“I should go,” he turned on his heel and walked away.
*What in the actual f**k!
“Excuse me!” I shouted at him and everyone in the gym stopped at my voice.
He turned to look at me with a cross expression but I did not have the time to care.
This man had now only said one sentence to me and barely gave me a nice word. He was supposed to
be my mate and he was refusing to be near me and I don’t know about you but I was not going to take
that.
“Where do you think you’re going?” I snapped my hands on my hips. “I haven’t heard a word from you
besides I fight well and you think you can just leave? Again!” I challenged him, my patience shattering
on the floor.
“I did not want to interrupt you,” he replied looking around at everyone.
“Are you joking! You’re my soulmate and you didn’t want to interrupt me!” I growled stepping closer.
“Anna,” Charlie came over and grabbed my arm but I pped his hand away.
“As an alpha, I have many duties we will have plenty of time to taketer,” he asserted straightening his
back.
Was he seriously trying to pull rank with me! After ignoring me the whole day and then saying one thing
before trying to leave again!
“And as your mate, I will see you for a talk tonight at dinner,” I walked up to him, poking him in the
chest, which looked probably hrious as I was a teeny female and he was a mountain of a man..
“Im not sure I’m avail-”
“I will not leave my home until youe for dinner with my family. If you have any respect for me or my
parents you wille to dinner tonight to introduce yourself and be a pleasant male.” I cut him off, not
even remotely interested in his pitiful excuse.
Eughed behind me.
“Alpha. I think that’s a wonderful idea,” she called helping me corner him into an evening together.
I smiled at her and turned my head back squinting my eyes at him.
TU
I gathered my stuff and walked toward the changing rooms. “I will see you tonight.”
“You may have been right that she would be upset but I think she overreacted,” I straightened my tie in
the mirror.
“I know I had been slightly unreasonable to not speak to her, but demanding Ie and spend the
evening with her and her family in front of half of her pack was a little extreme. *
“I think you’re lucky it wasn’t you in the ring with her or we might be taking you home in a bag,” E
called from her spot on the couch.
I understand that I should have been a little more sensitive to her needs but no one besides her
understood the pull we felt to one and other.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.
It took everything in me not to rip her clothes off and mine and hold her right then and there because
that’s the only thing that would make life seem sensible.
I was an alpha and that meant my life was not my own. I served my people and would dlyy my life
down for theirs. I could not be consumed by her or I would forget my duties. /I was made to help others
and protect them.
I sighed and put my coat on. I was not entirely sure what I was supposed to wear but I was going to at
the very least dress appropriately.
“You brought this on yourself, I told you to show her kindness,” Matt walked into the room in a simple
grey shirt and ck cks.
I was not going to start this argument again. I ignored him and put my shoes on. I was not a particr
fan of dressing up, but my mother had made sure I knew how to present myself.
Despite the warnings in my head I knew I was meeting her family and I could not resist the urge to let
them know she was with a good man. I wanted to look put together and I wanted to make her smile at
me and I wanted her to look amazing so that I would stop in my tracks when I saw her.
This is why I stayed away. Why, I would have to continue to stay away. I had a duty to do and so did
she and even if I needed her more than I needed to breathe and I felt like I was on fire unless she was
near I would not forget my purpose and I would make sure she would be a good leader before I gave
myself to her.
This mighte off as callus or rude but if she is my true mate like I know she is we will ovee this
in the end.
I had put my hair up and I was wearing an off the shoulder long sleeved ck dress that fell just above
my knees and hugged my top but flowed after my waist falling in pleats.
I had made sure to frame my face with my hair and put on simple pearl earrings but nothing else. I had
a feeling he was a man who enjoyed simplicity.
Was I upset with myself for wanting to please him after he’s ignored me all day. Of course I knew my
worth and I knew I deserved to be treated better, but he was my mate and I was desperate to get him
to look at me like I was the most magnificent thing on the.
What are you supposed to do when you know someone is perfect for you in every way but they
contradicted themselves for some goddess damned reason!
“No. No I was not going to go into tonight upset, I was going to give him patience he is afterall showing
up for me. He’s even bringing along his pack members, he is now making an effort and I will not
discourage that. *
I looked to make sure that my hair looked alright telling myself enough was enough and I stood to head
downstairs. I was short so I had a certain love for heels, but only if they werefortable! Stilettos
noooo thank you. Wedge heels, block heels werefortable. I put on a pair of ck strappy chunky
heels and I headed downstairs to check on dinner.
One of the dishes we were having tonight was something I always enjoyed making. It was in fact my
specialty.
It was duck breast with bok choy. Honey, soy, ginger, fish sauce, and a little bit of red chili paste for
heat. Simple but my family always ate it up. You let the duck breast sear in the pan and finish in the
oven but then you cook the bok choy in the duck fat of course for it to literally be addicting.
My mother always freaks out when I make this. I know duck is a bit fancy, however our hunters brought
it back by the flock so I was always used to it.
I had to make sure that the duck was cooked through and the bok choy simmered just right.
Of course both looked amazing. I wasn’t arrogant much, but cooking dide naturally to me and
when a recipe entered my mind it never faltered. I often eximed my ingenuity during a new meal.
I set the table and mother put together a starter sd,id out some bread, her stuffed peppers, and a
large pork roast.
It was a lot of meat but we were all of alpha blood and we ate a lot.
I grabbed a peach pie from the fridge and checked it out and maybe talked myself out of eating a slice
now.
Gia had made the pie for us, it was Georgia and a sugary peach pie was demanded at every family
dinner.
The table was set and all I had to do was wait…
Why was I always waiting?
I pushed the thought from my mind and focused on a positive attitude.This is what I made of it, if I
fought him that’s all we would do, if I tried to meet him I knew I’d done my best.
I made the decision there to try and do what I could for this rtionship. I could tell there was
something holding him back, but if I did my best and gave myself perhaps he would see we were here
for a reason.
My mother had taught me when I was younger that if someone was in need and even if you had
nothing to give, if you gave yourself, your joy, your warmth, your kindness, then you can still help them.
I fidgeted endlessly as the seconds dragged on, my family fluttered around the room getting ready. My
heart skidded and the millions of scenarios of the evening filtered through my mind, the good, the bad,
the amazing, the awful, the funny, the scary. I wiped my hands to keep the sweat off of them.
Then the doorbell rang.
I smoothed my skirt and went back to the kitchen suddenly afraid to see him. All my thoughts went
white and I huffed trying to swallow my stomach and put it back where it belonged.
I grabbed my meal and put it on a tter and walked out of the safety and light of the kitchen and into
the dining room.
His eyes found me instantly and I did my best not to look right away. I set down the meal and slowly
walked over to the group of people.
“E,” I smiled and went over to hug the woman of my new pack.
She hugged me back and I turned to face my family.
“Mama, Papa,” I smiled to begin the introduction, still avoiding the heat I sensed two people over.
“This is E, she is a warrior of the Northern Ecl*pse pack,” I began and E bowed her head in
respect.
“This Matthew O’Connell the beta of the pack, and Brian another warrior and E’s brother,” I had
hoped I got that right as I realized I wasn’t entirely sure.
They bowed their heads and shook my fathers hand. I pulled my b*dy together as I finished the
introductions. “This is Alpha Grayson, he is the leader of the Northern Ecl*pse pack. Grayson, these
are my parents, alpha Jonathan and Luna Eva Maloria of the Celestial Tide pack,” I bowed my head to
him and my parents.
“Sir,” his voice rang out to me.
My breath caught in my throat as arge and warm hand grazed my back. It was gone all too quickly
but only to pull out
a chair for me.
I kept my smile timid but I knew my tion was clear as day on my face.
“Thank you,” I graciously replied, trying to school myself into impassiveness.
“You’re wee Ate,” He replied and I squeezed my hands into fists to stop from squealing.
“We have a slow roasted pork, stuffed peppers, sd, and Anna’s amazing duck and bok choy,” My
mother began putting the food onto her te.
“You cook?” E asked me.
“Yes, I can think of recipes easily. Ites naturally to me and i’ve always loved it,” I started rambling.
“You’ll have to teach E some recipes. She is not quite so talented,” Brian joked.
“I am good!” E defended herself hotly.
“Anna can whip together a mouthwatering meal in no time. I’m sure if E needed it Anna could help,”
my father ced a heft portion of pork on his te.
“Enough of singing my praises, I think they understand I can cook,” I blushed, shaking my head.
“Believe me I smelled the food before I’d entered the house. I don’t know what I did to deserve such a
talented and gorgeous woman,” He spoke.
I could not meet his eyes, thinking that my mind was ying tricks on me.
How could he go from running away from me to being such a gentleman?
“Do you enjoy cooking?” Cea asked him continuing the conversation in the lull at my silence.
“No,”
“More of a physical being I guess,” James prodded him.
I sighed looking over at my younger brother. He and I were the closest in age being only two years
apart and though he was rambunctious right now I knew he was not happy with my mates actions.
“Yes,”
“I would love to spar with you tomorrow,” He inteced his fingers as he goaded an alpha of all people.
“James,” My mothers voice cautioned him.
“If you wish,”
“I think it’d be good to know my sister is well protected at the least,”
I could not help that I warmed to his defense of me but to taunt a higher ranking wolf like this was not
okay, this was my mate and an alpha James to act this way was dangerous.
“James he’s agreed and I think that you should leave it at that,” I spoke up.
James nodded to me smiling. “As you wish,” He mocked grayson.
“How far away is it from your pack?” Charlie interjected.
My brother the heir was taught in diplomacy where Theo and James were not. I had some lessons in it
as I would be a Luna but I could see Charlie working to smooth things over even if he was smirking at
James the whole time.
The dinner flowed along with questions about the Northern Ecl*pse pack and our pack. We traded
stories and exined our traditions and they did the same.
“How is your mother? She is a distant but old friend,” My father asked.
“She is good, she has mentioned she knew you. That you hade to her tournament with luna Eva
as a show of support for her. I know she still appreciates the gesture,” Grayson recounted for him.
“I was surprised when your father won the tournament,” Papaughed as he sipped his rum.
“Yes many were. My mother is a great leader of our pack and I know she’ll enjoy Ate’spany.”
Grayson grunted out and piled some food into his mouth.
“Anna, do you enjoy swimming?” E blurted out to me.
“Yes I swim as often as I can during the warm months. Living near the ocean like we do it’s a favorite
past time,”
“You’ll love thekes and rivers then, they are perfect on the hot days,”
“Im sure I will,”
After a few more minutes of conversation I stood and went to get the pie and Cea joined me.
“He seems a little guarded,” Shemented on my mate’s behavior.
“I noticed,” I sighed, gathering the dessert tes for everyone as she found the pie server.
We came back in and I served everyone a slice walking over with my te at the end along with his.
1 blushed again when his fingers slid over mine when he grabbed the te from me.
We finished the dinner with a more simple conversation and I knew he would leave again and I was so
tempted to drag things out.
“I will see you tomorrow to help you pack?” E asked me as they were getting ready to leave.
“Yes of course,”
We all said our goodbyes and 1 found myself waiting again for him to speak to me.
“We’ll leave early after tomorrow so I would rest well. It takes two days to get to ournds,” He
acknowledged me.
“Of course,”
“I’ll see you tomorrow for sparring,” He nodded to James. “Goodnight Ate,”
He turned and walked out of my house again.
I didn’t know why he was distancing himself and I didn’t know what it would take to have him ept
me. Still watching him leave cut me to the core. It felt wrong not going upstairs with him and sleeping in
his arms. It felt warped and gross that I hadn’t spent the eveningughing and smiling with his arm
around me.
*Was he not feeling the need to be mine? Was this one sided? Why was he not like me where he
couldn’t focus on anything else? Why was it so easy for him to leave me? Why did he so willingly keep
away? How could he not see that all I craved was him? Why was he gone? *