Chapter 7
***Auri's POV***
I couldn't function. Here I was, sitting in Alpha Logan's fancy car, driving towards my house to pick up my things. My mind still reeling from what just happened.
'l told you our mate wouldn't reject us.’ Kai was smug and she had been ecstatic to hear that our mate was an Alpha.
I was not. I was not even entertaining the idea of being a mate, let alone a Luna I had heard the confusion and anger in his voice when he asked why he would reject me. I thought it was obvious and especially coming from a man who was notorious for throwing out the weak.
'We aren't weak though."
“Right, but he doesn't know that. He only can judge me by how I look. And we look like we've been through hell and back again.’
'And like he said, we are strong for it, strong for surviving it." Kai was chastising me as we drove down the road.
I gave directions where I needed to, but for the most part, we stayed quiet. I could feel him glance over or stare for a little bit before looking back to the road. Truthfully, I was melting under his gaze, his scent, like firewood and fresh rain. It was a hell of a combination but it made me want to either run away into the forest or bury my face in his chest.
He was so built and so large that I felt towered over. But instead of being intimidated, I felt protected and safe. He had pulled me to him and hugged me. I just about lost my mind. Having a mate was so much different than what I thought. How was anyone able to reject this feeling, or even come close to fighting it? He was in all of my senses and my overly heightened ones were making me lose my head.
Looking at him, he oozed strength and sex. Kai finally forced her eyes on me and I stared at my mate, his black hair was messy and fell past his ears when it wasn't slicked back. He was tan and his eyes were an ice blue that lit up as though the moon was staring into me. My heart had hammered a hole in me and I wondered if it would ever work properly again.
We pulled up to our street and I directed him to which one it was. I panicked for a second.
“Ill...be right back.”
He laughed, unbuckling his seat. “I'm not going to allow you to carry your stuff to my car alone.”
I nodded and took a deep breath. It was fine. This would be the last time I would be back here right? I walked up to the door, still carrying the To-Be-Donated shoes and reached down to the planter to pick up the spare key. Turning the lock, I walked in. I listened for anyone but after confirming it was just us, I allowed Logan to come in.
“Is this the Beta's house?"
I nodded. “My father is Beta Issac.”
He chuckled. “Well, looks like they aren't doing too bad.”
I didn't answer as I walked into the hallway. Opening up my little walk-in-closet, I looked around. Really, when I said a couple things, there wasn't much I could bring. Most of my clothes were from hand-me-downs from Ty that I had mended and altered. I felt my mate behind me and I spun around.
"What the fuck is this?” His eyes were flashing back and forth. I couldn't tell if he was angry or just having a conversation with his wolf.
“This...this is where I...sleep...” I turned from him, not wanting to see the look on his face. Leaning down, I grabbed my small purple box that had a bunch of photos from the time before Melissa.Everything else had been removed and burned from the house.
“Auri, will you tell me why you sleep in the closet and not a room?”
I cleared my throat a couple times, mimicking Melissa's voice. “I don't deserve a room. I am thankful for my father and Melissa keeping me and giving me a roof over my head. They provide me a place to stay and I don't complain.” I sounded gross as it came out and it was regurgitated from all the times they had said it.
“I'm sorry, what did you just say?”
I chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. It doesn’t matter.”
I heard him back up against the wall and I looked behind me to see Logan taking deep breaths, trying to control his wolf.
'Kai, can you help him?"
'l can try, but you will lose your sight for a second. I'll try to talk to Cato."
I nodded and my vision went back to normal and I waited for a moment, listening to his breathing slow. I felt his hand move and listened as he ran his hand through his hair.
“I want an explanation before we leave.” It wasn't a question, it came out more of an order.
I nodded. When I climbed up the stairs, Logan followed close behind me. I opened Maddie's room, and went into her bathroom where I kept my little toiletry bag.
“This is my half-sister Madison's room. Tyler's is the one next to it and the one on the other side is Father and Melissa's.”
He wandered over to to Ty's, opened it for a minute and slammed it shut. I went back down the stairs and Logan followed again. I started to pull the clothes I had out of my cubby hole and Logan reached over and grabbed them.
"Are any of these actually yours?”
I shook my head, knowing what he meant.
“Forget these then, leave them. We will get you a new wardrobe.” He tossed them back into the closet.
“Do you mind if I take some of the tea I made before we go? We have a couple hours drive right?” "Whatever you want, my love.”
Logan chuckled as he had to reach out to me before I tripped on my own feet. This man, calling me his love, was going to be the death of me. I opened up the fridge and took the container out. I poured some into a thermos and swallowed down the feeling that I was stealing from them by taking it with me.
“I'll go to the bathroom before we go.”
I put the thermos next to my box and my bag of toiletries, feeling wholly under packed but Logan had thrown all my clothes back in the closet. I went to the restroom and then came back out to Logan leaning against the wall.
“I want an explanation, love.”
My knees started to go again.
“Um...I'm not sure where to start?”
He took a deep calculated breath. “How long have you slept in the closet?”
"Since I was four, after my mom died and Melissa moved in.”
"When's the last time you purchased clothes?”
I blinked, trying to think. “Honestly...I don't remember.”
Logan tsked. “Did they ever lock you in?"
I nodded, my hands busying themselves within the pleats of my dress.
Logan took my hands away from my dress. “Auri, did they ever hurt you?”
I couldn't answer him. Would he be ashamed of me? Would he think I was weak? Would he throw me away? I couldn't deal with the thought.
“Auri, answer me.” He was trying to keep his composure. I'm sure Kai was trying to helping.
"Yes." I choked out in a whisper.
His hands that held mine started to shake but when I held them instead they stopped shaking. “I'm taking you away from here. You are never coming back. Ever. And I'm having a chat with your Alpha.”
I nodded, unable to say anything else. Afraid to say anything else. He grabbed my things off the counter and pulled me out of the house. I locked up and put the key back. Making my way down the front steps, I climbed into his car. Kai made her way back and her eyes replaced mine. I looked at the house I had grown up in; that my mother had raised me. It had turned into a place that I wanted nothing more than to get away from. Now, I was finally leaving.
Logan didn't wait as he pulled the car around and sped down the road. Sitting on my hands, I reveled in the awkward silence between us. It wasn't for another 20 minutes did Logan finally break the silence.
"Wanna play 20 questions?”
I chuckled. “Sure.”