SWNOVELS Chapter Chapter Eight
One thing that I did not think I will ever get used to is the fact we are traveling in a horse-pulled buggy. Which means going anywhere would take forever.
It had been hours since we turned around to head to the pack nearest to the plane crash. I did not realize how far I had traveled since I left the plane and was captured, and then my trip after with Jonah.
I was sure, if I was not with them, they would be a lot faster. I mean, wolves ran faster than our current speed. But, as much as I agreed with that statement, I refused to be left behind.
I also needed to be there for everyone that was on the plane. I could barely wrap my own head around everything around me, and I had seen too much to think it was all a lie. But everyone who had stayed behind would not have seen anything to make them believe what had happened to us. Maybe that was wishful thinking.
Anyway, this wait was killing me. How could anyone get anything done around here? Since there were no phones, and it made no sense for a wolf to run back and forth between the place where we were headed, we did not know what we were walking into. Could they not call each other?
I looked over at Jonah, “Are there no cell phones anymore? This wait is driving me insane!”
My question must have come unexpectedly because Jonah’s head snapped towards me fast, and he briefly looked startled. But that look quickly turned into confusion as he said one thing, “Cell phones?”
He looked and sounded so clueless that I knew he had no clue what I was talking about.
“You don’t know what cell phones are? Phones? You know, things where you dial a number and hold it up to your face and talk to someone who is in a different place than you are? How do you guys communicate over long distances?!”
Some of his confusion seemed to have cleared up by now and he chuckled lightly, “Oh you mean our SATs. Yea, we have those still. We only have a couple back on our territory though. There is no point carrying one with us when we travel since we normally travel in our wolf forms. Can’t carry it.”
“SATs?”
He laughed now, “You know... our small devices that are connected to the things in the sky. Mainly humans use them now. But, since no one alive anymore really knows how to make them, the numbers have started to decrease. They will stop working and no one can fix it. So, now, many heads of the bigger civilizations or people of importance are the only ones who have them.”
My eyes widened as I processed everything he just told me and then I said, “Oh! You mean, like you still have satellite phones? Okay. Well, I guess I understand why you wouldn’t have it with you. It’s just, I hate how long it takes to get everywhere without even being able to call anyone. I mean, we don’t even know if they found the plane yet!”
Jonah must have found my reaction hilarious because he started laughing again, which I did not appreciate. Frowning, I pulled away from him and crossed my arms in irritation.
Shaking his head, he grabbed me and brought me back to him while saying, “I’m sorry, mine. I wasn’t laughing at you. You were just adorable. And you must know, we don’t normally take this long to travel. When we travel, we are also usually running. So, travel is not a very long thing.”
I signed and begrudgingly nodded. I understood what he was saying. But I was not going to admit that to him.
Instead, I said, “It’s okay. I am just so anxious. I’m not able to know if everyone is okay. If the others that left came back. If some people didn’t make it. If the- the people you sent got there. If they are freaking out or grateful. I don’t know anything!”
After my mini-rant, I breathed a little heavy and had a hand pulling my hair in frustration. Which Jonah quickly remedied by gently taking my hand, untangling it from my hair, and then placing his other hand under my chin to force my eyes to his.
I met his eyes, and my breath caught. But, if you asked me I would not admit it. Part of me still does not know whether I could trust him. I mean, I believe he had proved to me so far that he would protect me. But that is my body.
At this point, it was my heart that I was not sure I could trust him with.
I knew everything was different here and we were mates. There were so many different things added to this equation that I knew my way of thinking had to adapt with it.
I also realized just because he bought me did not mean that I was his slave or anything. He did it to save my life. Otherwise, I would have gone to someone else- who probably would have made me a slave. I mean, he saved me and gave me something special I would have never had in my time.
I still could not help but feel that something was holding me back, though. But, right now, I was not feeling that.
Jonah looked down at me with a smile and then he slowly leaned down towards me. I could feel his breath on my lips as he paused and whispered, “Emilia... I’m going to kiss you now. Is that fine?”
My eyes were wide, glancing between his lips and his eyes. His eyes were so blue. Almost like water that was so blue, it was like water one could see through.
I licked my dry lips as I glanced at his. They were so plump and he had a Cupid’s bow. I loved Cupid’s bows.
When I glanced back up to his eyes, they were now glowing gold as he stared at my lips and his voice came out husky, “Forget it. I need to kiss you now.”
Then I felt my whole world shift.
As his lips touched mine I felt tingles and sparks, not just where we touched but across my whole body. I gasped and he took the opportunity to deepen our kiss.
It was nothing I had ever felt before and it ended almost as quickly as it began when the door to the buggy suddenly opened and Jonah growled. I gasped, panting to catch my breath, as I pulled away to Marcus laughing.
In between laughing gasps, he said, “Hey Em, can you breathe okay?”
He bent over, holding his sides as he kept laughing until a snarling Jonah yanked him by the shirt and snarled, “Why have you bothered us?”
Quickly Marcus put up his hands and said, “Woah- Woah, boss. I was just coming to inform you and our Luna that we are coming up on the outer boundary of the pack.”
Jonah quickly let him go and any sign of what had just happened between us was gone. Which I was glad for because I did not know how to process it.
Jonah quickly seemed to step back into Alpha mode, “Have their outer guards met us? We should wait until they escort us further into their territory.”
Nodding, Marcus said, “Already on it, Alpha. They met us and suggested you two stay in the buggy with the Luna until we get to their pack’s house. I think it’s just because they have a human Luna as well and they don’t want to inconvenience us.”
Jonah nodded and said, “Very well. I trust they would not do anything with you and Alpha Tyler out there. But I trust you to protect your Luna at all costs.”
Marcus seemed to bow his head slightly and said seriously, “Of course I will.”
Then, when Marcus turned to shut the door again, Jonah growled, “Oh, and Marcus... if you ever seem to barge in on us without knocking again... and laugh at my mate while she is gasping because I kissed her senseless- I’ll collar and leash you. Literally.”
Marcus laughed and I gasped, smacking Jonah’s shoulder while blushing. Then Marcus said a quick “Yes Alpha” and shut the door.
Facing Jonah I was embarrassed and fuming, “Really? You had to say that?”
Jonah, looking almost smug, shrugged and said, “It’s true.”
I blushed and faced away from him in embarrassment for the rest of the ride. But I couldn’t help but replay the kiss in my head the entire time.
When I heard shouting and lots of noise outside I straightened and looked out the window. There were tent-like structures set up everywhere and people in clothes that I recognized. But there were even more people than from the plane.
I gasped and jumped out of the buggy, leaving a growling Jonah to grab my hand and follow me. Glancing at him, I asked, “Why are there so many people?”
Jonah glanced around in confusion and suddenly three men and a woman walked up to us.
Marcus suddenly appeared on the other side of me, while Tyler was on the other side of Jonah with another man.
Jonah was the first to speak, introducing him, then I and Marcus. Then Tyler introduced him and the man with him, someone called a Delta.
Finally, the man spoke to us, “Hello Alpha Jonah, Luna Emilia, Alpha Tyler... I am Alpha Eric and this is my Luna Ana, as well as my Beta and Delta. Welcome to my pack. Let us settle down inside and I will debrief you all.”
The three of them walked away, with us following. Then we approached what looked like it used to be a plantation building. One of the ones that were beautiful but gigantic. But you could tell it was old, though well-maintained.
Eric spoke over his shoulder, “This is our pack house. We had so many people come, we could not possibly fit everyone in here. So, we basically made it off limits except for things like the restroom and infirmary. That’s why you see all the makeshift living quarters around.”
When we approached a room, Marcus quickly talked to some men I remembered from our wait by the bonfire, and Tyler’s Delta did the same. The men looked like they stood guard outside as we went in. After everyone was seated, except Marcus and Tyler’s Delta who were standing in the corner, Eric continued to talk as his Luna passed around drinks and snacks.
I smiled gratefully at her and practically inhaled the snack as Eric said, “So, apparently her plane was near the border of Old Louisiana. Which, as luck would have it, was significantly close to a territory. One of the plane’s searchers must have encountered the territory because when we got there, many of the injured were being loaded up. They had yet to take anyone back to their land yet. So, after talking to them- and the girl hearing your name, Luna Emilia- we managed to convince them to let us bring everyone here. However, they were insistent on coming as well. Which is why there are so many people outside.”
Jonah spoke up while holding my hand, “And where is their Alpha? I’d assume he would be here.”
“Ah, well, you see, everything had happened so quickly and their alpha had not been at the crash. But they are coming here as we speak. The tents outside are for the survivors, their pack, and your packs. Right now, I am concerned with having space for everyone. Especially once word spreads to other packs. But, I hope that once each pack arrives and either finds their mate or does not, they will leave once rested. This is the only way to have space and, quite frankly, the only way to prevent any territorial disputes.”
Jonah nodded and said, “I thank you for your hospitality and help, Alpha Eric. I can assure you most of my pack will return to our territory once everyone has had a chance to check for their mate. However, as you can probably understand, I would like for my mate and I to stay with some protection until she is ready. These are essentially her people.”
Eric nodded and then Alpha Tyler was also thanking him when the door barbed open and everyone flew up.
Tyler’s Delta was suddenly in front of him, while Marcus jumped in front of Jonah who was holding me behind him. On the other side of the table, was a much similar situation. At least until I peaked around and saw who it was.
Pushing around Jonah I yelled, “Clarisse!”
She squealed and ran to me, practically slamming into me while hugging me. If it had not been the hand steadying me on my back, from Jonah, I may have fallen.
I hugged her back and said, “I was so worried about you! You will not believe what happened!”
While she simultaneously said, “Oh my god, werewolves are real! I was walking for so long, being eaten alive by mosquitoes, and came across a wolf who became a man! A hot, naked man! And then, at the plane crash, more of them showed up and they started mentioning you!”
I laughed and shook my head. As much as I was concerned for her, she seemed to have had better luck than I had.
I also remembered her personality was kind of intense in a ‘way too happy’ kind of way.
I smiled and stared at her, “We need to catch up so much! But first, I guess I need to introduce you to everyone!”
Which took a while and we had some issues when she gave a flirty smile to Jonah, which caused me to get irritated. I never knew I was the jealous/possessive type, much to Jonah’s delight and Marcus’s amusement.
But that was fine once she knew he was my mate and we knew that if she had a mate, he was not in this room. Poor Marcus. Poor Tyler.
Apparently, she knew everything I did about the shifters and mates. Maybe even more.
I smiled, as we all sat down with me holding Jonah’s hand. Everyone in the room seemed to be captivated by our stories as we told them to each other and caught up except for maybe Jonah who was 50/50 considering half of my story was me being kidnapped and auctioned off.
But, as I looked around at the other men’s faces, I knew our stories gave them hope. Hope for a mate, for a family, for a future. Maybe it was the slight romantic in me, but I was now starting to hope I could also help them.
When did I develop such a hero complex?