In The Beginning, Chapter 94
The rest of Christmas Day was picture perfect, after one of the best meals of my life, my mother said her goodbyes, Richard and Miranda, and Ben and Maria had left, Daniel and I cuddled in front of the fire. The attacks had petered off, which made Daniel suspicious they were planning something, but I managed to convince him to go out for New Year’s Eve. It’s not like I wanted to throw a party, in reality Daniel and I had mated, gotten engaged, and moved in together, but we hadn’t had a proper date, that wasn’t a dream and I wanted one, as silly as it sounds. So, I convinced him to take me out, but unknown to me, he had asked Bailey, who was still acting as my bodyguard, to be our driver.
“I’m so sorry, I had no idea Daniel would insist you come tonight. Tell Isabella I will make it up to her for you missing half your night.” I swore when he knocked on the door, Daniel was upstairs, getting dressed. I had come home from work that day for training, but Daniel had to stay at Appletree to get some last-minute paperwork finished. By the time he got back I was showered, had my hair and makeup done, and was about to get dressed. He grumbled some apologises, but I could tell he was upset at missing the chance to bathe with me, my guilt over that and now Bailey felt like a ball of ice in my stomach.
“Don’t worry about it Luna, Luna’s Day is more of our New Years anyway. She’s out dancing with her sister’s tonight. It’s Josie’s birthday.” He smiled, and I felt much better. Until I heard Daniel on the stairs behind me.
“Can you go start the car? Give me a minute to talk to Daniel?” I asked, he merely nodded, closing the door behind him as I made my way to Daniel. “Hey can we talk?” I asked, he was grabbing his things off of the table in the hallway, his back to me.
“What about?” He asked, finally turning around. He looked delicious in his tailored black suit and fitted white dress shirt; he had left the top button undone and his beard was neatly combed, his hair brushed back. His eyes ranked over me as mine did the same to him, our eyes meeting for a second before I bit my lip nervously, his gaze shot to it. “You are really testing my patience, kitten.” He growled, his wolf making it gravelly. He stepped towards me purposefully, one hand snaking around my waist, the other slipping into my hair. As his lips crashed into mine. “You look beautiful.” He murmured, his nose running along mine.
“Thank you, you look very handsome.” I smiled; I was wearing a dress I had found on our shopping trip. It was a low-cut black slip that came to mid-thigh, under an intricate black lace that fitted like a second skin, and ended at my wrists, black stockings and stilettos. The dress showed enough to be sexy, without being inappropriate for the upscale restaurant we had a reservation at.
“Is everything okay? We still have time before we have to leave.” I wouldn’t have needed the bond to tell he was concerned; I could hear it in his voice.
“I’m worried you agreed to go tonight, but aren’t all that comfortable with it, so we don’t have to go.” I said, trying to keep my emotions and mouth in check.
“Do you want to go?” He asked softly.
“Honestly, I’m not sure anymore.” I whispered, feeling like an idiot for even suggesting it.
“What changed?” He asked, pulling me closer.
“Everything?” I shrugged, but he said nothing. “When you came home you were really unhappy, I don’t want that to be because of me.” I finally said, leaving out the whole date thing.
“I was unhappy work had kept me for so long, and that I had missed bathing with you. I could never be unhappy with you.” He sighed and placed a kiss on my temple. “And I am happy to do anything that makes you happy, as long as I get something when we get home.” He teased.
“What would you like?” I breathed against his neck.
“I’m trying really hard not to think about what I want right now before I spend the next forty-five minutes with Bailey.” He groaned, and I felt his cock twitch. “Tell me you want to go, and I’ll take you... tell me you want to stay, and I might make you regret it.” He threatened, ruining my panties. “You need to change.” He growled, his eyes glowing softly.
“And if I don’t?” I asked as I pulled his lips towards mine. He pushed me back against the wall, trapping me there.
“You cannot leave this house, in those panties. Please, Charlie, for my sanity? For Bailey’s sake? He will be forced to intervene, we are going to the city, there could be others, not mine, and I’d kill them-” He was panicking, and I had no idea why.
“Shh, it’s okay, I’ll change, just calm down, I’ll change, okay?” I soothed him, my arms around his neck. “What’s going on?” I asked when his breathing had returned to normal, it took him a moment before he finally answered.
“Some of the Alphas Ben and Maria visited, and some whom they haven’t yet, have been sending requests. As you know the city falls under our protection, we don’t stop anyone from visiting, or make them ask permission, but if they break a law, endanger or injure an innocent, we deal with it. I have received word that several Alphas are in the city, one has requested to come to Appletree.” He admitted darkly.
“Okay, what are they requesting? And is it safe to go into the city tonight?” I asked him, while he had his nose in the crook of my neck.
“To meet you, and yes, it’s safe. None of the Alphas are stupid enough to try something on our territory. Some want to confirm you are a goddess, some want something from you, and some... we haven’t been able to find a reason for their visit. Whatever the case, I won’t let them near you, I promise.” He swore, and I felt my heart break at how stressed he was.
“We don’t have to go tonight, and maybe we should invite them all to Appletree? They can meet me, but you will be able to control everything, have Etas there, and I will have Bailey, they won’t be able to touch me. But it might be enough to make them listen and fight the vampires with us.” I suggested, and it was like I had broken him, his face contorted into something that looked like agony, before he regained control.
“It’s too dangerous.” Was all he said as he shook his head.
“What if Theia was there too?” I asked, and he lost it.
“Yeah, that would be perfect, get a bunch of hot-headed, testosterone filled idiots in a room, with not one, but two goddesses every last one of them would wage war to capture, and watch your psychotic aunt skin them all alive for disrespecting her. That’s gonna end with every pack wanting to become our allies.” He cried, and I thought I understood, he was damned no matter what.
“Okay, okay. No Theia, I don’t like you calling her psychotic, but okay! What about, you, me, Bailey, plus two guards, and extra Etas ready to... I dunno mobilise and breech the room or whatever.” I waved my hands getting frustrated, which made him laugh, and calm down a little.
“We would have to see them one at a time, it would be a logistical nightmare. And she looks at me like she wants to dissect me.” He sighed.
“Oh you’re being ridiculous, Theia likes you, and she respects you, she told me so herself. And explain it, maybe I can help, you know, like we talked about. You coming to me with problems?” I pouted slightly, making him laugh again, then sigh because he knew what I was doing.
“The more Alphas in a room together, the more likely there is to be an argument, none of us like being questioned, yet it is our responsibility to question everything. Add to that inflated egos, and a propensity for violence and you have the ingredients to a self-igniting Molotov cocktail.” He sighed wearily.
“Okay, so we see them one at a time, in the order they made the requests, as I’m betting if they find out we saw someone before them that would cause issues too?” I asked, Daniel nodded. “We could take a page out of the mean girl’s handbook and email them all the schedule, with a brief explanation of why we have done it that way. I’m guessing they are all trying to keep a low profile, not alert the other Alphas that they’re here?” I asked.
“It’s what I would do, if I wanted to create an alliance, but the other party was hesitant. I wouldn’t want anyone to suspect until it was finalised, so they don’t get competing offers.” Daniel nodded; his brow furrowed in thought.
“So we say something like, thank you all for you interest in our Luna, as so many of you have graced us with a visit, we felt it would only be fair for each of you to be thanked personally. The time and date of your appointment with the Alpha and Luna is listed below in order of when requests were made. We look forward to seeing you, yada, yada, yada, how many warriors they may bring, and anything else you want to make mandatory, and the schedule?” I asked, shrugging.
“I’m not sure there is any number of precautions that will make me feel better about this.” He muttered.
“Do you want to go to dinner or stay here?” I asked, he still looked stressed.
“We are going on this date even if I have to kill half of the city to make it happen.” He growled in that warning way that said if I continued to argue I would be immediately bent over and spanked, although he was rarely that predictable when it came to punishing me.
“There’ll be other dates.” I smiled softly, trying to smother my disappointment.
“Charlie, I know, okay! I worked it out.” He cried and it was my turn to be confused.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, trying not to laugh but the situation was absurd, and I really didn’t understand.
“I know tonight is supposed to be our first date. I can’t believe it’s taken me this long, I’m sorry.” He said, his eyes on the floor.
“Hey, things were crazy, I don’t blame you. We’ve had a lot going on.” I whispered between reassuring kisses.
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