Chapter 65 You've Been Warned
2014words
"ADELINE! RUN!" Alpha Jaxon's voice screeched in my ears. He untangled the rope that was visibly bruising my wrists, and my eyes shot to the angry purple marks against my creamy skin. He pushed me abruptly out of a cabin. "I'll be okay," he whispered. I obeyed my Alpha and ran like hell, turning back for only a brief second. When I looked to see if Alpha Jaxon was behind me, all I saw was a river of crimson blood rolling down the hill. It had been my mate's blood, I realized, my wolf recognizing the scent. With no regard for my own life, I ran back to the cabin. My paws scratched against the forest floor as I reached the top of the hill. I found myself standing over my mate's lifeless body.
I gasped for air, and my body flung up like a slingshot. A salty tear rolled into my mouth. I woke up drenched in a pool of my own sweat, my clothes stuck against my skin like glue. I steadied my breathing—it was just a bad dream, I told myself. The dream had felt so real though; I could still smell my mate's scent mixed with the copper smell of blood that permeated the earth. My eyes scanned the room, but there was no trace of Alpha Jaxon. I massaged my temples with my fingertips for a moment, trying to return to reality.
"Addie, what's wrong? Can you hear me?" a familiar voice said in my head. I bolted to the washroom and then to the walk-in closet, trying to locate the voice, but Alpha Jaxon wasn't there—I was the only one in the room. The voice had been in my head, I realized, and I wondered if my mind link had finally set in. I sighed and concentrated on my own thoughts again. "I can hear you, I think... where are you?" A chuckle came into my mind. "So you finally got your mind link, congratulations. I woke up early to catch up on some work. I'll be back soon." It was about damn time that I got that mind link! Now I felt like an official pack member of Midnight Moon. "Looks like I did. Now I can annoy you whenever I want," I teased and cut the link off.
I peeled my clothes off my body and took a long shower, hoping that the warm water would comfort me after that stupid dream. My wolf didn't understand that it wasn't real. It took longer than ever before to calm her down. She spent the entire time stirring, edging toward the surface. I turned the tap off and reached for a towel, quickly wrapping myself in it and striding toward the closet. I threw on a simple outfit: a black tank top and light blue jeans. Then I turned to look at myself in the mirror. I was still wearing the ruby necklace that Alpha Jaxon had gifted me for my birthday. I felt a powerful urge not to take it off, although I worried that I might somehow lose it. I threw my hair up in a ponytail and headed for Alpha Jaxon's office.
I stepped out into the hallway only to find a tall, muscular figure standing in front of the bedroom door. "Morning, Luna," Theo said.
"Back again, are we, Theo?" I taunted, cocking my head at him. An amused smirk crossed Theo's lips.
"You didn't think that Alpha Jaxon was going to leave you alone, did you? He's quite protective over his mate." A smile escaped my lips when he called me Alpha Jaxon's mate, reminding me of how little sleep we'd gotten the night before. I turned and continued down the hallway, Theo following closely behind.
When I reached Alpha Jaxon's office door, I paused and glanced at Theo. We both heard muffled voices from the other side. He shook his head, silently hinting that we shouldn't be listening in on the Alpha's conversation.
"Come in, Addie," a voice called. My heart picked up speed, realizing I had been caught. I turned the door knob and let myself in. Alpha Jaxon and Beta Don were sitting at the office desk, examining a map.
"I could smell you coming from down the hall; you didn't have to eavesdrop, you know?" Beta Don said with a chuckle.
I hissed my teeth at him. "I wasn't eavesdropping, my shoelace was undone!" I pointed at the black Converse sneakers I had on.
Beta Don gave me a pointed look that caused my cheeks to heat up. "You're an awful liar." Alpha Jaxon cleared his throat, his eyes staring directly at Beta Don to get the hint.
"Oh right, I'll be back. Second coffee of the day," he said, pointing at his invisible watch. I walked over to Alpha Jaxon and felt his arms wrap around my waist, pulling me onto his lap.
"Now, baby girl, to what do I owe this little visit?" he said with a coy smile.
"Is visiting the Alpha such a crime?" I asked. He rubbed his hand across my lower back, causing tingles to spread through my body at his gentle caress.
"Uh huh. Just a visit, you say?" Alpha Jaxon said with a grin, completely aware that I was hiding something. I sighed and stared into those irresistible golden eyes that I just couldn't get enough of.
"Well, kind've. I had a dream that you saved me and you d-died. I know it was just a dream, but I had to come see you to make sure you were okay," I admitted.
He placed a soft kiss on my lips. "If I saved you, it was worth it." I accidentally bared my canines at him, angry that he had suggested giving up his life so easily.
"Shh, I don't go down easily, okay? I'll try not to die in any more of your dreams," he replied sarcastically.
I pulled myself out of my thoughts and took a deep breath. "Not good enough. You also said you'd take me to see the Luna today." A growl left his chest.
"You're sure? Adeline, I don't think you understand. My mother can be dangerous; it all depends on her mood that day."
"Jaxon, she's the only one who actually understands what I'm going through. Please," I begged. I could feel him battling with himself, debating if he should actually take me.
"Fine. But if she becomes erratic and I tell you it's time to leave, I don't want to have to carry you out," he said. I quickly agreed and took his hand in mine, dragging him out of his office.
He stopped and turned to Theo, who had been standing outside the door. "Adeline will be with me for a little bit. Go ahead and head to the dining hall and grab yourself some lunch. I'll mind link you when we're finished."
I felt like I had been dragging Alpha Jaxon the entire way to see his mother. I could feel his hesitation creeping like it was my own. Before we entered through the stainless steel doors, Alpha Jaxon turned to me and placed his hands on my shoulders to be certain he had my full attention.
"Ten minutes. If I say we have to go, we go," he lectured. It broke my heart to see how little he trusted his mother not to hurt me. It was clear he was scared of her. His fingers typed the code into the keypad. I tried to peek at the numbers he put in, but his broad shoulders blocked my view.
When he finally pushed the door open, the Luna strolled into the hallway and whispered, "It took you long enough." She looked refreshed and relaxed. I saw Alpha Jaxon's body tense when his mother walked toward me and cupped my face in her hands.
"I remember giving Jaxon that necklace. It makes me happy to see that it's with its rightful owner." I smiled at the Luna's soothing touch; she was so maternal and loving—a perfect Luna.
I nodded at her. "Jaxon gave it to me last night for my birthday. It's so beautiful."
Jaxon approached his mother and gave her a hug. "Hey, Mom," he said softly. Her eyes were bright and full of life.
"My baby has been blessed by the Moon Goddess," she whispered to him.
"I have, and you were right. I never knew a single person could mean so much to me," Alpha Jaxon admitted and flashed me an endearing look.
"But where's your mark? I can see you've already marked her, and I can smell your scents have already become one," the Luna questioned. Her question made me uncomfortable—his mother knew we'd had sex already. I knew it was normal, especially with wolves being sexual beings, but I wished she hadn't been so forthright about it.
Alpha Jaxon grazed her hand across the hard lines of his jaw. "The mating ceremony is scheduled for three days' time. Then we intend to complete the bond." A worried look came over the Luna; panic settled in as she began pacing the room.
"No, Jaxon. I thought you two had already mated. This is bad—you need to push up the mating ceremony," she claimed. My hands went clammy at her confession. What did she know, and why wasn't she telling us upfront?
"You know it doesn't work that way, Mom. We need to allow time for the challenge period," Alpha Jaxon defended.
"Listen, Mom, we don't have much time for a proper visit. Adeline wanted to see you." It seemed like he was trying to assess his mother's behavior.
She nodded and looked at me with her soft lilac eyes, now glowing bright against her pale skin.
"You had a dream, didn't you?" she challenged. I cleared my throat, fighting against the lump that sat in my throat, and nodded.
"I can feel your wolf getting stronger. Remember what I said about your wolf, Adeline? Don't expose her yet until you find your enemies. She'll either become your greatest strength or your ultimate weakness. Be very careful, my child. Evil is coming to Midnight Moon; I can feel it," she scolded.
"What kind of evil?" I choked out, struggling to see if my dream had anything to do with the evil she mentioned.
"I'm not sure. I told you already that your journey to become Luna wouldn't be easy. As long as you two remain unmated, the more danger you're both in. Jaxon is an Alpha by birthright; he'll manage fine, but you need to believe in your wolf. It gives her the strength she needs to keep you safe," she answered in flustered panic.
Alpha Jaxon looked at his mother, then at me, clearing his throat. I could feel my wolf stirring at his, aware of his fear.
"Thank you for the visit, Mom. We have to go now," he said. The Luna's hands began to shake.
"I'm not going to hurt your mate, Jaxon. She is your fated mate and also a red wolf like I am. I already care for her like my own child. That disrespectful bitch, Beverly, deserved what she got. I should've ripped her to shreds when I had the chance."
Alpha Jaxon gripped my hand in his without breaking eye contact between his mother and me.
"She should stay with me. She's unprepared and should learn from a former Luna," she finally said.
"No," Alpha Jaxon replied, his eyes flickering cold and dark. I pulled my hand out of his and crossed my arms across my chest.
"Jaxon. I want to stay."
"We talked about this, Adeline. Don't push me. Not right now," he answered through the mind link.
"She's not going to hurt me. You've been brainwashed by your own damn mother. She wants to help, so if you care about me, then let her." I was getting more upset and tired of him ordering me around. If we were truly equals, I wanted to be able to make my own decisions.
