Chapter 5

Waking up the next morning was hard. The night felt like it had gone by so fast that by the time I'd taken a shower and gotten to bed, it had been after eleven.

I stared at the clock and groaned, wishing it wasn't seven already. I sat up slowly, rubbing the grogginess from my eyes before looking around my bedroom. It took me a minute to find Lyrik's shirt and jacket. I'd somehow managed to fold them somewhat neatly in half before laying them over the back of the chair I had by my window.

Thinking about Lyrik made my heart beat faster, feeling like a teenage girl again as I imagined us going on dates. I would really love to go on a date. Maybe a nice dinner, movie afterwards. We could go running as wolves around the area...wait. Lyrik was a freaking Alpha of a pack in a completely different state. I jumped to my feet, pacing as I ran my fingers through my hair. As his mate, that made me the Luna. I didn't know how to be a freaking Luna! I could barely force myself out of bed most days!

It also meant I would have to leave my home. For his. In Pennsylvania.

I threw myself back onto my bed, head in my pillow, and shrieked as I kicked my feet. I was resorting to how I usually dealt with my feelings when I was twelve but at least I wasn't shrieking the house down and stomping everywhere I went. When one needs to scream, one needs to scream. I had told my parents that, and I would continue telling others that. It helped me feel better, though I definitely didn't feel like getting out of bed now.

A knock at the door had me stiffening. I was turning my head to tell whoever it was to go away when my mom walked in, worry on her face. Her eyebrows were pulled together, and she was frowning slightly. I quickly pressed my face back into the pillow, squeezing my eyes shut and wishing yesterday had just been a weird dream.

"Oh, hun," mom sighed, coming into my room and closing the door. "It's a good thing Rowan isn't expecting you to come in today. You want to talk about it?"

I sat up immediately, frowning as I looked at her. "What do you mean he's not expecting me? It's my job, I need to go to it. I don't want special treatment just cause he's my uncle."

Mom rolled her eyes, sitting next to me on the bed. "You're not getting 'special treatment'. Rowan always lets newly mated wolves have the next day off of work. Usually because they want nothing more than to be with each other than anything else. It's hard to get someone to do their work when they're daydreaming about their mate all day."

I flushed, thinking about how I had been daydreaming about being on dates with Lyrik just a few minutes ago. If I hadn't started worrying about having to leave my parents, my home, I probably would be still. Not wanting to admit that to my mom, though, I shrugged and looked down, picking at the edges of my comforter.

Mom pulled teasingly at my sleep-tank strap. "You've always been an open book to me, Raveena Lynn. I know you were already daydreaming. You would have been down for breakfast ten minutes ago if you hadn't been."

I frowned, turning to look at my clock. Seeing that it now read past eight, I gasped and turned to my mom. "That much time went by?! Why didn't you come up and get me moving?"

I scrambled out of bed, running to my closet. I was determined to have a normal day. A normal day right now meant getting up and going to work by eight a.m. I first had been lazy about getting up, then daydreamed about my mate for a good ten to twenty minutes before I started worrying about everything and it's mother. My meltdown had probably taken up another ten to twenty minutes. Grumbling, I threw a off-the-shoulder yellow shirt with white flowers along the bottom on the bed and grabbed black dress pants from my dresser.

Raveena. I expect you to stay home, or to spend time with your mate today. Be sure to show them the room in the west wing of my home for their office.

My uncle's voice, his Alpha voice, rang through my head, halting me in my tracks as I went to grab new undergarments. Mom must have mind-linked with him since I was being stubborn about going into work. I closed my eyes, shaking my head as I sighed. There was no way I could go into work now.

Yes, Alpha.

I made my reply short and sweet, thankful when he didn't respond back, letting the mind-link go. I walked back to my bed and sat down. We sat in silence for a while, mom picking up a few things off my floor and settling them on my nightstand. I thought about my mate and the future, wondering how much of it I was really ready for. Honestly, I wasn't expecting to find my mate so soon, and I definitely hadn't thought I would be mated to an Alpha.

"I don't think I'm made out to be in charge of a pack, mom. I don't... I don't want to leave you and dad behind either."

Mom slid her hand under my chin and made me look at her. Her blue eyes sparkled at me as she smiled. "Hunny, the Moon Goddess wouldn't pair you with an Alpha if she didn't believe you could do it. She gave us the power to be wolves, blessing us with the moonstone. Your father and I will be okay. I'm sure that Lyrik will be okay with visiting here and I know Rowan will let us come to you. It's really not that far apart, especially since we can hop on a plane or train and get to each other faster."

I couldn't help the tears that fell as I hugged my mom. She hadn't been able to have more kids after having me. Something to do with how sick she had been when she was a kid. Not only that, but both my parents were over a hundred years old now. Dad's hair was almost completely white now. They had a good eighty more years, but the thought of them two in the house alone made my heart ache.

She patted my back, rocking back and forth gently. "Oh, my sweet girl. You've always had the biggest heart. Doesn't he call to you, though? Don't you feel your soul reaching for his?"

I thought about it, thinking of the reaction my heart, mind, and body had whenever I was around him. Even now, not around him, I could feel an emptiness that hadn't been there yesterday morning. Thinking about seeing him today had my stomach filled with butterflies and a yearning that always went away when I was with him. I slowly nodded. "Yes... I feel it reaching for him."

Mom set me back, wiping tears off my cheeks with her thumbs. "See, everything is perfectly okay then. He feels everything you do, even if he doesn't show it or ever admit it. Did you know that your father fought against his pull to me?"

My jaw dropped, staring at my mom in shock. "What?"

"Oh, yes," she laughed, setting a hand behind her on my bed and leaning back on it. "We met only about sixty years ago, so that's part of why he was so hesitant to grab ahold of the bond and follow it. Everyone he knew had found their mates, and he was thinking his had been lost. So, it took following him around and being a thorn in his side for him to realize I was truly his mate. It probably took us two years to mate! That's also probably why we did it like a couple of rabbits on our first date. To be fair, we did meet the first time in a cemetery, so that's why he thought his mate was gone."

Bursting out laughing, I shook my head even as I made a disgusted face at her bedroom reference. I didn't care to know anything about what happened with my parents in the bedroom. "I always thought you guys met at the skate rink! Why were you in a cemetery the first time you met?"

"Let's just say that we were both doing something naughty with people who we weren't mated to." Mom winked as I groaned, and stood up. "You should still wear that outfit you pulled out. It's super cute. I'm sure your Alpha and his team are itching to start working, though. He was up and running at six."

He was up at six?! Just the thought of that made me shiver. Mom laughed as she let herself out of my room, knowing how being up early made me feel. I would never understand why people got up so early. I couldn't nap in the middle of the afternoon as an adult, so I appreciated the sleep I got now, seeing as I used to refuse to take naps when I was younger.

Looking at the outfit on the bed, I did have to agree that it was cute. I could wear the cute yellow flats in my closet that I hadn't worn yet, and the black choker with a dangling metal flower. Plus, a little bit of makeup to help enhance my blue-green eyes and full lips. After seeing Serina yesterday in that tiny clubbing dress, I wanted to step up my game. I could outshine her without showing my goods.

Feeling a bit more chipper about the day, I quickly showered, shaving my legs too. Had to blow dry my hair to get it to lay and have the volume I wanted it to have, so I did that real fast before carefully applying makeup to my face. I decided on a plain black headband to keep my hair out of my eyes, as it looked windy outside. A little more than an hour later, I was slipping my flats on just as my door opened. I looked over my shoulder at mom.

I met her smile with one of my own. "Hey."

"I knew that outfit would be cute," mom tilted her head down the hall, an eyebrow raising. "Your Alpha is here to see you."

Your Alpha. My Alpha. I bit my bottom lip, nodding. I quickly grabbed my phone, following my mom down the hall to the living room. She veered off to the kitchen, and I peaked around the corner first, wondering what they were doing. Adam and John were standing near the coffee table, both looking at something on Adam's phone. Adam was in khaki shorts and a red t-shirt while John was in blue jeans with a white t-shirt and a green flannel over top. Movement out of the corner of my eye had me turning my head to find Lyrik looking at the photos on the wall. My eyes widened, thinking of all the pictures of younger me up there. And he was looking at them so intensely!

"Good lord, Raveena. When did you become a snoop? Go."

All the guys turned to look as my mother not-so-gently pushed me forward. I turned to glare at her, watching her roll her eyes as she walked by me with a tray full of glasses and a pitcher of lemonade. Clearing my throat, I looked at the three guys and smiled.

"Hi, guys. Good to see you."

Oh my God. Why am I so awkward?! I should just go run and hide. I mentally yelled at myself, feeling stupid. Good to see you? Like, really?

Lyrik stepped forward, instantly gaining all of my attention. My stomach was immediately filled with butterflies as I met his gaze. His amber eyes were lighter, sparkling as he smiled at me. My breath caught as I let myself get lost in his eyes. He slowly looked me up and down, a fire igniting in the amber of his gaze, and I let myself do the same to him. He was wearing what looked like brown cowboy boots, dark bootcut jeans, and a white shirt with a black windbreaker over the top of it. How did the man pull off literally any outfit?

"It's good to see you too, Raveena," I turned to John as he spoke, watching him pour a glass of mom's lemonade. "I was wondering if you'd be hanging out with us today. I'm glad to see you are."

"Although," Adam pursed his lips as he studied me. "I think you're dressed for work rather than a relaxing day off."

I smiled and shrugged. "Technically my duty is to guide you around the territory, which means work."

Lyrik stepped forward, catching my hand in his. I looked up at him, watching his eyes sparkle at me. "I think you look beautiful."

The world disappeared around us for a moment as we looked at each other. I couldn't help but notice how warm and firm his hand was wrapped around mine. I felt the urge to leap up and kiss him, to hold on and never let go. It was a little unsettling, but I understood that was how it worked between mates. My soul called for his, and sometimes the pull was stronger than it was at other times. If anything, the look in his eyes made it clear that he was definitely feeling the pull strongly in the moment as his eyes darkened and his nostrils flared. He pulled my hand up and kissed the back of it, making me blush.

Someone cleared their throat and we both turned to the group of three staring at us. My mom had tears in her eyes and a wide smile on her face, and the guys were just grinning. I bit my lip as I gently pulled my hand from his. He sent me a small smile before turning a glare onto the guys. They just coughed and turned, still smiling.

Mom came forward and put an arm around me as she looked up at Lyrik. "I know what's going on, and I just want to make sure you know that I expect her to be safe at all times. No matter how well-trained she is as a warrior, she's still my baby."

"Mom," I whisper, groaning in her ear, clenching my teeth as embarrassment swept through me.

She gave me a look, telling me to hush, before turning back to Lyrik. He was standing there, looking a little lost for a second, before he nodded, a small smile lifting his lips. "I can promise that she's going to be in the safest places I know of."

Did no one here care about my abilities as a warrior? I gritted my teeth to keep from saying something out loud. I kissed my mom's cheek then moved away, towards the front door. "Okay, gentlemen, I know you're anxious to get working. I'll show you to the room that..." I paused, hand on the door knob as I thought about last night. I turned, hands tightly clasped. The three men stood there, looking at me. "D-did you get to your rooms all right? I forgot to show you to them."

It was so embarrassing to have forgotten that. Rowan had specifically told me to make sure they got to the rooms, and I had been in too much of a rush to get home. I definitely shouldn't have shifted and ruined my clothes yesterday. I had acted too rashly, just like I had when I had been a teenager.

Lyrik shook his head, amusement in his gaze as he walked to me. He opened the door. "It's alright. Alpha Rowan was home and was more than happy to show us to our rooms. He understood the situation, was even amused about it."

I frowned, looking down as I thought about Rowan laughing about the events of yesterday. He really probably had, as he had teased me mercilessly when I had done it when I was fifteen. First thing he was going to say when I saw him again was going to be, "Hey slick, got a change of clothes? Ya know, just in case." He'd be grinning, probably doing some work at his desk with his eyes sparkling at his joke. I sighed and turned, walking out the door.

The guys followed, thanking my mom on their way out for the lemonade and hospitality. I didn't wait for them to catch up, seeing as how we were literally just crossing the lawn to my uncle's home. I let myself into the mansion, waving at one of the pack members who stayed in the house. The three story home had fifteen bedrooms, eight bathrooms, and two kitchens with multiple large areas that were set up like living rooms. There were a couple of members who stayed in the rooms to help clean and cook for those who visited the pack house every day. One room was my cousins, and one my uncles. The other ten were open otherwise, as Rowan had a policy to take anyone in if they ever wanted a night away from home. It was also great for occasions such as this, where members of another pack were visiting and needed a place to stay. The nearest town being half an hour away made most people prefer the pack house over a hotel.

I paused in the living room, watching some of the kids play a game on the Xbox. I chuckled when one smacked the other for killing him in the game, shaking my head as I continued. I led the way up the first flight of stairs, knowing my uncle was thinking of the eastern office on the second floor for the men to use.

Amanda, my cousin and Rowan's youngest, suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs. In her teen angst, she had dyed her hair neon green and wore very thick eyeliner. Today, she added a pair of sparkly cat ears with her outfit. I smiled, taking in the black shorts, white shirt, fishnet stockings and combat boots. She had style at least.

"Raveena! I didn't know you were coming by today," Amanda started down the stairs, blowing a bubble with the gum in her mouth. "I see you also bring the visitors back."

Her tone was curious, wondering why I was with them. I rolled my eyes at her, stepping to the side so I could see the three men behind me. "Rowan asked me to show them around and be their escort when they need to go around the territory. Makes it easier to get around when no one is interrogating them about why they're here. Amanda, this is Alpha Lyrik of the Moonstone Pack, and his companions John and Adam."

Her darker green eyes widened, shocked as she stared at them for a moment. She looked at me, as if asking me to confirm what I said again, and I just smiled. Amanda cleared her throat and held her hand out to Lyrik.

"It's nice to meet you."

Lyrik was back in business mode, face politely blank as he lifted the corners of his mouth just enough to be considered a smile as he shook my cousin's hand. "You as well."

Amanda did the same with John and Adam then turned back to me. "I guess I'll get out of the way then. Oh, did you hear? LJ is on his way back home."

I laughed as she rolled her eyes, knowing Amanda loved her brother despite how much they may fight at times. Having them around had made me wish I had a sibling, but being close in age also helped make it feel like they were my siblings too. Lennon coming back was great to hear, though. He had been gone for three years, studying abroad since Rowan wanted him to be well-rounded.

"You know you've missed him," I playfully nudged her shoulder, then started back up the stairs. "We're going to get going. You should make sure Rowan doesn't catch you skipping class."

A small groan came from behind me, making me chuckle as I continued down the hallway now. Lennon was a year older than me, and Amanda was seven years younger, making her sixteen going on seventeen. She had been a surprise for Rowan and Theresa, my aunt, but had been a great one. She just started her junior year of high school and had a thing for skipping some of her classes, especially if she found them boring or didn't like the teacher. Amanda was smart, almost too smart for her own good sometimes, but that was a good thing in her favor, especially now. I figured since I was going to be moving, Amanda would probably step up to take the place as Lennon's beta. They would make a great team for the pack.

Stopping at the last door on the right side of the hallway, I took a deep breath before I opened the door. The room was done in soothing blues and purple, with an elegant white marble desk near the East window that had a bench seat. The walls were lined with oak bookshelves, filled with many books. The sheer curtains were lilac, contrasting the dark blue carpeting. The walls were wallpapered with purple flowers on a soft blue background, bronze vertical lines breaking it into sections every few feet.

The office had been my aunt's, and although she had been gone for five years, I felt like I could still smell her gentle, floral perfume in the air.

There was a larger table with five chairs near the North window, and that's where I went, standing by it as the guys followed behind me.

"This will be yours to use for the next week. If you need it, there's a map of the territory," I set my bag down then walked to the west wall where a canvas was rolled up like a projector screen. I grabbed the string and pulled, opening the canvas up to lay against the wall. "Right here. I think we also have a territory map of the U.S. somewhere around here should you want that."

I looked at Lyrik, who was studying me. He took a minute, but nodded before he turned to John. "We'll need to get the laptop set up in here along with the notes we have on everything we know so far. Raveena, do you have or know where to get a white erase board?"

He actually said my name. In the last twenty four hours, this was the first time I had heard him actually say my name. It shocked me for a second as I stared at him, slow to comprehend what he needed. I cleared my throat, nodding as I walked to the door. "Sure. I'll bring it right back up."

I quickly left the room, taking a deep breath as I walked toward the stairs. I was an adult woman, pretty much running away from the man I had been paired with, because he made me feel gooey when he said my name. It was ridiculous, but I couldn't help but be stirred by it.

Making my way downstairs and to my uncle's office, I noticed he had redecorated the main living room again. I hadn't noticed when I had come in, but he now had a coffee table with a candle sitting in front of the dark brown leather couch. The tv was also bigger, probably around a seventy-two inch. The walls also had been painted to a light tan color from the soft golden that it had been. I must have been really distracted to miss that much, but the kids who had been playing on the Xbox, which was still on, weren't anywhere to be seen either.

I shook my head, stopping to turn the console and tv off before I went into Rowan's office. The standing white board that he sometimes used at pack meetings was against the wall on the right, and I grabbed it, rolling it towards the elevator. Yep, the pack house had an elevator. I smiled as I thought about how he wanted to be sure anyone in the pack would feel welcome to come and go as they pleased, especially the older pack members who had a hard time getting around. There were also a few members who were born with disabilities that made it hard for them to get around, like cerebral palsy, and he wanted them to be in the house too.

Getting on the elevator, I had to carefully roll the board in, trying not to smack it on the sides. I tilted it slightly so that it wouldn't hit the top of the door. Going through the same process as I exited the elevator, I made my way back to the office.

As I entered, it was like an entirely different place. I stood staring at the boxes of things on the table and also on the desk. Lyrik had made himself comfortable behind the desk, papers in his hand. He'd also taken his jacket off, revealing a tribal tattoo on his left bicep that I had missed seeing yesterday. Adam and John were pulling things out of a box, what looked like maps, and setting them to the side. They had so much together already, that I narrowed my eyes, frowning as it occurred they may have known longer than they had told my uncle.

John looked up and smiled, moving to help me settle the board where they wanted it. I stayed quiet, watching as I stepped back. They quickly were writing on the board and putting magnets on pictures, drawing arrows from one to another.

I felt out of place, not knowing what to do as they organized everything they were working on. Listening as they talked, I learned that not everything there was for the rogue problem, though the good majority of it was. There were a couple of items that were normal pack business that Lyrik needed to work on, such as patrols for next month.

Watching them talk, pointing to different things on the board, or going to Lyrik when he wanted to show them something, made me think about what my role was supposed to be as Lyrik's mate. Theresa had helped Rowan out a lot with things, which had made it harder when she had died, but dad had stepped up to help. With Lyrik, it was completely different. He already had John and Adam. I was sure one of them was his Beta, but I didn't know which. Adam had similar features as Lyrik, making them look related, but John's coloring also made him look like he was related. It was also obvious that they both helped Lyrik make decisions for the pack.

How was I supposed to help?

Feeling useless, I walked to one of the bookshelves, looking through the titles. I could at least sit and relax while they were doing whatever they wanted. If it weren't for the fact that I wanted to be near Lyrik, talk to him hopefully at some point, I probably would have left by now. I was sure that Rowan and my mother expected me to stay in case they needed to go somewhere as well.

I found a short fiction novel and sat in the bench window with it. As I got comfortable, I had the urge to glance up. When I did, I met Lyrik's eyes. He was watching me, eyes dark, lips parted, and wasn't listening to a word Adam was saying to him. I flushed, nervously licking my lips, though it seemed to distract Lyrik even more as his eyes dropped to my mouth.

"Lyrik, would you please pay attention?" Adam said, exasperated as he glanced between me and Lyrik. "If she's that distracting, maybe she should let us work alone for a bit."

Silence stretched in the room, John's eyes wide as he stared at Adam, and I couldn't help the frown that tilted my lips down. Lyrik slowly put the papers in his hands down, turning his head to look at Adam. Adam paled slightly, but didn't back down. I clenched the book in my lap, debating on if I should get out or not, but didn't have the chance as Lyrik spoke.

"She'll stay. I was paying attention," Lyrik's voice was low, slightly growly, and sent little shivers of anticipation down my spine. "You were talking about getting ahold of the two main packs in the states closest to Pennsylvania. The two we would need to talk with are the Deep Forest Pack and Sundown Pride."

I watched as Adam's cheeks turned slightly pink, biting the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. Obviously it wasn't hard to listen to what was being said while looking at someone, though I understood why Adam got frustrated. Body language is sometimes an indicator of whether you're being listened to or not, and Lyrik's had been saying that he didn't give one lick about what he was being told.

With their conversation back on track, Adam nodded and continued, talking about their strategy to make sure the treaties they had were tight. I watched Lyrik for a moment, taking in his features. He must not have shaved today as he had stubble today, but the shadow of it made him look sexier. It accented the sharp edge of his jawline and how soft his lips looked. His black hair looked soft and lush. I imagined running my hands through his hair, wondering if it was really as soft as it looked. I also wanted to slide my hands over his biceps to feel how strong he was, as his t-shirt looked tight around them. It would be a great opportunity to check out his tattoo too. The thought of having my hands on him had my belly tightening, and I licked my dry lips.

Maybe I needed to go take a cold shower.

Determined to not be distracting, I opened the book. It was titled Faithful Place by Tana French, and the description that I had read made it sound super exciting and interesting. However, I couldn't seem to focus, rereading the first page as I tried to pull my mind away from the business being conducted in the room. After the tenth time trying to read it, I grumbled under my breath and closed it, staring out the window instead.

It was about ten in the morning now, which meant people who were stay at home parents or care-takers were out in the gardens, doing lawn work before the day got hotter. There was someone jogging down the street, and an older lady getting out of her car. I watched as she grabbed a few grocery bags from the back of her car then walked into her home. The street was pretty quiet, though in just a few short days school would be out for the summer and the sound of kids would fill the air.

It made me smile, thinking about how I used to be one of those kids.

"Raveena."

My name being said jolted me from my thoughts, turning to look at Lyrik. He was still sitting at the desk, but his whole attention was on me. John and Adam had left the room, shutting the door behind them. We were absolutely alone for the first time. I set the book next to me, giving my full attention to Lyrik.

He tilted his head to the side slightly, studying my face as he leaned back in the desk chair. It squeaked softly, having not been used in a while. His left arm rested along the desk, his right on the arm of the chair. The edges of his tattoo wrapped around his bicep, letting me get a better glimpse of the line work. I could also see how his shirt clung to his muscled pectorals. Wonder if he has abs too, I thought absently, running my eyes over his torso.

A soft growl filled the room and my eyes snapped up to his, wide in surprise. He was staring at her, eyes dark as they trailed over my face and body. My breath caught in my throat as he stood up and walked to me. He stopped right in front of me, lifting a hand to cup my cheek. I leaned into his touch, briefly closing my eyes to take in the feeling of our skin touching, lifting my hand to cover his.

"Raveena, we need to talk," Lyrik said lowly, rubbing his thumb over my cheek.

I sighed, knowing he was right. I let my hand drop, sitting up and away from his touch. If we were going to talk, we couldn't touch. Touching made the pull between us ten times stronger, making it super hard to not leap at him and kiss him senseless. I pulled my legs in, sitting with them tucked under me so there was room on the bench seat for Lyrik. I patted the spot and though he hesitated for a second, he sat down next to me.

I studied his face as he looked at me. He seemed strained. "What exactly do you want to talk about?"

He looked away, staring towards the wall. "I think we need to discuss how we can become comfortable enough with one another in order to mate by the time I leave in a week."

My breath left in a rush, my thoughts immediately turning to having him laying in my bed, only covered by the meer sheets. I bit my lip, looking down at my hands in my lap. I knew that as mates one didn't necessarily have to know their partner to mate. Many mates that came together from different packs almost immediately found a way to make everything official so that one could move with the other. It was pretty nice of Lyrik to want to be comfortable and us to know each other before we mated. Especially since he was Alpha.

His hand cupped my jaw, thumb pulling my lip from between my teeth. Amber eyes burned into my blue ones. "You have to stop doing that," his voice was husky, low. "It makes me want to bite it to see how good it tastes."

A breathless giggle left my lips as I smiled, now also thinking of him biting my lip. "I'll try to stop. What do you suggest we do to... get comfortable?"

The suggestive tone in my voice took me by surprise as much as it took him, but the small smirk that lifted his lips also said he was thinking the same dirty things I was. If we continued like we were, we weren't going to be doing anything but breaking the bench seat in for the week.

"As much as I would love to do things with you, Raveena, I want you to be comfortable with me more," Lyrik murmured, swiping his thumb over my lip again slowly before sitting back. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes. "Tell me about you. What's your story?"

Well, that was a good place to start. "Well, I just graduated from Clemson University with my bachelor's in business. I'm twenty-four, my birthday is July 20th, and my favorite color is green. I'm an only child, as my parents were much older when they met and had trouble getting pregnant. Mom said it was from a sickness she had when she was just a girl. Rowan is my uncle. His children, my cousins, obviously," I smiled, shrugging my shoulders. "I'm not sure what else you'd like to know. Oh, Jenna, from the business meeting, is my best friend. I've known her since before elementary."

He smiled, shaking his head. "I kind of figured that after she called you a hoe."

I laughed, nodding as I thought of how Jenna had greeted me at the restaurant. She never failed to make a situation lighter and amusing. "Okay, your turn."

"Well," he cleared his throat. "I know one of the things that has been circling since I became Alpha is 'why'. I wanted to start with that so you understand." His eyes met mine before looking back at the wall. I couldn't tell what he was thinking though, as it seemed he had shuttered himself behind a mask. "My father has already been the Moonstone Alpha for almost a hundred and fifty years. He's currently two hundred and five years old, meaning he's way past the time most of our kind would die. I know that being near the moonstone makes us more powerful than those who have stepped away from it, but it's still the point that he's very old and fragile. My eldest two brothers, both of whom are older than me by twenty years, didn't want to be alpha's as they've settled into the life of a simple warrior. Adam is my fraternal twin brother and is Beta of the pack. We were a huge surprise for my parents, especially since my brothers were hard for them to conceive after fifty years of trying. My father wants to spend however much time he has left with my mom, traveling and relaxing. He hasn't been able to go to some of the places he wanted to, and now that he's older, he wants nothing more than to go do so."

That was definitely a good reason as to why he was the youngest Alpha in the freaking world. I was still shocked that his father was so old and yet had remained the Alpha, as well as had two sets of twins. Lyrik's mom was younger than his father by maybe twenty years, but still. Kids at a hundred seventy-something? No thank you.

"It makes sense," I smiled at Lyrik as he turned to me. "I'm not going to lie, I was curious. But I always figured it had to do something with how much older your father was. Rowan and I had talked about it when we heard he was stepping down."

His lips lifted in a small smile. "Yeah, the old man definitely has a reputation."

Laughing, I lifted his hand in mine and squeezed it. "Now what about the rest? Like your favorite color?"

Lyrik tilted his head, studying me as he squeezed my hand gently. "Honestly, I've never thought about my favorite color. But, I find myself liking blue recently. Besides that, I'm twenty-six, you know about my family, and my best friend is John. We've grown up together, as his parents were killed in a car crash when he was a baby. Mom and dad took him in to make sure he had a good home."

Well, that was saddening. Poor Adam. I glanced towards the door, wondering where they had gone, then looked back at Lyrik. "Well, I'm sure you're glad they did as well. Otherwise you wouldn't have a best friend. OKay, so, favorite food?"

A grin lit his face. "I'd have to say my mom's chicken and dumplings. I'm sure I can convince her to make it when we get home."

Home. I looked down at my hands again, feeling my anxiety creep up into my throat again as I thought about how I'd be leaving what I considered my home to go to his. I knew I was being kind of weird in my reaction, but I hadn't ever left South Carolina. By choice, really, since I had gotten scholarships for other great universities besides Clemson. I stared at his slightly roughened hands, wondering what the heck the moon goddess had been thinking when she paired us.

Lyrik squeezed my hand, rubbing a thumb over my knuckles, and I looked up at him. His eyes were kind, smiling, as he leaned towards me. "I know this week and probably the next month isn't going to be easy for you. I wish we had the time to take it slow, but I can't leave you here with everything going on. I promise that we can come visit your parents."

It was comforting to be reassured by him, even though mom had already said the same thing. It still mattered to me that he said it.

"Thank you," I whispered.

He half smiled before pulling me into a hug, burying his face in my hair as he held me. I laid my head on his shoulder, slowly wrapping my arms around him. It was crazy how warm he was, and god he smelled good. I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, taking in as much of him as I could.

The door suddenly opened, John and Adam walking in with food laden arms. I sat up, pulling away from Lyrik. They hadn't noticed that we were sitting together or had been hugging, coming in arguing.

"No, Adam, God," John rolled his eyes. "The Cowboys suck. Pick a team that actually has a chance of winning."

Adam frowned at John, putting things down on the table. "That is my team that I think has a chance of winning. You just think that the Steelers walk on water, weirdo."

Lyrik cleared his throat, getting the two's attention immediately. Adam grinned, then held up a bag from a local restaurant. "We got you food too, don't worry."

The rest of the day passed at what felt like a normal rate. We ate the alfredo pasta dishes John and Adam had brought with them for lunch then they all went back to working on their different tasks. I was finally able to start reading the book I had grabbed, getting into it enough that when my phone vibrated in my pocket it scared me. Pulling it out, I saw it was a message from Nina, a single-mother who had left her abusive mate from a different pack. She was asking if I could take her patrol shift tonight since her daughter was sick. I smiled, immediately telling her I would. Gwen, Nina's daughter, was an absolute doll. It was rare for her to get sick, though, so I was sure Nina would want to make sure whatever it was went away quickly.

I texted dad to let him know I would be taking her shift, then checked the time. The shift was a night one that started at nine. It was currently four-thirty. I tucked a bookmark into the book and stood, thinking I needed to go take a nap so I could take the shift. My phone vibrated again, this time a call, and I answered without looking at who it was first.

"This is Raveena."

"You're not taking the patrol tonight."

I took the phone from my ear, doing a double take to make sure it was really dad who had called. I cleared my throat and put the phone back to my ear, turning to look out the window. "Why is that? Nina said Gwen is sick and isn't able to go out. I've taken her shift before. What's the issue with it today?"

He sighed. "Raveena. You have a mate. You are going to be leaving in a week. I think you should take what time you have and use it to spend time with people you're going to miss. You also need to spend time with Lyrik."

My jaw tightened, anger building. Why was everyone so insistent on me spending time with Lyrik? I knew he was my mate, obviously, and I would have my whole life to spend with him. "It's one night, dad. It's not going to hurt anything."

"I've already assigned Derric to the shift. I've also let everyone else on patrol this week know that you won't be able to take on shifts."

I took a deep breath, trying not to let my anger erupt. I was still a warrior for the Shadow Pack, still a member of it. Why the heck were my duties that I regularly did being taken away like this? "Fine. I'll see you at dinner."

I didn't wait for him to reply, quickly ending the call. It really did feel like everything was coming apart. Yes, things were going to change. But why in the world were things being completely blocked off from me? I wasn't leaving yet, wasn't mated yet, and definitely didn't want to sit in an old damn office every day for the next week.

Turning with a tight smile, I met Lyrik's curious gaze. "I'm going to take a walk. Need some fresh air."

I didn't wait for him to answer or say anything. I simply left the room and made my way outside.