The Unwanted Wolf

MARK

“We’re not talking about this right now,” I said, my face turning bright red. I knew the exact moment I wanted to propose to Adira. It was before she was pregnant. It was the first day we moved into this pack house. The way she plopped on the bed, completely exhausted but she still had a smile on her face.

Her hair was messy, but she was beautiful. She looked over at me and motioned for me to join her. That was the moment I knew I wanted to marry her, but I didn’t want to rush her. I didn’t want her to feel pressured, which was silly. We were mates, and we loved each other. There shouldn’t be pressure, but Adira always seemed a little scared of commitment, so I didn’t want her to ever feel any kind of pressure.

But now I knew there was no reason to hold back on the proposal. She was about to be the official luna of the pack, and she was having my baby. We didn’t know what the future held for any of us, so I didn’t want to hold back in any way with her anymore.

“Oh, please, Mark,” Scythe begged. “You know I’m a sucker for proposals and rings and weddings. Can’t you give me this? You owe me after breaking your promise to me.”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “What are you talking about?”

“You promised me and Rie that you would listen to us about the scouting party, but then you went and ran off without even telling us.” Scythe was checking himself out in the mirror, making sure his hair looked perfect.

“I saved Adira’s life by breaking that promise.” I rolled my eyes at him. I knew he didn’t mean any harm by this. He was just trying to pry for details.

“Fine. Does the fact that you’re my best friend and I have stuck by your side through thick and thin mean nothing to you?” Scythe turned and batted his eyelashes at me.

I chuckled, shaking my head. He was right. He was my best friend. So was Rie. They stuck with me when I left Pack Sallow. They helped me set up a new pack. They were supportive and caring through all of the drama with Adira. The two of them were without a doubt my best friends, and I knew I wouldn’t have made it this far without their help.

“You better not tell Rie I showed you this first. She might actually stab me.” I had intended to tell the two of them together, but I knew Rie was with Adira right now, and she would be busy all day. I was confident Scythe wouldn’t stop bugging me until I gave him a little something.

Scythe squealed and jumped up and down. “Oh goodie! You’re lucky you’re showing me first. I have impeccable taste. If it’s a bad ring, we can fix it before you propose.”

“It’s my mother’s wedding ring, so be careful with how much you critique it.” I started pulling the ring box out of my pocket.

Scythe’s hands flew to his mouth. “OMG! You have it on you? Are you planning on proposing today?”

I rubbed the felt on the box with my thumb. “I haven’t decided. I’ve been carrying the ring with me for several days, waiting for the right time or trying to build the courage. I’m not sure yet. I don’t know if Adira would like a proposal in front of a crowd either, so I don’t think I’ll risk it.”

Scythe put his hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eye. “Stop overthinking this. You already have the girl. You and Adira are fated mates, chosen by the moon goddess herself. She is having your baby and becoming your luna for crying out loud. A marriage proposal? That’s nothing. You are basically married already. That mark on your neck is more important than a ring on your finger.”

I scratched the back of my neck, feeling almost a little silly for worrying about this so much. “I know. I really do know all of that. I guess I want to propose so legally we are married in the eyes of humans. Plus, I want to celebrate my love for Adira with our friends and family. I want her to get everything she wants and more. That’s why I’m putting so much pressure on myself to make it just right.”

Scythe let go of my shoulders and smiled. “You’ll know the right time. Don’t stress so much about it. Now, let me see this ring!”

I smiled back, feeling better with Scythe’s support. He was right. I would figure out the right moment when it happened, and Adira wasn’t the type for big shows of affection. I was sure if I proposed while we were in bed together, she would be happy with just that.

I opened the ring box and showed Scythe, and his jaw dropped.

“Wow! That looks expensive!” He grabbed the box out of my hand to take a closer look.

“It’s a family heirloom,” I said. “Thankfully, I didn’t have to spend any money on it.”

“Lucky you, and lucky Adira. This is gorgeous!”

A knock on the door drew my attention. I quickly grabbed the ring box from Scythe and put it in my pocket. I didn’t want anyone other than Rie to see the ring before I had a chance to propose. The more people who know about the intent, the less of a secret it would stay.

I opened the door and saw Mason standing outside. He looked just like a warrior with his tall posture and hands behind his back. “I know you are getting ready for your ceremony now, but Rie said I could find you here. Do you have a few moments?”

I opened the door, my heart racing a little. “Come in.” I stepped to the side, giving him space.

Mason walked in, and I could feel his intensity coming off him.

“Is there something wrong with the patrol? I can help out with-”

“No, Alpha Mark. Everything is okay. Don’t worry about that.” Mason still seemed tense, which confused me. I didn’t think he felt that uncomfortable with me.

“You can relax, then. No need to be so formal with me. You can even call me Mark. You’re Rie’s mate after all.” I didn’t want this weird alpha and pack member dynamic with Mason. He was Adira’s childhood friend and now Rie’s mate. I hoped one day we could take proper time to get to know each other and maybe become friends.

Mason nodded and released his hands from behind his back, but he seemed tense. “Sorry to disturb you right now. I was talking to Rie about this last night, but I know nothing can happen without your permission.”

“Spit it out already,” Scythe said, sitting on the bed. He wasn’t annoyed by any means, but I could tell he was curious about what was going on.

I gave Scythe a look that warned him to be patient. “Please, go on.”

Mason looked around nervously. “I want to join your wolfpack. Pack Lyna won’t always be here, and I can’t stand the idea of living away from Rie. With your permission, I would like to join the pack. I am a skilled warrior, and I can help you out wherever you need me. I will be a great asset to this pack if you accept me.”

I smiled brightly, already loving the idea. I patted Mason on the arm. “I will have to talk to Alpha Lyna about transferring you to this pack, but you have my blessing.”

Mason looked shocked. “Wait, really? Just like that?”

I chuckled at his shock. “Just like that. I’ve seen what you can do, and I trust Adira and Rie. If they vouch for you, then I would be lucky to have you in this pack.”

“Thank you so much, sir.” Mason was still beaming.

“I told you, you can call me Mark. Why don’t you stay while we get ready?” I offered.

“That would be great, since I’m not on patrol. Thanks, Mark.”

Mark, there’s something you need to know, Zayla linked me, drawing my attention away from Mason.

I turned to Mason briefly. “Sorry, I’m going to have to excuse myself for a moment. Alpha business waits for no one.”

–

ADIRA

I took the bottle of Cain’s powers back, promising not to do anything with them until we knew more. According to Cain, we should have several months to figure out what to do about the council, so I didn’t need to rush into absorbing his magic. It could wait for another day. Rie insisted it was time for us to start getting ready.

She sent me to take a shower as soon as we got back to my room. I took my time in the shower, enjoying the hot water hitting my muscles. It felt good against my sore body, especially after not getting enough sleep. I was especially missing caffeine at this moment, but I wasn’t able to enjoy coffee because of the pregnancy. I was told I could enjoy a nice herbal tea, but that didn’t do anything for my tired body, and I was never a fan of tea.

So instead, I let the water turn red from the heat until I couldn’t find another excuse to stay in the shower any longer. I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around my hair and my body before stepping into my room.

I was shocked to see plates of food covering the room along with the addition of Quinn, Callie, Eva, and Cindy. I paused, seeing the sudden, unexpected commotion in the room.

Rie caught my eye when I emerged. “I sent down for food, since I know you haven’t had breakfast yet, and the girls heard we were getting ready in here. I hope you don’t mind.”

I smiled, grateful so many people wanted to spend time with me. “Eva, Cindy, I didn’t know you two were at the pack house today,” I noted.

“We came to see Alpha Jori, and we were told we could stay for your luna ceremony. I hope that’s okay,” Cindy explained. She was brushing Eva’s hair and helping her get ready.

“Of course. I’m glad to see your faces.”

Rie stepped in between us. “Okay, enough of that. I need to start on your hair now, if I’m going to have enough time to do my own hair afterwards.”

Rie brushed my hair out for me and put some hair products in my hair before blow drying it. She decided to go all out with styling my hair, and helping me get ready. While Rie got ready herself, Cindy started doing my makeup. It was more fun getting ready than I had anticipated. Everyone was chatting with each other, and we talked about boys and clothes and makeup, and it was very much a typical girl’s night style with conversation.

It was nice, though. For just a few hours, I didn’t have to worry about the responsibilities that came with helping Mark run the pack or how I was going to stop all of these threats against me and my family. All I had to worry about for a moment was making sure my hair looked okay while laughing with my friends. It seemed a little shallow, but I reminded myself that I deserved to be happy, too.

How is getting ready going? Mark linked to check in.

It’s been a lot of fun. A nice break, you know? I could help but smile when I heard Mark in my head.

I’m glad. I have some news though. I hate to interrupt you, but I know you would want to know this right away. Jori’s awake.