Wolf Pack

“Are you moving here?” Jack was completely direct with the question, we were sitting on the pier just watching the calm water and the boats docked.

“I haven’t thought of any of that yet.” I replied looking at him.

“Come live with me?” He just invited, as if he was talking to me about the weather, and as if it were something very simple.

My eyes widened, I never had a relationship serious enough to think about living together, I had my apartment and my independence, I liked that. And a man I had known for less than 1 week was inviting me to live with him, in any scenario that would be crazy, but he was my Soulmeet, my soul mate, I couldn’t see myself living anywhere other than in Vila, and I couldn’t see myself living anywhere but with him.

“We can go to my house, “our house” or if you want we can build another one.” Jack said worried about my lack of response, I felt him nervous, and his last sentence came out stuttering.

“Your house looks great Jack.” I said smiling looking at him.

He let out a sigh of relief, and I had fun staring into his beautiful green eyes.

“Is Soulmeet like a wedding?” I asked sincerely, we’ve already talked about it, but I still had some doubts.

“Practically, but normally wolves still have a party to celebrate the union. I imagine it might be a little weird being raised without that Soulmeet awareness. I know humans have other rituals and…”

“And don’t live together after meeting the person in less than a week.” I said laughing, if you stop to think about it, it was funny. “But they don’t have our certainty of a Soulmeet.”

“Exactly.” He said smiling and kissing me gently on the lips.

“I didn’t get a chance to thank you for what you did yesterday, and I actually didn’t even thank you for…”

We heard loud footsteps coming towards us.

“Are you listening to this?” I ask him.

“Yes.” Jack answered by frowning trying to hear better or understand.

After a few seconds the steps got louder and Jack raised an eyebrow wondering if it was something serious, he got up quickly, and soon two guards appeared running towards us. My heart sped up and I was very afraid it was an attack, they saluted Jack and spoke breathlessly:

“Beta, Mr Eastwood, we have a message.”

The word message calmed me down dramatically.

“Say it, Teddy.”

“It’s actually for Ms. Claumman, Luna. A wolf from the Forsaken wants to see you.”

The guard’s words cut through me, all my panic came back, was it Otto?

“Is it Otto?” I asked as I looked at Jack, he was standing and I was still sitting on the pier, my look was one of anguish.

“No, it’s not their Alpha, it's Marcus.” Teddy answered by scratching his head.

“Marcus?” I asked imagining I heard wrong, what was that idiot trying to talk to me?

“Yes, Marcus.” The other guard confirmed it with certainty.

“You don’t have to talk to him if you don’t want to.” Jack said giving me his hand to get up.

“I don’t want to intrude Beta, but I already said that Luna wouldn’t receive anyone, and he said he wouldn’t leave until after talking to her.”

“Fine, I’ll talk to him.” I replied getting up on the deck.

“Are you sure honey? Do you want me to go with you?” Jack asked me confused.

“Yes, let’s see what he has to say. I think I’d better go alone.”

“Luna, he was the one who tried to attack you.” Jack reminded me, I hadn’t really thought about that.

“There will be guards with me, right?”

“For sure.” Jack and the two guards responded in unison as if it were the absolute truth.

“Then I’m not in danger.”

“Bring him to the hall, and stay the two of you and Trent and Guinter. Any sign attack.”

I went to the hall, I didn’t want Jack there with me, he went to Hughes’ house to wait for me, I loved his company, but at that moment I thought it wouldn’t be ideal to meet my fake ex-boyfriend who was my grandfather who told him to approach me, and then attacked me trying to kidnap me a few days ago, and my current “fiancé”, who defended me from this attack.

In a few minutes Marcus arrived, with two guards in front of him and two behind him, they followed him until he found me, saluting me as he arrived.

“You can stay at the door, anything I’ll call.” I told the guards.

“Beta’s orders, we stay within 5 meters of you.” One of the guards replied.

“Then stay 5 meters away from us, that’s enough.”

“Do you need guard now to talk to me?” Marcus said with a smirk, that if it were weeks ago, it would have made me melt all over, I hated to admit it but I already liked him a lot.

Closer up I could see that in addition to the scratches he had a black eye as well, he wasn’t much taller than me, dark skin and honey-colored eyes, the appearance was almost identical to what I remembered, however it had no effect on me, or goosebumps, or anything, it was even weird, but my heart was completely Jack’s, Marcus didn’t offer even the slightest danger to this.

“Since I found out you’re a Forsaken, yes.” I said yes with emphasis.

“We’re not as evil as you try to make us out to be.”

“I only had two contacts, and they were both horrible and worthy of their reputation. After all, were you with them when they tried to kidnap me?” He said narrowing my eyes.

“Otto figured you wouldn’t come of your own accord.”

“And you didn’t think I was worth the try?”

“I'm sorry, for that, and for everything.” He said looking down, he looked really sorry.

“It wasn’t all fake.” He completed. “I liked you, I liked you a lot. Otto asked me to get closer to you, that’s true, but I didn’t do it just for him, I really liked you, us.”

“And cheating on me countless times was part of the plan?” I felt my heart race when he said he really liked me, but I still had so much anger for everything he put me through.

“I wasn’t ready for a relationship, I liked you, but I wasn’t ready for dating. Your grandfather forced me, I was the only Forsaken wolf the same age as you, he thought I would be your Soulmeet.

I was speechless, just staring at him, in a way he was a bit of a victim of it all.

“But final why did you come here?”

“To apologize. You didn’t deserve to go through all that, and that yesterday, I didn’t agree, Otto tries to lead the group free, without rules, and sometimes he loses control, I don’t agree with everything he does, but he’s my home, my family.”

A few seconds of silence followed and it felt like an eternity.

“Thank you, it means a lot that you came to say this, I feel the truth of what you say.”

“Because it’s sincere.” Mark sighed. “And there’s one more thing…”

“What?”

“I came to bring you a warning. Otto won’t stop, he didn’t accept your Soulmeet with Beta, the prophecy can’t be wrong, he’s sure it’s about you, and he’s investigating everything about that Jack guy, he won’t leave you alone, Luna.”

Marcos’ speech cut me inside, turned my stomach and made me feel sick.

“Thanks for the warning Marcos, I’ll be careful.”

I walked out of the hall, but Marcos’ hands wrapped around my arm pulling me back. At the same moment the 4 guards transmuted and came towards us. I saw that Marcos wasn’t going to attack me, and I held up my palm asking them to stop.

“I’m serious Luna, be careful, and ask that Jack to be careful too.”

He soon let go of my arm, and the guards escorted him out of the Villa. I walked outside, I needed to talk to Jack, just thinking that something could happen to him, I felt an immense horror, a tightness in my chest, Otto would not leave us alone.