The Luna

Eighteen

"My birth pack," Malachi adds, his eyes sweeping the town with a soft nostalgia and I wonder what exactly he's seeing.

Does he see the same fairytale streets that I am? The soft cottages with vine-covered lattice along the sides? Or is he only seeing the differences? I imagine, depending on how long he has been gone and working with the council, that things aren't exactly the way they were when he left.

"Must have been amazing growing up in such a beautiful place," Malachi just nods to my statement, eyes focused ahead as he pulls up in front of a rather large house. It's only two stories tall, but it's long, stretched out with at least a dozen windows on each side of the large wooden door.

"Keep the hood up and your head down until I say," Malachi tugs the hood further down until I can barely see past the fabric, a slight (what I think is supposed to be comforting) smile on his face as he opens the door.

Wolves begin to move out from around the sides of the house, cautious in their steps as they watch us. Fear freezes me in place, safely in the car as the wolves eye the hooded figure rounding the hood.

Malachi stops and removes his hood, turning to face the wolves who have begun to get defensive. Immediately, their stances change to one of calm. Clearly, they recognize him, but that doesn't calm my nerves much.

"I apologize for if I scared you all by not warning that I was coming," Malachi speaks clearly, hands raised in small surrender, "But I come on urgent business from the council, where is your Alpha?" his tone is all business and I am partly confused and partly impressed by his professionalism.

But this is his pack, his family and friends, why is he being so formal about it?

The wolves retreat, leaving just three facing Malachi, as a small dark brown-haired woman pops up in the doorway. Her hair is pulled into a high ponytail that swings with her movements as her blue eyes take in Malachi standing there.

"Hey, Harp," Malachi drops his hands, opening them to the woman who breathes a sigh of relief before running into his arms and hugging him.

I can see the woman's mouth moving but can't hear what she's saying from inside the car. So I look around the house. There had been so many wolves before but aside from the three, they have all but disappeared. Or at least they disappeared from sight. The thought that they could be lurking in the trees, watching me, is enough to have me sliding down in my seat, holding the hood tightly.

Malachi says something to the woman, who runs inside the house, leaving the front door open. He stands in front of my door, his eyes looking through the dark glass before he straightens his shoulders and opens my door.

"Remember, Little Red, head down," he offers his hand and closes the door behind me.

His palm rests between my shoulder blades again as he guides me into the house through the open door. My eyes focus on my shoes, on how dirty they have become just from this latest journey. Which seems entirely impossible given the fact that I spent most of it in the car.

Light wooden floors enter my sight and I worry that my dirty shoes are going to scuff or dirty the neatly polished look. But he said to keep my head down and I'm scared to find out what happens if I don't listen.

"Malachi, what a surprise," a deep male voice says before a pair of black Adidas appears, "You should have called, I'd have arranged dinner," the distinct sound of male hugging can be heard, the light slaps on the back as iconic as the high five.

"Sorry about that, Jax, but council business is need-to-know and you didn't need to know until I was here," I can hear the tease in Malachi's voice, and I wonder if his cousin can or if they've been apart too long to be able to tell. "Speaking of, we need to talk business. Get the guys and well, Emily and Harper wouldn't hurt to have around either. Office or conference room?"