Chapter 49

ALEXIS

I ran after Gracie as fast as I could while dodging pack members. When I was a few feet away, I called her name and she stopped in her tracks. She turned and waited for me to catch up.

"Hey Gracie, I don't think we've met. I'm Alexis," I panted slightly, reaching out to shake her hand. She took it hesitantly and gave me a small smile, "Luna."

I smiled and nodded at her bags, "You want some help with those?"

She shook her head, "It's alright. They're not that heavy."

We started walking again and I took note of our surroundings, "You live in Sector 1?"

"Yes."

"Near Boston?" I asked, trying to steer the conversation in that direction. Although, I really wasn't being subtle about it.

"Luna, look. I don't mean to pop your bubble, but not everyone has a happy dandy life like you," she snapped.

My eyes widened at her hostile tone and my wolf got up with a growl at the disrespect.

Calm down. Let her speak. Remember she is Boston's mate.

She doesn't deserve Gamma.

We don't know her side of the story. Don't jump to conclusions.

My wolf growled quieter this time and sat back down slowly.

Gracie wasn't finished though, "Not all of us have the privilege of being the adored daughter of an Alpha or blessed by the Moon Goddess."

I ignored the rest of her statements and studied her body language.

She was anxious about something. Her fingers trembled as she played with the ends of her shirt.

The look of confidence on her face didn't match the rest of her body language at all.

It was like she was forcing herself to say these things.

But her eyes gave away everything. After all, eyes were the windows to the soul.

She was broken. Somehow. Sometime.

I guess she noticed me staring because she swallowed hard and walked away quickly.

"Luna, why were you talking to her?"

I turned around and saw one of the pack members glaring at Gracie's back.

I frowned, "Something wrong?"

"You don't know her, Luna. She's known as the pack slut."

My mouth fell open in shock, "Excuse me?"

The pack member looked slightly nervous at my reaction, "Uh yeah. She sleeps around."

My chest suddenly burned with anger, "Do you have any proof of that?"

"I-I," he stuttered, noticing the glare on my face.

"Alexis!"

A pair of hands gripped my waist gently, and I felt Hudson's warm breath on my neck.

"Calm down," he whispered, rubbing my arms comfortingly. I heaved a sigh and watched the pack member scurry away.

"What happened?" He asked gently, "I felt the anger over the bond and ran over here to see what happened. Did he say something?"

I turned in his arms and looked him in the eye, "Tell me. Did you know that your pack members call her the pack slut?"

"The what?" Hudson's face was just as stunned as mine was.

I shook my head with a grim look on my face, "That's what he said. I'm guessing they don't say those things around you."

"I-how-what? I've never heard anyone use that term before. Let alone for Gracie," he said quietly as if he was still processing everything.

I nibbled the inside of my lip, "Has Gracie always been so closed off?"

Hudson shook his head and looked behind as if in a daze, "Not this closed off. Things changed after her parents and brother died in the rogue attack. After they died, she asked me if she could be a tracker abroad and I let her go."

My heart plummeted at his words.

Gracie had no one.

She must have felt like she didn't deserve anyone. That was why she walked away from Boston.

"What's on your mind?" Hudson asked, burying his nose in my hair and kissing my cheek warmly.

I explained everything I had observed and his face morphed into one of confusion, "Boston would never abandon Grace. He already has feelings for her."

"But she doesn't know that," I pointed out.

He scratched his stubble, "True. So how are we going to get them together?"

I pursed my lips and ran my fingers along the neckline of his hoodie, "I'll think of something."

***

"How about this? Are you a keyboard? Because you're just my type."

I muffled my snort and tried not to laugh as Boston continued to spurt random pick-up lines.

He had decided that he was going to try to talk to Gracie once again, but this time instead of flowers, he would use pick up lines.

I wasn't quite sure if it would work, but at least Gracie would know that Boston wasn't going to give up on her.

"Boston, you need a pickup line that will have her drop her panties in a second," Breydon said, "Take it from me."

Lucy snorted, "Is that why my underwear stayed up after your zipper line?"

Breydon kissed her cheek, "You're an exception to every one of my rules, babe."

Boston groaned, "I don't want her to drop her underwear. I just want her to like me. The panty-dropping thig can come later, like when she's comfortable around me."

I 'aw'ed quietly at his words.

He was too cute.

"You know, this guy once said this cute pickup line to me," Lucy said, turning around to face Boston, "It was like, 'Roses are red and violets are blue, there's nothing in this world more prettier than you.'"

Breydon growled, "Where is that wolf now?"

Lucy rolled her eyes and pecked his cheek, "Far away from my jealous little mate."

Breydon huffed and pulled her into his lap, "He better be. And I am not little."

I noticed Boston eying Breydon and Lucy with a look of longing and patted his back, "Just be yourself, Boston. She'll like you for who you are. It's impossible not to."

"I hope so," he sighed, staring down at his second bouquet of flowers. I prayed to the Moon Goddess that Gracie would be more accepting this time.

I looked around the kitchen and snapped my fingers, "Why don't you bring her some cookies?"

His head popped up, "You think she'll like that?"

"Absolutely. Here. I'll pack them for you."

***

BOSTON

I stepped out of the house with a nervous smile on my face.

Hopefully, this would work. I mean, Alexis even wrapped the container of cookies up with a little bow.

As I walked towards Gracie's house, I felt my heart pounding in my chest.

Would she like the flowers? Was she allergic to cookies? Why didn't I look up her file before doing all this? What if she was allergic to flowers? She could have an allergic reaction.

My wolf rolled his eyes at my train of thought and sat down proudly.

Mate will accept us. Mate is scared, that's all. Don't be afraid to talk to mate. Have some balls.

Clearly, my wolf was cut out to be a motivational speaker.

I stood in front of her door and took a deep breath, trying not to panic.

With a shaky hand, I reached over and knocked on her door softly. But to my surprise, it creaked open slowly.

Why did she leave the door unlocked?

I stepped inside slowly and looked around for any signs of her being here.

There was an empty plate sitting on the coffee table in front of the couch. I frowned and felt the wrinkled area on the couch. It was still warm, so she must have gotten up just now.

I made my way down the hallway and called her name, "Gracie?"

There was a weird noise behind one of the doors and I approached it slowly.

It sounded like someone was gagging.

It felt like someone punched me in the stomach. I swallowed hard and gripped the doorknob, twisting it open.

At the sight in front of me, I felt my heart fall to the pit of my stomach and a sudden pain filled my chest. My wolf whimpered at the sight of his mate.

Gracie froze in front of the toilet with her fingers partway in her mouth. She didn't look at me, but she knew I was there.

My vision suddenly became foggy as I couldn't stand the sight in front of me. If it was possible for my heart to break any further, then it just had.

"Gracie?"