Page 98 of Crystal Luna

After a little more polite conversation, he’d asked them to follow him and led them to the field where Vel had met with the other warriors. They stumbled right into her announcement about her leaving.

‘I think he wanted us to be part of it even though she didn’t want us there,’ Asher finally said.

‘I had the same feeling. Maybe he’s just trying to help. We wouldn’t have known where to find her and she wouldn’t come to us on her own.’

‘We would’ve looked like fucking idiots trying to find her on our own. I can see it now: the pathetic alphas who can’t find their luna.’

‘I have a feeling we might not see her much when we get home. She doesn’t seem to spend much time in the house as is and she’ll likely want to be as far away from us as possible.’

The thought wasn’t lost on Asher—he hated it too. ‘We better get as much alone time with her as we can on the journey back.’

Asher closed his eyes, using the soft sound of Vel’s heartbeat to attempt sleep. His dreams were full of Vel but unfortunately, she didn’t want him even then.

He awoke way before sunrise when Vel began to stir. Isaiah still had his eyes closed on the couch but listened intently as Vel seemed to draw a bath. The scent of lavender filled the space.

As she relaxed into the tub, water splashed up and over the sides of it. Asher was not a morning person, but he’d have to learn if he wanted to be able to see her at all before she spent all her time outdoors. He closed his eyes again, and just like his brother, Asher pictured Vel in the bathtub, steam filling the air. Her eyes were closed and her toes made the water bubble as they wiggled just beneath the surface.

They only assumed the water had cooled when Vel began to move again. She paced in her room while the water drained, letting out a couple of frustrated groans.

When she appeared in the doorway, her hair was in a French braid and finally, her delicious curves were on display. High waisted jeans moulded to her hips and thighs and even her loose t-shirt showed off a waist that Asher wanted to sink his hands into. She gave them a glare that seemed to say, “Why the fuck are you still here?” But she simply continued to the kitchen.

Asher’s body moved of its own volition. He grabbed a plate and set it in front of her before he went about mixing her chocolate milk. As she’d instructed, he didn’t say a word while he did it.

‘You’re still not doing as she asked you,’ Isaiah warned.

‘Shut up.’

“It’s rude to talk behind someone’s back.”

How the fuck did she even know? Out loud he said, “Isaiah has been so kind to remind me that I’m ignoring your request from yesterday.”

Her only response was to flip her pancake. All Asher could do was stare. He wanted to talk to her, to ask if she enjoyed lavender baths. Then he wondered if he should order bath bombs for her to keep at home too.

‘I’ve already added them to the list,’ Isaiah said.

Vel added the last pancake to her plate and sat down on the armchair. Then, much to their surprise asked, “What time are we leaving tomorrow?”

“Early in the morning,” Isaiah revealed.

“How long of a drive will it be?”

“Depends, but with breaks it’ll likely be two or three days before we reach Swiftport.” Isaiah didn’t miss the crinkle of her nose. “You don’t like the thought of being trapped in the car with us for so long.”

“I hate it,” she admitted without any remorse. “Why are we driving anyway?”

“We hoped the rogues won’t pay as much attention,” Isaiah explained.

“Why are they such a big problem again?”

Asher sat down, trying to hold her interest as much as possible. “We believe there’s been a change in their command. The new leader has been able to get them organised again. It’s slowly resembling the days before we struck them when Father was alpha.”

“Why not strike again?”

“They need to hit first. Though Isaiah believes that they are trying to do so by remaining hidden and taking our packs’ jobs. A few of our men got laid off, but we don’t have proof that the rogues had anything to do with it.”

“But is it actually hurting you?”

Isaiah was quiet, letting Asher have the opportunity to speak with Vel while she allowed it.