“No, Bray,” she responds, shaking her head.
“Rest assured, Muppet does not bite,” Mark affirms with a smile. “He is an ineffective guard dog. He is fond of everyone.”
However, Ricky merely shakes her head.
“We have endured a lengthy day. Kindly escort us to our rooms,” Ricky murmurs. “I am quite fatigued.”
Mark appears poised to speak, when a single glance from his Queen dissuades him.
“Andrew,” he eventually exhales after seemingly engaging in a private dialogue with Josie through mind-link. “Escort them to the guest house. We can converse once you are all adequately rested.”
Andrew escorts us to the first floor and outside to the guest home, a spacious two-story structure featuring six bedrooms, a little garden, two living areas, and a tiny office. He then presents the keys to me.
Your belongings have already been stored in your rooms. The dinner has been prepared for you, and should you require anything further, please feel free to enquire. Her Majesty extends an invitation for breakfast tomorrow morning. He states, “She wishes to confer on several matters with all of you,” before departing for the main pack house.
Ricky hastily ascends to the upstairs bedrooms in silence, and I hear the shower commence. Melina anxiously wrings her hands as we survey our new temporary residence. As Andrew indicated, a sumptuous dinner is already prepared on the table for us. Noticing Ricky’s evident discomfort in the pack house, I conclude it is prudent for us to dine while she and Bray shower.
“Are you well?” I enquire of Melina while observing her fidget with her meal. She feigns a grin, however I am astute enough to recognise the facade. “What troubles you?”
She dabs her eyes and grins despite her sorrow. “Well… it’s just… This pack appears to function exceptionally well.” “Everyone has a role or a duty,” she signs hastily, her anxiety evident. “I fear I will merely be a burden to the Queen… just another mouth to feed.”
I comprehend her apprehension. Upon our arrival at River Moon, it was evident that it was a meticulously organised pack. The Guards patrolling the premises were readily distinguishable, operating continuously to safeguard the pack members. The residences were meticulously maintained by assigned working omegas, and there were even communal facilities such as a library and a pack hospital. In contrast, Scarlett Haven was significantly inferior. We maintained only 300 members at any given time and possessed a modest pack clinic adjacent to the Hive. River Moon, by contrast, boasted 1000 pack members and, from the conversation we overheard, was undergoing substantial expansion. I can only surmise that the allied packs of the Kingdom were similarly well-managed.
What contributions may two mute werewolves with limited abilities provide to this pack?
“We must render ourselves useful,” I sign, striving to uplift Melina despite my own concerns. “Perhaps you could impress the Queen at breakfast tomorrow by presenting some of your homemade crepes,” I suggest, causing Melina’s countenance to brighten.
Post-dinner, we investigate the kitchen cabinets, with Melina increasingly assured in her ability to prepare crepes for the Queen the following day.
“Please rest adequately,” I sign as I escort her to her bedroom. “You prepare your crepes, and I will ensure you are undisturbed.”
She offers a brief embrace before vanishing into her room. I investigate the other bedrooms and ascertain that Ricky and I have been assigned the master bedroom to share.
I express gratitude to the Moon Goddess for not locking me out as I unlock the door.
I discover Bray and Ricky peacefully slumbering in each other’s embrace on the expansive Cal King bed.
I remind myself that they must be fatigued as I commence undressing in the darkness.
I don a fresh t-shirt and bottoms, exercising caution to minimise noise. As I draw back the sheets to join Ricky in bed, I observe the tear streaks on her cheeks, highlighted by the moonlight, and I halt abruptly. Recognising that sharing with her and Bray would only exacerbate her distress, I quietly position myself on the floor beside her.
My thoughts race as I find it difficult to fall asleep.
What could Josie have intended by stating that Ricky fears me? Was I genuinely intimidating to her? I ponder, recalling how Ricky had observed my scars. Did she experience revulsion at the sight? Another consideration arises. Why was she so apprehensive? Had she not coexisted with werewolves previously? Surely, she could not be fearful of them inflicting harm. She has been mated with a wolf before…
Jimmy growls at my final contemplation.
She is now our possession, he mutters. Her previous partner is irrelevant.
I disregard Jimmy’s possessive notions, instead contemplating the possibility that a wolf may have harmed her previously, instilling a dread of us all. If this is true, persuading her to accept me could prove more challenging than I expected.
