Page 52 of Crystal Luna
“You’d like to leave before they see you—that’s okay.”
She nodded and stood, dashing out of the door just like she had the evening before.
As soon as the kids were dressed and out the door, Wayne crossed his arms before his chest and crooked his eyebrows.
“So, what happened?”
Heath slumped into the couch. “I’m not sure.”
Wayne followed him and sat across in the armchair. “Start from the beginning.” He sounded like a therapist talking to his patient.
“I asked her to stay after dinner, but she declined. A little while later she came back and asked if she could read in the office with me and fell asleep in Curtis’s chair. I brought her to the couch so she’d be more comfortable, then she asked me to stay. She was basically asleep when she asked but it felt good, so I did it anyway. I woke up this morning the way you found us.”
“What did she say before she left?”
“She seemed upset, kept apologising. I tried to tell her it was alright, but she didn’t seem to want to hear that and rushed out.”
Wayne sighed and softened his jaw muscles. “Do you want me to talk to her?”
“No, I’ll do it myself once she’s had some time. I don’t think she realised you were here.”
“Maybe you two just need to talk it over. I don’t think you did anything wrong, but maybe she surprised herself.”
“I don’t want her to think that she had to so I wouldn’t be upset—so her alpha wouldn’t be upset, you know? Her old pack could have messed her up so badly that she didn’t think she had another choice.”
“I think you have the right plan in mind. Let things rest, then go speak to her. I wouldn’t call her to you though.”
“That really would give the wrong impression.”
Wayne nodded slowly and studied his alpha even closer. “You look rested—for the first time in years.”
“I actually slept.”
“I don’t think she rests very well either. Rayan says she’s always up before dawn just like you.”
Wayne stayed for a little longer, but they didn’t get any work done. Knowing there was a difficult conversation to be had, he met Curtis for lunch at the pack’s schoolhouse. There were two classrooms: one for elementary aged children and the other for middle school age. Heath popped his head into Curtis’s classroom just as they all sat down to eat.
“Mirabel, do you mind me taking Curtis for a little while?”
Curtis’s teacher shook her head and gestured for him to go to his father. “Not at all, Alpha Heath.”
Heath led his son out of the building and away from the village until they found a bench by the edge of the forest. “I was hoping I could talk to you about this morning.”
“Is Velora your girlfriend?”
Heath pulled Curtis to sit next to him. “I don’t know. You know when you just meet someone, and you have to know them a little while before you can decide if you like them? That’s what we’re doing.”
“But you like Velora?”
“I do.”
“I do too,” he announced with a proud smile. “I like cooking with her, and she gives me really good books to read.”
“I enjoy her company as well.”
“If she wants to be your girlfriend, will she become our luna?”
“No.” Heath was certain he wouldn’t make Velora his luna. Laureen was the pack’s luna and nothing would change that. “Your mother was this pack’s luna and even though I adore Velora, she wasn’t chosen by the goddess. Your future mate will be the pack’s next luna.”