“Don’t call me that,” Theo growled. He sauntered over and slumped on the couch next to me. He grabbed my hand and squeezed it soothingly. Cam shoved a movie in the player and settled in the large chair next to us.
Theo’s arm reached over and pulled my shoulder down until I was resting in his lap on a pillow. His hands began stroking my hair, lulling me to sleep. My eyes fluttered shut, not fully asleep, but too relaxed to move or pay attention to the film.
“Is she asleep?” Cam whispered loudly.
“Yeah, I think so,” Theo said lovingly. His hands continued stroking my hair.
“You really do have to calm it down with all the over-protectiveness, or she’s going to run the hell away like Gemma did.”
Theo’s hand paused and then resumed slowly.
“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. Every molecule in my body is telling me: protect her. Mate her. Never let her out of your sight. And I know I can’t do that.”
“Just try to tell her what’s going on, so she doesn’t feel like a child,” Cam suggested. “Cause feeding her really isn’t going to work.”
“I know,” Theo snorted. “I never thought having a mate would make me this crazy.”
“It does something to ya, I’ll tell you that.”
The boys finished the movie, and Cam left shortly after. Theo held me in his arms, walking upstairs, and then he set me on the edge of the bed. He slipped off my sweatpants and took the socks off my feet. I grumbled and attempted to sit up as the crisp air hit my body, but Theo playfully pushed me down and slid my shirt off.
“Let me up,” I all but whispered. He shushed me and slipped one of his large tee shirts over my head. Then, underneath the shirt, he changed my undergarments and tucked me under the sheets.
“I’m sorry for freaking you out earlier,” he told me as he climbed into bed. I smiled tiredly and patted beside me.
“S’okay.”
He kissed my ear and folded himself around me carefully. “My mom wants us to come visit soon.” I hummed and nodded. “Do you want to go tomorrow? Thursday, I have a meeting with Alpha Sennia.”
“That’s fine.” He heard how tired I was and didn’t keep talking. I was asleep in minutes.
After a night of tossing and turning, I was exhausted in the morning. My night was filled with images of Theo constantly being attacked and killed while I was trapped somewhere I could not get to him. I clutched his arm for most of the night.
I told Theo I was fine and awake enough to go visit Sloane. He deserved to see his mother, and he wouldn’t take us if I was tired. We loaded into the car after breakfast, and he drove us the short ten minutes to the packhouse.
It was the first time he had driven anywhere without the entourage of guards. Theo drove a lot faster than his drivers, and I clawed at the armrest to steady myself. Theo laughed freely and pressed the pedal down a little more.
“You better slow down, Theo, or so help me,” I snarled, glaring at his boyish face. He opened his mouth and laughed harder.
“What are you going to do to me, little girl?” He said arrogantly.
I thought for a minute. “I’ll tell your mom you were mean and scared your precious little mate.” The car instantly slow, and Theo gave me a bored look.
“You’d tell my mom on me? I’m almost thirty, and you’re going to tell my mother?” A cheeky grin crept on my face. “Wow, you’re ruthless.”
“What can I say? I was born evil.” I poked his arm jokingly. He pulled away from me and pouted, mumbling something I couldn’t make out. “What was that?”
“I said you couldn’t even kill the spider in the bathroom last week, I doubt you’re that evil.”
I scoffed. “Excuse me, I’ll have you know I once killed a centipede in Caddy’s room because it scared him so much.”
“Oh, wow, you proved me wrong,” he said sarcastically. I huffed and scrunched my face at him. “Don’t be pouty, it’s a good thing you aren’t that evil. You don’t need to be killing things, that’s why you’ve got me.”
“Well, what about when you’re not here?” I asked, mind still reeling from the intense dreams from the night before.
“That’s never going to happen,” he said seriously, reaching to grab my hand.
The words “already did” popped in my head, but I fought against the urge to speak them. He didn’t need to be reminded of his guilt, and I didn’t want to start a fight. Instead, I smiled and took his hand in both of mine.
Family Matters
Theo’s mother, Sloane, was beyond excited to see us again. As the current Luna of the pack, she was still residing in the packhouse with the other high-ranking pack members. Every pack must have an Alpha and Luna to survive, or Alpha and Solis, if the Alpha is female and the mate is male. Without both titles, the pack system falls apart, which is why a Luna will hold onto her title until her son finds a mate, which is where the saying “Alpha’s retire, Luna’s don’t,” comes from.
As Gabriel hadn’t found his mate, Sloane remained at the Luna position and accrued the wealth and luxuries that accompanied the title. She had her own wing in the packhouse known as the “Luna’s Wing.” Her personal maids and helpers resided there with her, much like a queen.
Sloane practically skipped towards us as we arrived at the front of the packhouse. Her hands were clasped together like a child, and she squealed as we got closer.
“Theo! It’s about time you visited your mother,” she scolded, grabbing his arms and pulling him into a quick hug. She pushed him away after a moment and turned towards me with sadness. “And my new, beautiful daughter Margo. With
