Chapter 22: Chapter 22

I sat on the edge of my bed, going over various breathing exercises in an attempt to calm down. Liam will be here soon. It's rare for me nervous to the point where my entire body trembled. After Aiden left the cabin, I had nothing to do but pick up after him, wash the leftover plates and bowls.

As I was going to pack, I found myself tucking the navy blue coat around my body, something that Zain had gifted me a while ago. I didn't have the desire to throw it in the garbage because it's my favourite piece of clothing. It's long, with a substantial black button and flowed behind me as I walked. The material was thin, hugging my curvy body, but it kept me warm nonetheless.

I had no idea how long I sat there, letting myself be soothed by the light chirping of the birds outside the window. Just then, I heard heels frantically clicking against the floor in the hallway. Liam. I thought to myself.

"Luna?" He called out.

"Just a second!"

Exhaling deeply, I closed the door behind me and stepped out. As soon as the beta caught sight of me, he bowed down. I squirmed in my place, simply glancing away and not knowing what to do.

"I'm here to escort you to the packhouse."

"Okay"

***

On the way to the packhouse, I decided to make small talk instead of walking in silence. The people in the pack were still strangers to me, and I wanted to know them better.

"So Liam..." I started, the gloved hands in my pocket. A harsh wind blew past us. His eyes dug into the side of my face. "Do you have a mate?"

"Yes, my Luna"

"Oh", I blinked at him. Why haven't I met her? Am I missing something? As if he understood the questions going on in my mind, Liam cleared his throat.

"My mate—Claire, she's nesting."

My mouth dropped at that. No wonder I didn't see her at the ceremony as well. Pregnant wolves usually stay in their nest, away from unfamiliar scents to comfort their pups. "Congrats! How far along is Claire?"

"Six months"

"Wow, you must be expecting a pup any time soon then."

Unlike human pregnancies, werewolves ones are short. Only for six months. That's why most of the mated couples fall pregnant twice a year. It all depends on their bond and ability to produce pups.

Liam nodded, a smile twitching at his lips. That's the first time I have seen him so happy and radiant. "Yes, Luna. We are well prepared to welcome the little pup in our family."

Just like that, we crossed the roads leading to the packhouse. Standing in front, I heard Liam shift on his feet. He looked hesitant.

"What happened?"

"I have to go for my duty soon. Is it alright if I leave you here?"

I huffed. "Of course, I know my way from here. Thanks again, Liam."

***

"Hello?" I called out before turning the knob. The door opened quickly. My eyes narrowed at the empty living room; the window left open at the corner. Where was everyone?

"Anyone in here?"

When I turned to the corner from the bottom of the stairs, a sudden smell hit me. The fragrance of baked cake sweetened the air. I didn't remove my coat even though the house was cosy and warm, somehow finding comfort in the weight added to my shoulders.

"Luna?" Suddenly a door to a side room was pushed open, and the smell got stronger. I gawked at the housekeeper standing in front of me, a weak smile taking over my features.

Beth glanced over and beamed when our eyes clashed, already disregarding the people around her to trot closer. Her white heels created a rhythm as they hit the ground, and she grabbed a glass of bubble tea on her way over. The housekeeper faintly smiled as she came to a stop in front of me and passes over the glass. I eyed the liquid before gently taking it over from her hands, bringing it to my lips.

It's sweet, slightly bitter, and not something I would take, but Beth got it for me. So instead of complaining, I swallowed it down.

"My Luna"

"Hello," I whispered. "Nice to finally meet you. My Alpha told me a lot about you."

Her cheeks reddened; shaking her head, Beth lightly chuckled. "Did he now? He's a sweet boy."

Sweet boy? I scoffed to myself. Aiden was anything but that. He had to be the most arrogant and selfish Alpha I had ever met. The way he treated me like some rag doll, dismissing my feeling and secretly hating me all the same time, stung. I was naive to think that our bond would mean something to him and that the Alpha might respect me.

Before I could respond, someone called out the housekeeper from behind her, and I sighed. She disappeared into the kitchen again, and I felt awkward standing in the doorway with tea in my hand. I slowly moved to a corner of the room, sipping at the liquid.

No one bothered to disturb me, seating themselves in the living room with cake in the middle. Even the pups joined the unmated omegas and betas, decorating the cake. A frown curved along my lips as I played with the belt that came with the coat and observed the happy members. How was I supposed to talk with them?

"Enjoying yourself?" Ria asked, leaning against the wall and staring straight ahead, at the people sitting at the table. She had an apron around her neck, hands clad in the oven mittens, sweat clung to her forehead.

"Cannot complain," I shrugged, swirling the liquid around the glass, bubbles going to the surface and disappearing, new ones appearing just as soon. "Are you cooking something?"

She beamed, "I was taking out all the things required for making pasta. It is Aiden's favourite dish."

Oh. I thought to myself, staring at Ria. She also knew about his likes and dislikes. Due to the bond mark sitting on my neck, I got extremely annoyed with female attention on Aiden. Why was she making the pasta for him? I was his mate, after all.

"I will make it", I announced, my voice a bit louder than usual. The pups from the living room looked over their shoulder when I smiled at them.

Ria cleared her throat. "Umm...are you sure?"

"I have made pasta several times." I declared, feeling my chest fill with confidence. My mother heavily relied on me to make the dishes, so I learned most of them. "You can leave it on me. I'll cook for my Alpha."

***