Chapter 18: Eighteen

Laura's POV.

I slapped her, I didn't know what came over me, but immediately I realized it was the annoying woman earlier. I just lost it, slapping her immediately, she winced glaring hard at me, I heard the cook laugh and I smiled.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" She said and I just looked at her, I almost scoffed, yet I decided to give her no reaction, it would be more annoying than whatever I had to say.

"How dare you lay your filthy hands on me?" She yelled, her yelling made my head hurt,it felt like I was listening to a screeching harpy, I just rolled my eyes at her, she was really irritating me, I couldn't believe how rude she was when we first met.

"Who do you think you are?" She yelled and I covered my ears, it was beginning to hurt from listening to her voice and when she screamed, it made it hurt more.

"Just because the alpha is fucking you and using the mate as an excuse, it doesn't mean you'll last, he'll dump you anyways." She said and I felt slightly hurt by what she said, I remembered being rejected, it wasn't a good feeling, but Darren didn't reject me and that was what made me feel better, and I didn't care if he fucked her on any other woman, he was my man now.

I stilled when I felt the stares of others, I realized that the kitchen was getting crowded, and it made me feel uncomfortable, I didn't know lots of them from this pack and I didn't know how they'll see what was happening, I won't be surprised if they blame me or hate me, or they'll ignore me anyways.

"For hitting me, you'll get yours too." She said raising her hands and I saw a figure stand close to me holding her hands and I looked up seeing Karl.

"Beta, you're here." Her voice quivered, and he dropped her hands.

"Why will you dare try to hit her?" Karl asked and she glared at him.

"She hit me first, why won't I do the same?" She asked.

"You'll be seen as a very senseless being if you ever try that." Karl said and she stilled her eyes narrowing.

"And why is that?" She asked and I swallowed, hoping this did not turn into something else.

But my hope didn't last when I saw the pack members enter the kitchen. It felt like they were all called here and the kitchen was really big to occupy everyone who came here to watch the drama unfold.

"You know why, I don't have to spell it out for you." Karl said with a sarcastic smile.

"I don't know and I need to know why I can't hit her, I'm sure the alpha is just bluffing." She said,

She looked me up and down, then curled her lips forming a snarl.

"I'm sure he doesn't have a mate, he hasn't mated with her yet." She said,

"He hasn't yet, and this happens with lots of mates, they may choose to mate later and that's his decision." Karl said.

"But I understand if you don't get it, I mean you don't have a mate, so you won't understand how all these works." Karl continued and she narrowed her eyes at his insult.

"He hasn't mated but he has marked her." Karl said and my eyes widened when I remembered I did have his mark, and I now understand why he said he needed to, he must have known he had irritating pack members like the one I was currently looking at, her eyes widened at the mark on my neck.

"And don't try to even touch her or talk to her unnecessarily, if you like your life." Karl said and she looked up at him.

"And what will he do if I hit his game mate?" She asked and Karl laughed.

"Fake mate?" Karl asked.

"Yes, a lot of us think so, and I don't think it's wrong." She said,

"You all thinking that are just lying to yourselves, I don't know what make you all think the alpha can just wake up and look for anyone and call her his mate if he didn't have one and if his wolf didn't acknowledge her as his mate, but y'all walking around spewing rubbish about the alpha's mate, your Luna to be." Karl said and I turned.

"I don't care about the rumors you and everyone as dense as you spread, all I care about is what will be the outcome." He said relaxing himself.

"I may not care,but the alpha is not the same, he will, and he won't take it if anyone talks about his mate in a condescending manner." Karl said and she swallowed.

"I'm sure you all know how he is, I don't have it announce it y'all, you are all very well aware, and his wolf won't like it either, he waited years for a mate and the moon goddess gave him one, do you think he'll take this rubbish y'all up to?" Karl asked.

"If you think he would then prepare to die, he has already killed one for daring to hurt his mate." Karl said and her eyes widened.

I noticed most of the pack members shake with fear, and I realized that's what Karl wanted.

"And from what he told me, his wolf has become more brutal than ever with his mate here, it wants to kill anyone who dares to try anything." He added and I watched her swallow looking away.

"So try and stop being a nuisance and also an embarrassment, find something else to do in your free time, don't try saying shit to her." Karl said.

"I'll tell the alpha about all you did here myself." He added and she kept swallowing.

I was sure that the spit would be in her mouth and she wouldn't see anything else to swallow.

"Let's go." He said giving me his hands and I followed.

I was happy he came to my rescue, though I wished I showed strength…

I paused when Karl did, he turned to me.

"Are you okay?"He asked and I nodded.

"I guess so, thanks for that, I didn't know what to do after I slapped her, this wasn't the first time she did this." I said and he nodded.

"I know this wasn't the first time." He said and I nodded.

"But next time, you shouldn't let her walk over you, you'll be announced as the Luna soon, and you should be able to defend yourself." He said and I nodded dreading that, I wish I was able to show my strength and make them see me differently.

"You shouldn't let them intimidate you." He added and I nodded.

"They should be intimidated by you." He said and I nodded.

"Don't worry too much, I'll reach you, Dean would too and the alpha mostly." He said.

"Teach me?" I asked.

"Train you." He said and I nodded. I was delighted that they wanted to train me. This was so thoughtful of them, it made me want to cry.

Karl surprised me.I remember him saying he didn't really like me, but he was doing something to support me.I knew he wasn't forced,he was his own person.

"Why did you help me, I thought you didn't like me?" I asked, I really wanted to know this, it would make me know how he felt about me now.

"I didn't like you at first but that has changed now." He said.

"What changed?" I asked.

"Everything, Dean was right, spending time with you will convince me, and it did, just the little time, I knew you weren't what I thought you were." He said and I frowned wondering what he thought of me.

"What did you think of when you saw me?" I asked and he smiled.

"Are we playing questions and answers?"he asked and I laughed.

"Maybe, but I'm the one asking the questions.", I said and he nodded.

"I thought you were a threat, and I care about him very much, he has helped me a lot, and he's been a good friend too, so I didn't want you hurting him, but I've realized you aren't a threat and I was being extremely paranoid." He said and I smiled.

"And eating with you is fun." He added with a wink and I smiled, making him laugh.

"He may be crazy at times, or sometimes behave in a way you don't like." He said.

"When he does, just tell him about it, and he'll find a way to remedy it." He said and I nodded.

"We train early around 9am, you can come from 8am, so we'll start with you." He said and I nodded eagerly, he laughed at my eagerness.

"Don't mock me, I'm just happy I get to train." I said and he paused.

"Weren't you allowed to train in your old pack?" He asked and I shook my head.

"When he told me they treated you badly and you haven't told him, but he just knows, I thought he was being overprotective, I didn't know it was real." He said.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be fine here." He added and I nodded.

"I have to run along and meet your mate, we have business to discuss." He said and I nodded.

"Go to the game room, you'll see Dean there, he lives there at times." He said.

"And then you're hungry, just go with him and then you'll get something to eat." He said and I nodded, I looked around wondering how I'll get to the game room, I felt lost.

"Don't worry, I don't want the alpha on my neck if you're missing, so I'll drop you off there." He said and I nodded.

He walked ahead and I followed him, looking around trying to see if I could familiarize myself with the road.

"Don't worry, we'll give you the tour of the pack for a day." He said.

"A day?" I asked.

"Isn't that too much?" I asked and he laughed, I knew this pack was big, yet I didn't know it'll take a day to walk around the pack.

"It should take two to three days." He said and I gasped and he laughed.

"You'll be tired on the first day and then you'll go rest, and if you're strong enough you'll finish on the second day." He said.

"If you don't finish the tour the second day, you'll finish it the third day." He said and I shook my head in disbelief.

"Don't worry, you'll see what I'm saying once you get the chance to tour." He said and I nodded.

For some weird reason I was happy to tour and I dreaded it as well. I cared about what people thought of me. I wondered if the pack members would look at me in disgust or they'll like me.

"And we're here." He said and I turned around realizing we reached the game room, I sighed in fustration that I didn't get to memorize where we took, I was so engrossed in the conversation that I didn't notice where we took.

"You didn't memorize?" He asked with a knowing smile and I sighed nodding and he laughed.

"Stop laughing." I said and he nodded, but his shoulders were shaking when he looked away, and I knew he was still laughing, he turned to me clamping his mouth to stop laughing, but I could still see the laughter in his eyes.

"I apologize, I can't help it." He said and I nodded.

"I texted him, he should come out soon." He said and I nodded.

"Why don't I go inside on my own?" I asked.

"The game room is always filled,he needs to create space for you." He said and I nodded.

I leaned on the wall, hoping Dean would come out quickly.

"He'll be here, I interrupted his game." Karl said with a devious smirk.

"And he's here." He said and I watched Dean walk out.

"Let's go." He said with a smile.

I followed him,then paused at the door, I turned and smiled at Karl.

"Thank you." I said and he nodded, I joined Dean inside.