Jaidan

I was awoken by groaning, my arms coming up to rub my eyes free of sleep, groggily trying to pull Tatum's warmth closer to me until a hiss of pain shot my eyes open as I realised I had squeezed his ribs which were probably still tender.

''Sorry.'' I whispered as I took in his face.

All the bruising and cuts were mostly healed on him apart from a now small cut on his cheek and a few nasty bruises still lingering along his chest and sides.

''I'll get you some water and food.'' I went to exit the bed but I was pulled back down on top of Tatum, a wince breaking free on his face before he calmed it and stroked my cheek.

''Not now, Angel.'' I blushed at his pet name but fought his exploring hands on my hips, nudging my still intact pants from last night down.

''You need to eat and I need to pee.'' I wriggled free from his hold.

He didn't look pleased at my loss of contact but he didn't try to stop me as I exited the room. For the first time since I had gotten here, Tatum was not the first one up and out of the cave already as the den filled with laughter, gossiping teens and grumpy old men.

My nose was assaulted by the smell of cooking meats coming from just down the hall where the lower ranking males and females were cooking lunch for everyone from a kill the hunters had made.

I followed my nose to the dining hall and stopped in front of a young boy, maybe around my age barbequing parts of the deer that thankfully no longer looked like bambi. That poor sweet baby.

''Good morning.'' I smiled at him, his eyes widening for a second before they fell to the floor, his reply mumbled.

No one had ever been shy with me before today, I didn't think traditional wolves had it in themselves but as I looked around the room several other female and male wolves either nodded their head before they exited with plates full of food or completely avoided eye contact.

''May I get a plate for myself and Tatum?'' I said unsure as the boy fumbled with the meat.

''Make that three plates.'' Alic brushed up beside me, the boy nodding much more calm now.

When he handed me the two plates he didn't act as confident as he did when he basically shoved the plate at Alic. He wasn't exactly rude to him, much more like he was just doing his job and sure in his movements.

''They're acknowledging their new Luna to be.'' Alic followed me back to my room.

''What?'' My eyes bugged out of my head as I carefully walked trying not to drop the hefty plates filled with steaks.

''That's what happened yesterday when you basically put the big bad men in their places.'' He took one of the plates from my hands as he went about chewing some meat between sentences. ''You earnt their respect in a way, more so Lance's than anyone else's.''

''What do you mean?''

''Well the last person to yell at my brother like that got eaten.'' His expression didn't even change at that causing me to audibly gulp.

''So I'm going to get eaten?''

''Only by my nephew.'' He winked at me, the saliva in my mouth choking me as I tried to cough for air. ''Other than that, only the Luna could get away with it. She was a beautiful woman, small and dainty with not an ounce of cruelty in her bones.''

I realized he was getting caught in the past talking about Alpha Lance's mate. I had heard a bit about her in passing but not enough to know much about the woman.

''She would take down a deer with the same delicate hands she would hold a child. She was a ray of sunshine in our dull den but she had an attitude as big as the sky if anyone was treated unfairly or if any of the boys got sassy with her. She'd put everyone back in their place and as a true Luna, she was everyone's mother, daughter, friend and shoulder to cry on.''

There was a small smile on his lips as he remembered the woman. She seemed lovely, almost like my Aunt Petricia the way my aunt had an attitude as fierce as fire but a heart that burned with the same passion.

''Avalyn used to put Lance in his place even when he would train the younger wolves too hard.'' His laugh sounded far away like it was a happy yet sore memory. ''It probably shocked everyone that an omega would yell at an Alpha and the Alpha-to-be but you really put them in their place. Lance, well more so his wolf was showing his approval of you. Do you often see an Alpha licking another wolf's hand?''

My mind was trying to take in all the information I was being given, trying to understand how I measured up to such a great woman when until recently I was terrified of traditional packs, terrified of enforcers and had never left my pack lands.

Yet here I was. I was rushing between fighting wolves, throwing myself into danger, rescuing rogue pups and yelling at Alphas.

Alic parted from me giving me back my plate as I entered our room, my eyes coming to rest on Tate's sleeping face and that's when I realised it. This man had torn down my shelter and built a home, he had taken all of me and given all of himself in return. His attitude was becoming mine, and when I saw a small pup nestled in his arms, I realised I had given him myself too.

''Why're you crying?'' Tatum's eyes were now open watching me, his mood growing dangerous as he went to get up but I quickly made my way over to him and placed the plate down in front of us and rubbed my eyes.

''I'm fine.'' I smiled at him, giving him a firm kiss on his cheek until I heard a whine and saw the pup between us sniffing the steak on my plate.

''He wouldn't stop whining and wouldn't nurse so they brought him back to me.'' Tatum watched as the puppy gave up and put his small paws on my chest as he tried suckling from my fingers again.

''Why won't he nurse from a woman but he tries to nurse from me.'' I laughed at his failed attempts at nursing as I picked him up and softly pet his fur.

''Maybe he's grown attached to you. It'll be worrisome if he doesn't eat though.''

''Can we go into town to get some formula? I saw some puppy formula when I was last in there.''

Tatum seemed hesitant at first but agreed as he took a bite out of his steak signaling we'd go after we ate something. The pup seemed pleased with our decision as he nestled between us while we ate our food and listened to his light snoring.

It wasn't long after that I was dressed and ready to face the world. Tatum, however, was trying to hide himself rubbing at his wounds, his arm coming up to touch his ribs every so often as he got dressed and ruffled his hair in annoyance.

The pup gave a whine of disapproval at Tate taking his time causing the big man to growl down at the tiny puppy who lifted his head and turned away from him, snubbing him.

I couldn't help the laugh that took over me as we walked out of the room and towards the forests. Alic and Charlie insisted upon coming due to the large rogue population hanging around. Of course, Dustin had to tag along too.

''Why does the mutt have to come?'' Charlie spat completely avoiding eye contact with Dustin as we walked through the forest towards town.

''Why did we have to get a cat? I much prefer a donkey or goat, at least if I ate it no one would care.'' Dustin growled at Charlie as he extended his claws and hissed, his eyes turning into slits.

''Children.'' Alic grabbed them both around their necks and dragged them along giving them a silent warning to shut it, his grip clearly too tight as they both squirmed along trying to get out of his death hold.

I could tell Tatum was on high alert. He looked nonchalant like a stroll through a park but his eyes were calculating, his slight head tilts were giving away his scanning with his good eye but no one seemed to notice as our entourage were busy fighting among themselves.

Our walk tot he human town would take us south of the cliffs, over a river to where our moonlight gatherings usually occurred where a large river from Reid's lands split into two and became a fork in the river. Between the two rivers that went east was my old pack and directly south of that was David's pack that acted as a border between the humans and us, a buffer and protection to Reid and Uncle Ricks pack lands. We would follow the river and not cut into his lands as much as possible. We were all friends between the packs but it was still rude to trespass.

The town was just as it had been when I had last visited with Uncle Rick. It was like a breath of fresh air when I walked into the grocery store and was assaulted by spices and herbs.

Tatum's pack were great and all but they were more traditional; catch the prey, cook it and eat it. They were simple whereas I was accustomed to Aunt Petricia using all kinds of spices and marinating the meat in a multitude of sauces.

My hands grazed over the cold glass jars of basil, parsley, thyme, cinnamon, and garlic. Tatum was watching me carefully as I smiled, remembering all the different meals we had sitting around in big groups at my home. My old home.

''The formula is this way.'' I lead them all further back into the store as we came across all kind of baby supplies until we reached a silver tin with a white label reading Esbilac.

''How do you know all this?'' Tatum picked up another tin and analysed it.

''We once had a couple of pups who unfortunately lost their mother. I spent most days and nights bottle feeding them until they grew old enough to eat soft foods.'' I grabbed the tin along with a bottle.

I realised with a frown that Tatum and his pack were a traditional pack if a mother wasn't nursing her pups the pups probably perished because they weren't as knowledgeable about the outside world as well as a pack like mine. They weren't so modern and probably shunned the use of outside help.

The little guy in my arms whined hungrily making me move along quickly to the cash register where Charlie pulled out some money and paid for me. I would do all I could to prevent anything like that happening while I was here, even if I had to save a hundred pups.

As I exited the store I stopped dead in my tracks as the forest was blocked by at least ten muddy looking wolves and an evil looking middle-aged man standing in the center of them, his hair roughly tussled in black locks. His clothes were ripped and tattered, somehow clinging to the man still with the massive holes in the pants showing his tanned skin as his stubbled jaw dropped to talk.

''Well, hello there beautiful.''

Are there any unanswered questions you guys have about something going on in the book that's kind of just been brushed aside or you think needs to be addressed? I'd like to fix any mistakes or add in certain parts as I go, it's a hell of a lot easier to do it along the way than to edit it all in the end because I'll definitely take my sweet time like I'm doing for He's My Mate.

Welcome to all my new pack members! Thank you for following me xx