59.

-HER-

“We’re in the pack territory,” He announces, pointing at a mark on the side of the road. I smile weakly as anxiety starts to bubble inside me.

I wasn’t feeling this before but it’s suddenly there. I’d be meeting his family and a bunch of new people there. As much as I am excited, my anxiety couldn’t be ignored either.

“They’ll like you,” He assures me, rubbing his hand over my thigh and grinning at me as he adds, “I’ve told them about you,” I nod lightly before I look out of the window.

We are completely surrounded by the woods. The road threads through it and is mostly empty. Now and then a single car or truck would pass by us.

At on intersection, Jake drives down a narrower lane. After some hundred meters the concrete lane turns into a muddy road. It’s starting to get darker now. I couldn’t help but reminisce the evening he took me to the beautiful temple and introduced me to his kind. It’s my most memorable moment with him till now and I guess, there’s more to come.

“Are we there?” I ask him when the dirt road didn’t seem to end. I wasn’t complaining but the anticipation and anxiety were wrecking my nerves.

I had asked Lisa priorly what to expect in the pack. She had told me that they were as civilized as humans, in fact, they happened to be more civilized and socially organized. She had described it as a mini town in the middle of the woods. But so far, all I can see is tall oak trees that seem to be guarding the sky against us.

“Almost. We’d reach the first checkpoint in a couple of minutes,” He informs me but this time, his eyes remain fixed ahead. The road is jerky. I have to hold onto my seat belt.

As he had said, we finally reach a place which looks more like a barricade. Around ten people are there, seemingly guarding the place. As our car nears them, they drop everything they’re doing and stand straight. No one says anything as we drive past them. I notice that they slightly bow their head as if in submission.

It looks familiar. Sid had been acting the same way. Although he didn’t bow his head. He had talked to me in a very respectable and formal manner.

Then it clicked that it was due to Jake. He was the beta- a prestigious position in the pack. Although, this didn’t help me understand Sid’s behaviour. I wasn’t the beta. I was just Jake’s mate then why was he treating me like that? I decided to ask Jake about this later.

As Jake drives deeper into the woods, the trees grow denser but at one point, I can start seeing some buildings through the gaps between the trees. My heart instantly starts to race.

“We’re in the pack,” Jake announces and instantly all the trees clear out. All that remains in front of us are glaring signs of civilization. The muddy road below the tiers is again replaced by concrete road. There’s a gate at the entrance. Jake stops there and instantly a guy jogs to our car.

He bows while Jake rolls down the window, “Beta,” The guy speaks with respect, “We are almost done clearing the trails and General has demanded your presence at the border,” The guys has his eyes lowered as he speaks.

“Has Davis done his part?” Jake inquires.

“Yes, he is helping us,” The guy answers right away. Jake nods before rolling the windows up and driving into the pack. The place seems very normal, ignoring the fact that it’s somewhere deep in the woods and the people who live here aren’t entirely humans.

“Those are called packhouses. Generally, small families live there,” Jakes tells me pointing at a big building. He does the same with other things as well, “Those are training fields, that’s a small playground for pups. We have more behind that building- that’s the playschool. That’s our administrative building. All the official work is done there,” He is off in a rant, pointing at places and building.

My eyes and brain are doing their best to catch up with his finger and the information he is giving me. As darkness takes over the woods, beautiful street lights light up to illuminate the place. There are some people on the road, walking by. Everything seems very mundane, just like Lisa had told me.

The place is beautiful and all the buildings have been perfectly built and mapped out so that the place looks organized. Jake takes a turn before driving on another concrete road which takes us into woods again but the trees are thinner here.

“That’s the Alpha’s house. It’s currently empty,” He tells me as we drive by a huge house, “And this is where I live,” He adds when the car finally stops in front of a house identical to the Alpha’s. It’s big and beautiful.

I am staring at it while he gets out of the car and opens the door for me. I am suddenly very anxious but I try my best to hide it. Jake places his hand at the small of my back and my anxiety dies a bit. He then leads me inside the house with a huge grin decorating his face.

“You’re here!” Brooke chirps as soon as we enter the house, “Can’t believe you two are finally together,” She adds before hugging me. I notice how Jake glares at her but she deliberately ignores him.

When Brooke pulls back, I notice a woman in the house as well. She smiles at me before greeting, “Hello, Cybele. I am June, Jake’s mother,” She firmly shakes my hand, “Welcome to the pack. We are happy to have you here,”

“Thanks for having me here,” I try my best to not let my shyness kick in.

“I have got an important work. I’ll be back soon, Cybele” Jake informs me. He places a kiss on my forehead and leaves. June talks with me a bit before she leaves me with Brooke, who shows me around their grand house.

“This is Jake’s room,” She announces as she walks into a room on the second floor. I am hesitant at first but I follow her anyway. It’s a huge room and well organized. The walls are painted deep blue and the interior is of deep mahogany shade. The theme looks very masculine.

“You’d be sleeping here with him, right?” She asks before dramatically collapsing on a beanbag in the corner of his room. My eyes instantly find his bed before blood rushes to my cheeks.

She wiggles her eyebrows at me when I look back at her. I want to hide somewhere due to the embarrassment.

“Er… I don’t know,” I answer awkwardly. She giggles while I blush even deeper.

“Cybele!” Jake calls from downstairs.

“She’s in your room,” Brooke yells before she winks at me. When she gets up to leave, she slips a small bottle in my hand, “Keep this. You might need it,” With that, she leaves.

I almost drop the bottle when I realize that it’s full of contraceptives. I don’t know what to do with them… yet.

**...
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