Page 20 of Alpha Awakening
Blake turned to the man with a curious smile. “We do.”
The man stretched his hand out. “I’m Beta Fallon.”
Blake took and shook his hand. “I’m Blake and this is–”
“Niev,” Beta Fallon finished for him. “I’ve heard many great things about you two.”
Niev’s cheeks flushed, and she was glad when Blake took the lead.
“Thank you for having us. Ann has told us about the beauty of her new home, but no words could’ve ever prepared me for this.”
“We take great pride in our home.”
“I hope you didn’t mind us walking around. We just wanted to stretch our legs and take it all in.” Niev hoped they hadn’t offended anyone by coming to the tree.
“Not at all. We’re glad you find it pleasing. I just saw you walking along the shore and thought I’d come and welcome you. I’m not sure if Ann or Kareem have relayed the message yet, but Alpha Raymond has invited you for dinner tomorrow evening.”
“We’ve heard, and we’re honored by the invitation.” Blake sounded a little more formal than what Niev was used to, but she loved this new side of him. He would’ve made a great alpha.
Beta Fallon smiled at Niev. “Only if you’re feeling up to it.”
“We’d be honored. So far this pregnancy has been a breeze.”
Beta Fallon seemed pleased. “I’ll let Alpha Raymond and Luna Charlotte know.” With one last nod toward Blake, he turned and walked back toward the houses.
“I like how they call her Luna Charlotte.”
Suddenly, she felt a wave of sadness wash over her, one that didn’t seem to belong to her. It felt as if she was hit by a train. Out of reflex she grabbed Blake’s arm, not just for physical support but also to ease her mind.
“What is it?” she asked, looking up at his sad brown eyes.
“I just realized that you’ll never be referred to as such.”
“Luna?”
He nodded. “Not that my family will ever address my mother or Lyliann as such, but the position itself.”
“Blake, it’s okay.” The sadness faded away as she soothingly ran her fingers over his arm.
“I don’t know but the realization just hit me out of nowhere.”
“Oh, I really don’t mind.”
“I know, and that’s the weird part about it. I know you’re fine with who you are within the pack, but for a split second, I saw you by my side as luna and mother to the pack.”
Not sure what else to say, she wrapped her arms around his waist and pushed her hands beneath his shirt. Gently drawing circles on his skin, she leaned into the bond and absorbed his emotions. Though the sadness had faded, he seemed restless. The thought of her as a luna seemed to have punctured his heart quite deeply.
“Would you mind if we walked a little further?” he asked.
She shook her head, and they continued walking.
Blake’s apprehension seemed just as physical as it was mental. They walked around the whole lake, taking their time, only stopping to rest when they needed to. The view was spectacular with the mountains surrounding them and the lake at their feet. There was even a small waterfall to the side of the entrance.
As they walked back toward Ann’s house, Niev saw an older woman with the same golden-brown hair as Kareem standing next to Ann. With a bright smile, Ann waved at them.
“You think that’s Kareem’s mother?”
“I believe so. I’ve never met her. Though I was invited, I didn’t come to their commitment ceremony. I barely even said goodbye to her before she left to come here.”