Flight 118: A Woman’s Future

Two Days Later

“Emilia!” I heard my name being called and I walked faster up the stairs into the Pack-house.

Don’t get me wrong, I love how everyone has been so nice and welcoming to me. All of the humans from the plane crash see me as their savior and their sort of spokesperson to the shifters. All of the shifters treat me like I am a queen. Which is not as great as it seems.

If they think they have done something to upset or irritate me, they ask for punishment. If I ask for something they don’t have, they get a panicked and scared look on their faces as they scramble around trying to do something to appease me. They even take it upon themselves to make sure I am never alone, looking at me like I was the mythical creature who crashed into their lives to personally save them.

I sort of understood it all. Like, I get Jonah wanting some of his- I guess our- pack with me at all times. I mean, we are still on this strange territory of another pack with many different packs and men still visiting.

All of our single pack members had shown up early yesterday and half of them left early today, with Marcus leading them. So, at times, Jonah was a bit overprotective. But really? Between the presidential-like position the humans seemed to have put me in, the almost angelic or royal position the shifters have put me in, and the fact I’m basically never alone... yeah, I kept walking.

What made it worse, though, was that I understood how I have come to change their lives and give them hope. But none of them really saw me. They saw what I had done, how I could help them, and who they wanted to see.

I sped up as I heard my name again, this time from another voice.

Due to the fact Jonah is a visiting Alpha and I am one of the very rare Luna’s of the world we had been gifted with one of the rooms in the Pack-house. For the time being, it was the only place I could escape to. Which meant, I just had to make it up the stairs and they couldn’t get to me.

They were allowed inside to use the restrooms, kitchen, and some of the common areas. But they should know by now not to go upstairs.

You could work your way around ‘getting lost’ and going to the wrong place downstairs but not upstairs. They have all been here long enough to know by now- them having been here almost four days now.

Almost there, I thought to myself when I heard my name getting louder as I started up the stairs.

I’m childish, I know. But when you become an extroverted introvert who has basically not been left alone for 125 years, then come talk to me.

I am at my limit.

Yea, I may have been a recently graduated college student who just wrote a bestseller novel. But that does not mean I liked people, socializing, or socializing with people.

College, for me, was not a big socializing scene. I had friends. Well, more like acquaintances I would sometimes hang out with. Many times they would try to get me to go out to the bars with them or go to fraternity parties. I tried. I really did. But those are not my scene.

Alcohol? Tastes gross, is expensive, and is something you’d have to keep up with all night long while there was most likely no place to put it.

Being sweaty and being pushed up against bodies- and usually having to pay for it? Was that even sanitary?

Food? Nonexistent. Not that I would try any of it.

Games? Boring if there were any.

Having to dress up to go out and be miserable? I don’t know why anyone enjoyed it.

Standing up and/or walking for hours, most likely in heels? It’s so not worth the pain I’d already be feeling the next day.

Music? Well, that was about the only thing I enjoyed and most of the time it was either too loud or something I did not know.

When I said I did not enjoy going out, I was not joking. As I said, I did try. I would go to some frat parties or the bars downtown. I would get dressed up and try to pretend I was anything other than miserable. But very quickly it became too much and I could no longer bother with it. Heck, who am I kidding? I didn’t even last those times. I would get water, yes water, and go and sit down in some corner that I could find until I had any semblance of energy to find my friends. Then I would still end up leaving early.

When you were surrounded by people who place fun over school, and who would go out half the nights of the week, there was only so much compromising one could do.

I mean, why couldn’t we just go to a movie or dinner? Clearly I did not fit into the world of partying and having fun that society dictated as college.

I would have much rather been at home by myself, watching a movie in pajamas. The fact I wrote a novel should be clue enough. Not only that, but I also wrote the novel under an alias. I valued my privacy and alone time.

Heck, the big trip I planned to travel around the world- which was the reason why I was on a plane- was even being done by myself. For the most part.

Oh no. It sounds like they are not stopping, I thought to myself as I cleared the top of the stairs. Jonah and I’s room was on the fourth floor. No way I could make it up there before they caught up.

Running down the hallway a little I just grabbed a random doorknob and ducked into a room, quietly shutting the door behind me. Panting against the door, I finally lifted my eyes to see the room and... I was in a closet.

Wow, just my luck.

I pulled away from the door, wondering to myself if the coast was clear when it flew open and shut faster than I could see what had happened or who had entered. But the sudden charge of the air around me and the raising of the hair on my arms and neck told me.

“Jonah,” I said in an attempt to sound irritated but it ended up coming out too breathlessly for my liking. “Were you the one calling me and chasing me? You could have told me instead of making me run and panic.”

A low chuckle came from him through the darkness as warm, thick arms came around my waist and his head buried into my neck.

I shivered at the tingles from his proximity and touches, and the heat from his mouth on my neck. “No, Mine. I came looking for you after sensing your irritation and desperation, then saw the people vying for the attention of my little savior.”

I huffed and crossed my arms between our bodies. The past couple of days he and I have gotten along much better. At least in private. We have both seemed to open up more to each other and become more comfortable with each other.

It probably helped that we were staying in the same room. Apparently, no one would even consider me being in a different room than him.

At first, I had planned on him sleeping on the ground but that did not even last two hours. I wasn’t going to make him sleep on the ground when the bed was big. Besides, in his arms, I found the best sleep I had ever had.

Gosh. When did I become so cheesy? I shook my head to clear it and focus back on the conversation.

“I hate this. I don’t mean to ignore them or anything, but they don’t treat Clarisse like this and technically she got help first! She’d be more than happy to talk to all of them. I just want to breathe without someone thanking me for saving their life or looking up and seeing I’m being watched by literal puppy-dog eyes across the room.”

My body vibrated and I shivered again as a growl tore from his chest and Jonah’s head flew up, “Who was staring at you?”

Did he just snarl?

I shook my head and laughed in exasperation, “Oh hush. Everyone watches me and you know it. You also know it’s harmless.”

He grumbled, “It doesn’t mean I have to like it. Especially if he’s our pack. But I’ll ignore it. For now. We should get out of this box and get going. I need to eat and tomorrow we are supposed to be welcoming the first of the international packs. So, we will be meeting with Eric either later tonight or early tomorrow.”

Apparently, despite the drastic lack of modern resources and transportation, packs from around the world have been able to plan a trip here- and fast. No one has told me how exactly. But I plan on getting answers. Eventually. Tomorrow, though, we will be having our first packs from Mexico. In another three days we are supposed to be getting our first packs from Canada.

Yea, like I said. Fast.

Shaking my head I took his hand as we left the closet and said, “Can we just get our food and take it to our room? I really meant what I said. I just want to have some privacy. We can go and watch a movie.”

Yeah, you heard that right. The world is falling apart and so many modern amenities have become nonexistent. Even the important ones. But, leave it to men to find a way to keep things working like TVs and DVD players.

Jonah looked over at me with a gentle look in his eyes and smiled lightly, “Of course, mine. No one means to upset or overwhelm you. But if that is what my mate wants then that is what my mate will get.”

I rolled my eyes at his cheesy statement and mumbled something about puppy-dog eyes, sweet talk, and annoying nicknames.

Arms quickly wrapped under my legs and swung me up into his arms as he huffed like a dog and said, “I heard that. Just like I heard you earlier. Don’t call us that. We are NOT puppies or dogs.” He spat the last words with disgust.

I laughed as I wrapped my arms around his neck to hold on, “Oh? And why exactly would I stop calling you that?”

He grinned mischievously down at me, “Well, I’d say I would make us stay down here for dinner if you didn’t, but I already promised you we wouldn’t. SO, how about, I’ll think up another name to call you so I’m not always calling you mine. Even if you are mine. You’ll have more than one name I can use interchangeably.”

I pretended to think about it and smiled a wide smile, “Deal.”

We sealed it with a kiss that lit me on fire from within, seeming to start where our lips touched and spread.

I quickly pulled away when we walked into the room full of people, shifters and humans alike. They all started cheering or calling out jokes about us.

My head began to pound slightly as I made Jonah sit me back down on the ground. I do not really understand how everyone could cram into the dining areas so much.

I stood there awkwardly as Jonah walked away, not knowing what to do as I waited for the line at the food table to get smaller. I really did not want to talk to anyone.

But I did not need to worry because Jonah, being the very thoughtful and kind man I was discovering him to be, had gone to skip the line and get us food. He had done this the past few nights, claiming it as his Alpha status. But right now, I was so grateful I did not argue.

I quickly took my plate from his hand and then grabbed his newly freed hand with mine, dragging him up the stairs to my reprieve.