Chapter Chapter Eighteen
"I heard the party was a success and that you played quite the matchmaker," the man named Jensen that I had remembered from the ceremony a couple of days ago, beamed across from me at the dinner table.
Automatically, my eyes glanced over to Jaxon and Evan, who were smirking in return. I smiled at them adoringly, and nodded, turning my head back towards the Alpha of Moorgate pack.
"Thanks to everyone in attendance, I can confirm that it was a success," I agreed, my voice stern.
"You are very lucky, Alex. An impressive Luna, right there," Jensen commented, his eyes on the man beside me, as he held up his glass filled with liquid that looked like white wine.
Alexander wrapped his arm around my waist, squeezing ever so gently, but I paid no attention to him and forced the smile on my face to remain in tact before I could scowl at him.
Alexander was lucky, indeed. But I wasn't sure how much he agreed with that statement himself. I had decided to attend the dinner because it was my duty as the pack's Luna, and not at Alexander's convenience. I didn't want to fail my pack.
The rest of the dinner went by smoothly and when Ava arrived, I quickly attended to her. Without warning, I attacked the auburn haired girl in a tight embrace.
"Hey, I heard what happened," Ava muttered, holding me tightly. Pulling back, she examined me quickly. "Are you okay?"
Not wanting to cry, I nodded quickly. 'I will tell you later.'
Ava frowned but glanced around, realising it wasn't the best place for us to discuss personal matters and nodded.
"As long as you're okay," she finally said, before pulling away completely.
"I am," I promised. "Where is Matteo?"
Ava had another quick glance around. "He said he's getting us a drink. Anyway, what have I missed?"
Despite how disgusting I was feeling, I cracked a smile at my best friend. She had no clue what was happening, I mean, none of them did really. I hardly understood what was happening.
From the various arguments with my mate, to finding out that I was expecting a pup, too much to discuss at this dinner had happened.
But it was also a personal matter between Alexander and I, and I didn't want to drag all our loved ones in to our problems.
Zynthéa arrived to us in that exact moment. Giving me a knowing look, she handed me a glass of water. "My brother has me on water duty tonight to make sure you stay hydrated."
Ava snorted, but I frowned as I took the glass from her. Glancing around, I caught my mate in the corner of the room, speaking to a man from a different pack that I did not recognise.
Alexander must have felt my piercing gaze on him, because his head dipped in my direction.
'You okay, baby?'
Without responding to him, I tore my gaze towards the two familiar boys that were approaching me. Instantly, I placed the glass down on the table, and stood up to embrace Jaxon.
"Hello, to you too," he murmured as he wrapped his arms around me. "I heard from a certain wolf that you attacked the ground earlier on today."
Pushing at his chest, I chuckled at his choice in words. "When you put it like that, I sound pretty cool."
"Or psychotic," Jaxon retorted, playfully.
"Don't make me show you psychotic," I warned, as I pulled away from him and turned to embrace his mate quickly. "Hi, Evan."
"Luna," he responded, embracing me quickly.
"Please, Lyra is fine," I told him when I had pulled away.
"What did we miss?" Jaxon asked, smirking.
Rolling my eyes, I shrugged. "Not much. This dinner is kind of lame, though," I told him, using his type of words to describe the current event.
Jaxon erupted in to a loud laughter, before coming to my side and bumped my shoulder with his. "I'm teaching you well, Lyr."
When the waitress appeared with a tray of drinks, Jaxon quickly handed one to his mate before offering me a drink.
Grabbing the water from the table, I held my hand up. "Thanks, but I am under supervision for re-hydration."
Jaxon scoffed. "Now, that is lame."
Before I could respond, a male wolf from outside of my pack attended to our group. He had dark brown hair, with piercing brown eyes that were on me. He seemed to be our age, standing slightly taller, wearing a white shirt and black trousers.
"Are you the Luna?" he asked, his eyes glued on me.
"And you are?" Jaxon chimed in, protectively, before I could respond.
The male cleared his throat. "I'm Mike," he introduced, stretching his arm out for me to shake his hand.
Taking his hand, I shook it firmly before retreating my hand back to my sides.
"Great party the other day," Mike beamed.
'Who is this loser?' Jaxon mind-linked, making me scowl at him.
'Be nice, Jax.'
"Lovely to meet you Mike. It was a good party," I agreed. "Tell me, which pack do you belong to?" I asked, curiously, not able to recognise him.
In that exact moment, Mike fished in to his pocket and pulled out his phone, excusing himself as he scurried away, leaving me dumbfounded with no answer to my question.
How strange.
"Well, that was weird," Ava commented, glaring after Mike who had vanished.
"Hmm," I hummed in agreement, a weird feeling coursing through me.
"Told you, a loser," Jaxon taunted, shaking his head in disbelief.
I gawked at him and turned my head, catching Alexander's hard gaze on me in the distance. I frowned at his facial expression. His jaw was tensed, his eyes dark, he looked furious.
He was headed towards me, walking in big strides, looking very unhappy.
Not wanting to cause a scene, I excused myself from my friends and headed out of the small restaurant that we had booked for this dinner, knowing damn well that Alexander would be trailing behind me.
Finding a bench in the distance, I strutted towards the piece of wood and took a seat, as I awaited my mate.
Hardly a second later, Alexander appeared, breathing heavily. "What did he want?"
Glaring at him, I snapped, "What?"
"That piece of trash," Alexander said in a low and dangerous voice, before repeating his question, "What did he want?"
My mate was being completely ridiculous now. "Alexander, what are you doing?"
"That bastard, you don't know him," Alexander yelled, his canines visible and eyes as dark as coal. "If I had known inviting their parents meant those two would be tagging along, I would have never invited them to begin with."
"What are you talking about?" I asked, dumbfounded, seriously considering if Alexander was mentally unstable.
My mate snarled. "That pup, Mike. I'm talking about the boy that approached you just then!"
"I don't know who he is," I growled, not appreciating the tone my mate used to speak with me when he had been the one putting me through hell. "You're being ridiculous right now, Alexander."
Was it out of jealousy? Because if it was, I was about to lash out on him and actually attack him for real this time. He was acting weak and weird, the opposite of what I expected from an Alpha.
Alexander breathed heavily, trying to calm his wolf down. He kneeled before me, placing his hands on my lap, his eyes boring in to mine.
"That boy is the son of the beta from Sirius pack. He is Jessica's brother," he told me, calmly, his eyes filled with concern. "And before you lose it, she is not my ex-lover, for crying out loud."
Raising a brow, I challenged, "Then what is she? You share a past with her, she isn't just a friend, and apparently she isn't a lover. What else is there?"
Alexander sighed, trying to keep his calm. "She ruined my innocence, Lyra."
Frowning, I asked in confusion, "What does that even mean?"
His piercing ocean blue eyes had returned to their colour now, but he looked like he was really struggling to speak.
I wasn't even sure why I stayed to listen to what he had to say, but by this point, I felt like I couldn't stay away from him. I missed him and I hated myself for it.
Gulping loudly, Alexander squeezed at my thigh before he proceeded. "I have never told anyone about what happened that day."
"Tell me," I urged, knowing damn well I wasn't just anyone else.
I was his mate, for God's sake. I wasn't sure if I wanted to hear more of his story, but I felt my wolf urge for our mate to tell us the full story.
Alexander nodded, looking absolutely defeated. "The Alpha of Sirius pack is a very good friend of my father's," my mate explained. "Two years after his passing, Jonathan hosted a gathering in his pack in memory of my father."
I didn't know what to say, mainly because I didn't understand how this was related to anything that we had discussed so I remained quiet.
My mate drew a sharp breath. "What I thought would be a time for me to mourn my father, in reality, turned in to a traumatic event that I could not speak to anyone about," my mate continued, his voice low and hard. "I mean, I had just adjusted to my Alpha post, I didn't want to appear weak."
"What happened?" I whispered, my heart aching at how vulnerable my mate appeared.
Instinctively, I placed my hands on either side of his face to get him to look at me. His eyes had darkened again, and his facial muscles beneath my touch tensed up.
I was angry with him and wanted to avoid him, but the wolf in me couldn't remain withdrawn from him. My wolf was whimpering lowly, not knowing what to do, but not wanting to stay away from her mate.
"She took advantage of my vulnerability and spiked my drinks," Alexander blurted, exasperatedly. "I didn't even know until I woke up next to her the day after. And he helped her that night."