The Alpha Who Saved Me

Chapter 18

ME: I already saw the email…

I reply back and then set my phone down and let Tala take over. We run for miles, not stopping until we are dying of thirst, and even then, we pick right back up. Eventually, we come to the pond that I was thinking about earlier, the one that I used to swim at with Dylan and Spencer. We throw ourselves down with a huff, blowing out a big sigh.

“What do we do, Tala?’ I ask my wolf.

“Honestly. Quinn, I really don’t know. We should go and show the Alpha our support ‘she responds.

*But will we be able to keep it together if we do?’ I feel the same as my wolf does, but I don’t want to do anything that will jeopardize anything or cause a scene.

Tala doesn’t answer, but I can feel her thinking. I can feel when an idea comes to her, ‘What if we go with a date?”

I chuckle, “Who would be our date, may I ask?’

“Gavin, of course, silly!’ She’s got a mischievous sound to her voice.

“You know that won’t go over well with Declan and Duke.’ I chastise my wolf jokingly.

“Well, it serves them right for knocking up the vile she-**! It’s not like they can do anything about it if we do. We have every right to live our life, Quinn.”

“I know, Tala, but I don’t want to upset him either.’

“Maybe it will light a fire under his amazingly cute **, and he will figure a way out.”

Igrin, “His **is amazing, isn’t it?’

“You can say that again! Especially in the buff!’ Tala grins wolfishly.

“You’re forgetting one thing, though, Tala. Declan and Duke aren’t our mates.’I sigh heavily.

‘They could be. I’m all for choosing them.’ My wolf says, but there is something about her tone that makes me think she wants to say more, but she remains silent.

“We should probably head back to the packhouse. We’ve been gone for a while now.’I inform Tala and she nods, reluctantly, and stands up. Soon we are flying through the woods once more, heading for home.

“There you are!” My best friend scolds as she stands by my discarded pile of clothing and phone. Her hands are on her hips, “Alpha Declan has been trying to get a hold of you, and so he called me all worried, which in turn, got me all worried! Honestly, Quinn, you need to let someone know when you are going for a run. It’s too dangerous out there by yourself!”

“You can definitely take over from here!’ Tala says as she transforms back to my human form and heads to her little corner.

“Calm down, Cici! Declan can wait until I reply back. Geesh, it’s not like he’s my mate!” I say a bit harshly.

My friend flinches. “I’m sorry, I was just worried for you, that’s all.” She turns away but I stop her by placing my hand on her arm.

“I’m sorry, Cici. I’m not upset with you. I’m just, well, I’m not quite sure what I am right now, but it has nothing to do with you.” I give her a small smile.

“Do you want to talk about it?” She asks.

I don’t say anything at first, not untill at least have my underwear and pants on, “Amelia sent me an email; it had Lila’s Luna Ceremony invite inside.”

My friend gasps, “She actually sent you an invite? She knows that you hate each other!”

“It’s protocol to send out invites to the surrounding Alphas.” I shrug.

*Are you going to go?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t responded to it yet.”

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“Is something going on that I don’t know about? I feel as though I’m missing something.” Cici scrutinizes me.

I haven’t told my best friend what’s been going on, because I know how she is about finding mates and how she feels about waiting for our mate. She will tell me to let Declan take my V-card, and as much as I would love nothing more, I just can’t do it. It isn’t fair to my mate.

“If I tell you, do you promise not to try and talk me into anything?” I start out.

“I swear. I just want to help my best friend deal with her **is all.” She sort of takes offense to what I said, but I’m serious, I don’t need her trying to push me to give Declan my most prized possession.

Fine…”

I start from the very first time that anything happened, back during my birthday party. Surprisingly, Cici stays quiet throughout the whole story and only when she knows that I’m done talking does she finally break out in loud squeals.

“OH EM GEE!!! Quinn, what are you doing? Why are you not fighting for him? It’s obvious that he wants you!”

“Did you not hear me? He isn’t my mate for one, and even if we wanted to be each other’s chosen, it’s too late.” I remind her.

“If Lila wasn’t in the way, would you choose the Alpha?” she asks me.

“Maybe, if enough time goes by that I don’t find my own mate, probably would.” I answer honestly, “I need to give my mate a chance to find me also.”

“Not everyone has a Goddess-given mate, Quinn.”

I kick at an imaginary rock, “know, but I like to think that the Goddess wouldn’t be so mean; first taking my family from me and then not giving me a mate.”

“Quinn, the Goddess had nothing to do with taking your family. Also, I don’t know why, but I feel as though you were made to do remarkable things. There is a plan for you, Quinn.”

I give my best friend my best smile. She’s always been so uplifting and positive when it comes to my life. Whenever I doubt myself, she’s right there to put everything into perspective for me. I don’t know what I would do without my best friend.

“Come on, I need you to help me figure this whole Luna Ceremony out.” I slide my arm over her shoulder and start walking towards the pack house.

“Um, Quinn…”

“Yeah, Cici?

“Could you maybe finish getting dressed before we walk across the field for everyone to see?”

I gasp and glance down. I’ve been so engrossed in our conversation that I still hadn’t put my shirt on. Looking down, it’s still lying on the ground where I had left it. I laugh and **it up.

“At least I’m wearing a bra. It’s not like I was hanging all out for everyone to see.” I pull my shirt down over my head and start for home.

“I know, but I know how you feel about people seeing you without clothes on. You are a different kind of breed – a shifter wolf that doesn’t like others seeing her undressed!” She shakes her head and chuckles.

Cici and I show up unexpectedly at the Storm River pack the next afternoon. Cici needed to grab some more of her things from her parents’ house and I wanted to stop in to see Amelia and to talk to Declan personally.

I let Cici take my car to her parent’s house while I’m at the pack house. No sooner do I walk in through the front door; I’m verbally attacked by the she-*herself.

*Who gave you permission to come inside this house? You no longer live here!”

“Well, hello to you too, Lila.” I say dryly as I roll my eyes.

“That’s Luna Lila to you, *, and you will show me some respect!” She sneers.

I take a step toward her and I’m about to open my mouth when an aura fills the room and a booking voice is heard, “You are not Luna yet, Lila, and if anyone needs to show respect, it is you! You are speaking to Alpha Quinn of the Dark Moon pack! Bow and show your respect, she-wolf!”

My heart pounds and Tala jumps for joy at the sound of Duke’s voice sticking up for us. I watch as Lila’s eyes practically pop out of her head

and then she bends slightly, bowing her head in respect for being in an Alpha’s presence.

‘Oh, this is too fun, Quinn. We need to visit as much as possible before she is Luna, so we can watch her bow before us!’ My wolf can be

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such a **, but I can’t help but giggle at the thought.

*You may stand, Lila. Let me remind you, though. Any disrespect toward an Alpha is grounds for punishment. Let me catch you disrespecting me again, and you won’t like your punishment.” I lean in and lower my voice, “And there is nothing that your Alpha would be able to do for you.”

Apparently, Declan still heard me, though, because he adds, “Alpha Quinn is right, not that I would lift a hand to help you anyway.” He shrugs.

“You would allow her to harm our pup?” Lila asks incredulously.

Both Declan and I scoff at her words, “She would never hurt an innocent child,” he turns to me, “Would you?”

Tala, the evil **, comes forward and places her hand intimately on his chest, “Of course not, Declan. Especially, if it’s your pup.” She takes it one step further and stands up on her toes to place a kiss on his cheek. She takes hold of his arm and smiles up at him, “I was hoping to have a few moments of your time, Declan.” Tala’s sultry voice would cause anyone to think that Declan and I were lovers, but he seems to be enjoying the show, because he smiles back down at me.

“Of course, Quinn, I always have time for my favorite girl.” He turns us and leads us up to his office.

NNNNNN

“That was very naughty of you to do, Tala.” Declan chastises my wolf with a grin once we are tucked away in his office.

“Well, the she-**started it. I would have treated her fine had she not gotten an attitude with me.” Tala huffs.

Surprising both me and my wolf, Declan grabs hold of our face and kisses us, “You definitely did well holding your own, Tala. Now please let me talk with Quinn.” He smiles.

“Okay, but how about one more kiss for the road? She asks in her seductive voice again. Before I can push myself back out, Declan’s mouth is on ours for a moment before pulling back once more, “**that she-**.” Tala says just before going back to her corner.

I give a little growl, “She’s such a ***” I exclaim.

Declan chuckles, “Yes, but at least it’s with me, and not anybody else.”

I give him a small smile, “I know, but that will be a problem soon enough. It’s better to cut out those things before we take it too far.”

His eyes get even darker with lust, “I wouldn’t mind taking things further. I know we can’t be together, but the thought of you giving yourself to another, gets my wolf in such a fit; gets me in such a fit.”

“Declan, that part of me belongs to another, I’m sorry.”

He sighs, “I know, but you can’t blame a wolf for trying.” He gives me his panty-dropping grin.

I slap his chest lightly. “Stop, and no, I can’t, but it doesn’t mean you should keep trying.”

He chuckles but still changes the subject, “So what brings you back home?”

I love the way he says back home because this really is my home, my second home. I smile but then remember what I came here to talk to him about, “I wanted to talk to you about the Luna Ceremony

He sobers up. “What about it?”

“I wasn’t going to come. I still don’t want to come; I don’t want to have to watch you make her your Luna…”

“I know, and I am so sorry, Quinn, but I need you there in my corner…” I hold up my hand, “I will be there, but I will be there with a date.” My heart thumps so fast, I’m afraid it’s going to come right out of my chest.

“Who are you coming with?” He asks through clenched teeth.

“I’m not quite sure yet, but most likely, Gavin.” I surprise myself that I can even get that sentenced out, knowing how upset it’s going to make him.

“Absolutely not! You are not bringing him as your date!” His fists are clenched at his sides.

I’m taken aback at the way he demands this of me, as if he has any say on who I bring with me, “It’s not like he isn’t already invited. We are just going to come together.” I try to stay calm.

“Not him, Quinn. Anybody else but my cousin.”

“I don’t really know anybody else. I don’t want to go at all, but I don’t want to disrespect you by not showing up, so please don’t tell me who

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I can and cannot come with.”

“Bring Spencer as your date. I don’t care, just not Gavin!” he pleads.

My eyes sweep over his face, “What is it that you don’t like about your own cousin?”

I see the tick in his jaw and know right away that he still won’t share his reason with me, “I can’t tell you why, I’m under oath not to say anything, just trust me, please!”

“I’m sorry, Declan. If I can’t find anybody else, then I will either come with him or I won’t come at all.” i turn towards the door but stop just before I get to it. “I wanted to tell you out of courtesy and not just spring it on you by showing up.”

“Don’t come at all,” I barely hear him whisper.

“What?”

He clears his throat, “Don’t come at all, I am rescinding your invite. You will not be welcome at the Ceremony.”

“You would do this just so I don’t come with Gavin?” I ask incredulously.

“I will do whatever I have to if it means keeping you safe and away from that **.” He states.

I have no more words for the Alpha in front of me, so I just nod, and walk out the door.