Blood Rose

20

I returned to Fox's office and angrily walked in, making my presence known. First of all, Striker was twenty-five years old? He barely looks eighteen for dirt's sake!

"She's fifteen?" Fox furrowed his eyebrows at my statement and I stared Striker dead in the eyes. "You're twenty-five?" He physically cringed at the sound of the truth and sighed.

"To be fair she's almost sixteen."

"She's fifteen?" Fox looked at us dumbfounded but we ignored him.

"And I don't control how old my mate is or how much of an age gap there is. You're lucky that your age difference isn't too bad."

"Three years is nothing." Fox scoffed but we still ignored his comments.

"I'm not the one pairing her up with a thirty five year old either! Would you prefer she gets married off to a man twenty years older than her or one that's a decade older?" Striker added to his defense.

"What do you think? You! I'm just confused as to how you never mentioned you were twenty-five, that's so old."

"Well gee thanks, grandpa over here will just go find his hourly pills and maybe take a few extra this time." We watched silently as he left the room and disappeared into the bathroom.

"He never told me she was only fifteen. She looks at least twenty." Fox shrugged before turning back to his work.

"You never told me the fae was actually becoming a serious issue." I crossed my arms and he held up his hands for a few seconds before continuing writing, not sparing me a glance.

"Like I said before-"

"It's not my job, blah blah. But if I'm going to be assuring our pack that they're fine and we'll all be okay then I need to know what I'm lying about."

"Naomi-"

"No Fox, stop." He looked up at me with a fierce look that would send any normal pack member on their hands and knees, head pointed at the floor. "I may be a Luna that doesn't need to get involved in potential war issues, but that doesn't mean I'm only that." He continued to look at me with his fierce fiery eyes but I didn't waver my stare. "I was trained like an Alpha for my whole life just so I wouldn't be one of those vulnerable girls about to get her head snapped. I'm not as clueless as the usual Luna; I know things about war and how to treat a potential threat. I'm offering possible help and an extra brain to think things through fully which you'd normally need. I'm not asking because I want to know the gossip, I'm asking what's going on to help. Take it or leave it; however, one choice will just prevent you from getting laid." I turned sharply on my heels and left the room, nearly running into Striker that stood at the doorway with wide eyes.

I quickly moved into my room and locked the door, hoping he wouldn't come through the connecting door of our rooms. With a deep sigh I fell back on my bed with my arms above my head and stared at the ceiling. Did I really have to say that last comment? That's kind of embarrassing.

But really, Fox didn't need to be an asshole about the whole thing. He was acting like just because I was a girl I was of less power, even though I was technically the same place on the title scale. If I want him to see me as knowledgeable like I actually am I was going to have to slap him with sense so he could open his damn ears and start listening to me.

•

The Luna ceremony was tomorrow, and I felt time ticking away. Fox and I only had until tomorrow afternoon to mate, and currently we were spending time together to try and spark something. I was worried we were going to be rushed into mating and the whole point of it would be ruined, but what could I do?