Chapter 21: Chapter 21

Fox

“Are you hungry?” I asked Marigold after giving her a tour of the packhouse. She nodded, biting her lip shyly. This woman was going to be the death of me. One second she was playful and confident, and the next she was bashful and shy. I loved both sides of her and she was too damn cute either way, but her moods were beginning to give me motion sickness.

“Do you want to go down to the dining hall or should I have something sent up to your room?” I asked, wrapping my arm around her waist. I was thankful that she was, at least, letting me be close to her.

“I’m not sure.” She shrugged hesitantly. I checked my watch,

“It’s after eight on a school night, most of the pack is at home for the evening.” I assured her, assuming that she was nervous about the crowds.

“Okay.” She finally said and we rode the elevator back down to the ground floor.

“You said during the tour that there were classrooms here, is the pack homeschool?” Marigold asked.

“It’s up to each family. We have a couple of pack teachers to offer tuTorring or homeschooling. But, they’re also free to go to the public school nearby.” I explained. Marigold nodded but said nothing.

Admittedly, she was taking all of this really well. She was asking all the right questions and was staying pretty calm, all things considered.

I took Marigold to the dining hall and led the way to the buffet. There were so many food preferences and dietary needs in the pack that having buffet style food was so much easier than a catered lunch or cafeteria style service.

“What would you like, love?” I asked, picking up a plate from the end.

Marigold looked over all of the food options with wide eyes. I could practically see her salivating. My guess was, it had been a while since she had so many delicious choices for dinner. I didn’t want to imagine what she was fed as a servant, and I was fairly certain she wasn’t out sampling gourmet restaurants over the last few weeks on her own.

She ended up picking a little bit of everything and we took two plates full of food to the tables. I sat the plates in between us and she picked off both of them.

“Can I ask you something?” I said after a while of silence. Marigold nodded with her mouth full.

“I was just wondering where you’ve been?” I asked carefully. Marigold finished her food and sat down her fork,

“You really don’t know?” She asked.

“Why would I?”

“You had access to the phone and the money,” she shrugged,

“I assumed you would have checked in on it at some point.”

“I told you I wouldn’t.” I was a little offended that she had so little faith or trust in me, but I had to put myself in her shoes. She wasn’t used to men being honest and trustworthy.

“I was in California. Laguna Beach.” She answered.

“Did you like it there?” I asked.

“I liked the beach.” She shrugged, taking another bite of her food.

“What did you do?”

“I worked at a bookstore.” She replied casually. I was surprised that she had a job. I had given her more than enough money, she didn’t have to worry about working.

“Really?”

“It was something to do and I enjoyed it.” She said, sending my curiosity. I made a mental note of that.

We spent the rest of the evening either in silence or casually talking. Around ten we went back upstairs and said goodnight.

Her sleeping so close to me and not being able to see or touch her was agonizing. I started the night off in my bed, but a little after midnight, I couldn’t take it anymore. I went out in the hall and sat against her door. I could hear her delicate heartbeat and little snores from outside the room. It gave me enough peace to rest.

I was up even earlier than normal the next morning, unable to get into a deep enough sleep to be restful. At 4:00, I went for a run and to the training grounds to work out some energy. Not many wolves were awake, but the ones that were got a pretty good beating from their Alpha that morning.

By 6:00, I was back in my room showering. I got dressed for the day and went down to the dining hall for breakfast. Marigold still wasn’t awake by the time I was finished with my two plates of pancakes, bacon, potatoes, and eggs. So, I went to find the housemaids who took care of the ranked members’ floor.

“Good Morning, Tori.” I said to the housemaiden who serviced the Alpha’s room.

“Good Morning, Alpha, what can I do for you?” She asked politely, bowing her head.

“I was hoping you could select one of your ladies as the Luna’s maid.” I said, making the first official statement that there was, in fact, a Luna in the packhouse. Tori smiled,

“Oh, Alpha, that’s wonderful news. I have just the girl. I believe that my daughter, Zoey, would make a wonderful fit. I suspect she and the Luna are about the same age. Perhaps the Luna would find comfort in this.” Tori suggested.

“That’s a great idea, Tori. My mate is still asleep, but if you could have Zoey check in on her and be there when she wakes up, that would be great. She doesn’t have anything, so I’m sure she’s going to need some supplies.” I explained.

“Yes, Alpha.” Tori bowed her head again as I left. Next stop was to recruit my sister for another mission.

“Hey, Ferra.”

“Fox! It’s good to see you on your feet.” Ferra grinned at me. Stone and Ferra were both inside my office working on pack business.

“Thanks, Fer, I need a favor.” I said, sitting down behind my desk.

“What’s up, Alpha?” Ferra asked.

“I need a sister favor.” I clarified. Ferra laughed,

“Okay, shoot.”

“I need you to spend the day with Marigold.” Stone looked up from the map he was studying,

“Is she okay?” He asked.

“Yeah, she’s fine, just having a little trouble adjusting. I showed her her room yesterday and she mentioned not having any clothes to fill the closet with.” I started digging my wallet out of my jean pocket.

“Say no more, big brother.” Ferra grinned, snatching my credit card from my hand before I even offered it,

“We’ll fill that closest up!”

“That’s not a requirement.” I sighed.

“Oh, but it is.” Ferra grinned.

“She’s not awake yet, so give her some time. Maybe go for lunch?” I suggested.

“That’s a great idea, Fox, I’m proud of you.” Ferra patted my head like I was a child.

“I have a question.” Stone raised his hand like a school boy,

“Gammas don’t raise their hand, Stone.” I groaned.

“Are you going to make an official announcement?” Stone asked, ignoring me.

“I don’t think she’s ready for that yet.” I said.

“Maybe an unofficial announcement then? Just a mindlink?” Stone suggested. I eyed him suspiciously,

“What’s this about, Stone?” Stone and Ferra shared a look and I sighed loudly, knowing that I was in for it if my Beta and Gamma were both on the same page about something.

“We just think it would be better for certain she wolves to know that the Luna is in the packhouse and the Alpha is mated.” Stone replied carefully.

“You mean Renee?” I snapped.

“And Kelly and Skyler and Gabrielle, and all the other Luna-wannabes out there.” Ferra added with a growl in her voice.

“You really think that will make a difference?” I said.

“It’s a warning, Fox, to let them know that their behavior is no longer going to be tolerated. It’s also a show of respect for Marigold.” Ferra’s explanation caught my attention.

More than anything I wanted Marigold to know that she can trust me and that I respect her. She needed to feel valued and wanted. Renee and the other girls’ actions could put that at risk.

“Okay, you’re right. I’ll mindlink the pack that I found my mate and she’s moved into the packhouse, but that she’s not a werewolf and needs patience.” I announced.

“I think that’s a good idea, boss.” Stone said.

“Can we focus on pack business now, instead of my love life, please?” I groaned. Ferra and Stone laughed before nodding their heads and turning their attention to the map in front of Stone.

“I think you should give the Crescent Moon pack in Rhode Island a call about their rogue situation.” Stone said.

“We’re noticing an increase in rogue activity all around the country. Packs have been calling us for weeks asking for advice on how to handle it.” Ferra added.

“What does the Crescent Moon have to do with it?” I asked, leaning over the map.

“They were attacked by the first organized rogue pack we’ve seen in the country. They were led by witches, remember I told you about them when you came back from Ireland?” Ferra asked. I nodded my head and waited for her to continue,

“And, you know the Blood Moon pack in New Orleans?” Ferra asked another question.

“Yeah, of course. They are basically our equivalent on the East Coast; renowned as one of the largest and strongest packs on that side of the country.” I said.

“Exactly. Well, they had an issue with vampires trying to invade and take over their pack. There was a plot to assassinate their Alpha. The Vampire King even went as far as kidnapping their Luna to do so. Now, you have reason to believe that the Fae King is getting involved with werewolf business? Something is going on with the species.”

“Interspecies dealings are outlawed by the Council.” I stated.

“Yeah, everyone knows that, and yet, here we are. After you told me you were mated to a fae, I started looking into it. There have been more and more instances of Alphas and wolves being mated to other species over the last few years.” Ferra explained.

“You’ve been busy.” I looked up at her, attempting not to look too impressed.

“Not to mention the Council’s increased presence at these packs, even Blood Moon which stands just as self-sufficient as us.” Ferra added.

“Alright, I’ll call the Alpha of Crescent Moon. What’s his name?” I sighed.

“Alpha August.” Stone said, handing me the Alpha’s phone number.