Breathed
Adea
When my eyes adjust to the dark meeting room, the first thing I see is obsidian eyes staring back at me. My heart that had been hammering in my chest, skips a beat, the blood in my ears is roaring, as he drinks me in like his life depends on it. I can’t look away, I hold his gaze almost too afraid he’ll disappear if I do. The tears that had dried up, threaten to come back full force and it takes everything I have to fight them back. It feels as if I’m feather light as the weight that had been on my shoulders lifts. I sway on my feet and feel the floor rushing up to meet me.
A firm arm wraps around my waist and pulls me close. The scent is wrong, all wrong, but there’s nothing I can do. He holds me upright and I know if he hadn’t held me I would have fallen. There’s nothing I can do as those already dark eyes somehow darken more. I’m ushered forward as someone announces our arrival. Luckily I don’t have to go that far, our seats are near the door. A hand on my chin pulls and I’m forced to drag my eyes from him and back up to Alpha. Another hand comes up and presses against my forehead.
“Are you feeling alright?” Alpha asked.
“I’m fine,” I answer.
Alpha’s hand comes down and caresses my cheek. I can feel his gaze on me, but with Alpha touching me I’m filled with shame. I can’t bring myself to look at him. Alpha’s green eyes twinkle and I note the satisfied smile on his face. Alpha Rich welcomes everyone and Alpha releases me. I turn from him, but as much as I want to lower my eyes I cannot. Of course we would be seated across from each other. I hold my chin high and look him in the eyes.
This whole situation is the worst, but my heart cares not. It swells with hope and beats twice as fast as we look up his face. I can feel my wolf stir for the first time in a long time. It’s been weeks, almost a month since I’ve heard her. I’m happy to feel her, but pained that it took seeing him to wake her.
“This meeting was originally supposed to be for the packs of the North, but invites were sent out to everyone. A new Alpha sits on the Dark Moon throne. Alpha Shane, I hear you are the son of the previous alpha,” Alpha Rich said.
His name, I hadn’t heard his name out loud since that night. The night that he left. The last night I was free. The last night I saw him. It was the night I could have been free, it was the night I could have run, it was the night I could have freed myself from my father and Alpha. He doesn’t say anything for a minute, his focus is still on me, and heads start to turn in his direction. He stands to his feet and lets his gaze travel from one end of the table to the other.
“I am Alpha Shane of the Dark Moon pack. I went back to where I was brought into the world and took back what was mine. I am the only legitimate heir and it is my birthright to be Alpha of my father’s pack. I’ve broken no laws, I challenged him, and won,” he said.
I don’t care about any of those things. It doesn’t matter to me. The only thing that mattered was that he was here. It was true, he was the new alpha. He had done everything he set out to do. His presence here denied my fears and confirmed that he was alive.
For the first time in what had felt like years, but had only been a little more than a month I breathed. It felt as if I had been buried in a box, deep underground, and had just been permitted a breath of fresh air. Tears blurred my vision, but this time they were happy ones. I swiped at my cheek as one fell.
It mattered not how I felt, or what I had gone through. My mate was here, he was alive and he was safe. I didn’t have to worry about him or if he was eating. I didn’t have to worry about him and Alpha’s men. They would never catch him now. I ignored the words that Alpha had whispered to me, the words I didn’t want to believe.
“Does anyone here have a problem with my being here?” Alpha Shane asked.
For the first time since the doors opened, he looked away from me. His gaze didn’t stray far, they landed and locked on the man at my side. I tensed as Alpha’s hand landed on me. Goosebumps broke out as he rubbed my back in slow calming motions. It didn’t look like I was being mistreated when he did this.
I doubt anyone would do anything even if he did. I was his property in their eyes. It wasn’t their place to tell him what to do or how to act. He could do whatever he wanted and no one could do anything. Not without being on the receiving end of the wrath of the rest of the Alpha’s and their packs.
Rules, laws were to be followed. I fought the urge to close my eyes and crawl into a ball. I fought the need to wither away and disappear. When I looked back into those obsidian eyes that were my home, I was thankful that I didn’t see disgust there. I saw anger, I saw pain, I saw need.
That should be enough for me, I shouldn’t be selfish.
I could hear my wolf’s whine, I could feel her despair in my bones. My only wish was that he wouldn’t see me the way I feared he would. For the first time since we arrived, I let my gaze wander to the men at his side. My eyes widened in surprise as they locked on his twin sister. A small smile pulled at my lips, she looked adorable dressed as a man. This was history in the making. The two of them were making changes in our world for the better.
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