” Nealin squeaked. I find him adorable.
With a flick the flame showed the orange glow of Devran’s face. He lit a few candles on the coffee tables in front of us.
“I’ll be taking this to my room. Uh, I’m going to bed if that’s alright?” He asked us. Or him. I don’t know. It was awfully early for bed but as I said I think he was nervous having his Alpha here.
“Don’t you have to go be a leader somewhere other than here?” I called Devran out. He settled himself back into the sofa now that the dim light of the candles lit the room enough for me to regain my bearings.
“Nope. I’m all yours.”