Freeing Starr

According to Leon, he came to this town looking for one of the human generals who was rumored to have slipped away to this area by one of his informants.

I had almost forgotten that the werewolf Kingdom was currently at war with the humans, and now that I had entered the picture, I was bound to be involved.

This motel was a business that was secretly under his control, thus why he stopped by for accommodations and ran into me.

After feeling the deterioration of Zion and I's matebond, I felt liberated and tranquil with the new mark that replaced it.

Just thinking about the burst of warmth that snaked its way across my body, the fireworks that erupted within me, and the pleasure that curled my toes when his teeth sunk into me had my eyes rolling in bliss.

I knew that Zion was probably going crazy about now. Not only did he feel the death of his soulmate, but he also felt the link to our matebond collapse on itself. I couldn't imagine the pain he was in right now... and if we were being honest, I didn't want to imagine it.

Now that I had freed myself from his bond, the cloud that once covered my eyes was beginning to clear up, and my emotions were in turmoil.

I asked Leon to take Michael, Alex, and their families with us. I owed them this much for helping me with everything so far. This was much better than a recommendation letter, I was giving them immediate access into another pack. The most strongest pack, to be exact.

When I informed them of what was going on, they were first shocked and then beside themselves with joy. Michael immediately called his mate and instructed her to leave the pack as soon as she could with their daughter.

They needed to safely leave before Zion got back and figured out that he had helped me slip away.

His mate was scheduled to be here a few hours before we left. Alex didn't have any family besides his older brother and his mate, so he informed Michael's mate to walk with them on their way here.

I was happy that I kept my promise to them.

Everything was finally falling into place.

As for me and my wolf?

I wasn't going to lie. I felt her absence, I really did, but at the same time, I could feel her so vividly. It felt as if she was right beside me, lingering beneath my skin. I couldn't hear her thoughts, but I felt her presence. We were one. Her and my emotions were the same. With a single thought, if I wanted to shift into my wolf, I could. I no longer had to beg her to cooperate.

It was only after we merged together that I realized that we really were split apart. My human side was the mild and submissive version of myself, and my wolf was my dominant and assertive half. Now that we were together, I could feel the balance and power that radiated not just off but in me as well.

For the first time in forever, I felt strong. Like I could take on the whole world and not break a sweat.

The fear that once shadowed my heart was washed away, and instead, I was calm.

All of my senses became properly aligned as I heard better, saw farther, and smelt everything within a certain distance.

This feeling of control.... I didn't dislike it.

Fascination and curiosity were the only emotions I was feeling at the moment.

The dark brown wolf sat upright on its hind legs like an adorable pup, fur bristling and bright eyes staring at me with caution as if I was about to pounce on it.

I blinked my eyes as the receptionist cleared her throat and forced a smile, "Can I help you ma'am?"

I could tell that I was making her uncomfortable, and she had no idea how to act around me. Which was understandable.... I came into this place a mated shewolf, and left still mated but with another man. Her King and employer, to be exact. I could literally see the questions boiling in her.

I smiled in embarrassment and avoided looking into her eyes again as I muttered, "Hi, yes. I'm expecting a small group of people to come in in a few minutes. I'm sure Alpha Leon has already informed you, but when they ask for me, can you direct them to room 128?"

The lady smiled politely and nodded, "I can do that."

"Peach, where are you?"

My heart shook in surprise as his voice invaded my mind. I was so accustomed to closing my mind off from everyone that hearing him speak now startled me. Especially since he got through my walls despite them being up. Was this a side effect of our mate bond, or was I just still too weak? Either way, I didn't dislike it.

"Peach?" I responded in confusion.

"Do you mind if I call you that?"

I hesitated, "Not necessarily. What does it mean?"

"It means sweet and intelligent."

"You don't know me though..."

"Exactly why I'm asking where you are. The second we leave this place, time to ourselves is going to become limited so take a walk with me."

"Right now?"

"Are you busy?"

"No?"

"Then yes, right now. I'm taking the elevator downstairs. I'll meet you on the first floor."

"I'm already here."

"Perfect," I felt his presence in my mind slowly fade away and I couldn't help the smile that tugged at my lips at the fact that he didn't linger any longer than he needed to. It wasn't like I was hiding anything. It's just that I loved my privacy and wasn't comfortable with anyone snooping around in my mind without permission.

I stepped away from the receptionist and waited off on the side. Three minutes later, Leon came down the hallway looking like a giant... temptation. As soon as our eyes met, the attraction was instant, and the tension that was simmering beneath the surface was ready to erupt. His deep emerald eyes were pure of any vulgar thoughts, and the wolf behind those eyes sat back and stared at me, its head tilted as if curious.

My heart bloomed at the smile that tilted his lips as he approached me. I never knew that a smile could make me feel so happy and... confident with myself, and I couldn't help but think back on when I was with Zion.

He never smiled like this, and more often than not, he never even showed his emotions or what he was thinking. It always unnerved me because I never knew how he'd react to my actions. I'd always walk on eggshells.

A hand lightly positioned itself on my lower back as Leon turned and guided us out of the motel and into the streets of the small town.

"What are you thinking?" he asked.

I pursed my lips, "How much of my past do you know?"

"Well... until I hear it directly from you, I know nothing."

I chuckled, "In other words, you know everything but want me to confirm it."

He shrugged, "The heavy stuff can wait until you're more comfortable with me. For now, I just want to know the small stuff. Like, do you have family members, your favorite color, your likes, dislikes, etcetera."

"Well, umm, besides my f_father, I have no other immediate family members. My father has a brother, but he left our pack to go and live with his mate in hers. We haven't heard from him since. My mother died giving birth to me, and my grandma raised me when I was a kid until she died as well. What about you?"

"Well, y'know I have a lot of family members, but if we're talking immediate, there's my mom, dad, my two younger sisters, and my younger brother."

"Oh? How does having siblings feel? I'm an only child, so I always wondered what it would be like."

He glanced at me with a grimace, "It's... a rollercoaster of emotions. Sometimes, you're thankful, protective, and caring of them while other times you're angry, annoyed, and plotting murder because they live to stress the hell out of you."

I laughed, "it can't be that bad."

He snorted, "You'll see what I'm talking about soon enough. My family is now your family, and you're gonna have constant headaches because of them."

I smiled, "we'll see."

"So what's your favorite color?"

"Oh yeah... my favorite color is blue. I don't really have any likes or dislikes."

"What do you mean? Everyone has a few likes or dislikes. Like what food do you not like?"

I shrugged, "I can eat anything."

"ok, so if you had to choose between this and that?"

"I don't have a preference. Whichever one is available to me, I'll eat it."

"... That's kinda sad, actually... did you not get to choose what to eat?"

I immediately grew self-conscious, "Not exactly? After my grandma died, my father started taking care of me. He had me on a strict diet. I couldn't eat anything he didn't approve, and then after I... mated with Zion, I mostly cooked dishes that I was told he liked, and I'd eat it as well. I had no problem with that, I could eat anything."

"Well, did you ever feel like any of the food you eat was amazing to the point where you could eat it every day?"

A memory instantly surfaced at that, and a smile tilted my lips as I replied, "I know this isn't a food, but when I was really young, my nanna used to scold me for slipping into the pack kitchen and stealing some pastries. She always said sweets were bad for my health, but she never stopped me even when she knew. As a matter of fact, every Sunday afternoon, she'd take me to the kitchen, and we'd bake cookies or cupcakes, and then we'd sit down on her porch, and we'd sit there, eat and talk about anything and everything. It's one of my most treasured memories. After she died, I couldn't eat sweets anymore."

"So you love sweets?"

I nodded, "I do."

My heart jumped as his hand that was resting on my back shifted around to rest on my waist as he pulled me closer to him.

"Then I'll arrange for you to have your own personal kitchen so you can bake all the sweets you want. I'll make sure to free up my Sundays so I can join you."

My eyes immediately turned glossy as appreciation and sadness roared in me. He was willing to do this for me?

At the same time, I was also conflicted. I didn't like how comfortable I was getting. As if I was falling into another trap. One wrong move, and I'd fall back into the life I lived with Zion or my father.

The fear that I thought had disappeared came back again, and I fell silent as nervousness for what was to come danced within me.

I've had so many new beginnings that have led to nothing but pain. How do I know that this one wouldn't be the same?

Leon sensed my sudden mood drop and stopped, coming to stand in front of me with his searching eyes that scanned my face. His hand came to hold my chin in place, not allowing me to look away as he inquired, "What's wrong?"

"Are you really this nice, or are you pretending to be until we're fully mated?"

His eyebrows furrowed, "you think I'm faking right now?"

I remained silent.

He sighed and leaned down to place his forehead against mine, inhaling deeply, "I love your new scent."

I closed my eyes as the warmth that poured off of him came to wrap around me like a cocoon, slightly easing my anxiety.

"Peach, I am not a nice man. I am King. There is no time for me to play the good guy. As a leader, I have to make decisions that some might not approve of, some might scorn me for, and some might want me dead for and I'm telling you this to prepare you for what's to come. The me you're seeing right now is not fake. However, it's only for you. This is not the side of me that I want to show to anyone else, but you and I can promise you right here, right now that I would never and I mean never lay a hand on you without your consent. I would never beat you."

My lips trembled as tears began to slip, and I hurriedly wiped at them. I've been crying too much lately. It was exhausting. My emotions were all over the place.

A question entered my mind at that moment, and I looked into his eyes intensely as I asked, "If I were to tell you that I want to take control of my life and do whatever I want to do, would you allow it?"

He pulled back and grabbed hold of my hand, tugging me forward to continue our walk.

I stared at his back as he answered, "You can do whatever you want to do. I am not going to stop you. All I ask is for you to consider me a part of whatever life you want to take control of. You want to travel? Fine, just come home to me at the end of the day. You want to explore your likes and dislikes? Also fine, just make sure you tell me all about the experience and what you felt in the moment. I'm your partner, peach, not your master. I can disagree with your life choices, but at the end of the day, they're yours to make. No one else's. Okay?"

He squeezed my hand reassuringly, and my heart softened.

As we continued talking and walking through town, my worries began to slip away slightly.

Maybe this new beginning will lead to something besides pain.