Basically, I Hate You

THIRTY

The guest suite had been straightened up since I was last there. The bed was perfectly made and everything I'd left strewn around was sitting neatly on the chair against the wall. Clearly there was a cleaning crew and I wished I knew who they were so I could thank them for all we'd put them through since my arrival.

"I'm gonna shower. You cool?" Kohl asked as he walked towards his dresser and grabbed his clothes. He quirked a thick eyebrow as he waited for my answer.

"Yeah, go ahead."

He nodded and walked into the bathroom. I listened to the soothing sounds of the shower as I perched on the edge of the bed. I had no clue how my life had gotten to this point. Less than a month ago I was a completely different person living life with a completely different cast of people. I never imagined how thoroughly one night would change my whole life. Staring into space I thought about nothing and everything for what felt like a long time.

"Luxor!" I snapped out of my daydream and found myself looking at a freshly showered Kohl. He looked downright edible. But, he was like ice cream to a lactose intolerant. Nice in theory, but in practice will fuck up your whole day.

"Yeah?"

"I've been calling your name for a solid minute."

"Sorry. What's up?"

"Nothing, just wanted to let you know the bathroom's all yours."

I rose from the bed and languidly walked over to my bag. I grabbed a t-shirt, shorts and a pair of comfortable panties as I walked into the bathroom. At least this time I can wear my own clothes.

Shutting the door I stripped down, placing my clothes on the sink. I turned the dial nearly fully to hot and slipped inside the shower. The temperature was scalding which was perfect, anything to distract myself from what the next day held. It felt like it was going to be some big showcase of 'the future Luna' and I was terrified.

Beyond the obvious thoughts about failure and humiliation I was also wary of succeeding. I liked the fact that when I walked into the room I barely got any attention. As it stood, I blended in. After a formal introduction to the pack as their Luna, that would change. And, the whole thing was a farce. I was a fraud. I had no intention of being the Luna that this pack wanted, a dedicated mate to their Alpha who loved him and bore his children. A Luna who nurtured the pack members as some kind of surrogate mother figure. Please. I was freshly eighteen and my life was in shambles. What kind of advice could I possibly have to give? I knew nothing about running a pack, I barely knew the common terminology and werewolf lore. Neither failure nor success appealed to me in the given situation.

After I'd scrubbed my skin raw washing under the hot water, I stepped out and toweled off dressing myself like a zombie. I raked a brush through my hair and teeth and gathered my laundry bringing it back into the room. Kohl was lying in the bed, already under the covers, his attention on the phone in his hands.

I placed my dirty clothes on top of the bag I had sitting on the chair, folded in a neat pile. Tentatively, I approached the bed, heart racing. It wasn't the idea of sleeping in a bed with Kohl, I'd done that already. It was the memory of what happened the last time I slept with him. I didn't want to embarrass myself like that again, especially given the tone of the night. Last time I'd been having crazy thoughts of entertaining Kohl in a more...biblical way. Sober minded I nearly gagged. But who's to reason with my mind-or Aurora-when in such a state. Just as I was about to lay down I had a thought.

Phone! I have a phone.

I jumped up from the bed like I'd just won the lottery. I ran over to my old clothes and peeled my phone out of my pocket. Waking it up I saw that I had some missed notifications. My heart leapt at Drue's name. Instead of getting back into bed I stood there, too anxious to move without seeing what he'd written.