“What’s going on?” I asked.

  She held up a finger for me to be quiet, and I returned her gesture with one of my own. Another minute later, she smacked her hands together and grinned. “We’re going to have a private group dinner.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means instead of you being alone with Roman or showcased around the pack some more, we’re going to head upstairs at the pack house to eat privately with Jack, Ramona, and Roman. Oh, and maybe Vaughn, too,” she answered, getting up and going toward the stairs to her room.

  “I’m in no condition to have dinner with the ruling pack family.” From the sounds of how things worked around here, Jack and Ramona were like king and queen with Roman as the prince. Even though Roman was technically alpha, I hadn’t missed how his dad commanded respect when I’d first shown up.

  Embry ignored my question as she headed up the stairs to her loft bedroom. While I stayed put, I realized I hadn’t really asked anything at all. She simply chose to ignore my statement.

  A few minutes later, she peeked back downstairs, and I still hadn’t moved. Instead, I’d nearly fallen asleep as the alcohol-induced highs wore off.

  “Get your ass off the couch. You’re not getting out of this. I promise it will be fun,” Embry said as a pillow hit me in the head.

  “That was rude,” I yelled back, only receiving a mutter in reply.

  I got up and went to my room, wondering what the hell I was supposed to wear. I didn’t know these people or what their expectations of me were. I’d met Ramona and she seemed nice enough, but maybe that was only curiosity. Had she known I was her son’s mate when she came to see me? Maybe. She had ignored my question when I asked if I could have a mate.

  Going to the mirror, I focused on brushing my hair out instead of finding clothes. Then, I decided a little makeup couldn’t hurt to hide the dark circles that were starting to form under my hazel eyes.

  Embry found me putting a few swipes of mascara on and I was instantly thankful I’d put the extra effort in. She was wearing a casual blue dress, and her hair was half-up with waves falling around her shoulders. My best friend was stunning.

  “Why aren’t you dressed?” she asked with a huff.

  “Are we in a hurry?” I asked, tucking my makeup away before turning toward the closet.

  She shrugged and sat on my bed as I considered wearing black shorts and one of my nicer shirts. As I tugged on the sleeve of my favorite blue top, Embry nudged me out of the way. “Nope. First dinner, first impression. You need to look nice.”

  I raised a brow at her. “Are you saying my shirt isn’t nice?”

  “Oh, it is. For going to dinner with friends, but that’s not what you’re doing. It’s not like this is a massive deal, but yeah. What about this instead?” She shoved a green dress with white swirl designs all over it at me. It was one of my favorites.

  “Fine, but I’m not wearing heels. I don’t trust myself after the drinks you gave me.” I wasn’t giggly anymore, but I wasn’t sober either.

  She grinned. “Good enough for me.”

  I quickly changed clothes and met Embry in the living room. She had a cheesecake in hand and was waiting by the door.

  “Where’d that come from?” I asked about the dessert as she opened the door for me.

  “My mama always taught me to bring a dish when invited to dinner. I keep a few things from the pack kitchen on hand. Sometimes I eat them on my own and sometimes I share,” she answered as the door clicked shut behind us.

  “Where are your parents?” I asked.

  She glanced around, then lowered her voice. “They work for the supernatural council, but most people aren’t supposed to know. They do a lot of undercover stuff, and I only see them a couple times a year. I promise to tell you more about it later.”

  I nodded, perfectly okay not knowing more for now. I had enough nerves about dinner. I didn’t need to worry about supernatural spies existing in the world.

  The alcohol was mostly out of my system by the time we arrived at the house. The large covered porch put off a welcoming vibe, which seemed odd for me considering wolves lived inside. The red front doors were something I’d always had on my bucket list for when I bought my own house.

  Embry didn’t stop to knock. She walked right in and waited for me to come inside. The entry was a mix of tans and whites with pops of colors that broke up the monotony. There was a sitting area that I could see and a half-circle wall with a cracked-open door. Just inside were bookshelves, and I wondered how big their library was.

  Embry moved to the right and I followed her up a set of stairs. “Jack and Ramona live in the top story. Roman has the master room on the second floor, and there are two other bedrooms. One is used by Sam and the other is reserved for visitors. The lower level is offices, the kitchen, a game area, and food storage.”

  I smirked. I bet they had to keep a lot of food on hand, given they were literal animals.

  “Who’s Sam?” I asked.

  “Roman’s cousin.” Before I could ask anymore, Ramona was smiling down at us from the top of the stairs.

  “Hello, ladies. I’m so glad you could come,” she said.

  “I brought dessert.” Embry held up the cheesecake as we got to the top.

  Ramona winked, taking it from her. “Jack’s favorite. Good call. He’s been in a mood.”

  I tensed behind Embry, wondering if that mood had anything to do with me. I didn’t want to be a problem for them. A large part of me wanted nothing more than to go back to not knowing about this part of the world. If my presence was causing issues or the mark was making others nervous, I’d have to be more careful.

  “We’ll figure it out. Cait will hopefully start showing signs of…well, anything, and maybe it will help,” Embry offered.

  Ramona waved her hand. “Cait doesn’t need to do a thing.” She looked around at me. “I don’t want you to take our frustrations as a bad thing. We just want to help you and our son.”

  Ahh, so they knew about whatever this mate bond was. I wondered how many others knew.

  Jack appeared over her shoulder. “You ladies going to stand out here and gossip, or come inside so I can have dessert first?” He plucked the cheesecake from Ramona’s hands and kissed her on the cheek before disappearing back through their door.

  For a brief moment, I’d forgotten Roman was there as we all headed in, laughing at Jack’s antics. For just a second, I’d let my walls down, but as soon as we entered a small living room, my eyes landed on the imposing shifter.

  Heat traveled through me, but I steeled myself and gritted my teeth. I would not let whatever juju he was putting off make me weak. I knew nothing about the man. It didn’t matter that we were mates, especially since I didn’t really know what that meant. I had things about myself to figure out first.

  Roman smiled at me, and I was surprised by how much lighter brown his hair was when he wasn’t covered in water.

  Before things got awkward, I tore my gaze away from him and took in the rest of the area. There was a decent-sized kitchen with a double oven, a few closed doors, a ten-person dining table, and then the living room I was currently trying to avoid.

  Embry tugged me toward the couch, and I kept my face neutral. “How’s it going, Roman?” she asked as we sat down across from him.

  I could feel his stare on me. I’d heard people say that before, but I always thought it was more of a metaphorical thing. No, this was very real, and my wrist began to pulse. Damn it, why was this so weird?

  “Things are good, Embry. Though, they could have been better if my plans hadn’t changed,” Roman answered, and I could hear the smile in his words. Though, whether that was because there was an underlying threat in his words, or something else, I couldn’t be sure.

  I finally met his gaze and surprised even myself when I was able to keep a straight face. Everything about him was intense, and I wouldn’t lie to myself that there was an appeal—a strong one—but I wouldn’t give in.

  “Please tell me it’s not going to be like this every time the two of you are around each other,” Embry groaned.

  I turned to her. “Like what?”

  She tapped her nose. “I can smell the tension between you two. It’s a bit much.”

  I gaped and tried to find the words to make it less embarrassing, but nothing came out as heat crept into my cheeks.

  The pain of the mark hit new heights, and I hissed while shaking my arm out. Roman was at my side before I could take my next breath, followed by Embry. “What’s wrong?” Roman asked.

  “It’s nothing new. Well, nothing new since it appeared. The mark burns sometimes,” I answered.

  “I thought you said it was more like pressure?” Embry asked.

  By then, Jack and Ramona were there as well, and I was officially uncomfortable. “Well, it does that, too. That’s the more common sensation.”

  “When does it get worse?” Jack asked.

  Shit. I did not want to answer that.

  I couldn’t stop my eyes from meeting Roman’s. Gone was the smirk he’d had on when I first arrived and in its place was only concern.

  “Is it when you’re around Roman?” Ramona asked, and I nodded.

  Jack made some weird noises and hurried off to one of the closed doors. He came back with a book as everyone except Roman gave me some room.

  Jack kneeled before me and handed Roman the book. “Look at the middle section there, son.”

  While Roman read, Jack took my arm and pressed his palm over the mark. Relief was instantaneous, and I let out a sigh. “How did you do that?”

  “Even though I’m not a reigning alpha, I will always hold some of the power since I was born with it. You hold untamed shifter magic within you, and it’s drawn to my alpha power even though there is no wolf within you. I assume since Roman is an alpha and your mate, the draw is more severe and causing you discomfort.”

  Well, that made sense in a completely unrealistic way for my very human mind. A part of me was still hoping none of this was real, but with every new thing I learned, I was having a harder time ignoring the facts of my sudden reality.

  “Do you think the new moon will force a shift on her?” Roman asked after he was done reading.

  “It’s hard to say. You of all people should be able to tell if she had a wolf. Since you can’t sense one as alpha, then she might not be affected like the rest of us,” Jack answered.

  “What’s that mean?” I asked. If I was going to be turning into a wild animal, I’d prefer to have a heads-up about it. You know, so I could schedule a massive breakdown into my week. Learning about wolves and becoming one were two completely different things.

  “Wolves are at their strongest under a new moon. We don’t have to shift, but the draw to do so is almost overwhelming. Our wolves have needs that we do our best to meet,” Jack said as Roman kept scanning the pages of the book.

  “We didn’t invite Cait here to shove more information down her throat. Food is ready and it’s time we got to know her a little better as a person instead of making her want to run away with all this wolf business,” Ramona said as she shoved herself past her husband and son. “Come on. You can sit between me and Embry while we eat.”

  I smiled at Ramona, thankful for her interference. “I would love that.”

  Embry was at my other side and looped her arm through mine. “Have I told you lately how happy I am that you’re here?”

  “Yes, but you can keep saying it. Doesn’t hurt my feelings any.”

  The two of them laughed, but I meant it. Remembering I’d come here because I trusted Embry was one of the only reasons that I hadn’t run away screaming.

  The thought of doing so was still appealing, but for now, I’d stay and hope that, sooner rather than later, someone could tell me what the hell being a Luna Marked meant.

  12

  Roman

  Dinner was painful to say the least. I’d invited Cait earlier so that we could spend time getting to know each other. I’d intended to cook spaghetti—the only meal I knew I wouldn’t screw up—and take her to my cabin.

  Sure, it might have been awkward at first, but I didn’t see how we were supposed to get to know each other otherwise. Then, Embry stuck her tail where it didn’t belong and I began to rethink my leniency toward her.

  Embry got my mother involved.

  Before I knew it, the dinner I’d planned was canceled and turned into a small gathering. One that, according to the others involved, would make Cait feel more comfortable.

  Except that wasn’t what happened. Instead, I’d learned that my presence made her feel worse rather than better. A fact that infuriated me to no end.

  I sat opposite Cait at the table and watched her closer than was polite, but I’d also learned a significant amount.

  When she was uncomfortable with a question, she tucked her hair behind her left ear. When she enjoyed a particular topic, her hazel eyes widened and sparked with intrigue while she gave whoever was speaking her full attention. Cait didn’t do too much talking, but I was learning enough about her that I felt good about my next move.

  She seemed to be more interested in listening and learning, so as dinner came to an end, I stood from my chair.

  “Do you need help cleaning up, Mom?” I asked.

  She shook her head. “I’m sure you have better things to do.”

  That I did.

  Embry, you need to think of something to do. Now, I said through our wolf connection.

  She’s going to murder me in my sleep, but I love her and want her to be happy. Don’t make me regret tricking her, Embry replied without looking my way.

  “I’m going to head to the library tower. See if I can find any more books about the mark,” I said and watched Cait.

  Her brow arched and her breathing increased as I smelled her excitement, but she didn’t look at me, even though I could tell my words intrigued her.

  Dad started to say something, but Mom cut him off. “Honey, I need your help. Can you start clearing the table?”

  My mother winked at me, so I assumed she kept the conversation out loud to make it seem more normal for Cait. Dad grumbled but did as she asked.

  Embry stood and groaned. “Damn. I was counting on Vaughn being here. I needed to go over some of the accounts for the mill with him. Cait, do you think you can find your way back to the cabin while I head to Vaughn’s?”

  Cait floundered for words. “Oh, um, I guess.”

  “I can take her,” I offered immediately.

  Embry clapped her hands, already standing. “Perfect.” She leaned down and hugged Cait, who was the last one sitting. “I’ll just be an hour or so.”

  Before Cait could object, Embry darted for the doors. You owe me, Embry added just for me.

  As your alpha, I don’t owe you anything, I replied.

  You’re right, but I also know you won’t abuse that power. Just be good to Cait, she said before cutting off the connection.

  Embry was right, but I didn’t focus on her words for long, not when Cait seemed beyond nervous. She wiped her palms against her thighs, then pushed away from the table.

  “You don’t have to walk me back. I’m sure I’ll be fine. It’s not that far,” she said, meeting my gaze and pushing her nerves down.

  “What if I at least walked you to the door?” I asked, hoping to show her that I wasn’t trying to be overbearing.

  She shrugged. “It’s your house. I can’t tell you what to do.”

  It took every effort not to smile. She was fighting getting to know me. I’d had a small hope that things might not be so difficult after our last meeting, but Cait seemed to have had a change of heart. I didn’t exactly like it, but my wolf did.

  If she wants to be chased, I have no problem doing so, he said.

  Yeah, I didn’t think you would. Just remember we need to be easy with her. She’s not like us, I said.

  Not yet anyway.

  Unless my wolf knew something that I didn’t, his use of the word “yet” was misplaced. So far, nothing had indicated Cait would shift, but it had only been a few days. When the new moon came in two weeks, maybe we’d know more.

  Cait stood and began walking to the door when I didn’t respond to her quip. I waved to my parents and ignored my mother’s glowing face. She was a little too happy about me finding my mate, but I was proud of her for keeping her cool in front of Cait.

  Cait was a quarter of the way down the stairs when I caught up to her. “Do you want a tour before you go?” I asked.

  She flinched. “What?”

  Something had her distracted, and I wanted to know what it was.

  “Do you want a tour of the house?” I asked again.

  “Embry sort of gave me one earlier,” she replied.

  Disappointment rolled through me. “So that’s a no?”

  Cait stopped at the second floor and sighed. “No, it’s just… Never mind. If you really want to show me around, I won’t object.”

  Irritation built deep inside me. I didn’t like the mood she was in. I’d let myself believe that maybe this wouldn’t be so bad, but Cait was proving nothing would be as simple as if she was a wolf. No matter my frustration with her change of demeanor, I wasn’t going to give up trying to show her I was a worthy mate.

  I wasn’t sure what would happen if she rejected me and walked away from the pack. As far as I knew, no wolf had ever done that before to their mate. Sure, there had been bonded pairs that didn’t get along perfectly, but they always found a way eventually.

  “So, are we starting here?” Cait asked, glancing back at me, and I shook the thoughts from my head.

  “No, these are just bedrooms,” I said, assuming she’d have no interest in those. At least, not yet. Hopefully she would one day, if I did my job right.

  If you can’t figure out a way to get her interested, I’ll be sure to pick up your slack, my wolf chided, and I ignored him. Cocky bastard.

  Cait nodded, and the light from above caught her eyes. They seemed even brighter tonight, and I appreciated the dress she wore that complemented not only her eye color, but the curves of her body I was dying to explore.