Beloved

17

Gaia was still sleeping when their friends came to visit after school let out for the day.

Dante had dozed for half an hour, then gently extricated himself from her side to stretch and use the toilet. Then he picked up a book and laid down with her again. He set his book down when the door opened and his beta led Gaia's friends and his gamma into the room. He wasn't surprised to see Colton holding hands with Darla.

He was surprised to see Brent and Heather follow everyone in. The couple stayed near the door. Heather's attitude was clear on her face and body language as she openly glowered at Gaia in his arms. Brent just looked annoyed and bored, his hands shoved in his pockets, but he tilted his chin Dante's way in greeting.

Darla whispered in disappointment, "Aww, she's asleep?"

Dante nodded, "Yeah, her wolf came through pretty early this morning." He watched her and Lucas veer toward the seats across from the couch.

"She's a strong little nugget, isn't she?" Colton scooped Darla in his arms, then sat in the seat, settling her on his lap. Randal stood beside the chair Lucas claimed and crossed his arms.

"Eating and sleeping are going to be her main activities these next few months until her physiology catches up to her wolf," Randal informed them.

Lucas asked, "When will she be able to leave the hospital?"

"The doctor says tomorrow."

"Did you meet her wolf," Colton asked.

Dante nodded again, a small smile tugging the corners of his mouth, "Yeah, I did." He felt Gaia's breathing change and knew she was waking.

"So you're really doing this? You're really just forgetting all about Angelica?," Heather demanded loudly. "She's waiting for you to rescue her."

Brent rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath.

Dante glanced at Colton and Randal, noting obvious signs of exhaustion and annoyance he understood she may have been hounding the others into action since Friday, and she likely wasn't the only one. Despite the efforts of his parents. And here, in this moment, it was up to him to knock Heather down a few pegs before she riled Cordut into action.

"Angelica's with her mate, Brittany. Damian's an honorable wolf and a good man, also one of my best friends. She doesn't require rescuing. She's the future luna of Glenwood River pack," Dante said. His gaze shifted to Gaia stretching and yawning in his arms.

Heather sneered, "She doesn't want him. She wants you! And you chose each other, remember?"

"Angelica will accept her mate, though she'll fight it a bit first," Gaia said, yawning, a sleepy smile gracing her lips when Dante helped her sit up and wrap his arm around her.

"You're awake," Darla and Lucas squealed.

Gaia's smile grew when she noticed her friends, "Hey there, yeah, I'm awake for now. Darla, you and Colton are mates? That's wonderful! I'm so happy for you."

"Congratulations Colton and Darla," Dante said.

"I've been waiting since Monday morning to tell you." Darla turned to smile at Colton, a blush gracing her cheeks when he pecked a kiss on her nose.

"Yeah, Colton came to our lockers and face planted on her neck," Lucas chuckled. "You were supposed to be the last one, Gaia, not me."

"You'll find your mate soon, Lucas," Gaia assured him. "And so will you, Randal."

"Yeah, in a month," Lucas and Randal announced together. They looked at each other and laughed, bumping fists with each other.

"That's it? You really aren't going after her? She's counting on you and you're leaving her high and dry?"

"I'm not worried for Angelica, no, she's in good hands, and like Gaia says, she'll come around to accepting Damian in time."

"No, she won't! She will never accept him! She's in love with you, Dante," Brittany glared at Gaia. "We need to get her back!"

"Heather, I'm not retrieving Angelica, and my decision is not up for debate. Any further discussion of it will be considered a threat to my mate. If you can't accept, then I suggest you leave."

Heather crossed her arms with a huff, "Angelica's going to be hearing about this."

Dante shrugged. "Okay."

Glancing nervously between the alpha and the head cheerleader, Lucas asked, "What's your wolf like, G?"

"Gaia's wolf is a handmaiden, but we'd like to keep her identity to ourselves until the mating ceremony," Dante said. He knew everyone in the room was less likely to spread delicate information if he delivered it.

"But you know which manifestation she is," Randal said.

"Yes, we know who she is," Gaia assured him.

"I bet she's a healer," Colton said, "No offense Gaia, you are not a warrior."

"No offense taken, Colton," Gaia said with a chuckle.

"I can't believe you're just going to accept that pathetic little weakling. Just like that. You're throwing away gold for dirt. What kind of alpha are you?"

Cordut pushed forward, locking eyes with the head cheerleader. He tightened his hold on Gaia, who put her hand to his chest. Dante wrestled Cordut back, but it took a great deal of effort.

Heather's breath hitched when she realized she had prodded Dante's beast. She took a step back, but she held his cold gaze, relaxing minutely when she saw Dante retake control.

"The goddess gifts mates according to the temperament of the individual and the needs of their pack. Weak alphas, weak packs, packs with numerous enemies, or times of war require warrior Lunas by their side. Have you knowledge of enemies to this pack you are withholding from me?"

Heather shook her head, whispering, "No."

"Perhaps you're suggesting I'm weak."

Again Heather shook her head, "No, alpha." Her gaze dropped.

"Yet you insist the goddess' gift to me is in error. What do you hope to gain with this defiance?"

"I want my friend back!" Brittany stamped her foot.

"She's still your friend. She mated into an ally pack, our neighbor. You can visit her at any time. You can transfer to live over there if you really want to, I'll arrange it. But that's not what you want, is it. No, what you want is the prestige and perks that come with being a long-time friend to the luna of the hybrid alpha.

"Instead of trying to gain a friend in Gaia, my luna, you're trying to coerce me into a war with one of my best friends and our pack's ally, which is an act of treason."

Heather's gasp of horror resounded in the otherwise stilled room. Brent grabbed her shoulders, quietly demanding if she understood, now.

Gaia lifted her hand to Dante's cheek, and when his eyes met hers she imperceptibly shook her head, mouthing his name, imploring him with her eyes.

"My mate is gentle and would not have you punished for your transgression against her," Dante shifted his gaze back to Heather, "Don't ever threaten my mate again, Heather . My wolf is extremely protective of our mate, and he won't hesitate to kill anyone who harms her."

Tears streaming down her cheeks, Heather shook her head in abject disbelief, then turned on her heel and scurried out of the room.

Brent watched her with a loud sigh, then faced Dante, saying, "I'm sorry. I'll talk with her," before leaving the room after Heather .

The room was quiet for some minutes after the head warrior left the room.

Dante pressed his lips against Gaia's head, breathing in her scent. She rolled her lips between her teeth, her hands fidgeting with the silk tie of her robe.

Colton said, "Um, your dad asked me and Randal to pick up your textbooks and return them to the school."

"Yeah, they're stacked over there. I assume Brittany isn't the only one at school you guys have been dealing with?"

Colton said, "She's not the only-"

Lucas said, "Colton mating Darla has calmed some of it down."

"Yeah, but everyone's complaining that ours is going to be the weakest pack, and it's not just the students," Randal said. "So if Gaia's wolf being a handmaiden is your trump card, you may want to think about exposing her sooner than later."

Dante grumbled under his breath, but Gaia studied the faces in front of her and blurted, "My wolf is Gray-star."

Randal's eyes nearly popped out of his head, his jaw working as though trying to voice words his tongue refused to form. The others nervously exchanged glances.

Dante whipped his head to frown at his mate, unhappy she would expose herself after the dangers his father had warned them of. "Gaia!"

"Dante, these are our friends, and your beta and gamma. They are fighting for us and protecting us. They have the right to know."

Randal dropped to one knee, holding his right fist over his heart, and bowing his head, attracting the attention of the others.

"It is my honor to serve the goddess' beloved as my luna, I swear on my faith I will never willingly cause harm to my luna, I promise to protect the life and honor of my luna with tooth and claw, and spill the blood of any who would harm her. I am from here forward, her servant."

Dante tilted his head, studying his friend, "Randal-"

"The secrecy of your identity is safe with me."

Darla said, "I'm very confused right now. Would someone please tell me why Randal just swore fealty to my best friend?"

"Sure." Randal stood and gave a brief synopsis of Gray-star's position in the shifter pantheon.

Colton said, "The goddess' beloved, eh? That explains a lot."

"Hahah, Colton was right, you are a healer," Darla grinned. She kissed her mate's cheek.

Gaia smiled, nodding at him, "Yep, he was right."

"She's not only a healer, but the one wolf all shifters must protect," Lucas mused. His eyes locked onto Dante as he asked, "Does this mean she won't attend training?"

"No. She won't be attending training from here on out," Dante affirmed.

Gaia snapped her eyes to her mate, asking, "What? Why not?"

"If you were a normal wolf you wouldn't attend training over the next several months anyways because all your energy is catching your physiology up to accommodate your wolf, but yours is the handmaiden everyone must protect, so it doesn't really make sense for you to be at training."

"All shifter kind must protect. That leaves out a few species. Like humans and vampires."

Dante's brow arched. "You're not a warrior."

"She doesn't have to be a warrior against a human," Darla pointed out, "she just needs the rank level she's currently at."

Lucas playfully swatted Darla's arm, "It's their first spat, don't be meddling."

"There's no need for you to continue training, when you aren't meant to fight. As your mate, I will protect you."

"And I just swore an oath to protect you with my life, so," Randal gave her a look meant to convey the end of the conversation.

Gaia slumped with defeat. "I don't want to be treated differently."

"You don't want to be the outsider again," Lucas murmured.

Dante groaned, but pulled Gaia onto his lap to hold her against his chest, wrapping his arms around her and burying his nose in her hair. "Gaia, we're going to be having the mating ceremony in a few months and everyone in our pack and our allies in the area will know who your wolf is, and believe me, no one will think you should be at training after they know who your wolf is and what she represents."

"Yeah, if everything Randal just said about your wolf is true, then I don't want you at training," Colton confirmed, "it's not your place. Your wolf is meant for something no other wolf can do, something bigger than any of us can imagine, that training won't prepare you for. You just concentrate on preparing for your first shift, and let us support you."

Gaia wanted to pout, but her stomach chose that moment to growl. Loudly.

"Ugh, I just ate."

Dante snorted a chuckled. "You ate three hours ago. Do you want the burrito, or something else?"

"Let's order pizzas," Colton suggested. The others agreed they could also eat.

"Hand me my phone," Dante said.