Untamed

Chapter 69

Chapter 69

"Can you please just open up the door?" Jace begged.

I was hyperventilating on the bathroom floor. Breathing had become harder as the hours drew closer and closer to what felt like my impending doom.

"Please? I just need to know you're ok."

I pulled out of my curved ball, craving his comfort, and reached up to unlock the door. Jace instantly threw the door open, and kneeled down beside me.

"Are you ok?" He asked, rubbing my back in reassuring circles.

"I can't... I can't do this," I whispered.

"It won't be that bad."

But it will, I thought to myself.

Jace's father was planning a mass barbecue for the pack to meet their future luna, and to celebrate my awakening yesterday. To me it sounded more like "let's get to meet, and fake kind small talk with a bunch of people who had made it their mission to either kill, capture, or torment me just a month ago". I understand his father's thinking, get to the know the pack I will have to rule one day, but it was so much harder than that for me. It wasn't like they were all strangers to me. Some of them had been the reasoning behind many of the scars left on my body.

I couldn't even have a normal conversation with Alpha Steffen, who insisted to put everything in the past and call him Nolan. I struggled with it, but saw how much it would mean to Jace. So I gritted my teeth and spoke to Jace's father. Asking me to act as if nothing had ever happened was a hell of a lot harder. For both Alpha Steffen, excuse me Nolan, and the pack itself.

"Of course you can do this. I'll be there the entire time," Jace reassured.

"I know, but it's not you I'm worried about," I whispered with my head on my knees still.

"It's our pack, isn't it?" He asked.

I winced internally when he said our, but decided not to comment.

"I realize this must be really hard on you, but it will have to happen some day. You will be in charge of this pack's well- fair along with me."

"Are you trying to encourage me to go downstairs, or keep me locked in here the rest of my life?" I asked.

"Sorry. I know you are having hard time with the idea of ruling over this pack. They did horrible things to you. I also did. They are just as nervous as you are though. Everyone is anxious about the way they had treated you, which is driving their wolves insane. They want to only be loyal and kind to a future luna. It's against everything in them to harm her, but they did unknowingly. They are nervous their future luna will hold this against them for the rest of their lives. Tonight will hopefully be a fresh start for everyone. You forgave me," Jace kissed my temple.

"So forgive them," he begged, lips brushing against my head.

I leaned back against the wall, and tucked my legs to sit cross legged with my belly right between my legs. I rubbed my belly, feeling a calm wash over me. Jace sat patiently with me. My mind swimming with his words. Then, as if in response to my touch I felt a flutter, almost like a fish swimming against my uterus. I jumped, letting out a small startled scream at the unexpected movement.