On A Holiday

Loriann's POV again

Romero keeps his word and half an hour later Eclipse Howl's jet lands on the airstrip.

Jace is on board, dying to pick up his girlfriend, and Romero can't leave the pack. I get on board and see Jace scoop up his girlfriend and embrace her in a steamy kiss. The two adore each other, and I can see a new couple coming up as soon as the Beta turns twenty-one. That will take a few more weeks, but that gives them plenty of time to prepare. The pack is gradually warming to this witch, her gentleness has captured their hearts.

Jace straps his girlfriend in and turns to me.

"Lori, do you know already? Has your wolf given you any clues as to whether you and Romero are destined?" He can barely contain his curiosity, and like the rest of the pack, he is on edge. If things go wrong between Romero and me, he will be in charge of restoring peace. Romero will be very upset, arrangements will have to be made for the cubs and he will be the one in the middle of the mess.

Rachel chuckles at his words, which is not lost on the Beta.

"Hey, are you guys plotting something? Tell me, I'm the only one of all of us who's still sober. The rest are freaking out," Jace shouted. And now we burst out laughing, the look on the Beta's face priceless. He is on the verge of despair, his sanity hanging on a thin line.

"Don't worry, Jace. Everything will be fine. We still have two weeks until Romero's anniversary. Then we'll see," I try to calm him down. I fail miserably, his eyes get wide and he grabs my hand.

"Lori, do you mean your wolf is rejecting Romero? But we are still so far from Eclipse Howl. Everything could change when we get there and you have to face him," he exclaims, almost crushing my hand.

"Jace, Jace. Don't twist my words. Era hasn't said anything about Romero yet and I don't think she's going to until we get there," I reassure him. Now he realizes that I have no intention of going into detail and falls back in his chair.

"Man, good thing my mate is a witch. I don't have to worry about whether she senses me or not, I'll just claim her, mark her and no one can take her away from me. As soon as the clock strikes my twenty-one, I make sure not to end up in a drama like this. It's heartbreaking," he sighs tiredly with closed eyes.

Rachel giggles with love, and as soon as the pilot signals, she unbuckles her seatbelt and jumps onto Jace's lap. And she stays there for the whole flight, firmly in his arms.

As the Jet circles over Eclipse Howl's airstrip, I see Romero leaning lazily against his Escalade. He looks relaxed, but I know he is nervous as hell. When we finally landed, I let Jace and Rachel get out first. When I finally appear in the doorway, my mate stares at me tightly, waiting for a sign.

I smile and motion for him to come closer.

Slowly he walks towards me, his eyes glued to my face. When he is standing right in front of me, I wrap my arms around him and nestle my face in his neck. No, no sign of mate bond, this potion is good.

Romero's hand digs into my thick curls as he pulls me closer.

"Lori, do you feel anything? Does Era tell you that I'm your fated, baby?" he asks passionately. I take a deep breath of his scent as he turns his head to the side to give me more space.

"Romero, in two weeks, when you celebrate your anniversary, we will know. Era is quiet, she doesn't want to talk about a mate. She just wants to see her cubs again," I answer in a whisper.

"Lori, please. Answer me. No games, my heart is racing like crazy," he sounds pained now. My heart goes out to him, it is definitely not my intention to keep him in this state.

"Romero, I don't know if we are mates. And I don't want to know today. Let's use these two weeks to make love because the future is uncertain," I suggest quietly. He takes a deep breath and lets it out gently.

"I think you are right. We will use these two weeks to take a breather. My parents are back, they can babysit with the help of the nannies. We'll go on holiday, just the two of us," he decides on the spot.

Overjoyed, I fall around his neck again and stroke his back. And it works, he relaxes and with his arm around my shoulders, we walk to his car.

As he gets behind the wheel, he pulls me close.

"I know you are also afraid of the outcome. But I tell you, all the signs point to us having a future together. You know what? We'll take a trip to an island where we can be alone. Then we can plan the next steps, swim and be served by room service. How does that sound?"

Gratefully, I kiss his chin. "Perfect, Alpha."

To our surprise, the living room of the packhouse is packed with people when we arrive. Eclipse Howl has gathered to hear if we are destined. Everyone looks at us expectantly, waiting for an announcement, especially when they see Romero and I enter in good spirits.

"Alpha," Elder Antony begins. "Lori is twenty-one today and we are here to find out if she is officially our future Luna. For months, we have been waiting and hoping, we have three Alpha pups but we are also looking forward to a future Luna".

"Elder, with all due respect. The pack will have to wait until I am twenty-one as well. Although Lori is part of the Alpha family, I am the future Alpha who will ultimately make a choice. My wolf will show who my Luna will be, and that happens two weeks from today. So the pack will have to wait a little longer".

The disappointed look on their faces is unmistakable.

Of course, they were expecting a confirmation or denial but now they are left empty-handed. I giggle, I think Romero has handled the matter well.

He pecks me on the lips and looks back at the pack.

"I am taking some time off with Lori until the eve of my anniversary. We need it to bond and make plans for the future. And I promise you I'll answer that one important question when I get back," he adds.

An unsettled murmur ripples through the group, but we ignore it. Romero takes me into the lift to our apartment. In the mind link, he informs Jace of his decision and his new duties.

We pack quickly and two hours later we are in the car on the way to our destination...