Chapter 18: Chapter 18

The next day was dull, and I couldn't bother getting out of bed. I spent it all alone, caged in my room for the better part of the day. My eyes kept shifting towards my bedroom door, hoping Aiden would come and check on me. After a while I gave it up and went to the bathroom, taking a hot shower to cleanse myself and soothe the aching muscles of my body.

Getting out of the room made me realise that the Alpha left a long time ago, his faint scent lingering around.

I was feeling very pouty and trapped, alone up in a large cabin. Curious, my feet carried towards the guest room from last night. My cheeks flushed as the mahogany door stared back at me. The thought of last night made my abdomen clench. He was so shameless suggesting something like that instead of going it in the old fashioned way.

Pushing the door, I noticed that new clean ones replaced the old come stained sheets. A sigh left my lips, leaning against the wall. Did he take those sheets? Where was my Alpha? I had no answers to any of them. It's careless of him to leave me in an unknown place without a word.

Just then, I heard a knock reverberating against the walls. My brow arched at that.

I snuck down the stairs, continuing to study the walls, wondering if I maybe had imagined that sharp knock. Until the sound came again. The Alpha had never told me if I could answer the door when he was away, hadn't indicated that was one of his rules.

Taking a deep breath, I moved towards it, pulling open the heavy wood after another second.

A gust of wind blew in, and a long blond hair popped into my vision with a significant smile. I blinked at the unfamiliar face, busting through the door and screaming for Aiden. She was wearing a short bodycon dress along with high knee-length boots. Her long shapely legs made me feel conscious about my short ones.

"Who are you?"

It only took the stranger another second before her gaze was focusing on the ring around my finger. A blush crawled my cheeks, pleased that the beta was noticing it. The stranger finally glanced up at me, mouth pursing, "Is he here? Your Alpha?"

At the question, my heart plummeted again. How embarrassing to admit I didn't know where my husband was. "Umm...not exactly—"

"Oh, I know." She cut me off. "He must be in the training ground."

My mouth twisted at that, a frown settling over my features, "Who might you be?"

"Oh shoot! I forgot to introduce myself. I am

Ria, a beta. Aiden and I are friends. I was away for my studies so missed your mating ceremony."

A sigh of relief escaped my lips. "Hi. I am Rose."

"I know" She giggled. "Let's go to the packhouse. I can't talk in here for a long time."

The young mated couples are to be given maximum privacy. Other scents are not allowed to be in the cabin of mated couples. It continues even during the mate's pregnancy.

"Okay"

***

Slipping into my shoes and thin jacket at the door, I hurriedly left the cabin after Ria. It was snowing, so I kept my gaze down to avoid snowflakes falling on the face. The snow was deep to my ankles, which promptly froze.

On the way, I passed a row of cabins that housed the other mated couples. For a second, I wondered how their lives were going. After the ceremony, I hadn't had an opportunity to talk to anyone yet. Going to the packhouse, I hoped to change all of that.

I climbed up the snow-covered steps to the packhouse carefully and entered through the glass doors. Slipping my shoes off, I decided to tighten my hold around the jacket. It was still a bit chilly.

Entering inside, I noticed that the living room was empty. Ria had the same confused look on her face. The beta asked me to take a seat. "I'll

go and look for others."

I meekly nodded my head. She knew more about the pack and the house than me. Obviously, after all, she's the member since forever, and I have known them for over a day.

While she was gone, I entertained myself by looking out the window, watching the snowflakes swirl around each other before hitting the ground.

"Hello Luna"

I was so engrossed in the snowflakes that I almost didn't hear anyone come in. It made me jump on the spot. Tilting my head, I gawked at the Alpha standing next to me. He was a tall, broad-shouldered guy with jet black hair, smouldered eyes digging into my skin and a pointed roman nose.

"Sorry?" My cheeks flushed.

"I was greeting you," The alpha said, already sitting down.

"Oh." Flustered, I pulled the jacket of my sleeves together. "Hello"

Back in my village, no one bothered to stop by and greet me. They turned the other way. I assumed it would be the same case here.

At my silence, he faltered, shaking his head,

"I'm sorry I almost forgot to introduce myself. That isn't polite. My name is Caden, an Alpha trainer."

My mouth dropped open at that. He trained Alphas? That must be something. They are not an easy creature to tame. "Hi, and I am—"

"Everyone knows who you are." He interrupted. "You are our Luna"

I was still not used to being addressed as the Luna. Maybe not until Aiden has the official Pack Alpha ceremony. A weak smile tugged my lips at the greeting.

Lowering my eyes, I stared at the table where my folded hands laid. "Oh."

"It's not a bad thing, honestly. Well, I mean, you are our Luna. We have been waiting for one since...you know."

I had no idea but decided to let it go and nod my head.

"The weather today is lovely. Very cosy."

I always imagined mating in the winter, and making hot chocolate with my Alpha and curling up together in front of a roaring fire. A scoff escaped my lips. Aiden would never do anything like that with me.

Caden hummed. "Yeah, but I don't like the bitter wind."

"Me too." I sighed, looking around and still not finding anyone. "Do you know where everyone is?"

"Oh, they are making breakfast for you."

I gaped. "What?"

"It's a tradition of our pack. The newly mated couple are served the largest breakfast which they have to eat with the pack."

***