Chapter 18 The Drifter

*Ethan*

I went to the washroom which Diana had pointed out for me. I've been on the road for a few days now, not knowing where I should go next. For months now, I've been going from state to state trying to find my mate. I didn't notice how dirty I was nor how disheveled my appearance had become until she walked up to me. I was so embarrassed, I couldn't look her in the eyes.

She must think I'm a hobo, a drifter of some sort. If I had only known that I would find her here in this very diner, I would have come in proper attire, a suit maybe, just to get her to notice me. "She did notice you, Ethan. She noticed your dirty finger nails." My wolf, Howl, snickered.

"She sure did. Told me I needed to wash my hands." I smiled.

I've been to Maine before, up north, at the Oceana Howler Pack. I was certain there was no pack in this area. Or maybe I was mistaken. The man she was talking to was definitely wolf. I caught his scent the moment I walked in. Were they rogues?

Diana. She had the greenest eyes I have ever seen. A very rare color. There was one pack I had visited whose missing Alpha had the same color eyes. Lotus pack, was it? The family was of wealth, the richest in the East Coast, while the patriarch was a council elder. Could she be related to them?

There were rumors that the missing Alpha had been banished by the father for consorting with a human. At this day and age, it is now acceptable to have children with a human, but back then, it was like treason.

I looked at myself in the mirror hoping I at least looked presentable enough to face the beautiful Diana. Well, at least the dirt was gone. I ran my hands through my thick unruly hair, trying to comb it. I'll just come and visit her tomorrow, clean shaven and well dressed. I'll impress her with my witty remarks and candid jokes. I'll stay here until I can win her heart.

Diana, my Luna. I liked the sound of that.

I opened the door of the washroom and standing in the hallway was a man about my height, middle-aged, with a dark head of hair that had white winged tips at the side and the same green eyes as Diana's. Great. Her father was here and I looked like this. Dirty and unimpressive.

"Wolf, state your name and your business," the man standing infront of me demanded.

"Alpha Ethan Crowne of the Sacred Moon Pack and my business is my own. And you are?"

"I ask the questions here, not you. Michael, see if he checks out." The man, who I saw speaking with Diana when I entered, was on his phone asking someone if my credentials checked out.

"Forgive me. Here. I'll call my mother. She will tell you everything you need to know." I took out my smartphone to have a video call with my mother. Fortunately, she picked up right away.

"Ethan, sweetheart, finally a call from you. Where are you? How are you? And why haven't you shaved your face?" My mother always had to ask twenty questions under a minute.

"I'm fine. Mother, I need to ask you a favor. Can  you tell this nervous gentleman who I am please?" I handed the phone to the tall man. "My mother." The tall man looked at my phone, shock written all over his face.

"Harriet?"

"Lucas?"

The said each other's names at the same time then laughed. I heaved a sigh of relief. They knew each other.

"I'm going to eat. Take all the time you want with my phone." I walked past the two gentlemen. I wanted to go be with Diana.

Diana was at the counter, frowning at what seemed like homework. I decided to sit at the counter so she wouldn't have to leave me.

"Homework?" I asked. She jumped at my voice.

"You scared me." She smiled. She had a beautiful smile. The kind of smile that could brighten up anyone's day. "I have your order. Kept it warm for you. You took an extra long time at the washroom." She placed my plate in front of me with some utensils. "By the way, what do you want to drink?"

"I actually want both coffee and orange juice, but I can only pick one right?"

"How about this? You get the orange juice and I'll give you a cup of coffee. On me." She poured me some juice and placed a cup in front of me. " You want your coffee now or later?"

"Later please. With the pie. Thank you. I'm really hungry and it's really cold outside. So you're still in school?" I wanted to know more about her.

"Yes, I'm a senior in high school. I'll be turning 18 on the 21st." My luck. I have the chance to be with her during her coming of age. Maybe she would feel the mate bond during that day and would immediately make me her mate.

"On the full moon of the winter solstice. This year, there will be a lunar eclipse on that day. You must be excited," I said.

"I am excited and a bit scared. You know, you're an adult, but not quite yet." She looked back down at her book and I decided I shouldn't bother her until she was finished.

Lucas suddenly came out of the hallway that lead to the washroom and put my phone beside me. "After you're done eating, I'll see you in my office. Diana, pumpkin, show Ethan here where my office is after he's finished with his meal."

"Sure thing, Dad." She came up to me, placed her face so close to mine and whispered, " What does my dad want with you?" She smelled so good, like apple pie. I wanted to kiss her. Howl, my wolf, started to whimper. "Easy boy, she doesn't know it yet. She's not 18."

"Business, I guess." I shrugged, nonchalantly. I put a forkful of ribs in my mouth and smiled.

"Business? Hmmm...okay." She glanced at my phone. "Latest model, expensive. I want one, but I need to save up for college." I raised my eyebrows. Her, poor? Or is her father trying to instill in her the value of money? Interesting.

"Don't you own the diner?" I asked.

"My father owns the diner. Plus a number of fishing vessels. Those things aren't mine." I was impressed. A working girl who would rather move her way up on her own than inherit things.

"That's what most rich kids say so they won't feel embarrassed inheriting their parent's assets." I wanted to see what she had to say about it.

"Well, I'm not a rich kid so I wouldn't know. See that jalopy outside? That's mine. I've been meaning to have it done, but can't seem to earn enough." She looked at her car parked outside and sighed.

"Maybe you buy too much make-up perhaps?" I knew that wasn't true. She didn't have anything on her face not even lip balm.

"I wish that was the case. Maybe I'd be as pretty and popular as all the other girls in school. I just don't like to paint my face. A canvas yes, my face no."

"You probably give away too much free food then. Like my coffee, you promised. I would like some now please and that slice of pie." She nodded her head and scurried off to fill my cup with hot coffee. She then took a slice of pie from the pie counter and placed it neatly on a saucer and handed it to me.

"My Nana bakes the pies. I promised I'd visit her yesterday, but I had too much schoolwork to finish before break." She has a grandmother.

"I hope I get to meet her." I sipped my coffee.

"Really? How long will you be staying?" She had a surprised look on her face.

"Indefinitely," I told her. Yes, I will be staying here until she agrees to come with me. My mother may not like it, but she will understand once she hears I have finally found my mate.

My Diana.

________________

*Lucas*

"Ethan Crowne checks out. Alpha of Sacred Moon Pack up in Montana. Richest pack in the West Coast. They own farmland, cattle, oil, a chain of banks and a chain of grocery stores. They also produce their own products," Michael said while seating himself in one of the chairs infront of my desk. "He graduated from UCLA, Business Management and Accounting. He also did a tour in Afghanistan." Ethan finished school and enlisted in the military, impressive for a young man.

"He's Harriet's eldest. Remember the little girl who I did everything together when I was just a kid?"

"Her? Wow, she married into wealth."

"They were well off to begin with. Her father was the accountant and financial supervisor of many packs. He did well with everyone's money and for that he was given a nice commission," I told him.

"So why is he here? All by himself, too. Don't tell me he went rogue just like us?" Michael asked.

"No, he is in search of his Luna." I saw his eyes, his body language when he was speaking to Diana. I knew it was her. She didn't know since she wasn't 18 yet.

"Diana?!" Michael stood up and was about to open the door and check on the two.

"Michael, no. She doesn't know it yet. I just need to find a way to separate the two."

"Lucas, if they are fated mates, there is nothing we can do. It is our utmost law to respect the bond of the fated mate. I just wanted to check on the two and see if they didn't run off together already." Michael grinned.

"Oh my Goddess. Now, you got me in a panic." I stood up and was about to go check on them when we heard a knock on the door.

Michael opened it and standing there was Ethan.

"Alpha Ethan Crowne, nice to meet you. I'm Michael Sullivan, Beta to the former Alpha of Lotus Pack, Alpha Lucas Lockwood. Well, he goes by Sullivan now, too. Come in," Michael said, pointing to a chair. Ethan casually walked  in and seated himself.

"So, you are the missing Alpha of Lotus Pack rumored to be banished by your father for consorting with a human. The wolves accept that sort of thing now, if you haven't heard. You can go back to your pack and reclaim what is rightfully yours and Diana's."

"No. They have tried to kill me and Diana in the past. They succeeded with her mother. I won't put my only daughter at risk." Ethan's face grew dark at the mention of Diana being killed.

"I will protect you. My alliances are many. I can help you regain your birthright. I visited your pack about a month ago. They are barely thriving under the leadership of that idiot named Chase. Your sister Athena, she is the one who is managing your businesses. She is doing fairly well although your brother seems to want to squander it all away. Your father doesn't seem to care which I find appalling. He is a Council Elder of the Council of Wolves now and there are rumors he is linked to the New York City syndicate. If you appear now, your pack will be truly grateful. I heard when you were Alpha, your leadership was fair. Many members pray for the day you come back." This Ethan did his homework. He may have an appearance of a street dweller, but I'm guessing it was a facade. To hide who he truly was.

"My father and the man you called idiot were the ones who ordered the hit on me and Diana when she was a newborn infant. Do you think they will give up all that so I could return to power? I lost someone I loved because of my wrong decisions. I will not lose Diana. It will be too painful to bear." I stared down at my desk to the picture of my little Diana. She was all I had left. Money wasn't as important to me as it was before. What was important was my Diana.

I had invested the money that I was able to take with us when we moved to Maine. I have done well and had put some money in a trust for Diana when she came of age. That will be soon and she will become a millionaire herself.

I didn't want her to grow up thinking she had a silver spoon in her mouth so, I taught her the value of money and to live within her means. On her 16th birthday, I had offered to buy her a brand new car, a luxury I knew she would be truly grateful for, but she said she would buy a car on her own. The jalopy, as she calls it, has been with her for almost 2 years. I think I should buy her that car for her 18th. I still had time left to surprise her.

"I will not allow anything to happen to Diana. I will kill them with my bare hands before anyone touches her." The declaration was bold. But I wasn't truly convinced. I had been this hotheaded in my youth. In the end, it had cost me Amy.

"I only have one question, Alpha Lucas." Ethan's face inched near my desk.

"Yes, Alpha Ethan?" I asked, wondering what he wanted to know.

"When will you tell Diana she is wolf?"