Chapter 18


    Natalia***


    The bright light peeking through the window stings my swollen eyes and I let out a soft groan.I do not


    want to wake up, not after the lousy night of nightmares I had.


    In need of somefort, I stretch out my hand in search of Kota.


    My eyes bulge open, however, when I find the bed empty, his side of the bed cold.


    “Kota?” I whisper, looking around the room frantically, feeling my heart sink to the pit of my stomach.


    “Kota!” I scream, tears springing to my eyes asst night’s nightmares sh through my mind.


    Zane’s head pops up from my side of the room and I look over to see Kota snuggled up beside him, his


    stuffed wolf in his arms.


    Zane looks equally bewildered to find the pup curled up on his side, his body growing tense with my


    silence.


    How did he get down there? I wonder as I scramble out of bed to pick him up.It’s doesn’t matter ,I scold


    myself.


    I’m just d he’s okay.I gently pick up the sleepy pup, holding him close to my chest as several tears


    spill onto my cheeks.


    Kota mumbles a hello to me, his sleepy voice soothing my heart.I squeeze him tightly, a slight sob


    escaping my throat.


    “He won’t take you,” I hup to myself as Ib my fingers l ignore Zane’s pained look, not caring that I


    probably looked like a lunatic to him.


    “Estas bien Mami? (Are you okay, mommy?)” Kota asks when I finally loosen up my grip.He pulls back


    from my arms and pokes at my eyes and cheeks, staring at me with cute furrowed brows.


    “You don’t look so good.” I feign hurt at his words and hold back myughter.


    “Am I ugly?” I ask.


    He shakes his head definitively.


    “Bonita, Bonita,” he sings.


    “I have the prettiest mommy in the whole world!”


    He shouts, my ears ringing from the sudden sound of his loud voice.I shower his chubby cheeks with


    kisses, feeling relieved to not be alone in this wolf’s den.


    “Where did you go?” I ask.


    “Why did you go sleep on the floor with Zane?”


    Kota fidgets with his stuffed wolf before whispering close to my ear.


    “l had a nightmare,” he says, hugging his wolf tightly.


    “A big bad wolf came to take me away.”


    My heart nearly stops as the blood drains from my face.I want to scream but my words never spill out of


    my mouth.


    All through the night, I dreamt of Christian finding us and taking Kota from me, disposing of me as he did


    all those years ago training to take over the Alpha title, turning my sweet little boy into a hardened Alpha.


    Kota’srge eyes widen and he smiles at Zane who blushes under his gaze.


    “But then Zane saved me, mommy.He didn’t let the bad wolf take me!”


    He climbs out of myp and runs into Zane’s arms.


    “And then – And then Zane’s wolf carried me home!” Zane’s face freezes, his body tensing at the


    mention of his wolf.


    “Aoh aoh aaooooh!” Kota suddenly howls like a wolf.


    “Zane is a wolf, mommy. Did you know that?”


    He howls happily again.


    “Can I be a wolf, mommy? Can I be a wolf like Zane?” Several questions pop into my head.


    How did he know Zane is a wolfand how could he possibly know a wolf was after us? I lick my dry lips,


    unsure how to respond to his question.


    I always knew the day woulde when he would earn his wolf but his first shift was so many years


    away; I thought I would have more time toe up with an exnation as to why he’d feel another


    presence within him or hear a little voice in his head…


    Zane’s eyes seem to bore into my soul as I stare at my hopeful pup still in his arms.


    While I despised wolves, my son was the exception.I would teach him to be a good wolf loyal to his


    family and should he ever find his mate, he would never hurt her.


    “”O-of course you can,” I finally manage to say.


    “You can be Kota how is again, crawling on all fours and barking at me.


    You will be a beautiful wolf ,I want to tell him but I swallow my words and smile at him as he rolls around


    the covers with his tongue hanging out of his mouth.


    “Come on, Kota,” I say, ignoring Zane’s questioning eyes as I climb out of bed.


    “We have to get dressed.”


    The sweet aroma of crepes fills the house as Kota and I make our way into the kitchen, both of us


    practically drooling.


    We had skipped dinnerst night and gone straight to bed after our shower.


    We find Agnes hard at work pouring crepe batter onto a hot pan, swirling it around in circles to make a


    perfect crepe.


    Despiteboring over the food, Agnes looks as beautiful as ever in a pretty blouse and matching skirt.


    She kindly signs a good morning to Kota and I frowns at me when I try to steal a crepe, pping my


    hand to not touch her food.


    My pouts are useless against her and I instead help her pack the cut-up fruits and fillings to take to the


    main pack house.


    When we are all ready to go, Zane and Agnes carry the food while I lead Kota up to the mansion,


    squeezing his hand tightly as my wandering eyes scan the area uneasily.


    He can’t find us here, Iremind myself as we enter the mansion.We’re safe.


    An omega meets us at the door and leads us to arge dining Alpha Oliver sits at the head of the table,


    his Queen to his left.


    Sitting beside Aurora is Evan along with a girl we had yet to meet.


    To Oliver’s right is another couple whom we also did not meet yesterday.


    The rest of the table is empty.


    Part of Gamma Evan’s job seems to be annoying his Alpha who scowls violently at him as he recounts a


    story.


    “Anyways, Oliver ran through the entire school butt-naked looking for his clothes,” Evan wheezes, Aurora


    on the verge of tears beside him.


    “He was so mad-” His voicees to a halt when he finally notices us, Aurora rising to her feet to greet


    us.


    “Please make yourselves at home,” she instructs, gesturing to the empty seats.


    She points to the girl beside Evan.


    “This is Mia, Evan’s mate and my cousin.” She then gestures to the couple to Oliver’s right.


    “And this is Beta Carter and his wife Rosalie, Oliver’s little sister.” Rosalie jumps to her feet and rushes


    over to us with a kind smile on her lips.Her eyes widen in shock when she sees the food in Agnes and


    Zane’s hands.


    “Are those crepes?” She squeals.


    “Saviez-vous que nous sommes fran?ais? {Did you know we’re French?}.We love crepes!”


    “Agnes is mute and deaf,” I exin when Agnes stares nkly at Rosalie.


    “So, she won’t understand you.”


    “H-how do you say ‘thank you’?” She asks.


    I show her the sign and Rosalie mimics me, Agnes’s eyes brightening from the gratitude.


    Rosalie and Aurora help distribute the crepes around while several omegas bring in dishes of eggs and


    potatoes for everyone to enjoy.


    “You can sit right next to me,” Rosalie smiles when everyone’s tes are all full, patting the chair beside


    her.


    “Is he your pup?”She asks, pointing at Kota who climbs onto myp.


    “He is beautiful and my goddess, his eyes are gorgeous!” She squeals, waving over to Kota who gives


    her a cheeky grin.


    Zane and Agnes make themselvesfortable on the opposite side of the table and dig into their food,


    Zane tranting for Agnes as more praisees her way.


    I prepare a small crepe for Kota and he readily licks the Nute off, smothering his cheeks in the


    chocte spread.


    The wolves try to make small talk, asking me questions about how I met Gwen or what I do for a living


    but thest thing I want to do is talk about my life to a bunch of strangers.


    Regardless, I am as polite as possible, providing as few details as I can to give them a hint that I was not


    comfortable with disclosing information about my life.


    My patience starts to wane, however, when they ask about Zane.


    “So how long have you two been together?” Rosalie asks, wiggling her eyebrows at me.


    “You make a cute couple.” I steal a quick nce at Zane who looks petrified by her question anger get


    the best of me.


    “Oh, I just assumed…with the way he looks at you…” her voice trails off when she sees the


    ufortable look on Zane’s face.


    “No, he’s just a wolf I met and can’t seem to get rid of,” I mutter, an awkward silence enveloping us as I


    eat thest of my crepe.


    I feel Zane’s eyes on me as I set my silverware down and begrudgingly look up to tell him to quit it.


    When our eyes meet, his brown eyes flicker to a bright gold color, his wolf seeming to fight for control.


    Zane shuts his eyes tightly, looking away to hide his other half but I had already seen the wolf within…


    and he was angry with me.


    Myst memories of Jack rey in my head.


    Christian and Jack, my wolf mate who imed would never hurt me, the one who told me he loved me


    every day…hit me…rejected me…humiliated me…and betrayed me.


    Zane and his wolf would be no different.


    They would hurt me too.


    Suddenly very aware that I am in a pack full of wolves and the only human for miles, I begin gathering


    my dishes to leave when Aurora’s voice stops me in my tracks.


    “I’d like to take a walk with you,” she says through a small smile.


    “If that’s okay with you.”


    I’m about to politely decline when she rises to her feet, her voice I look down at my pup clinging to my


    leg, hisrge eyes twinkling with mischief.


    Aurora whistles and the pitter patter of paws announces the entrance of the rambunctious pit bull named


    Rio.


    “Mommy, look! Doggie!” Kota squeals excitedly, jumping in ce as the doges over to sniff him.


    Rio coats Kota in a thickyer of slobber as he licks his face, Kota screaming with joy.


    “There’s a daycare just down the road…” Aurora exins.


    “I’m sure Kota would enjoy some time with other pups.” I don’t like the idea of leaving Kota alone in such


    a strange ce with wolves no less.


    “Or Kota could stay here with Zane and Agnes.He will be perfectly safe here, I give you my word,” Aurora


    offers.


    More empty promises…I mutter to myself.


    “Promises are sacred to me,” Aurora says, a slight frown on her lips.


    “They are not empty and I don’t make them lightly.” I stare at her in shock, wondering how in the world


    she knew I was thinking of promises.


    “I understand your concerns, Natalia.I do,” Aurora adds with calm demeanor.


    “But you don’t know me.Don’t be so quick to dismiss my words.I deserve to be treated with the same


    respect I have bestowed upon you, don’t you think?”


    “How did you know my name?” I snap, knowing Gwen would one.


    “I’ll tell you if you go on this walk with me, just the two of us,” she says, her mate and gamma looking


    uneasily at her.


    “I’m not going to be in any danger,” she chuckles at their response.


    “I’m just going ona walk.Besides, I can handle myself for a couple hours.”


    “I can handle myself” Evan mocks her, Aurora bursting intoughter at his high-pitched voice.


    “Please, I know kindergarteners tougher than you.”


    Before he can say anything else, Evan suddenly levitates several feet off the ground until his head


    almost touching the ceiling.


    “Aurora, put me down.” Evan screams, swinging his arms and legs around.


    “Come on, you know I don’t like heights!”


    “Say you’re sorry,” Aurora smirks.


    “Fine, you little gremlin from hell.I’m sorry! Put me down!” he snaps, Aurora finally having mercy and


    putting him on the floor.


    Evan curls his fingers in a choking motion, grumbling under his breath how much he wants to just


    strangle her before he storms out of the room, his mate wheezing inughter as she races after him.


    I pull Kota close to me on instinct,pletely speechless at having seen what I just witnessed, and


    amazed no one else was shocked by her disy of power.


    “I gotta go, babe,” Oliver says as he leans over and kisses her on the cheek.


    “I got a meeting in thirty minutes.Let’s go Carter,” he calls to his Beta who also bids goodbye to his mate


    and races after him as they leave.


    Rosalie turns to me and smiles.


    “Don’t worry.”


    Kota can stay here with Zane, Agnes and I.


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    This is the safest ce in the River Moon.


    Kota wiggles eagerly in my arms, wanting to y with the oversized puppy sniffing and licking him.


    “Kota is safe, Natalia,” Aurora reassures, her face softening.


    “He won’t find him here.”


    I know exactly who she is referring to but it frightens me no less that she knows about Christian.


    Gwen would never disclose that information.


    NEVER.


    “Follow me,”


    The Queen says, turning on her heel and leaving me no choice but to follow her out of the safety of the


    pack house.