The Young Luna novel Chapter 36

Chapter 36

......

.......

.........

"I imagine this wasn't how you planned to spend your seventeenth birthday" Chris commented, as dawn began to break.

"Not really" I sighed, leaning my head on Chris's shoulder. He put his arm around me as I soberly glanced at the door – hoping, and praying, that Seth was going to come through any minute. "Are you sure you don't want to get some sleep?" I asked Chris, eager to change the subject.

"I'll head home once Alpha Zev comes back" he replied. Chris had gotten through his first shift quickly and uneventfully, before we'd hidden inside the guest house and waited for my mate. Morning was almost here and yet I hadn't slept since arriving back at my birth Pack – it felt like years since this trip had started.

"You can call him Seth you know" I said.

"Nah, it doesn't seem right. He may be your mate, but he's still the most powerful Alpha in the country. He's just never going to be a 'Seth' to me" Chris shrugged. Silence fell between us and I could feel Chris's glance on me. He was desperate to cheer me up since I'd slipped into my foul mood. "Why don't you tell me what you had planned to do on your birthday? If you were back with the Equinox Pack?" he suggested.

I shrugged, "hadn't thought about it too much".

"That's a lie" he snorted.

"Yeah" I admitted, shooting him a momentarily smile. "Alright, I'll save you all the mate details. But, let's just say that Seth would take the morning off and we'd spend it together. Most of it in bed, but he'd also make me breakfast – probably something that is bland but he'll think it tastes good because he has an awful palate and even worse cooking abilities. Then maybe I would see my friends, or do some shooting, before going out for dinner with Seth".

"Sounds nice".

"Doesn't matter, ain't happening now, is it?" I deadpanned. Yes, I was in a shitty mood but it was my seventeenth birthday and it wasn't going how I wanted to go. Chris couldn't get me out of my mood, no matter his words of comfort, but luckily he was saved when Seth returned a few hours later.

"Seth" I exclaimed, jumping from the couch and into his arms. His arms quickly compressed me against his body with almost desperation. "What happened? Did you kill Rafa? What happened to the girls? Why are they even here?" I fired my questions at him without taking a breath.

Seth looked down at me, the bags under his eyes almost as large as mine. He offered me a small smile, almost sad, as he ran a finger over my cheek in adoration. "All that matters is that you're alright".

"Fuck does it. I want to know what happened" I demanded, pulling from his embrace and glaring at my mate.

"Later, Mabel. It's your birthday, I don't want anything to ruin your day" Seth sighed. I frowned up at him, he looked stressed and tired. For the first time since I met Seth, he actually looked his age. It threw me off for a few moments, so I just stayed blankly up at him.

It was Chris who broke the spell, "I'll take my leave".

Seth glanced up at Chris, "thank you for having Mabel's back". He nodded respectfully at my best friend.

"She's family" he shrugged nonchalant. He said another quick 'happy birthday' wish to me, before leaving to get some well needed sleep and recovery.

"He Shifted?" Seth asked me in shock.

"Yes" I nodded, "but never mind Chris. I don't care if it's my birthday, I want to...no...I need to know what happened".

"Later" he mumbled in reply. He headed up the stairs and I quickly followed him. I hounded him the entire time, but he simply ignored me. "We should get at least an hour or two of sleep" he said, cutting through my incessant questioning.

.

.

.