Chapter 15

"It's been two hours, where are they?" Tate asks to no one in particular as he paced around the gazebo while I fed Julia. We spent two hours enjoying the view and a light snack while we wait. Chris would update me every now and then to talk about the repairs to our house, but I had a feeling he was enjoying being a dictator to the wolves who crashed in unwelcomed.

"Alpha Tate and Luna Laina?" I jump slightly when a voice calls out to us and turn to spot a wolf dressed in our pack formal wear.

"I was told to inform you that the Elders are here. Do you want them to be led to the gazebo?" The man asks. He turns away from Tate to look at me, giving me a friendly smile, causing Tate to growl possessively. The wolf looks away quickly and bows his head submissively.

“Sorry, Alpha, I just wanted to introduce myself to the Luna. I am the head warrior here and in charge of protection. We've also doubled security patrols since this morning's incident.” The wolf explains, not moving from his bowed position. Tate growls again, and I roll my eyes, giving my mate a pointed look.

“Tate, behave. He isn't a threat." I warn as I stand, placing Julia in her bassinet before walking forward to shake this new wolf's hand.

"I'm Laina," I say, smiling, having to step back to take a proper look at this wolf.

"Mike." He replies with laughing. What is with the guys here being six feet or over? I smile back at Mike and return to Tate's side, kissing my mate on his cheek.

"Bring the Elders here and have someone bring snacks and drinks as well," Tate says once I am safely in his arms. I know he is a little on edge since this morning and decide to play it safe and stay in reach of his arms.

"I hate it when guys look at you, you're mine." He growls to himself, holding me possessively. I sigh again and get onto my tiptoes, kissing his jaw gently. I tell him I feel the same way when females stare at him and remind him that Mike works as one of the top members of the pack and will not harm me. After sucking up to Tate and reassuring him that I am his and his only, I finally get a chuckle from my mate.

"Let's go sit and wait," I suggest, and he nods, leading me back to the seats we vacated. His hand grasps mine as he draws little circles on the pack of my hand, bringing it up to his lips every now and then for a kiss.

"When they come, let me talk," I say. It is my story and problem to talk about, and I felt better speaking up for myself. I watch his eyes stare at the water as he thinks about letting me talk. I wait patiently for him to speak, sipping on my tea and relaxing into the chair as the wind flutters by.

"Fine, but if I feel that your life and Julia's is in danger, then I step in." He agrees after a few minutes pass. I can tell letting me take the spotlight worries him, but it has to be done.

"Okay deal!" I smile and kiss Tate happily, liking the fact that my mate is giving me a chance to take the lead on this situation, before settling down once again in my chair, my mood a little lighter. We quietly wait for our "guests" to arrive, another half an hour passing by before Mike and two warriors lead a group of elderly wolves towards us. Two wolves I recognize from our pack follow behind with trays of food.

The Elderly wolves cross the bridge first, sitting down without shaking our hands or giving us a simple greeting. It takes everything in me not to growl at them. The other two wolves with the food nod their heads at Tate and me respectfully before setting pots of tea and coffee on the table with pastries and cups in front of all of us. They bow once again before leaving and passing by the two guards that stationed themselves at the shoreline. Mike stands at the entrance of the gazebo, waiting for orders and scanning his eyes over our surroundings for any threats.

"Mike, we need a witness to stay here while we converse with the elders," Tate says through gritted teeth, his eyes glaring that the wolves who sit before us. I reach for his hand under the table and squeeze gently, knowing exactly how he feels. This is our territory, and their disrespect has the both of us on edge more than the incidents of their lackeys crashing into our kitchen.

"Yes, Alpha. It's why I have all of the proper equipment ready." His eyes glaze over for a moment before two more wolves appear in our line of sight. They carry what looks to be a camera set as they cross over and begin to set the electronics, including a voice recorder, around the gazebo with precise movements. With a bow of respect to us, the wolves turn and leave the vicinity. Mike double checks everything before sitting beside Tate.

"Now, let's get this started," I say, folding my hands neatly on the table and staring at the elders.

"Didn't your parents tell you it's rude to stare little girl?" The man in the middle says, and I smile sweetly at him.

"My parents couldn't teach me much because rogues killed them." They stare at me with open mouths, and I could sense that Tate is smirking and Mike is trying hard to hold back his laughter at my retort. I can tell some of the elders hate my brutal honesty, but right now, I could care less about their opinion of me.

"Now, why was there an arrest warrant on me?" I ask, and the elders growl with my direct question.

"What gives you the right to demand answers?" A female visibly bristles at my questioning as she growls at my disrespect to the group. I just send a glare her way, holding my hand out to stop Tate from doing something.

"Because Samuel Lightran forced me to be a breeder as well as other females in my old pack and raped me to get an heir," I growl threateningly at them. Before I can continue what I want to say, the elder in the middle stands up, slamming his hands on the table and glares at me.

"My great-great-nephew would do no such thing!" He yells quickly to defend Samuel. My eyes watch this wolf carefully as I continue my side of the events that have unfolded over the last few months.

"Really? Do you want proof? Because I got pregnant just a little over four months ago by your great-great-nephew. I ran away, wanting to protect my pups. Yes, pups as in two. A few days ago, I had to have emergency surgery due to complications, and only one pup survived. We just buried her sister yesterday only for this bullshit to happen this morning.” As if to prove my point, a small cry is heard after my words, and Tate swiftly rises to pick up Julia and soothe her. The elderly she-wolf who questioned me earlier takes a long look at me, her eyes holding sympathy and curiosity.

"You're Laina. Eeva said she had found a wolf who was a forced breeder. She didn't say what pack she ran away from." She states, and I smile at her. It seems like I have found an ally in this group of Elders and decide to treat her with a little more respect. Thank you, Eeva, for reporting this through the proper channels.

"Yes, I am Laina, the wolf who was raped. Now I suggest you see the Pinepaw Pack unannounced, with me, Tate, and Chris—my cousin and technical guardian as I am only sixteen—present so that you can see where I was kept and where other breeders are kept." The man was still standing, and I looked at him with distrust in my eyes.

"He stays out of the conversation since he could warn Sam, and then you would never know the truth," I add at the end. The man's face starts to turn red with rage, and he hits the table again, this time shattering it as the sound of glass breaks and everything else on the table falls to the ground. I am grateful that Tate is holding Julia away from the table as I let out a low growl. This wolf is a threat to my pup.

"You cannot make me do anything! If I want to be here for all the details, I will!" He roars at me, disrespect evident in his eyes. I stand, my hand reaching out to grab the collar of his shirt as I pull him closer, my face inches from his as my canines start to grow.

"I can and I will due to the fact that you are related to the man that raped me. Now, sit down, shut up, and behave. You also owe me a new table." The elder and I have a stare down as we glare at each other. I refuse to release him, relishing in the fact that he is a foot shorter than me and a lot weaker as well. I am done being the weak pushover from a few months ago when Samuel decided to make me a breeder. I am a soon-to-be Luna and a mother, I will do whatever it takes to get justice and protect my pup.

"Ross, just sit down, we already decided to leave you out of this." The female elder commands, and Ross looks at her with wide eyes as the two silently converse.

"You can't do that, Dian." He states and glares at her.

"I can as the head elder." The woman, Dian, says. I smirk in triumph, releasing Ross, and sit back down beside Tate, who has now joined us, informing me that Julia is asleep once again. We watch as the elders have another conversation through their link before Ross growls in frustration and stalks away.

"Sorry about that, Laina," Dian says, and I smile at her.

"So can we have a civil conversation now?" Tate asks, looking down at the table frame.

"Of course. We will also have a new table sent your way soon." A man to Dian's right says. And so our conversation turns civilized while I recount the events that led me to where we are today.

-÷-

"Good night, sweetheart," I whisper as I lower Julia into her bed for the night, the sounds of running water could be heard from across the hall from Tate and my bedroom. I smile, watching my pup for a moment before heading towards my room and stretching my sore muscles.

"Time for a bit of R and R," I groan to myself, rubbing my shoulder.

"Yes, and we are having some together," Tate says, wrapping me in his embrace and kissing my forehead.

"But—" I begin, ready to protest.

"No buts, beautiful, we need some time to ourselves." Tate cuts me off, poking my nose playfully. I smile gently and nod, stepping out of his arms and undressing.

"I will only do this if you give me a massage," I state, dropping my pants and underwear onto the ground.

"Okay deal." His voice is a whisper as he hugs me from behind once again his body pressed to my own and completely naked. Without warning, I am scooped into his arms as Tate carries me princess style into our large bathroom, placing me gently into the large tub filled with a bubble bath. He climbs in behind me, his hands kneading my shoulders and back, making quick work of my sore muscles and releasing the tension that has built up over the last few days.

"I know you're still healing from your surgery, so we will only have a bath tonight. But I can't wait to make you mine forever." He says with longing, and my heart flutters. Everyone in the pack I have met has called me Luna, but we weren't fully mated yet, and I haven't been accepted into the pack in an official ceremony yet.

"When will I become a member of the pack?" I ask after we were both scrubbed and getting out to dry off to head to bed for some much-needed sleep.

"Whenever you feel like you're ready." He answers, kissing my forehead.

"What about this Saturday? It's a full moon, and it would be a perfect time." I suggest, getting a breathtaking smile from him.

"Deal. We will do it at the pack house, and it's a week before we go to Pinepaw, so that gives you time to explore the pack territory as the Luna." He agrees, picking me up bridal style and kissing me.

"But for now, you need your sleep. So grab one of my shirts to wear to bed while I shave." He adds, putting me on my feet again before he turns back towards the bathroom vanity, the sounds of water running signaling he is shaving. I smile and rush to his dresser, going through the neatly stacked shirts and finding a V-neck t-shirt that matches his eye color, hastily putting that on with a pair of plain black boy shorts and towel-drying my hair before slipping under the covers. Soon Tate comes out with a towel around his waist and heads into the closet, his face nicely shaven. He returns minutes later with pajama pants slung over his hips loosely and shirtless, pulling me into his arms as he crawls into his side of the bed.

"Goodnight, beautiful," he whispers, kissing me gently.

"Goodnight," I whisper back, yawning as I snuggle closer to him, sleep taking over. He chuckles at how fast I am falling asleep, and I smile, opening my eyes to see one last look of him before I go to dreamland.

"I love you." His voice is quieter than a whisper, but I hear those words clearly, and they stay with me as darkness fades in, and I fall asleep feeling safe and sound.