Chapter 10: Chapter 10

ADDISON

I was a bit worried as I woke in the morning. He had gotten upset because I was being too nice. So saving him a plate probably wasn’t the best decision. I would just avoid him today and hope he does the same.

After showering, I threw on my favorite jumper. It was short, and the fabric was light, which made for a comfortable summer outfit. It was black but still kept me cool.

After running a brush through my hair and throwing on a bit of mascara, I hopped up and bounded out of my bedroom, determined to have a good day. I almost made it to the stairs when I heard him.

“Good morning, Addison.”

Turning to him, I was sure the look on my face was one part surprise and one part annoyed. Remembering my choice to have a good day, I wiped the look off my face.

“Good morning, Alpha.” I gave him a small smile and walked down the stairs.

That wasn’t too bad. I was surprised he had been nice, and honestly, I was surprised he had even spoken to me. But he was civil, so I left it there before it became more.

For breakfast, they had made omelets and toast, something healthy between the mornings of French toast and other rich foods. I grabbed a plate and walked over to the table.

Sitting beside Hannah, I smiled. “Good morning, Hannah.”

“Hey! Addie, you remember Olivia? Sam’s mate?”

I grinned. “Yes! How are you?”

“I’m good, Luna,” she said nicely. “How is your morning?”

“It’s actually pretty good, but please call me Addie. Luna is so formal between friends.” And with that, the three of us spent the rest of the day together.

Sitting out on the grass watching the protectors spar, Olivia turned to me. “Addie, have you thought about what you’re wearing to the Luna Ceremony next week?”

I stared wide-eyed. Honestly, I had completely forgotten about the Luna Ceremony. The last week had been so off I didn’t think about celebrating.

“No…” I said, looking up. “I forgot about it. Slade is so distant. I kind of forgot about the whole thing.” I shrugged.

“Do we need to go shopping?!” Hannah had that look in her eye. And with a squeal, we ran back up the hill to grab our things.

As we approached the pack house, the dinner bell rang. We hadn’t realized how late it was. “Maybe tomorrow?” Hannah shrugged.

“Sure,” Olivia chimed in, “then we can make a day of it instead of rushing through a few hours. We have to find the PERFECT dress.”

I was glad I had found friends, and with a smile, I walked into the house with them. Walking into the kitchen, the smell of food wafting through the house, I was suddenly starving.

I loved food and loved cooking. I hadn’t cooked much since I got here. It wasn’t as fun without my mom. After we grabbed our plates, we sat down at one of the large tables.

We were laughing about something Hannah had said when my friends suddenly became quiet. “Hello, Alpha,” Olivia managed to choke out, swallowing her food nervously.

I froze. I wasn’t planning on having to see him. I was still embarrassed that I had yelled at him and that he had gotten so upset at my attempts at being friendly.

“Hello, Olivia, mind if I sit?” And with that, he sat right down next to me. His arm brushed mine, and it sent a shock flying up my arm, making my cheeks blush.

I could feel him staring at me, but I refused to make eye contact. Instead, I concentrated on pushing food around my plate.

Sensing the tension, my friends made a lighthearted comment about having “something” to do, and with that, I was alone with him. Traitors.

“Addison.”

Letting out a breath, I looked up at him. He was just as handsome as always. His chiseled jaw was accented by the light scruff he had from a couple of days not shaving. It looked good…

“Yes, Alpha?” I said slightly defiantly.

Slade kept my eyes. “Thank you for the plate last night. I didn’t get back until late, and everything was closed up by then. I was starving.”

Looking absolutely shocked, I managed to stutter out a “You’re welcome.”

When he wasn’t around, the fact that he was kind of a jerk made it so I didn’t really have to think about him. But sitting there next to me, almost touching, breathing the same air.

It was intoxicating, and I had lost all train of thought. I could feel the mate pull as he kept my gaze, and I wanted to reach up and touch his face.

Coming back to my senses, I smiled at him and looked back down at my plate.

“What are your plans for tomorrow?” Again, looking up in shock, I didn’t have words. This was the most he had spoken to me.

“Actually, I was going to talk to you about that. Hannah, Olivia, and I would like to go to town to do some shopping for the Luna Ceremony next week, if that’s all right? We will be gone for most of the day.”

“Go for it, have some fun. Look, I’m sorry about yesterday.” He paused. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that.”

This man! He was going to turn me into a hot mess. But it wasn’t fair for him to be the only one anxious like this. My wolf purred in wicked agreement.

“Don’t worry about it. I shouldn’t have yelled either. I think we were both frustrated and took it out on each other.” And with that, I took his hand in mine, giving it a gentle squeeze.

The sparks that flew in that moment were hot. I knew I had lingered on his hand a little too long when his eyes began to darken.

With a smile, I got up and took my plate back to the kitchen and walked upstairs.

Addison 1, Slade 0.