Charlie and Ella 3:

Ella POV:
We fell asleep in bed like that holding onto each other, like a life raft in the storm. I didn’t realize we had done that and when I did I jolted away, unfortunately, this wouldn’t look good to his family. Wolves take mating very seriously and we had now appeared to have broken an important rule.

I shook him awake violently and he sighed and rolled not wanting to leave his slumber.

“Charlie get up!” I whispered [red in his ear.

His mother already hated me if she thought we had been intimate she could actually have reason to kick me out of their pack. I would be sent home in disgrace even if it wasn’t true. She would relish it too, I’m sure she would make it as painful as possible.

“Charles wake up,” I growled in his ear fear taking over me, and I was not furious with the man I loved.

He shot up a bit and looked around dazed and confused. “What's wrong, it's okay, are you okay?”

I sighed and rolled my eyes pushing him out of the bed. “I’m fine but I won't be if you don’t get out of this room right now,” I pushed him out of the bed and he finally was awake enough to realize our horrible fumble. He was stumbling out of the room like a fish landing on shore, falling out of the door, and right into his father sitting in a chair waiting for us.

“I was wondering when you’d wake up,” he sighed and sipped his coffee. “You better hurry to your room your mother will be awake soon,”

“Sir I understand how this looks and I want you to know that I would never disrespect your pack or mine in that way-” I began pleading my case but he held up a hand. My fate was sealed we had one moment of foolishness, now we were doomed.

“I was here all night I didn’t hear anything untoward and I’m prepared to say so if any rumors start,” He explained. “I had come to apologize for my wife's behavior and instead overheard two young people who are very much in love and desperate to make it work,” He looked over at Charlie with a great swell of pride and I knew how much that would mean to him. “I won’t let you fail,”

He nodded off to Charlie to go up to his room and smiled at me before picking up the chair and heading off to his home.

I went back into my room thankful to the goddess that not everyone here hated me, and his father seemed to have some kindness for us. I sighed and started getting ready for the day, I had to learn their ways if I was going to be the Luna.
The thought still terrified me, I wasn’t a Luna. I thought of Amaria and Annette the way they could carry the entire pack on their shoulders not flinching. They were invincible, they had walked through fire and torture and come out on top. I didn’t think I had the strength in me, to hold so many people together and they made it look easy.

I felt two inches tall compared to them, and compared to his mother. She was a fierce woman, a woman who only cared about her people. I felt as if I was an enemy behind lines around her like she would kill me if she had the chance.

I pulled myslef together and started the day walking outside trying to find a group of people doing some form of work and assist them. As I stepped out of the house the Beta waved me over.

Relief flooded my senses and I calmed down from the fear of being shunned. She smiled at me graciously I hoped she would give me fair treatment.

“Ella why don’t you spend the day with me I’m going to be overseeing the warrior training this morning and then checking on the harvest,” She explained.

“Thank you so much I would love that,” I bowed my head to her. If I could get the Beta on my side and help her maybe people would take a liking to me.

We went to the training hall as she suggested and I was surprised at how different their regime was, instead of actually sparring they practiced drills. I knew what Grayson would say, if you’re going to be ready for a fight you need to get hit. I kept that to myself though, I highly doubted things would go well if I started criticizing everything they did. I worked the drills with them and then they ran after that they finally sparred, but again their sparring was very tame compared to ours which surprised me considering some of them had to spar with the alpha and his children. What did they do then?

I remembered sparing with Annette she was good, and quick on her feet but she pulled her punches a lot which explained why she was so afraid of her raw strength. They lauded their pure-blooded alpha’s but they didn’t seem to prepare them for their abilities.

Again I kept this to myself, though Charlie and I’s children wouldn’t be full-blooded alphas they would still have far more strength than the average. I wanted them to know how to use not be afraid of it.

I blushed at the thought of us having children, it seemed such a naive thing to focus on but I had never imagined we’d be able to plan a life together. Even before him, I had a hard time thinking of a life with someone if I didn’t love them, but that was the wolf way.

After following her to look over the harvest and making sure the rations weren’t going too quickly, everything was in order, I headed back to the house to change so I could join her at their school. She was observing the older kids and seeing who would make a good fit for Warrior.

It was a culture shock to be sure but Grayson didn’t like to delegate much, he handed most things on his own before he met Annette Things had changed somewhat since she had arrived and now it made sense.

I got to my room and just as I was about to start getting ready for the second part of the day a knock came from my door. I opened it with a smile that immediately faltered.

“Ella, can we talk?” His mother asked pushing the door open and sitting down on the bed.

I sighed. I didn’t want anything to do with her, but she was his mother and I wanted her on my side for his sake.

“Of course Luna Eva,” I closed the door and sat away from her in the chair.

“I should apologize for my behavior last night it was unbecoming of a Luna to talk that way, especially about my daughter's new pack,” She smiled sweetly at me, a sickening sweet that turned my stomach.

“It’s alright Luna Eva I know that it’s been a challenging time for you,” I placated her false apology, I just wanted her to go.

“It has been very hard,” She paused and looked at the ground crossing her arms. “I was very fortunate to have my marriage and binding go so smoothly, but my children I fear aren’t as fortunate,” She looked so sad but again it didn’t reach her eyes.

“It’s hard as a mother knowing that your children will have a harder life simply for existing, simply for who they are. You want to shield them from everything bad in the world and keep them safe,” She explained, I sat quietly waiting to see which way this would go.

“I know I have protected them, but now they’re adults and as you’ve seen I can’t trust other people to protect them as well as I have,” she grew agitated in her tone and I rankled again at her obvious insult of my Alpha.

“Annette is safe and so is her son, she and Grayson worked well together to stay safe,” I rebuked her as calmly as I could.

Her face twisted for a second before she gave me a pinched smile. “You see I know yu think that, but I can’t forgive the loss of my child. My only daughter. Now I have to trust a member of the same pack with my eldest son?”

I gulped as she became angrier with every word. She looked me dead in the eyes and scoffed as she sneered at me. “And one who can’t even protect herself?”

I stood up and walked to the door and opened it. “I don’t wish to be insulted if you aren’t here to talk things out I would ask you to leave Luna,” I tried to keep myself strong but I was shaking.

She stood and walked towards me ready to pounce, “I do want to talk it out though. I want you to see just how impossible this is, my son has a target on his back and so will children. You aren’t capable of protecting him,” She hissed. “He needs someone strong and resilient, who won't cause trouble,”

“That's enough” His voice cut through the icy air like a blade.

I turned with my eyes teary and the shame heating up my face. I should have defneded myself better I should have stood my ground now he had to fight my battles for me.

“Leave her alone,” He ordered.

His mother looked at him with a deep disappointment she tried to reach over and touch his cheek but he grabbed her hand and yanked her out of the room. He into the room and closed the door.

I tried to keep myself together but when he pulled me to his chest I lost my control. I didn’t see it now, I didn’t see how we could make it.

“If she wants to play it this way fine,” He muttered in my ear. “I’m not losing you, marry me,”

I stepped back and looked at him wide-eyed, my mouth agape. “What? But your mother-”

“Screw my mother, she had a chance to be a part of this but if she is going to be this reckless so are we,” He knelt down on one knee.

“Marry me, tonight,”
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Hi sorry for the hiatus I went on vacation August was a very busy month for me. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter thank you for reading!