Mala woke to see it was now dark outside her window, had at some point fallen asleep, and to sleep all day had obviously been completely exhausted, and she’d been left to sleep all day, no interruptions. She’d not even been woken up to get dressed and attend that mating ball.
Sighed long and softly in the darkness of her room, stared out that window for a few more minutes before sitting herself up and reaching out to turn the bedside lamp on, so the room wasn’t so dark, didn’t really need to, she could see perfectly fine in the dark with Suki’s sight. But it was not necessary, and she still felt a little tired and worn out to Mala. Was also quietly laying inside Mala’s mind.
She mind-linked to Ben, ‘Ben, is it still going?’ she knew he would know what she was talking about, for although he was Mated himself, he would be on detail down there making sure nothing got out of control.
‘It is.’ He answered right back ‘the moon set about 20 minutes ago.’
‘I’m not going to come down to the mating ball.’ And she really didn’t feel like it at all, felt emotionally drained, wasn’t particularly tired, just couldn’t be bothered at all.
It took Ben a minute to answer her ‘That’s alright Mala. I believe Aston is okay with you not attending tonight. Though from what I’ve heard there have been a few enquiries about your condition tonight and both Netty and Peta are concerned and want to see you as well.’
Mala sighed, she’d lost complete control in front of everyone, what a shit day. ‘You can tell them I’m awake, if you like.’
‘Alright. Though I get the feeling there are now a few unmated males down here, that would like you at this ball.’
‘Yay.’ She muttered and heard Ben chuckle.
‘Aston has excused you, I heard him myself tell one unmated Alpha that you’d not be attending this evening. Watched Aston stare that man down, when he brought up that you were supposed to be here. Don’t worry about it too much, Aston has your back.’
Mala sighed heavily now ‘Alright.’ She knew she was supposed to attend every bloody mating ball this pack had, but today had been a nightmare. Suki was awake, but still tired and she was very quiet, just lying inside Mala’s mind. She had not reacted well and neither had Mala for that matter.
All these years later and they had thought they were over it. Knew they were over it, hadn’t felt any pain where he was concerned in years, well over a decade, just had anger at having to see him. At the council, trying to push her at him even when she’d expressed, she didn’t want to.
There had been no pain, just anger.
But with that asshole coming here and wanting to talk to her, refused to leave, wanting to explain. Used his council connection to gain access to this pack, to her, knew Aston would refuse it otherwise. Used his grandfather to try and make her have to sit and listen to him. So, they could fix their broken mate bond, so he could have what he wanted.
No way in hell did she want that.
At least now he would understand, that she didn’t want it. There was no way it was ever going to happen. Aston had told her it wasn’t lost on him and from her and Suki’s reaction to him touching her, he’d be completely stupid not to know, it was never going to happen. He’d ruined it himself.
It did surprise her a little that she’d nearly killed his Beta, Jet. Why he’d stepped in and taken that hit for Hudson, she didn’t know, didn’t understand why he thought Hudson was worth it, worth risking his life for. He was not. Yes, she understood that they had grown up together, had been friends she supposed for a lifetime.
But surely Jet could see, that the man was cruel and not worth it, likely only did it because of his position within the pack, stupid pack laws and rules he was bound by, bound to protect his Alpha. That was his job, she supposed.
Though when she thought about it, before her 16th birthday, those two had always gotten along, been friends and been close. She’d never really had much to do with either of them, had known who they were, of course, but had never socialised with either of them. They were both 5 years older than she was.
She guessed that maybe he was different with everyone else. It could just be her resentment and feelings on the man. That made her think and feel he was an asshole, could well be nice and friendly to everyone else inside his pack. She didn’t know. Only recalled how he was with her. That’s all that lingered for her where he was concerned.
She had liked growing up inside that pack once, had many friends and a good family, guess it could be a nice place if you were like them. Not that she was ever going to go back. Mala nor Suki never wanted to be a part of that pack ever again. There was too much pain for her there, and nothing and no amount of explaining to her, was ever going to be enough for her to say ‘I forgive you, I’ll take you back.’ She would never trust him ever again. Never trust anyone inside that pack for that matter.
Jet had said that Hudson regretted it, what had happened, well big whoopty do, so did she. Also regretting remembering all of it, regretted that she’d not been able to stop it, regretting having felt that stupid soft tingling on her skin. Regretted that he knew she’d felt it, been drawn to it, had used it to his advantage so he could have her, enjoy fucking her, likely he’d felt everything, the Mate Bond had to offer, not just the mild side effects she’d gotten.
He was cruel to use that against her, even crueller to tell her he was going to continue to use it every night for the rest of that week, enjoy it, enjoy using her like that, before rejecting her. It was more than cruel is what it was. How could he think that explaining his actions would simply solve everything?
She saw her bedroom door open and blinked, hadn’t heard anyone knock, was surprised to see Alpha Aston strolling into her bedroom. He was dressed quite casually for a mating ball, jeans and a tee-shirt, that was unlike him. He was also carrying a plate of food.
Smiled right at her “Ben told me you were awake.”
She nodded “You didn’t have to bring me food.”
“I know Mala, I wanted to.” He said simply as he sank down on the side of her bed and handed her the plate of food. Looked at her.
“What?” she asked, nearly sighing at the look he was giving her, he was here to talk, it seemed.
“Three Alpha’s downstairs, want you in that room with them.”
Sighed now “Why? After what I did today?” she shook her head, all she’d done was show how bloody weak she was to everyone.
Aston smiled right at her now. “Oh, Mala.” He shook his head. “You don’t see it yourself, even now do you…Just how strong you and Suki really are. Even with me, my Unit and Ben all trying to contain you and hold you and Suki down, up she got. Suki shifted under us and stood up with all of us on top of her, showed how very strong she is, you are. They all want you for their Mate, right now. An impressive Luna you are, that’s what they all saw. That’s what they all want.”
“I’m no Luna Alpha.” And she really did wish people would stop looking at her like that.
“Not yet Mala.” He acknowledged. “But someday you will be.”
She stared right at him with a raised eyebrow now and saw him laugh softly. “You're so determined to stay unmated, I see it right now in that expression of yours.”
“I had a Mate. He was an asshole. I don’t need nor want another Goddess Gifted Mate, who’ll just treat me the same, want me just because Suki is pretty and strong.”
“I’m aware of that, Mala.” He nodded “You do know you could walk down there and choose anyone of them. I doubt that any of them would say no to you.”
Mala sighed heavily, “I don’t know them Alpha, I don’t trust them.”
“Hmm, I see. You might just be alone for a long while at that rate.”
“That’s just fine with not only me but Suki as well, Alpha.”
“Please, Mala, do stop calling my Alpha. Call me Aston, always from now on, you do not need to be formal with me anymore. I also don’t think anyone downstairs is your Mate. You’d feel it and so would they. I also held that door open to your suite long enough for any Alpha’s to scent you out if you were their Mate. So don’t concern yourself with it.”
“Thank you.” She nodded, didn’t want someone scenting her out, just wanted to stay here in The Hollowed Moon pack and be left alone. To be allowed to be with the people she did trust and do her job, that was all. She didn’t think it was too much to ask for.
“Now, Mala. I’ve got two ladies outside your room, wanting to come in and see you. Do you think you’re up for that?”
Mala nodded and a half smile touched her face. “I miss not being able to mind-link to Netty and Peta.”
Heard Aston chuckle softly “It happens, unfortunately, part and parcel of going to another pack.” He stood up and leaned down, kissed her softly on the mouth “I’ll send them in, and those two…can ask you all the questions they were dying to ask about you and I, when they got here. Answer them however you feel like.” He smiled down at her “You and I, Mala. Where not done, just because he’s gone.” Then he walked out of the room.
Mala stared after him, he’d offered to help her where Hudson was concerned, but now had just told her, they weren’t done yet. Perhaps this was going to be a casual thing, like she’d thought it might be. The sex had been more than good for her, perhaps it had been for him too.
Netty and Peta came into the room grinning and sank down on her bed, smiled right at her “Well, Aston was smiling when he left.” Netty smirked at her.
“And he’s been kissing you again.” Peta giggled “You and the Alpha.”
Mala shook her head. “It’s not what you think.”
“Oh, yes it is.” Netty laughed. “We see it. He like, likes you, Mala.”
She sighed “It’s nothing like that, he simply offered to help me out like Ben once did, to get rid of Hudson.”
“So that Alpha, yesterday and this morning, was your ex mate?” Peta asked.
Mala nodded, there was nothing she wanted to say on that subject.
“Well, he’s gone now, and Aston is still kissing you, so it is what we think.” Netty laughed “but your ex, what an asshole, did I hear him right, went to the wolfen council to get to you, or something, he stated ‘the council recognises his request.” Netty frowned at her.
“Mm, his own grandfather is on the council, and for the past few years, they’ve been requesting I go back to him, to take my place by his side.” Shook her head “like I’d want that, but that doesn’t seem to matter to them, I told them no, and still here he is.”
“Only want it now, after they know about Suki, right?” Peta sighed “So cruel, Aston’s not going to make you?”
“No.” Mala shook her head “He knows I don’t want to.”
“It’s pretty damned clear to everyone as of today, Mala. Chase was actually the one to escort him away from you and Suki, he knew what was going down, and how bad it was going to get.”
“Sorry Netty.”
“Don’t be sorry Mala, Chase has always liked you, right from the day we first met, he thought you were a really good friend. Liked that you helped him out even when you knew I didn’t want to even look at him.”
“You needed the push, I got to see him before you did, I knew he was not going to reject you, right from the get go.”
“I didn’t want a mate. Like you didn’t.”
“I know and now look at you. Happy, a mother of three and he loves you more than anything. Still can’t keep his hands to himself.”
Netty chuckled “I know, if he has his way pup number four won’t be far off.”
They all laughed at that, it was good to have the girls back inside the pack. She had really missed them over the years.
“So, you and Aston, come on out with it, it was good right?” Peta nudged her.
Mala smiled at the two of them, leaning slightly forward, eager to hear the answer “Yes, more than good.”
“So, when are you?”
“I don’t know, one doesn’t just walk up to their Alpha and ask if they want to.”
“Why not? You used to do that with Ben.”
“That was very different, Ben was the packs hot guy, and he was more than up for it, with many of us.”
“What, and you don’t think Astons, hot?” Netty grinned.
“I didn’t say that, he’s the Alpha, not just an Elite warrior.”
“Hmm, still come on Mala, you grew up inside a normal pack, would have seen the future…”
Mala stared at Peta as she stopped talking, realised what she was about to state. “Yes, I saw Hudson with lots of girls, even fucking them out in the woods.” She frowned as she now thought about that, “I even got to see him do it about a week after my 18th birthday, before that warrior challenge and what he did to me.”
“Reject you.”
Mala sighed, they didn’t know, she’d never told them, took the moment to tell them now, and they both just sat and stared at her, could see Netty’s anger rise almost instantly. “What an asshole.” She growled.
“I know, makes me wonder now though…if he did that, fuck that girl where I could see it, to try and hurt me.” Snorted “I didn’t feel a thing.”
“I bet that pissed him off.” Peta laughed.
“I bet, he had trouble getting it up. His wolf wouldn’t have wanted him to touch another, especially with you walking right by, would have been against it.”
Mala shrugged. “I just rolled my eyes at his Beta Jet, if I recall and walked off, I didn’t care at all. The only thing I thought on it, was, that he can’t even fuck by himself, gotta have his Beta right there.”
Both Netty and Peta laughed now. “Did you hook up with anyone after you turned 18, oh he’d have felt that.”
“Mm, just once, but not inside the pack, no one there would even look at me, I met a human before the warrior challenge, kissed him a lot and let his hands roam a little.”
“Oh, did you do anything else?”
“No, a pity though…I didn’t know he was my Mate, only he knew at that point. Aston told me that he would likely have felt that man kissing me and handsy with me.” She snorted amused.
“Could be what set him off. He’d left you alone up until then, right?” Netty asked.
Mala thought about that. “Yes,” she nodded “He had, though he still took pleasure in saying mean nasty things to me, I didn’t have to train with him for the month prior to that warrior challenge. His father wanted me fully healed going to that thing, a month without him or his unit beating me, which they took pleasure in doing.”
“Assholes.” Peta and Netty both muttered.
“Who hits their Mate?”
“A lot of wolves do that Netty. That’s why a lot of us are here remember.”
Saw Netty sigh, she’d not been on the receiving end of that thankfully.
“Have you come across your twin yet?”
“I have.” Netty nodded.
“How’d that go?”
“Fine, she’s still with him, one pup. Hugged me tightly and told me, she knew I was alright out there, wherever I was. But always worried about me, now she doesn’t have to.”
“That’s it?”
“She still doesn’t know. He never told her. I didn’t tell her either, though Chase was more than extra attentive around them, around him.”
“He was there?”
“He was, my ex actually smiled at me and asked how I was doing.”
“Asshole.” Mala muttered “Did he like Chase.”
“Didn’t seem to care at all, guess he really does love her.”
“And you? How’d you feel, seeing them together?”
Netty shrugged, “Shocked to come across them, shocked that my sister is still in the dark, but other than that, nothing really. Chase is my entire world, I love him and that’s all I feel.”
“Are you going to see them again?”
“Unlikely, they’re not affiliated with us, though my sister did suggest it, so we could see each other, and my family. Chase and I both shook our heads. Shocked my sister more than a little, she did try to convince me, asked me why not.”
“And you still didn’t tell her the truth.”
“Not my life anymore, we only came across them by pure chance. Out to dinner one night outside the pack. I, like you Mala, like everyone else here, left that life behind me a long time ago, and I have no interest or intentions of going back to it.”
Mala did understand that. Let the subject drop.