Chapter 55
Cheyenne’s POV
As I was walking back to the dining hall to meet with everyone, Jax and the others had caught up to me. Jax took one look at my hands and saw the map and furrowed his brows in confusion.
“You’ll see when we get there.” I smiled to which he just shrugged his shoulders and kept walking and then took a seat with the rest once we were back in the hall with everyone else.
“Can I have everyone’s attention please?!” I hollered out and everybody went quiet almost immediately.
“I have here, a map of the rooms and layout for this place. Everybody is going to double up and I will assign them a room. Now we can either do this like adults or I can treat yall like toddlers. Either yall pair yourselves up, and pairs must consist of one lycan and one wolf, or I start pairing you up myself.” I did expect some gripe about the pair condition but shockingly there was none. Everyone just looked around at each other until someone raised their hand.
“Yes, you in the back?” I pointed to the younger wolf would had his hand up.
“What if we have mates here? Can we pair with them?” He asked innocently.
“Shit. Good point. Didn’t think about that. If you and your mate are present, please wait till the end to be assigned a room and we will try to accommodate you but I cannot make any promises at this moment.” I said as sincerely as I could.
“It’s much appreciated!” He bowed his head and then sat down.
“Another thing, and this pertains to everyone here. Do not call me your highness, master, sire, basically anything to do with the Queen status. I am just like all of you. I grew up as an omega and that’s the way I am going to keep living my life. The only time any of that formal title shit will be even remotely tolerated, is during some formal events. Got it?” I said with a stern look in my eye so they all knew I was serious.
“I’m still calling you Princess.” I heard someone mumble from the front causing a few others to chuckle under their breath.
When I turned to look at who said it, I was not surprised. “Ben, as the next Alpha in line for your pack I’d really hate to have to kill you.” I said as sarcastically as I could. His pack erupted in laughter, even his own dad Alpha Nik got a good chuckle out of it.
“Next order of business, food. Anybody here know how to cook?” I laughed. “Hell, if you know how to cook some lunch for all these warriors, find a bunk mate, report to me, and then get your asses in the kitchen.” I threw my thumb over my shoulder pointing towards the kitchen area.
After I turned them loose, for lack of better term, I was happy to see the lycans and wolves actually going up to each other and talking. It didn’t take long for them to start coming up to me and giving me their names to pair up.
Gunner found his way over to my side of course and Jax was on my other side. I finally got to formally introduce them to each other.
“So, you’re the one who was pretending to be my mate’s mate.” First words out of Gunner’s mouth.
“So, you’re my pretend mate’s mate.” Jax responded as they shook hands and then started laughing at each other.
“I’ll be honest with you man, I wasn’t too happy about the idea but I understood why it was done. I also would like to thank you for taking care of her while she’s been here.” Gunner said.
“I knew you wouldn’t be happy. I even told her when we came up with the idea that if I was you that I wouldn’t like it. I am going to be honest and upfront here, but during that whole half day we had to play that game, the furthest it went was holding hands. I just want you to know that.” Jax said honestly.
Gunner looked at me and I nodded my head in agreement and I could see Gunner’s shoulders relax a little bit more.
“As far as taking care of her, starting to feel lucky that I’m not her mate. I’ve seen what she’s capable of and I don’t know if I could handle all that.” Jax laughed.
“I just gotta remember not to piss her off I guess.” Gunner shrugged and they both laughed again.
“You wanna know the fastest way to piss me off boys.” I smirked at them and both their faces dropped a little and when no one answered and I continued, “By not bringing me food! I’m starving!!!!!” I pouted.
The guys looked at each other and then both of them took off towards the kitchen leaving me laughing at the table. I continued to write down names of bunk mates, while looking at the map and writing the room numbers next to each pair.
It didn’t take long for them to bring me back a plate that was heaping over the edges. I actually looked back at the floor behind me to see if they left a trail of food. Shockingly there wasn’t and I patted both of them on their heads after they sat down and called them good boys before digging in.
After everyone ate I announced to the warriors that when I called their names to listen up and remember their room numbers. Pairing was pretty close as far as one lycan with one wolf. We had some wolves that were paired with each other but most of them were mates anyways.
“Now that you all have your rooms for the night, lycan’s please be good welcome guest and show the wolves were the shower rooms are. Feel free to take them on a tour if you want. If some of you have some pent-up energy from not fighting this morning, then take it to the training ground or weight room. Remember, we are all one here. No one is better than the other. If I hear of any issues between you, any of you, it will be me that you will answer to. Everybody understand?” Everybody answered yes in unison sending shivers down my spine and goosebumps down my arms.
Jax was paired with Ben and I felt sorry for Jax in that matchup. I told him to link me if he needed help, but he assured me that they would be fine. People started slowly filing out of the dining hall and eventually it was just Gunner and myself left.
“So, I’m guessing you’re my tour guide for the day?” Gunner asked with a smirk.
“Unfortunately.” I grumbled and then laughed at his reaction. “I’m just playing. Calm down. I’m going to shower and then probably take a nap till dinner. I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
“Why not? Think about me to much?” He asked with the cheesiest grin I’ve ever seen.
“Not exactly. Come on, I’ll explain along the way.” I nodded my head towards the doors.
As we walked towards my room I told him about Koda’s attempt to drag me out of bed. I could tell he was getting angry because his grip on my hand kept getting tighter and tighter. I started laughing and we stopped just outside my door and he was looking at me weird.
“Why would you laugh about that?” He asked.
“I’m not actually laughing at that. I’m laughing cause you’re about to break my fingers and I laugh at pain. To a certain extent I guess.” I shrugged.
“Oh, sorry about that.” Gunner looking down at our hands.
“It’s fine. I know you would never intentionally hurt me.” I said as I gave him a hug and I felt him lower his head and inhale my scent and then felt all his muscles relax. “Come on. Shower, then nap, then dinner.”
“What about after dinner?” Gunner said wiggling his eyebrows at me.
“Knock it off. I can’t fly back home if I’m knocked up!” I knew we would mate eventually but I just wasn’t ready. I mean we barely even know each other if you want to get technical.
I showed Gunner where the men’s shower room was and then headed for the women’s and by the time I made it back to my room he was already there waiting on me. I crawled into bed and patted the space next to me for him to come join me. I wasn’t about to make him sleep on the floor, although I’m sure he would’ve if I told him too.
It was weird at first. I have never shared a bed with anyone let alone a guy before. So, I rolled onto my side facing away from him when I felt his arm on top of me and then pull me towards him. After calming my mind down, I finally fell asleep. I knew I was tired but I still didn’t expect to fall asleep that fast.
The rest of the evening went almost perfectly. I woke up next to my mate completely rested, even it was only a couple hour nap. Everyone seemed to be getting along ok, so far. During dinner all the Alpha’s and the leaders of the lycans sat with me and we came up with a plan on how to get people back to the states. The only question was what to do with the prisoners.
“I heard the vamps are in town. We could leave them to fend off the vamps themselves.” One of the lycan leaders suggested.
“Are you serious? You would just leave your men like that to be slaughtered?” I asked in shock.
“I’ve seen worse.” He shrugged.
“It would be less cargo for the flight home.” Alpha Trent said.
“Let’s take a vote. Majority rules. Who thinks we should leave them?” I asked. Everybody’s hand raised. “Well that settles that then I guess.”
After dinner was done, I called for everyone’s attention and once it was all quiet I explained the plans to get them back home. Everyone would stay with their bunk mates because even though the lycans know this place, they don’t know the outside world. So, the lycans will be taken back to their bunkmate’s pack until they feel they are comfortable in the outside world and on their own. Of course, the Alphas also agreed that they could stay and become a member of their pack if they wished to do so.
The Alphas, lycan leaders and I all agreed to setup a meeting once we were all back home and settled to just check in with each other. More like a status report type of thing, and to address any issues that arise. We knew that the other alphas, especially those of smaller packs, would not be very keen on answering to a female but it is what it is now and it’s time that I just accepted it.
“What if a lycan find their mate and is in another pack?” Jax asked kind of quietly. I knew his backstory and immediately felt a tug at my heart.
“We will not deny that Jax. The mate bond is incredibly special to us as it is to you. You’re not the only one who’s been threw what you have. If that happens, we will address it then. The lycan leaders, alphas, and I will come up with a solution for that when we get back home.” I offered him a soft smile.