Chapter 97

Selene

When I wake up in the morning, I can tell Phoenix didn't get a single wink of sleep last night. His frustration and exhaustion seep through our bond, dark and heavy, and I can feel the storm of thoughts swirling in his mind.

I frown as I sit up beside him. "I guess sex didn't really help that much last night," I mutter, feeling that I let him down. Guilt knots in my stomach. I could tell that he enjoyed it, he always does, but it didn't really do anything to calm him mind.

Damn it.

Phoenix rolls over and grabs my hand, kissing my knuckles. His lips linger as a silent reassurance. "I can feel your guilt. It isn't your fault why I couldn't sleep. Please don't blame yourself, little wolf. Last night was amazing."

I sigh, my thumb tracing his cheek. "I know, but I wish you would've woken up instead of staying up all night by yourself."

"Then, I would've felt bad for you not getting any sleep either," he points out softly.

He's right. It would've been hard for both of us to function on no sleep, but I also hate that he has to deal with that alone now. I just hope tonight brings him some mental clarity, instead of just adding more pieces to the puzzle that won't be solved.

"Come on. Let's shower and then get some breakfast," Phoenix urges, sliding out of the bed.

We share a quiet shower together, the hot water feeling amazing on my skin, but I can still feel the weight on Phoenix's shoulders. I press my bare chest against his back, wrapping my arms around him. He leans into me, but I know his mind is elsewhere. The tension in his shoulders doesn't ease, not even a little.

I hate that I can't make it better for him.

After throwing on some comfortable clothes, we make our way downstairs to the kitchen. It feels weird living here again when just a few months ago, I was here with Philip and my mom. It must feel weird for Phoenix to be back here too. He was raised here, even if that came with a shit load of bad childhood memories, but now we own this place. When things settle down, I definitely want to sit down with Makayla and figure out a way to make the packhouse homier for the four of us.

Makayla and Loki are already sitting at the table, being served by the packhouse omegas. They're the people that live here and take care of the packhouse, while also catering to the higher ranking wolves in the pack.

Makayla looks up when Phoenix and I sit down across from them. The omegas immediately begin making us plates, stacked with a variety of breakfast foods. Thankfully, no food goes to waste even if we don't eat it. It is split between the omegas and the pups that they sometimes take care of during the day when werewolf parents are out.

"Good morning," I greet the new Beta male and female.

Loki grunts a response, while Makayla beams like she just won the lottery. And by the fresh mark on her neck, I'm pretty sure that's exactly how she feels.

As we begin to dig into the delicious breakfast, I smirk at my best friend. "Well congratulations are in order, I see," I say through a private mind-link with her, though maybe Loki wouldn't mind hearing it too. After all, it is a big deal to seal the bond with your mate.

Her cheeks flush a dark shade of pink. "Why, thank you. I mean, I really didn't do much of the work, but I think it was still amazing for both of us."

I stifle a laugh. "You can fill me in on the details later. Right now I just want to know...can you walk okay?"

"To be honest...barely." She snorts out loud, causing both of the men to glance at her.

Phoenix's voice slips into my mind, amusement coloring his tone. "Girl talk?"

I steal a glance at him, smiling innocently. "Just congratulating my best friend."

He raises his eyebrows, his eyes flickering between me and Makayla. "I find that hard to believe. Makayla's blushing pretty hard over there."

I smirk, leaning into him. "Hey, if I can face her after she and everyone else heard us having sex, I think what we're talking about is pretty tame."

He merely smirks at me before turning to Loki. "Hey man, congratulations on sealing the mating bond, which I guess pretty much means I'm congratulating you on fucking my cousin."

I nearly spit out my orange juice. "Phoenix," I scold, giving him a playful shove.

He shrugs. "What? Just saying it how it is," he says innocently.

Loki mumbles a response that I'm too busy laughing to hear, and I swear I can see him blush a little. But I have to be seeing shit, right? The big scary werewolf Loki blushing?

"Anyways," Phoenix continues, his tone shifting more serious. "About what happened last night, I need you both to be on pack duty tonight. Selene and I have something we need to take care of."

Loki nods curtly. "Sounds like a plan."

Makayla's eyes widen in surprise. "Wow, already? I didn't expect us to have to sub in for you two so soon."

"We can handle it," Loki assures her, giving her a small smile.

Holy shit. It's crazy how fast we're all already falling into our roles in the pack. We're only on day one and things already seem crazy. I'm starting to have a feeling that whatever we find out about tonight will likely not only affect our pack, but also the rest of the kingdom.

We already suspect Philip of doing a bunch of heinous, monstrous shit, and if it's someone else...or multiple people...the empire is going to start to crumble and it will be our job as the Nightfang pack's leader to maintain order and keep everyone from freaking the hell out.

After breakfast, Phoenix and Loki leave to speak to the pack's warriors and get them up to speed on the changes they'll be implementing as the new leaders. I'm still worried about my mate, but maybe being busy for a few hours will help him not think so heavily about tonight.

Once Makayla and I are alone, she drags me into the living room, her eyes bright with excitement, ready to spill every juicy detail about what happened between her and Loki.

And as her best friend, I'm ready to listen to it all.

But as she talks, my thoughts drift back to Phoenix, and what tonight will bring.