-Raven-
I walked back into the living room and found Nat patiently waiting or me.
"Sorry." I apologized.
When Ryland had reached out earlier through our shared mind link Nat and I had been planning our presenting party. She noticed I was distracted and I filled her in.
"No worries, did Ryland say if it was good news?"
I nodded, "yeah, looks like the council is going to let me stay thanks to mate...of course Dad's coming back with them."
She nodded now and sighed heavily now, "I'll have to inform Charles, he'll be on edge and i'm sure my in-laws won't be too thrilled either..." She said more to herself than anything else before she smiled at me, "Of course for Royce they'd do just about anything."
"Nat." I spoke up now. "Ryland wants to look for a place of his own when he gets back...He said it has nothing to do with me, but do you think he feels like this is all happening too fast?"
She gave me a soft smile, "Sweetheart, finding your mate is always sort of fast, and Ryland seems like a pretty straightforward sort of guy so if he says it's nothing against you then take him at his word...try and see things from his perspective...can't exactly be easy for the guy living in his mate's brothers pack house, not being able to just openly show you affection without offending Royce who is also his best friend and Alpha no less."
I nodded, "It's going to suck if he moves out...i'll be here by myself."
"You could move in with Charles and I."
I smiled but shook my head, "Thank you Nat but I don't think so...I know I could also move in with Royce and Lex but I couldn't do that either...I know I'm just pouting about him leaving..."
"I'm sure once he gets his place and gets settled in you will spend so much time over there that you'll hardly notice he's even gone...and he's our Beta...he'll be lingering around here all the time still...plus, isn't he your assigned personal chauffer?"
"Yeah and I'm honestly shocked Royce hasn't dismissed him of that duty." She had made me feel so much better. "You're right, and thanks Nat, you don't know how much you've helped me."
"Eh it's nothing...lets table the rest of this planning for now...I have to go and find my mate and convince him not to kill Royce's company." She said as she rolled her eyes but smiled and winked at me after.
"Hey Lexi." Nat said as she was walking out of the packhouse and Alexia was walking in.
I gave her a hug and she held up some keys..."Thought we could grab dinner, just the two of us."
"Hell yeah, let me grab my purse."
We took off shortly after to a place that Alexia assured me had great food.
"Have you talked to Royce." I asked a little cautiously. I knew Royce was trying to be a good Alpha by tending to pack matters but he wasn't being a great Mate by keeping Alexia out of the loop.
"Yeah he called this morning, told me he had a meeting this evening but hopefully he'd be home soon ...you talk to Ry?"
"Yeah...He was stressing earlier...-" I admitted with a sigh before she cut in.
"About what?"
I knew she was digging for answers, and if my brother wasn't going to fill her in then she'd settle for secondhand info from me via Ryland.
I sighed, "Well I'm not sure about their whole trip away, I only really know bits and pieces" I added to ease her tension about being left out. "...But today Ryland mentioned that the council members were coming to discuss if I'd be allowed to stay in this pack or have to sent back to Silver Junction...For a while there it wasn't looking too good and Ryland was worried about me leaving." I confessed, "He said if I had to go then he would go with me...which of course would've put the pack back to not having a Beta."
"I can't believe Royce didn't tell me this!" She sounded angrily, also she sounded hurt to be finding out the info so late.
I nodded, "T-there's more...Apparently my dad had to come over to speak on the benefit of my staying here versus me having to go back with him."
"You're Father is here too?!" She sighed and shook her head. "The Highfields are going to have a field day with that."
The food arrived at the table and we began eating but I could tell she was keeping from saying something as a thick tension grew around us.
"Lex...I'm sorry you had to find this stuff out through me, but if you'd just talk withRoyce, let him know that he needs to open up to you about these things."
Her eyes were a little glossy, "I know...I feel like he just thinks he's going to overwhelm me with the pack business, I do have Luna Duties, and the wedding planning, but I don't think I'd ever be too busy to help my mate where I could...even if it's just someone to talk to..."
She stopped talking momentarily before ranting on.
"I mean...How do I get him to see that this is OUR pack not HIS pack, we are a team and I think I have every right to know if people are potentiall being rejected from our pack, or potentially losing our pack Beta, or inviting a visiting Alpha to our pack where I as the Luna will have to find a suitable place befitting your father's position and rank, while trying to maintain the peace between the Highfields and hopefully war won't ensue on our packlands."
Royce was doing what he thought was right by trying to keep her from being overhelmed and stressing...but all he ended up doing was stressing her out and overwhelming her with even more to do.
"You have to tell him that." I said softly as I pat her hand. "With the wedding coming up do you really want to have a marriage where your partner isn't exactly acting like a partner...I know my brother loves you and I know he's fully capable of opening up to you, just remind him that you are not only his mate but also our Luna and that not only do you need to know everything but that you want to help him with everything."
We continued our dinner with the lingering confusion of their relationship still hanging in the air.
