Page 10 of Crystal Luna

“You are welcome to stay here as long as you like. No one will ask questions when you want to leave, and no one will demand anything from you if you stay.” He stopped in his tracks, and she found herself by the path that would lead to her temporary home. “If you want to stay long term, I will accept you into the pack, but you can take all the time you need before you make such an important decision.”

She looked up at him, speechless.

“You and your wolf are still getting to know each other, and Wayne has offered to help with that. You two have a natural bond, otherwise you wouldn’t have made it this far, but you have so much more to learn.”

Without another word, Alpha Heath turned and left, leaving her at a loss for words.

Chapter Five

Heath

Heath’s night was abruptly cut short. He’d turn to seek out Laureen’s touch, only to break out in a sweat when he found her spot empty. Unable to lay in their bed any longer, he’d gotten up to go for a jog before the kids woke up.

He slowed his pace as he reached the village. The sun still hid behind the trees, the entire village calm and peaceful. Though he loved his pack, he enjoyed times like this—when things were quiet. As he walked past the training area, a slim figure walking along the tree line drew his attention. He stopped in his tracks and watched as Velora disappeared onto a path that led deep into the woods.

It had been five days since she’d arrived, and hardly anyone had seen her since. She didn’t seek out contact and kept any attempt at conversation short. She was never rude or disrespectful, so Heath hadn’t thought much about it. Perhaps that was what her previous pack expected of her.

Quiet.

Never seen or heard.

He’d told her of Wayne’s offer to help her learn to connect with her wolf, but she hadn’t reached out to either of them. After she’d left for the first day and had taken a shower, she’d looked like a completely new person. He’d wanted to ask more about her pack, itching to know who had the nerve to treat her so horribly—but he didn’t want to pry. After all, he knew everyone had secrets.

He made his way home to take a shower and began to prepare for the day. The pack homeschooled the younger kids until they were old enough to understand keeping their life a secret. Then they attended public high school. He went over their homework one last time before Mia stumbled into the kitchen to demand a hug as he started breakfast.

“How did you sleep, Princess?”

“Good. Can I wear the blue dress today?”

“You can. I made sure to put it in the dryer last night.”

He poured Mia a bowl of her favourite honey cereal, then went to check on Curtis. He was still sound asleep, and judging by the book laying next to his pillow he’d been up all night reading. With a chuckle, Heath kneeled next to the bed. “Hey buddy. Time to get up.”

Curtis buried his head in the pillow, pulling the blanket over his head. “No!”

“Did you read a little too late last night?”

A tiny hand reached out to snatch the book. “No…”

With a chuckle, Heath leaned down and kissed Curtis’s head through the blanket. “Breakfast is waiting for you, okay?”

“Okay.”

After the two had left the house—Mia in her blue dress and two crooked pigtails—Heath retreated into his office. Wayne joined him a few moments later to brief him on new assignments within the pack. One of the warriors had expressed his interest in wanting to financially contribute, so they needed someone to replace his duties as warrior. They gathered a list of a few people, then set it aside to test them later.

A knock on the front door caught their attention. Heath stood up and opened it, surprised to see Velora standing on the other side.

She looked up at him, her pupils wide and her heart racing. “I’m looking for Beta Wayne.”

“He’s here. Come in.”

She timidly followed him, but stood by the door as if there were some invisible barrier she wasn’t allowed to cross. Maybe it was one of those things she’d learned from her old pack.

“How can I help you?” Wayne asked, seemingly glad to have a break from the paperwork.

“Alpha Heath said you offered to help me.” She spoke quietly, almost scared to speak at all. “He said you could help me and my wolf connect better.”

“I can.”