Chapter Forty-Nine
We are in the fancy dress shop for two hours, trying on dresses.
Amelia has great fun with it, even trying on dresses she doesn't want.
I try on a few simple dresses but settle on a black skin-tight floor-length dress with a risky neckline.
Amelia gets a dress that starts red at the bottom and fades into black at the top.
It has one strap covered in diamonds with a diamond design on the side near the waist. When I get in my car, I check my phone and see multiple texts from Axe.
I head home and carry the bag with my dress in and hang it up in my closet.
Axe walks into my room and I walk out of the closet.
“Where were you?” he asks.
“I was buying a graduation dress.”
“Ohh, can I see it?”
“I want you to see it when I'm all made up,” I say. “Did Dash stop by?”
“Yeah, he said he wants to help as much as he can. I didn't realise how much free time I was giving back to him when I took back being alpha.”
“Well he will have to help you out. Has Brian talked to you about taking some time off?” I ask.
“What?” His eyes widen. “Brian is leaving?”
“No, he just mentioned he wants to go around to other packs to find his mate.”
“Ohh, I guess I'll talk to him about it.” Axe sighs. “You're a good luna.”
“How? But thank you.” I frown.
I'm glad for the compliment but I haven't really thought about my luna title. Most likely because I don't feel like I am the luna. I think of myself as Axe's partner, not the luna. Maybe I should take it more seriously. But if Axe is happy with how I've been as luna, that's all that matters.
“My beta and third tell you stuff before they tell me.” He chuckles.
“Oh.” I don’t see it as the beta and third confiding in me as their luna. It feels more like I have a conversation with them as friends. “I might stop by Dash's. I ran into his mate.”
“What's she like?”
“She seems like a strong, good-natured woman,” I say.
Axe and I sit down on the bed and I turn on the tv. We relax for a bit but Axe looks deep in thought.
“What's wrong?”
“It's just, I never realised that all this time I've been alone, so were Dash and Brian, given they hadn't found their mates,” Axe murmurs.
“Yeah, but they were probably still dating in that time,” I remind him.
Just because they were alone because they hadn't found their mates doesn't mean they were in pain like Axe was.
“I guess. It's just they're twenty-eight and are just looking for their mates now. I met mine when I was eighteen.”
“I think it's destiny. Maybe you met your mate so early because a greater power knew you needed a long healing time after her passing. Then you met me.”
“Do you honestly believe a greater power controls our lives?” Axe asks.
“Don't werewolves believe that? I mean the moon goddess chooses our mates.”
“I guess so. But werewolves, mostly alphas, decide what they want to believe and how they run their packs anyway.
The whole mate thing is eye-opening, though.
I do believe Alina was perfect for me. But now that I have you, you understand me in a way I don't think she ever could have.” He starts tracing circles on top of my hand.
“What do you mean?” I ask softly.
We have talked about Alina a couple times. I never want to push too much but when he's willing to open up, I'm curious and want to ask for more information.
Axe looks up at me with an expression like he's debating whether he wants to tell me.
“Well.” He sighs, looking away. “She was good, like really good.
She was optimistic about the world. With how violent I was after her, I think she would have rolled over in her grave.
I don't think she would have accepted me if I were like that when she met me. But you.” He turns to me.
“You see the truth. You accept me even with my flaws.”
“I don't see your flaws.” I lean in and press my lips to his. When I pull back, he smiles.
Axe has always been good to me. He always makes me feel safe.
He has made me feel more confident about my body.
He has never raised his voice to me, well, except for that time I was in his mate's bedroom.
He wasn't angry when I cheated when Joel kissed me.
But then again, Dash and Brian both have mentioned his violent side.
Other than his battle with Joel, I have yet to see that side.