Chapter 9

I try to move around in my sleep, but I feel a strong restraint and an amazing warmth that is sending sparks all through me. I open my eyes and see that I'm inches away from a bare chest. I freeze and blink several times as everything starts to fall into place. Luke. Clearwater Pack. None of it was a dream. I gently lift my hand and softly run my fingers across his beautiful face. He looks so peaceful in sleep. Something deep inside me clicks into place, there's something about Luke that seems oddly familiar to me, but I can't place it. It's not just the mate bond that I'm feeling, it's something else. Almost like I've known him before all of this. But that can't be possible, I was only ever at my home pack and Blood River before this.

"Shanna? Have I met Luke before?" I reach out and ask her inquisitively.

"No... and yes." She replies cryptically with a yawn.

"Wait... What?" This shocks me.

"It's not the right time yet." She says cryptically again. I feel her retreating.

"Wait! That's not fair!" I shout at her through our link.

"I know. But you need to just trust me and the process." She says tiredly before going back to sleep.

This just confuses me more, but I can tell that Shanna isn't giving up any more details at the moment. I decide to let it go, for now. I feel Luke shift a little and pull me in closer, and I feel even warmer than before. His scent makes me a bit dizzy, but in a good way. It's like my mind gets flooded with a daze when we are this close physically. I let out a sigh. As much as I want to stay like this, I have the sudden urge to use the bathroom. I try to gently unwrap his arm from around me without waking him, but it's to no avail. He's got me in a steel strength vice grip.

"Luke?" I whisper. He doesn't move an inch. "Luke," I say softly but louder. Still nothing. I decide to push a little on his chest, but that just causes him to pull me in closer harder than before.

"Love, why are you pushing me away? I'm sleeping incredibly peacefully at the moment." He says through a yawn.

"I need to use the bathroom," I explain.

He lets out a grunt and a deep breath. He lets me go and I shoot out of bed and fly into the bathroom before my bladder bursts. Once I finish my business, I brush my teeth and wash my face. This makes me feel a bit more refreshed. I look over and see the glass shower and a pang of longing shoots through me. I realize that's what I really want to do, but I actually don't know how to use the shower in the bathroom. I stare at it blankly and bite my lip to hold back my tears of frustration.

"Lizzie, are you okay?" I hear Luke asks in a concerning tone from behind the door.

"Um..." I wince a bit with embarrassment, but I really want to take a hot shower for just once. It's been so freaking long that I don't even remember what it feels like.

"Love, even though we haven't mated, I can still sense when you're feeling a strong emotion. I can tell something's wrong." He says with more concern. I decide to shove my pride down and open the door. I see him standing outside the door with a complete look of concern.

"Can you help me with something?" I bite my lip and ask him.

"What's wrong?" He asks.

"I want to take a shower." I shuffle my feet in embarrassment.

"Why do you need help with taking a shower?" He asks, confusion written all over his face.

"I don't know how to turn it on or anything," I say softly and scrunch up my face to hold back my tears. He just looks at me completely dumbfounded so I try to explain. "I... haven't.... had.... A.... Proper... Shower... in... over ten years." I finally manage to get out between choking on my words.

"Excuse me?" I can hear anger start to lace his voice. "Lizzie. If you haven't taken a shower, how do you wash up?" More anger seems to be coming to the surface.

"Um... The pond behind the pack house." I whisper a bit fearful of his anger.

"WHAT?!" He roars so loud that I subconsciously cower to the floor.

I've only heard an Alpha roar this loud twice in my entire life. The first time when he found me bleeding on that bathroom floor, and now. As if sensing my fear, Luke takes a few deep breaths and calms himself down. I see him bend down and hold out his hand to help me back up. I take his hand and he pulls me back to my feet and into his chest. He burrows his face in my hair and continues to take deep breaths. I let him hold me like that for a few moments until I sense his heart rate has gone from erratic to back down to normal. I pull away gently and he paces over to the shower and turns the knobs a certain way for the water to start spraying down. I watch as he tests the water temperature a few times before gesturing that it's good to go. Before I can say anything else, he walks out of the bathroom and closes the door behind him.

"Give him and Theo a moment. Theo wants to go rip someone's head off." Shanna explains noticing my confusion.

I realize that makes sense. I wait a few more moments before I finally undress. Even though Shanna has healed all of my scars and bruises, I'm still self-conscious and unsure about the whole nudity factory of things. I open the door to the shower and step in. For the first time in ten years, hot fresh water runs and covers my body. I let out a moan of bliss without even realizing it. The water feels invigorating and ever so refreshing. After I see the water start to turn a bit clearer from the dirt and grime washing away, I decide to wash my hair with actual shampoo.

I see on the glass shelf of the shower an array of colorful bottles with different scents. I pop the top off a few and find one that smells amazing. The label on the bottle tells me that it's a cherry blossom scent. I'm unsure of how much I need, so I start with a small quarter-size amount. Once I get that scrubbed in, I and more and more until I get my hair into a nice lather. The scent fills the shower and bathroom and smells wonderful. I run my fingers all the way into my scalp and continue scrubbing every inch of it thoroughly. As I let the water rinse out the shampoo, I feel my hair actually clean for the first time in ten years. I move on too the body wash and repeat the process. I feel so clean and alive, it makes me wonder how Luke was able to sleep next to me when I was so dirty. I put that thought out of my mind and give my face another scrubbing before rinsing everything off one last time. I turn the knobs the opposite way from which I saw Luke turn them and manage to get the water to turn off.

I realize that I'm not sure how long I was just in the shower for. I grab one of the fluffy white towels hanging up on the towel rod near the shower and dry myself off. I decide to use another towel to wrap my hair up to let it dry properly. I turn around to grab my clothes and another realization hits me hard like a train. None of the clothes that I have been even close to being considered as clean as I thought they were. I look at myself in the mirror and see my shoulders and top of my chest over the towel are pale and clean. I take a moment to pout before mustering up the courage to ask Luke for more help. I slowly pull open the door just enough to peek out.

"Luke?" I ask cautiously.

"Yeah?" He responds from one of the large cushy chairs by the window. He seems to be reading a book of some kind.

"Do you... I mean... Can I.... Is it possible to maybe borrow some clean clothes from you for today?" I stutter out and ask as my face flushes full of embarrassment.

"Of course! Hold on a second." I watch as he gets up and goes into the walk-in closet. It takes him a few moments but he eventually emerges with a smaller t-shirt and a pair of running shorts. "These are the smallest that I can find. We will get you some new things today." He says as he hands me the items through the crack of the door.

"Thanks so much." I tell him with relief. I take the items and close the door gently. I quickly get changed. I pull the drawstring as tight as it will go so the shorts don't fall down and I tie the hem of the shirt up in a cute knot at my waist so it doesn't go down to my knees. It's not perfect, but at least the clothes are clean and the best part is that they smell like Luke. I open the door and go back out to where Luke is once more sitting in the same chair with a book. He looks utterly relaxed and completely drool-worthy sexy with just his sweats on, shaggy hair from sleep, and his nose practically pressed to the pages of the book. I gulp at how turned on the sight of him this way is making me.

"Luke? You can use the bathroom now." I say, slightly startling him. He must have been pretty engrossed in the book to not have heard me come out.

"Your hair is still wet and up in the towel," He says with a smile. He gets up and comes over to me. "Come on, I'll help you dry it." He takes me back into the bathroom and sits me down on the vanity stool. From there he pulls out the hair dryer, plugs it in, and turns it on. I close my eyes and let him do his thing. He gently runs his fingers through my hair, working the heat from the dryer from my scalp all the way down to the ends of my hair. It's a completely exotic feeling letting him take care of me this way. Once he's done, he turns the dryer off and sets it aside. He fluffs my hair a bit before bending down and kissing my cheek.

"What was that for?" I ask curiously holding my cheek where his lips just were.

"I don't need a reason to kiss your cheek." He says with a smile.

His teal eyes glistening under the fluorescent lights of the bathroom. I leave the bathroom in a bit of a blissful trance. While Luke takes a quick shower and brushes his own teeth, I take a look at the book he had left on the small table buy the comfy chairs. The title reads The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. This brings a smile to my face. I remember my mom reading me this book when I was little. It's truly a timeless tale that captures the hearts of both children and adults. The fantastical world through the wardrobe, full of fauns, dwarves, and anthropomorphism's animals. I used to see myself more as Lucy rather than Susan, Edmund, or Peter. Either way, the snow-laden adventure with Mr. Tumnus was my favorite, especially when my mom would read it to me before bed. The memory causes tears to prick my eyes. I hadn't thought of this in such a long time. It's like the memories were locked away until Luke found and rescued me. Now, they are coming in full force at some of the most random times.

Luke emerges from the bathroom causing me to look up and choke back my tears. Holy crap! I didn't think the man could get any hotter, but I was terribly wrong. Luke in a Pair of jeans, crisp white button down and a tie turns him into a smoke show. I swallow hard to keep from drooling and my eyes from popping out. I realize he's caught me staring.

"Oh my god!" I cover my face that's reached a whole new level of crimson from embarrassment. I sense him walk over and crouch in front of me. He gently pulls my hands away.

"It's alright." He says with a genuinely sweet smile. "You're the only one that's allowed to gawk at me." He says with a chuckle.

I let out the breath that I'm holding and give a small giggle. He takes my hand and leads me through the room and out the door. As we are descending down the stairs, we run into Nathan coming out of his door.

"Oh, perfect timing." He says as he sees us coming his way.

"What's up?" Luke asks as we get closer.

"I've got that thing you asked me to get." I see him pass Luke a white shiny box before saluting and taking off down to the main floors. I wait a beat before I look up at Luke.

"What's that?" I ask him.

"Oh this? It's a cell phone. I had him pick up one for you." He says with a grin. A grin practically splits my face as he grabs my hand and leads me back down the rest of the stairs in Nathan's wake.

We reach the bottom of the stairs and some of the best mouth watering smells hit my senses. The smell of pancakes, bacon, eggs, fruit, and so much more is flooding from the kitchen. A small bubble of panic starts to float up from my stomach into my throat. I stop dead in my tracks as the color drains out of my face and my hands get clammy from my anxiety attack that's creeping up faster than I can stop it.

"Luke! Wh... Why... I'm so sorry!" I stutter the words out, stopping him in his tracks.

"What are you talking about?" He looks on with confusion written on his face. He seems to be able to read my thoughts as he assess the situation. He pulls me in tight and starts rubbing his hands up and down my arms to calm me down. "It is not your responsibility to cook for this entire pack. You are going to be Luna. You can certainly help out in the kitchens and take on any responsibility you wish, but you are not required. Do you understand?" He crouches down on one knee so his eyes meet mine straight on as he speaks. I start to level out my breathing.

"Ar... Are you sure?" I choke out. My words thick with onset tears.

"Yes," He says firmly. "Now let's go in and get some food in you." He stands up and pulls me along behind him.

Luke pulls out a seat for me at the overlarge oak table and waits for me to sit down before pushing me in. He bends down and whispers that he'll be right back with some food from the kitchen and to just relax. So, I try to do just that. I look around the table and see that there's others talking and laughing amongst each other. Some parents with their children. For the most part though, I receive smiles and pleasant greetings. Nobody asks any questions, for that I'm grateful. I can't help but gaze upon those around me and wonder if this is just a dream that I haven't woken up from. Surely, this is all to good to be true. I have a nagging sensation of nerves and anxiety in the pit of my stomach that this pack isn't going to accept me as their Luna. I mean, I am after all, technically a rogue wolf.

I have no pack, no parents, no family, no friends, and regardless on my Alpha blood status, I'm really nothing. If the Clearwater Pack doesn't accept me, there's nothing stopping Luke from rejecting me. If I'm being honest, I'm still half expecting it every time we are alone. I mean, why on earth would the moon goddess pair up an orphan like me to an Alpha like Luke? It just doesn't make sense, I think sadly to myself.

"Stop thinking like this!" Shanna growls at me.

"Like what, Shanna? The truth? The inevitable?"

"Why do you automatically assume that Luke is going to reject us?" She angrily asks.

"Look at him, he's perfect. I'm a nobody." I explain solemnly.

"So, you're calling me a nobody?" She asks defensively.

"No! Of course not! You're my other half!" I snap at her.

"Exactly. I am your other half. We may be two different souls, but we are one body and one mind, Lizzie. If you say you are a nobody, then I am also a nobody to you." She says simply.

"Shanna, that's not fair!" I argue back.

"Isn't it? I understand why you are hesitant about Luke's love, but don't be. It is sincere, wholehearted, and true. Both Luke and Theo love us." She grumbles at me.

I sigh and push her to the back of my mind after that. Could Luke really love me, for just being me? Luke breaks me out of my thoughts as he places a few plates of food piled high in front of me. My mouth instantly starts watering again. He takes the seat next to me and we both dig in. The food is just exquisite. The pancakes are golden and fluffy. The eggs scrambled with cheese. The bacon has just enough crunch to it that it's still a bit chewy. I eat in silence as I try to mull over my thoughts and conversation I just had with Shanna.

"Lizzie?" Luke whispers my name to get my attention.

"Yeah?" I reply as I take another bite.

"Are you alright? I feel something off." He asks, concern lacing his voice once more.

"I don't know." I say honestly with a shrug.

"Love, will you look at me, please." He asks. I set my fork down before turning to face him. "Talk to me, please?" He whisper begs so nobody can hear our conversation.

"What do you want me to say?" I ask him, suddenly feeling a bit ashamed of my thoughts.

"The truth," His eyes are pleading. I just shake my head and turn back to my pancakes. My apatite suddenly disappearing.

"I'm just trying to sort some stuff out. Rain check on this talk?" I ask him without meeting his eyes.

"Okay, I will give you all the time you need. Just know that I will always be here." His voice sounding a bit defeated but understanding all at the same time. It's at this point that there's a loud amount of commotion coming from the stairs. It sounds like a herd of elephants heading straight for us. Luke gives a bit of a groan and rubs his temples. "Lizzie, I'm afraid I can't keep my sister and mom away much longer. You're about to meet them." He says with a mixture of humor and stress etched on his face.

Before I get a chance to respond, a really pretty girl with strawberry blond hair comes into view. She looks to be only a year or two older than myself. Behind her an older woman follows. She looks lovely and in her late forties. She has the same hair as Luke but with a little grey mixed in. She has the same teal-color eyes and cheekbones that Luke does. It makes me briefly wonder what his dad looked like. I notice that the pair of them have great complexions and wide smiles on their faces. I barely get a chance to register what's happening before the girl yanks me out of my chair and into a bone-crushing hug.

"I'm so excited to meet you!" She proclaims after she spins me around and places me back down on my feet. She's really strong for her size, or I'm just that little I muse. I reach out to shake his mom's hand and instead I'm pulled into another hug.

"None of that handshake business. We're family now!" The woman tells me as she lets go. Luke had stood up from his chair and subtly pulls me back to his side.

"Whoa guys, let's start with some introductions." He chuckles. "Lizzie, this is my sister Jessica." He gestures to the pretty girl who swung me around in a hug. "And this is my mom, Caroline." He says gesturing the woman next to Jessica.

"Good gracious, you're lovely!" His mom says as she takes a good look at me. "My dear, what is your name?" She asks me with a warm smile.

"It's nice to formally meet you guys. My name is Elizabeth Ann Laurent." His mom lets out a gasp.

"Did you say Laurent?" His mom asks me in disbelief. "Do you by chance go by Lizzie?" She asks stunned in place.

"Yes... how did..." I don't get to finish my sentence before Luke jumps in.

"Mom. She survived the attack. Her father is Alpha James Michael Laurent." He explains to his mom.

"Oh heavens. That means your Annie's daughter." His mom gasps and covers her mouth in shock. I see tears start to pool in the woman's eyes.

"Did you know my mom?" I ask her in a bit of disbelief. Nobody ever talks about my mom.

"Know her? My child, she was my best friend." I watch as tears start to fall from her eyes. I don't move as she comes closer to me and raises her hand to cup my cheek in a motherly way. "It's uncanny. You look so much like her." She turns to Luke. "How is this possible? We were told there were no survivors." She says angrily.

"Mom, I need to speak with you in private." Luke answers her. She gives a nod of understanding. "Jess I need a huge a favor." He looks over at his sister.

"And that is?" She asks as she peels her eyes away from her mom and I to look at her brother.

"I need you to take Lizzie shopping. She needs new... well everything." He says as he pulls out his wallet and tosses a black card at her. She catches it easily with a mischievous smile on her face.

"That I can do bro." She walks over to me and links her arm in mine to guide me away and out of the room. "C'mon Lizzie, we have a long day at the mall ahead of us." She says with a bounce in her step. I can't decide if I'm excited or a bit afraid. Ultimately, I choose to roll with things and try and have fun. Besides, it'll be good to get to know Jessica. I've never had a sister before, so I'm looking forward to seeing what it's like to have one now.