Chapter 42: Chapter 14

NATALIE

I hardly see Damon all day. I know he’s busy, so I hang out with Spencer and Bianca at the diner. Cameron and Melissa both join us, and we’re seated at the same table as last time. I’m almost finished eating when Damon and Finn show up.

I’m nearest the wall beside Bianca, so Finn slips into the booth beside her. Damon pulls a chair up to the edge of the table. Dorothy rushes over to take their orders. She leaves, and Damon steals Bianca’s drink.

“Hey.” She smacks at his hand and takes it back.

Damon scrunches his nose. “What the hell is that?”

“Peanut butter, blueberry, and chocolate shake.” Damon wipes at his mouth.

I push my drink forward. “Here. It’s just coke.” He gives me his soft smile and a thanks as he accepts my drink. He doesn’t even think twice before he uses my straw, and I feel my cheeks warm up. I pull my shirt sleeves over my hands and shrink into myself. What is wrong with me? I never get giddy over something as simple as sharing a straw. I like Damon, a lot.

“Guys, I have something to tell you all. Owen is here.” The table gets quiet. “He showed up two days ago. He was in pretty bad shape, so I had Marlena check him out.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Bianca is the first to speak. Finn pulls her tighter to him.

“I’m not sure of anything. I’m giving him one chance to get back into the pack, but he’ll be supervised at all times.”

“Where is he now?” Spencer asks, and Dorothy drops off Damon and Finn’s food.

“I set him up at the pack house.” He looks up at me. “Nat, I don’t want you anywhere near him. I had all of your things brought to the alpha house.” I give him a nod.

“So…can we see him?” Cameron asks.

Damon licks his bottom lip. He side glances Finn, then nods. “Yeah, you can see him, if you want to.”

“I want to see him. I don’t know why he’s not the alpha anyway.” Spencer grumbles under his breath.

“Spence, dude. I can hear you,” Damon reminds him.

“I’m just saying what’s so wrong with Owen that you had to challenge him? I get that he annoyed you with how cocky he was, but that doesn’t mean he would’ve been a bad alpha.”

“Do you honestly think he would’ve done as much for this pack as Damon has in the last eight months?” Finn isn’t playing around. He eyeballs Spencer and continues speaking.

“Damon obviously knew things that none of you ever considered or even bothered to see. He’s been studying his whole life to do the best he could for you guys. He got help learning to fight and took the time to make himself stronger for you guys. This pack was falling apart, and everyone had their own little cliques. The guards hardly knew anything. Damon fixed all the financial issues left by Roberts, he united the pack, he brought more vigorous training to this pack. He did everything for you guys.”

“I’m not saying you’re a bad alpha, Damon. You’ve always been my friend, I support you. But what is so bad about Owen that you don’t even want him around some sixteen-year-old girl. He would never hurt her.”

Damon, Finn, Bianca, and I all growl, knowing just what he’s capable of doing to a girl like myself. Cameron and Melissa look between the four of us.

“I’m guessing something did happen,” Melissa comments.

“Yeah. Something did happen. I get that Owen is your friend, hell he was mine too. Just trust that I didn’t challenge him for a popularity contest. I made the choice for reasons that you don’t understand, and I’m glad I did. This pack is already stronger and safer because of it.” Damon takes a drink of his soda, then changes the subject. “In other news, I got a couch. You can all come hang out.”

Bianca snorts a laugh. “Took you long enough. You’ve only been in that house eight months.” He throws a fry at her, but Finn catches it and eats it. Spencer laughs, and the mood returns light and cheerful.

I look up at Damon and catch his silvery green eyes. He gives me a half smile, then pops a fry into his mouth.

~“Are you all right, Damon? That was pretty hard.”~

~“I’m all right, Natalie. Thanks.”~

~“Are you okay with having Owen here?”~

~“I don’t know what to think, it’s so complex. I want to trust him, but I can’t. I challenged him for a reason, but it had nothing to do with what he did to Kya, the timing just lined up that way. These guys don’t know all the details.”~

~“That’s obvious. Kya told me about everything that happened to her.”~

~“Dec filled me in on a few things, but I don’t know everything. I do know Dec would kill him on sight, honestly I don’t blame him.”~

~“Is it weird that he showed up here when all of this stuff is happening?”~

~“I don’t know. It is pretty cold out.”~

~“He’s a wolf…then again, I hate being cold too. But he probably blames you for taking everything from him. I’m not saying that you did, but if it were me, that’s what I would think.”~

Damon looks straight at me and licks his lip as he thinks.

~“I guess I’m just not willing to give up on him yet.”~

~“Please be careful. I don’t want to see you hurt.”~

He gives me his soft smile.

~“I promise.”~

Bianca nudges me, then whispers in my ear. “I think my brother likes you.”

My cheeks warm up, and she giggles.

“I think you like him too.”

I look up at him as he talks to Cameron. I move a strand of hair over my ear. “Don’t worry, I won’t say anything.”

“B, he has a mate out there somewhere. He’s too good of a guy to string me along just to leave me hanging.”

She nods. “You’re right, he is, but that doesn’t mean he can’t like you.” I shake my head, then reach over for Damon’s soda since he drank all of mine. He gives me a little chuckle but doesn’t take it back.

Once finished eating, everyone heads over to Damon’s to watch a movie. I help make microwave popcorn, but he doesn’t have large bowls, so we just eat it out of the bags.

Bianca and Finn, and Cameron and Melissa take up the couch. Spencer steals the pillows and kicks his legs out across the floor. Damon scoots in his chair so I can sit with him. I love that he does this for me. Does this mean he likes me? Jason and Virgil don’t let me sit on their laps…not that I want to, but…

Damon’s arm wraps around my hips.

~“Is everything all right?”~

I turn my face to look at him, and his face is incredibly close. I stare into his incredibly attractive eyes. He looks down at my lips, and I swallow. He clears his throat.

“You can have the chair. I’ll take the floor.”

I shake my head. “No, it’s okay. It’s your place, and you’re the alpha. I uh, I want to call Kya anyway.”

He hands me his phone. Although I made that up, I take the phone up to my room. I really should get one for myself.

“Hey. How was your Solstice?”

“It was a blast. I feel bad for missing the family celebration. How are…Mom and Dad?” I smile to myself that I get to call them that.

“They miss you. We’re waiting for you to get back before we celebrate. Chase was with Alana’s family, and I was with Dec’s. Mom and Dad went to Aunt Kendra and Uncle Mark’s.” Holy crap, I have an aunt and uncle and cousins now too. I get a little giddy. I can’t wait to get back home to see them all.

That means I don’t get to be around Damon anymore. Just over a week until school starts, and it’s coming up soon.

Kya has been my confidante since she became my mentor. I can tell her anything. I let out a breath.

“Kya, I… I’m really into Damon. I don’t know if it’s a crush, but he’s all I think about. I think he’s into me, but he’s not the kind of guy to get involved with anyone but his mate. We get along great, but sometimes he pulls back. Other times I remember that he has a mate, so I pull back… What do I do?” I bite my lip and wait for her to respond.

“I think you should just let nature take its course, you won’t know who your mate is for a while. Damon doesn’t have his, and he rarely leaves his pack. Have fun, he would never be inappropriate with you.”

“Maybe I’m overreacting. He’s had a bunch of chances to make a move, and he hasn’t. Maybe I’m reading too much into this.” I lay back on my bed.

“Yeah. Nat, you’re beautiful and so is your wolf. Any guy would be attracted to you, but you’re also an incredible person. But you have to remember you’re only sixteen. There’s plenty of time to find your mate.

“If you’re with Damon all the time, it’s hard not to be attracted to him; he is a great guy and very attractive.” Her voice gets a little muffled, but I can still hear her. “Dec, hush, you’re not the only good-looking guy there is.”

Dec growls a comment and Kya giggles.

“I’ll let you deal with Dec’s possessiveness. Thanks, Ky. Love you.”

“Love you,” she giggles again. “Dec!” She hangs up before I can hear any more, not that I want to. I’m sure he’s going to make her forget that any other man exists.

I let out a deep sigh and curl up in my bed. I smile as I pull the blanket to my cheek.