Chapter 13

A car pulled in front of the entrance. I was in my room upstairs when I saw it as I catch the scent of Ava in it. There's no deep friendship between me and Ava but I liked her honestly from the first time we met until when the night I last saw her.

She can be happy when she is. Or cry when she's sad, like at the party. I adore that side of her.

'Your friend is here, Luna.' Aurea said in my mind.

"Alright!" I shouted as I ran with inhuman speed to the ground floor. Aurea is already at the door when I reached there and she slowly opened it, making me stopped abruptly.

She gave me a small smile when I started fixing my clothes that became messy when I ran. I'm wearing pants and a loose top from when I showered after talking with Lucy.

When I went out of the door, the car is already leaving and Ava was looking around the house. I can't blame her to be fascinated with Aiden's home, I am too. It's ancestral but with a few touch of renovation.

"Ava!" I called her and her eyes beamed when she saw me.

"Ashira! Wow! Your house is huge!" She exclaimed, singing the last word.

I chuckled and walked near her. "It's Aiden's, not mine."

Ava snorted and gently tapped her hand on my arm. "You're his mate! What's his is yours, too!"

I scratched the back of my head and smiled, not responding to her statement. Well, she's right though I'm just not used to it.

"Luna." It was Aurea who's standing behind me. Ava and I looked at her. She smiled at Ava and reached for her small luggage. "I'll take that in your room, Miss." she said.

"Ava, this is Aurea. She's in charge of the ancestral." I introduced them.

Ava happily extended her hand to Aurea, not handing over her luggage. "Hi! Nice to meet you. Please call me Ava." Her cheery voice can make any wolf deaf. Her pitch is really high.

"Nice to meet you, Ava." Aurea replied with a smile as they shook hands for seconds. Aurea spoke when their hands let go. "Your luggage, Ava?"

"Oh, I'll take care of it." Ava said that made Aurea nod her head.

"I'll take her to her room." I said and nodded at Aurea, giving her the 'it's okay' look. She bowed slightly and walked away.

"I can't believe you're the Luna now." We're walking inside the ancestral now and Ava resume on complimenting everything her eyes see.

"Me too." I simply said. Not sure what to respond to what she said.

I'm not owning the title as the Prime pack's Luna at the moment. Aiden just accepted me that I'm just starting to realize it.

We recently reached Ava's room and she loved it. Her room is the last door on the right-wing. The next room to hers smelled like Nick so I assumed he slept there last night.

I also realized that the rooms on the right-wing of the second floor are for the guests. The three rooms on the left consist of mine, Aiden's, and another door I've yet seen.

"I was crying for the whole day yesterday," Ava said when I asked her if she'd moved on from failing to meet her mate the other night. "I just stopped when I accepted my fate. Maybe I'll meet him next year."

One of the main reasons I decided to invite her is so she can stop sulking over her mate. She's just full of hope and I know now how awesome is the feeling of having a mate. No wonder most girls can't wait to find theirs.

Also, I remember Lucy with Ava. They're the same aside from the fact that Lucy found hers and Ava hasn't. Though both of them are still crying over the same thing-- over their mates.

"I hope you'll enjoy staying here with me."

"Oh! I will! Thank you so much, Ashira."

She hugged me right as she said that. I tapped her back and smiled at her when we parted.

"So what can we do here?" she asked me. I don't know what, too. I haven't strolled around the house so I'm not sure what leisure we may find here.

"I'm not sure... I'm yet familiar here." I said.

"Oh! Then we can roam around together!"

I agreed with her and called Aurea to come with us. She might know every corner of the ancestral since she's here way before us.

"I'll be honored to tour you around, Luna." Aurea said then faced Ava. "And Ava, as well."

"Great!" Ava exclaimed.

We went downstairs and as we're walking, Aurea reached through my mind.

'There are certain points that we won't have access to, Luna. But I can show you those when the guest is gone.'

Something inside me got intrigued by what she said. So there are parts of the house that is exclusive to trusted people. I wonder what those are.

'It's alright. Just your us where we can have fun or something.'

'Yes, Luna.'

"So what can we expect to see?" Ava asked as we reached the ground. She's so excited and I can't help myself being magnetized by her positive vibes.

"The ancestral was renovated over the years, into Alpha Aiden's liking. Here we have, a theater, a game room, a sauna, and an underground pool."

"An underground pool!" Av looked at me with shining eyes and I can almost see her drool. I chuckled at her reaction. "Let's see that!"

I haven't seen an underground pool before. None in our pack have it. Not even Alpha David.

We entered a door that I once thought was a basement, it's near the backdoor in the kitchen. As soon as we walked down the stairs, I can hear soft movements of water that come from the pool below.

"Wow!"

When I saw it, I realized how wealthy Aiden is. The freaking pool is huge! Almost half the size of his house! Aurea opened the lights and we are welcomed by the lights reflected by the water, a bar counter on the side, pool lounge, and bed floats are stacked neatly everywhere!

"We're gonna have fun today!" Ava screamed which made us deaf.

Aiden's POV

'What's going on over there, Aurea?'

It's hours since I left Ashira home. Her friend must arrive by now, I guess.

'Luna and the guest are taking a dip at the pool right now, Alpha.'

An image of Ashira on a bikini played in my head. Damn.

We should swim sometime. Alone. I will add that to my plans.

"Aiden!"

I snapped back from my thoughts when Nick called me. I didn't notice that I was zoning out for long. Nick and I are busy with paper works at the moment. We're scheduled for a pack meeting later as well.

Since my wolf's heat, I barely did my role as an Alpha. I got busy slacking with women when I got an uncontrollable thirst in bed.

When I met Ashira, every hunger and thirst I had was gone in an instant. She's like a cure to me. The claim I put on her worked a lot because my urges to be near her subsides.

"Come on, man. I thought you already claimed her. Stop thinking about going home!" Nick said teasing me. Sometimes, I liked to smash his face if he's not only my friend.

"I was not." I growled at him and he chuckled. We grew up together and it's cool with me when he acts this way as long as we're alone. Even Seth can joke around me.

Though they already know when to not mess with me. I got little control and patience sometimes.

"We're almost done here. I arranged the funerals for the wolves that died from the rogue attack. It will be held tomorrow."

I can't forget the lives of the members of my pack. Every time someone dies, I mourn for them. A pack is like my family. I stood stronger every day for them and their safety. Though catastrophes like deaths always come around.

"I will attend to the families they left behind tomorrow."

"How about Ashira? You should come with her. Everyone can detect you have a mate from your scent."

I'm an Alpha and Ashira is now the pack's Luna. It's her role to tend for the mourning families of the pack. It's her right to come with me. But I'm not sure yet if I should reveal her to everyone.

"I'll think about it."

Nick hissed from my answer. My jaw tightened when I felt he's not letting the topic go.

"She's the Luna of our pack. She needed to be there. What would our members think if they can smell her on you but she's not present to her own pack's loss?"

I paused to think. I can't hide her forever. My possessiveness over her ate me every time. Plus the Rogue's words kept haunting my mind. Right now, I can't risk any danger coming her way.

But she's inside my land. Surrounded by my pack. I can't see any reason to exclude her from the task.

"I'll tell her."

Nick sighed and nodded. Satisfied with my answer. I'm doubtful though I let my fear of nothing fade with the wind. It's no use. Ashira is my Luna. She belonged to the pack. No one can change that.

"And Titus?" Nick started another case. "Your punishment from his negligence is not reasonable. He lost his mate in a fight. It's the wolf's nature to mourn for it."

I growled in opposition.

"Not in this pack, Nick. My father experienced the same and he turned his demise into strength. I have no sympathy for such cowardly actions."

Nick shook his head in disagreement. Well, he is my beta. His job is to oppose my ideas. But he won't budge me with this one.

"Your Dad was an Alpha, Aiden. You can't expect every one of us to act the same way."

"I expect the best from everyone. Titus is a member of the council. How can he carry on with his duties if he consents his sorrow consume him?"

Nick paused, thinking about what I said. I was right. If Titus can't stand on his feet in the middle of a fight and wall up for his subordinates because of his mate's death, how can he resume his responsibility as the head of guards... if he can't guard his men at all.

"I see your point. But we need to clarify this to him. The least we should make him feel now is that we resent him."

"I do resent his behavior."

"But not Titus himself. He contributed a great function in the pack while he leads. It's only right to give him a decent talk."

Nick got a point. He is not halting my decision of replacing Titus but telling me how to do it the right way.

I nodded to him and he sighed in relief. "Fine. We'll attend to him last. I'll ask Ashira to come with me tomorrow." Nick nodded continuously and draw some papers from the rack. "When is Seth coming?"

"I called him yesterday. We can expect him tonight."

I needed Seth to do his main purpose as my third in command. To guard my Luna with his life.

"Oh! And prepare a feast."

My head knotted with a question. "Why?"

He shrugged. "He traveled in his wolf. I'm sure he can devour a whole buffet."

I laughed hard from what he said. I'll make sure Aurea gets the memo.

Ashira's POV

Ava sure is true with her words. We did have fun! We swam, watched a movie, and played games all day before ending it in the relaxing sauna room.

I can feel my eyelids closing on its own. I'm so exhausted from all the activities and laughter I did with her. All I can move now is my arms as I lay down on my bed.

Ava already fell asleep and even half asleep while at the sauna so we called it a day.

I heard my door opened and I did not bother opening my eyes because I can smell his scent clear.

He's home, yet I'm too sleepy to even open my eyes.

My bed descends when he climbed on the bed. I felt his warmth as he wrapped his arms around my waist making me quiver when his skin touched mine.

"You're still not on my bed." he whispered on my ears. His voice is low and husky, I loved the sound of it in my ears. He sounds so sexy that I can feel myself getting aroused just from his voice.

"Hmm..." I moaned as he nuzzled on my neck. He gave me soft kisses and light bites that keep my lust charged with excitement.

My wolf cheered with overjoy whenever he's this close to me. My sleep started fading away each minute that he's with me.

A loud yelped escape my lips when I felt myself floating. He's carrying me on his arms easily like I weighted as thin as air.

"Aiden!" I complain, my voice came out low, almost a whisper.

"Keep still."

I wrapped my arms around his neck as he carried me to his room. I can sense Nick around the house, they probably came together.

"I'm not yet sleepy." I pouted and said that when we reached the hallway. He's a few steps away from his room.

His pace changed to slow as he looked down at me. His eyebrow was raised as if he's not believing what I just said.

"It's true!" I insist, struggling so he'll let me down on my feet.

He did put me down gently, his eyes never left mine.

I leaned on the wall, getting intimidated with his gaze. I feel like I'm shrinking from his stare.

He took advantage of my situation and put his arm on my left while the other snaked in my waist, to his favorite gesture.

"You don't want to sleep with me?"

I was caught off guard by his question. I don't know which was he talking about. His words had a double meaning that should be careful about how to answer it.

"What do you mean?" I looked away from his judging eyes. I noticed how he inhaled my scent, filling his lung with it like its the best smell he ever had.

"You don't want to sleep in my room?" he clarified the query I had in my head. So that's what he meant.

"I want to! I just..." Why am I staying in my room anyway? "I was just too tired and I needed to lay down."

He leaned closer, resting his forehead on mine. His sweet, delicious smell keeps poking my nostrils. Ugh! He is so good to breathe in.

"Hmm?" his voice is teasing. I closed my eyes when the tip of his nose touched my cheek. "You're scared to sleep with me?"

I wanted to shook my head but his face forbids me to do so. "No..."

"Are you afraid of us mating?"

My cheeks flushed with his words. I knew we'll complete the mating process sooner or later but I don't know what to do about it.

The long pause from me made him pulled himself away to me. He watched my expression, studying my face.

"You are?" he whispers, trying to conceal his surprise though it's too evident.

I immediately shook my head when I sense him feeling pained. Possibly thinking that I am afraid though the opposite. I just don't know what to do or what to say.

He took my action as my response and exhaled heavily. He places his lips on my forehead and gave me a long kiss there that I can't help but close my eyes.

His feelings flowed to me like waters. He believed I'm not afraid and he's happy about it.

"You don't have to worry. I won't rush things if you're not yet ready." he said.

He cupped my cheeks with both of his hands and looked at my eyes intensely before giving my lips a short but deep kiss.

"Let's go downstairs. We're having a feast."

He was holding my hand while we walked downstairs. I figured what he meant when I saw the table full of foods and Aurea had prepared it.

My stomach growled and I remembered the last thing I ate was snacks while Ava and I were playing games.

"Seth entered the border. He'll be here any minute now." it was Nick. I did not notice that he was on the couch. He was holding his temple and I figured they must have done a lot of work in the pack building today.

Aiden nodded at him. I can't relate to their talk at all so I did not bother to ask.

"What's this for?" I asked, referring to the foods on the table.

Aiden snakes his arms on my waist and kissed the side of my head before answering.

"Seth, my third-in-command, is coming. He'll surely be famished once he gets here."

"Oh." I never met anyone from the pack aside from Nick and Aurea. Also, the guy who guides us on my first day here who I believed was named Anton.

I heard loud thuds coming near to the outside. That must be him.

"Give him clothes." Aiden ordered Nick who quickly obeyed. Seth must be in his wolf form. I guessed he came from a long place to be able to finish a lot of food.

A few moments and a guy with blonde hair and as tall as Nick walked inside the house.

"Hey, everyone!" he greeted with a wide grin on his face.

I felt Aiden's hand held my waist tight as Seth showed up. I'm used to him being like this when other guys are around. He is so possessive.

Seth was happily walking inside the ancestral when suddenly, he made a stop.

"What's that smell?" he said. Confused.

Fear crept to me. Is he mateless? Did he lose his mate? Did he smell that I'm a stealer?

I felt a shiver run up my spine as wild thoughts started pouring in my head.

I clutch on Aiden's shirt, tight, almost ripping his shirt. I'm nervous right now.

If I was right and he no longer has a mate then he can smell the scent of my wolf's abnormality!

His head abruptly snapped at his right, focusing his eyes away from me, to where the stairs are.

I saw how his eyes turned black, his wolf taking over and wanting to shift this instant.

He sniffed into the air and closed his eyes. I hide on Aiden's back like that can conceal my scent.

"Mate!" Seth screamed then he runs fast to the stairs! To Ava's room!

I'm mistaken! He is Ava's mate!