Bonded

Chapter 34

After her soak, Rebecca put on a pair of navy blue leggings, a matching tank top, and slipped a long camel colored oversized cardigan over her shoulders. Earlier in the week, she had spent several hours and several thousand dollars shopping for new clothes. So far, she enjoyed all of her choices. She threw her wet hair up into a messy knot on top of her head and started for the kitchen intent on ordering her lunch. Exiting the bedroom, she stopped short. In the center of the kitchen stood a tall, ebony skinned woman. Her head was shaved completely bald. Her facial features were small and placed close together on her face. She reminded Rebecca of a child's drawing of the man in the moon. She had a ballet dancer's body. Long neck. Long arms. Long legs. She wore a bright pink tank top and a pair of linen overalls covered with colorful embroidery and her feet were bare. Placed on her head was a wreath of multicolored flowers.

"Umm... Hello?" Rebecca wasn't sure if the woman was supposed to be in Greyson's apartment or not.

"Hi! I'm Bunny!" The woman gave Rebecca the most dazzling smile she had ever seen.

"Bunny?" Rebecca was certain she had heard her wrong. Was this werewolf actually named after a small, furry, woodland creature?

Bunny made an annoyed sound before launching into an explanation. "I know, I know, a werewolf named Bunny. Crazy, right? Bunny is just a nickname though. My actual name is Beatrice, well, Beatrice 'Bunny' Tamar Ford Wilson of the Rudd Line. My parents wanted me to have a family name and we have a Beatrice or two in our line so when my mother popped me out, I was named Beatrice but my cousin couldn't say it so then I was dubbed Bunny and it has stuck ever since. I guess it is a little late to change it now, right? Anyway, I can see from the glazed look in your eyes that I am rambling. I have a tendency to do that. To get me to stop, just wave a hand or punch me in the arm or something. I won't take it personally."

Rebecca was in awe of the pace of Bunny's speech. "Bunny?"

"Yes?" Bunny tilted her head to the side in anticipation of Rebecca's question.

"Who are you?"

"Oh! I'm Trick's mate."

Realization dawned on Rebecca and she relaxed a fraction. "And Greyson asked Patrick to ask you to come to check on me?" She should have known better than to think that Greyson would leave her completely alone for three hours.

"Trick said that the Alpha said you were a smart one." Bunny nodded her head in approval. "Yup. Hence, me coming in here and scaring the wits out of you in order to check on you. Officially, I am here to welcome you to the Pack House but I think Greyson was a little worried about you and wanted me to make sure you were doing alright. I'm sure you would have been fine, but when the Alpha asks you to do something you do it." Bunny shrugged her narrow shoulders. "Plus, I have been dying to meet you. I love Alpha Carmichael and I was so happy when Trick said he found his mate. He has been waiting for you for so long. And don't take it personally that he asked me to check up on you. Male wolves can be a bit protective of their mates... especially Alphas and your mate is definitely an Alpha. When Trick came home after meeting Grey for the first time, he said, Bunny, the boy is an Alpha if I've ever met one. And after all the tests and the training, here he is, Alpha Greyson Carmichael leading the biggest pack of wolves in the world. Well, at least as far as we know. Bottom line is, you are safe with him. He will protect you. An Alpha would do anything for his mate."

"Greyson has always been protective, but now he won't even let me out of the apartment... even with him." They had one argument about leaving after Rebecca wanted to go for a walk around the building. Greyson was firm in his refusal.

Bunny bobbed her head from side to side. "Typical. Not that I blame him, I mean, you're just so... teeny! Compared to most of the wolves around here you look miniature. I'm not surprised about Greyson though, Trick's right. I do want to wrap you in bubble wrap and put you in a cupboard. Maybe not bubble wrap, maybe a couple of blankets, tuck you in all nice and cozy like. "

Rebecca ignored the comment about her size. She was used to jokes about her height. The rest of the conversation, however, was where she got lost. Bunny's comment about wanting to wrap her in a blanket really threw her. "I don't know what you mean."

"Didn't Grey tell you? Apparently, you have some quality that makes wolves very protective of you. I'm really impressed that Grey let you out of his sight. Like ever. Trick said he felt protective of you. Like you were his kid sister or something. I really just want to wrap you up and keep you someplace safe. Like a little doll!"

Rebecca fought the urge to be offended. "No. I don't believe that Greyson mentioned that particular quality." She rolled her shoulders as a very familiar tightness returned. "Is this something that happens a great deal?"

"I've never heard of it before." She shrugged. "Then again, I was never very good in school. I was always too busy talking with my friends to pay attention to the teacher. I got in trouble a lot. I'm sure that comes as a shock to you, but it's true! Teachers hated me! Maybe it is a human thing? Although, I've never spent a lot of time around humans. Just when we go to town, but it isn't like I have human friends. I have nothing against humans. Now. The old humans who tried to exterminate werewolves, not a fan of them. But you didn't have anything to do with that! I know a lot about humans too! Well, I watch a lot of human television. A lot of wolves don't like it, but I love it. I hope we become friends though! It would be awkward if we didn't – the Beta's mate and the Alpha's mate. We need to be in this together!"

"Bunny?" Rebecca was now, completely and totally lost in Bunny's torrent of words.

"Yes?" The amount of eagerness on Bunny's face nearly made Rebecca laugh out loud.

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Which part?"

"I am not familiar with those titles. Alphas and Betas? What are those? I am aware that Greyson is an Alpha but I was under the impression that it was a title that went with the job, like Vice President. I have not heard of a Beta." Rebecca clenched her hand into a fist. She felt the familiar sting of her nails in her palm. Admitting that she didn't know something in front of a stranger, it just wasn't done. At least not in the world she had become accustomed to. She couldn't even imagine what Bunny was thinking about her ignorance.

"Oh! Right, because, human! Duh!" Bunny smacked herself in the forehead. "Greyson didn't explain all of this to you? Maybe he wanted to ease you into all of it? Or maybe he was so worried about you that he forgot? Whichever!" She waved her hands around, dismissing the issue. "No worries. You've come to the right place! I can explain all of this to you! I'll be your WolfWiki! Or would it be WikiWolf? Wolfpedia! Oh, who knows!" More hand waving. "The important thing is that I can answer your question! Actually, I can probably answer almost any of your werewolf related questions! Why don't we head over to my place and we can eat lunch together while I answer your questions?"

Rebecca eyed her skeptically. "I assume that part of Greyson's plan was for you to make sure that I ate?"

Bunny winked at her. "Look at you, Nancy Drew! Yup, the Alpha scored himself one smart mate! Now come on, we live right across the hall."

Rebecca was hesitant to go. Never in her life would she trust someone she didn't know enough to follow them into their home, no matter who they claimed sent them. Her first instinct was to thank Bunny for stopping by but to politely decline the invitation. She was just about to do just that when she caught herself. This wasn't New York and Greyson had told her over and over that everyone here was like family. His family. How would it reflect on Greyson if she rejected an invitation out of hand? Summoning up her courage, Rebecca agreed to lunch across the hall.

"Yes, thank you. Lunch would be wonderful."