Page 30 of Crystal Luna

He turned opposite her, still listening as Leroy approached and greeted her. “Hi there, welcome to the wolves’ den.”

“Don’t say that,” Wayne chuckled. “I promised her we wouldn’t bite.”

“Oh, I heard she can hold her own quite well,” Leroy gushed. “I’m about to go for a run. Care to join?” Heath would’ve thought she would decline but she must have nodded, because Leroy cheered. “Perfect!”

Heath stopped next to Marvin, keeping a close watch on Velora in his periphery.

Marvin must have been able to read his alpha’s thoughts. “Leroy will bring her out of her shell.”

“We could use her.”

“More like the other way around,” Marvin disagreed. “She needs us more than we need her, but she’ll settle in well once she finds her true self.”

“Then let’s hope she decides to stay.”

“As long as me and Rayan don’t fuck up again, we’ll be good. We’ll stand back and let the others woo her.”

Heath tensed slightly—he disliked the idea of anyone wooing Velora. It didn't escape him that these feelings were also dangerous, but he was already in too deep. All he could do was to be careful. He watched Velora disappear into the woods with Leroy by her side and hoped Marvin was right.

“Have you found a suitable replacement for the empty warrior spot yet?” Heath was desperate to talk about anything but Velora.

Marvin shrugged and went on to explain why he hadn’t yet, but Heath struggled to stay focused. It felt wrong to have feelings for someone other than Laureen.

After Marvin left to patrol the border, Heath began a slow trek back to his office. Mia and Curtis weren’t yet home from school so he would have a few quiet hours to work.

An hour after he’d sat down to go over the pack’s finances, Wayne strutted into the office with a big grin on his face. “I think she’s warming up to us.”

He didn’t have to say who he was talking about.

“Have you and her gotten any closer to figuring out this half-shift?”

Heath shook his head and let out a sigh of frustration. “No.”

“Maybe she just needs a little time. She is only a pup after all.” He crooked an eyebrow as he relaxed into the chair. “So…” he started, his tone curious. “Anything happen between you and her?”

Had anything happened? Was that morning something one would consider newsworthy?

“Ah, that means yes,” Wayne teased. “You did seem distracted when I brought her to the gym earlier.”

Well great, he grumbled to himself. If Wayne had noticed, then surely everyone else had too.

“Whatever it is, I would love to hear about it at some point. It’d be a shame if I had to hear it through the pack’s gossip and not through you. You know, since I’m your beta and all…” Wayne teased with a playful pout on his lips.

He didn’t push any further though. Instead, he pulled a stack of papers closer to him, helping map out the pack’s expenses.

But Heath didn’t miss the teasing glances his way.

Just over a week later, Heath stepped out for his morning run. It was barely four in the morning and the pups were still asleep, but as usual he was wide awake. Although lately, it was just as much because of Laureen as it was about the excitement of seeing Velora. He no longer dreaded the mornings. It gave him something to look forward to after a long, hard night.

He wasn’t surprised to find someone in the clearing. Velora sat close to the well on a rock, back to him with her feet dangling in the water. The sun was barely peeking through the trees as he quietly advanced into the clearing and picked a seat on a nearby log. Their eyes met and her usually guarded facial expression softened with a smile.

“Have you been waiting long?” he asked, trying to hide how much he truly enjoyed the mere sight of her.

“No. Just couldn’t sleep.”

“What’s been keeping you up?”

She looked away again, focusing on her feet in the water. “Your offer.”

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