The Defiant Luna
Chapter 26

Jay-la POV

Jay-la saw her grandmother and mother on the first floor landing along with a big bulky man, knew it wasn’t Alpha Austin but had to be his man. She didn’t know him, smiled at them. It had been a very long time since she had seen her grandmother. Got a big hug from her and then saw all the children look at her.

Watched all three of them stand and look at her, then tilt their heads in the exact same manner at the same time, they could feel that family bond kicking in and she knew it. “I’m Clara your nanna, your Grandmother’s mother.” She told them.

“You’re not old enough for that.” Lilly stared up at her.

“Yes I am. We wolves don’t age like humans do, though some of us do, not all of us.”

“How old are you?” Lilly asked right back.

Clara chuckled softly “Oh, you’re very bold to ask a woman her age. But I’m nearly eighty now.”

“No way.” All three of them exclaimed together, she hardly looked a day older than Vera herself.

“Yes way.” She mimicked them right back, and saw the children laugh at her.

They all headed up the stairs, she wasn’t exactly sure of what Nathan expected of her today. Nathan had only told her Alpha Austin was coming, not how he wanted her to behave. But Jackson had told her that Alpha Austin would be watching their interactions as well as talking to them.

She sat down next to Nathan, knew it was where she was supposed to sit, knew that if Kora was awake, it was where she would be made to sit, because Kora would want to be next to him.

After yesterday afternoon and this morning in the shower and she knew that was all Nathan, Havoc had been sleeping. He’d assured her of that. She had also really looked at him and Havoc had not been there, that she could sense, it hadn’t been that she didn’t exactly believe him. It was more that she didn’t think she could handle his beasts’ needs again. That he’d been fully turned on as well and asking permission to have her.

He’d only chuckled at her, not taken offense to her asking or peering at him, seemed to know what she was doing or maybe even thinking “It’s just you and me Jay-la.” His hands had been gentle and he’d kissed her long and slow and she’d melted right into him, knowing he wanted her, that it wasn’t his wolf pushing his needs at him.

Had slid her arms up around his neck and pulled herself up to take him for herself, no wolves, just her and her need to have him, and his to have her. She’d actually felt that he, Nathan himself, did want her. Had heard him g***n as she wrapped her legs around him, as he’d placed his hands against the wall and let her ride him how she wanted to. Her needs had built quickly for him, just like they had always done all those years ago, she had gasped his name and m****d ‘please’ and he’d known what she’d meant, pressed her up against the wall and taken control, picked up the pace and given her exactly what she’d wanted all-hard and fast till she had been crying out for him in o****m.

It had been just like the old days, her and him alone, neither of their wolves involved. It was still so damn good. Better even, with their Mate Bond in tact heightening everything. The way he had kissed her afterwards, so hungry and demanding, she’d known he’d wanted more to have her again and it hadn’t taken long for his hands to start touching her once more.

She’d had to say no, she was actually tired, had to swat him away, but had smiled as she’d done so. Gotten a playful little growl out of him, but he’d not pulled her back into their bed. Though she got the distinct feeling that if the children hadn’t been out there waiting to go to breakfast or were still sleeping, he would have.

She would also still be asleep right this minute if that had been the case. He had always been able to exhaust her, seems nothing had changed in that matter. She had to shake those thoughts off before it woke Kora up.

It had been a long time since she had seen Alpha Austin, not since she was a little girl, he hadn’t changed much from her memory. Tall and imposing, to say the least, he had those dark stormy grey eyes and a very genuine smile, that always reached his eyes. Though she was not going to discuss anything in front of the children. They did not need to remember that.

He understood and simply let it go, but she could only smirk at Nathan’s concerns about the children sitting drinking hot chocolate, which made her realise that he had learned and very quickly so. Nearly laughed along with his entire Unit when they heard her speak of the children throwing up on him, likely he was never going to live that one down.

Then Havoc was awake and purring so damned loudly at her, that it raised Kora’s head and she yawned. Jay-la felt happiness roll off of her wolf as she looked at Nathan and could hear her Mate purring for them. Then she just lay back down and closed her eyes once more. It was just her today, Kora was going to sleep, it seemed. She found it fun to watch Nathan try and quieten his beast. He had told her Havoc liked just looking at her and he was right this minute. Those brilliant green eyes were glowing at her, she could see them flickering as Nathan tried to take back control, didn’t look like he was winning.

Felt him touch her mind and then chortle as he sensed Kora was sleeping, seemed happy to have sated her completely, saw his hand reach out and touch her, slid through her hair, blinked when Havoc leaned over and kissed her, it was soft and gentle ‘TIl sate you to, he’ll not get a say.

‘Havoc.’ She gasped ‘I don’t think

I am yours to Jay-la. I will not hurt you.’ Then he was gone from her mind and she saw Nathan shake his head.

“Sorry.” He murmured. She knew he was apologising for Havoc’s words, not his actions.

“It’s alright.” She wasn’t going to bring that up in front of

everyone.

“Not to interrupt.” It was Alpha Austin. “But I see your wolf is awake

Nathan.”

“Mm, and his first thoughts are a little naughty.” He nodded.

“I got that.” Austin smirked “It is good to see you two are getting along, I had some real concerns, though I will stay for a few days to make sure.”

“Stay as long as your like.” Nathan told him.

“I will do just that. I am still going to want to talk to Jay-la alone.”

“Why alone?” she questioned.

“Mates can feel very differently, when not in the vicinity of each other.

This close to Nathan you’re drawn to him, on the other side of the pack away from him, you’ll act differently and say things that will show me your true feelings. So you and I Jay-la, we will walk at some point. A nice stroll around the pack, you me and my Gamma and he will pick up on your true feelings, even if you try to hide them.”

She was frowning at him now, heard a slight growl come from Nathan and knew it was Havoc, put a hand on him without looking at him, slid it down his arm to find his hand. Skin on skin would be better to calm his beast.

“I’m not certain why you would care to do that? But I will not be leaving.

I will not separate Kora from her Mate, not ever. She loves him and I know Havoc loves her. I also don’t think it is wise to tick him off with thoughts like that.” She’d heard about his temper and from more than one.

“I can handle his beast Jay-la. I’m not here for him, only for you and your welfare after..”

“No.” she cut him off “That is not going to be discussed right this minute. I already told you why, respect it.”

Saw him staring right at her, didn’t like her tone, she gathered, he’d also seen the way she’d reached out to touch Havoc, how he’d settled which he had. He was no longer growling and had receded. Likely placated by not just her touch but by her words, that she was never going to take Kora away from him and she wouldn’t.

It might take time for her and Nathan and her fears to be way laid, but this morning had been all him, and she did feel that he wanted her and she’d not really felt that until now. Havoc had always been there with him when they’d been together. Pushing his needs at Nathan, but not this morning. This morning had been different and she felt different, right this minute herself, about the man sitting next to her. She was not so confused when she thought about him.

“What you and your wolf feel, could be two very different things.” Alpha Austin stated as he stared at her, his eyes were narrowed on her, he was trying to feel her out or read her. He was very lucky she thought, that Kora was asleep, she knew Kora would take serious issue with his words. Mostly because they were true, though what he thought he was going to do about it she didn’t know.

He couldn’t make her reject Nathan and there was no way in hell, Kora was going to let her voice those words out loud, not after finally coming home to their pack and being Mated to the father of her pups.

She stood up before Kora woke up and got angry, she didn’t want her wolf displaying her will to fight. “Thank you for your concern. I do appreciate it. I truly do, but I will not be letting you dictate what I do.” Turned to look at Nathan, she could see why he was so concerned with Alpha Austin being here now.

“I need to go see and speak with Rae-Rae, will you watch the children?”

“Of course, I will.” He smiled up at her.

She smiled right back at him, then just leaned down and kissed him softly on the mouth “We’ll pick up that thought from this morning a little later.” She murmured “Yours not Havoc’s.” she added and saw him smile, then pointed right at him “You in there, behave yourself.” She told Havoc, heard him chuff at her and she walked around him only to get a firm whack to her backside and gasped, looked right at him and found Havoc looking right at her, smiled at him and then just shook her head, turned her eyes to the children “You lot behave for daddy?

And then she walked off. “Stephen please come with me.” She stated looking over at him “I need you for a conversation with Rae-Rae” Saw him get up “How is Suzy doing?” she asked as he joined her.

“They are all shaken up but settled in your apartment now.” He sighed”

I’d really like to go over there Jay-la.”

“I understand.” And she did. “I’ll discuss it with Nathan later tonight.”

They stepped into the elevator and the doors closed. She looked right at him, “Stephen, can his Gamma read me?”

“It is likely, though internally, you are a complete mess.”

“I know, there’s something else as well,” she sighed “I think Kora and I are sick.”

“You’re not sick Jay-la…but you are correct, there is something different about you and her. Darla got a full dose of it at the restaurant, Ethan has been holed up for days researching it.”

“Researching what? And is his Gamma going to pick it?”

“Only if it gets activated Jay-la, Nathan is going to talk to you about it, though…”

“Though?”

“You already know, Jodi and Vera were not surprised. You were not wrong in your assessment of yourselves. If that is activated and your fear is let loose, I doubt the man will cope, not many will, from my understanding.” heard him sigh “We only found out yesterday, the true nature of it. But we have known something was off since the incident at the restaurant.”|

“Hmm,” she thought about that, it had not been a good night for her or Kora for that matter. “I want to know what it is, how to fix it. if it can be fixed. How does he feel about it?”

“He’ll tell you all of that. I’m not willing to lose you to it, no one here is.”

She nodded, didn’t sound good, not willing to lose her to it.

“Is it at all

obvious to you?”

“No, I didn’t get any of that from you, I don’t. Though perhaps the day you ran from here, it was activated without Kora, I think we were all very lucky.”

“Tell Nathan, I want to know all of it.”

“I don’t have to, he’s already told those that need to know, and that he would be disclosing it to you this evening. Once the b***d results became official to him this morning.”

“Ah the sudden need for a b***d drive. I thought that was weird.”

“You weren’t the only one, I was with you when they were figuring it all out, so I didn’t know till later on, when you and Nathan were off having lunch.”

Jay-la nodded “I’d pick your brain but…”

“You want to hear it from him.” Stephen nodded “Do you want me there or close by?” he asked her.

She thought about that for a full minute as they got to Rae-Rae’s room.

“No, I don’t think I need that. Nathan’s touch can comfort me and Kora, if its bad, he should be enough to keep me calm.”

“Something is different between the two of you today.”

“You’re not wrong about that.” She nodded, felt his hand on her arm to still her, looked right at her and she shook her head “Bloody Gamma.” She murmured “if that drawl rolls out of you, I’ll punch you, I swear it.”

Heard him chuckle “You need me for?”

“To make sure that Rae-Rae is okay.” She sighed “She was innocent, I hear, deflowered by an Alpha Wolf.”

“So were you, I believe.” He nudged her with a grin.

“I wasn’t human.” She muttered “Had a better chance of handling it,

Alpha’s…are well..”

Saw him laugh now “That they are…but she is his Mate, and should be able to handle him.”

“I want to make sure she hasn’t come to me. Lauren will come and get her if Rae-Rae displays any unhappiness at all. Her family do not exactly approve of this quick marriage.”

“Fair enough.”

Jay-la could feel that Michael was in that room with Rae-Rae, used that Luna tether, she now had to everyone inside the pack to see if he was in there. Knocked on the door and waited, it took a full minute before the door opened and Michael appeared before her, not Rae-Rae.

She saw something like guilt pass across his face as his eyes landed right on her, and a little bit of fear as he registered Stephen standing to the left of her. Her eyes narrowed on him, before they passed into the room behind him, no Rae-Rae. “Out.” She snapped at him, her gut was telling her that something was wrong.

“Excuse me.” He shot right back at her.

“Michael, I want a private word with my little sister.” She told him, used the word sister just to remind him that Rae-Rae was considered her family.

“You can’t tell me to leave Jay-la.”

“Hmm,” she turned and looked right at Stephen “That’s a bit disrespectful, seeing as I am the Luna, correct Stephen.”

“It is my Luna.” He nodded “I’ll inform the Alpha and punishment will be dealt, severely so, I believe Havoc is awake right now.”

“Harshly so this time please.” She stated and turned back to Michael, felt Kora lift her head and push forward to peer at him and saw the man stiffen “Out.” She reiterated to him, even more harshly than before.

Saw him glare at her and felt Kora bristle heard Stephen growl and felt his Gamma Aura roll out of him “You will move aside for the Luna, or I will have Havoc down here in less than a minute. Do you really want to be dealing with your brother’s beast?”

Saw him step out of the room and she walked in, followed by Stephen, who shut the door, she turned and looked right at him, then giggled and he chuckled “I see you still like to play games.”

“That was fun.” Stephen laughed “I also believe Nathan and Jackson got him real good this morning too. Poor bastard doesn’t know which way to jump.”

She snorted with amusement, “Is that why he told me about them?” She felt Kora take a breath in, an frowned ‘I smell b***d.

“Stephen?” she questioned him.

“I smell it, not fresh though.”

“Rae-Rae?” Jay-la called out for her, and got no answer, frowned that can’t be good, walked through the suite to the bedroom and found her sitting in the middle of the bed, looked a bit nervous and confused. She was sitting with full pyjama’s on and the bed sheets pulled tightly around her.

‘Something is wrong.’ Stephen sighed down the mind-link to her, She’s scared and confused…has pain.

Jay-la sat on the bed and looked at her. “Rae-Rae, what’s the matter?”

She saw her finally look up at her and tears spilled down her face, “I, he

..I don’t understand why he would do that.”

“Do what Rae-Rae?” She asked

“He said he was sorry but…”

‘Oh he’s a dead man Stephen’ She shot down the mind-link.

‘I got him, heading at speed up stairs.

“But?”

“He he bit me, and it really hurt, still hurt.. don’t..why would he?” She was clearly very confused, and still in pain, that was not normal.

Heard Stephen take a breath in and knew why.

“Show me.” Jay-la asked softly, trying to keep all the anger from her voice and expression. It was less than a week till the full moon. Saw Rae-Rae move her pyjama collar and nearly snarled at the bite mark on her mark spot. It looked fresh only a few hours old, and she could still see the b***d congealed on the surface of the skin. There, however, was no silver filagree on her neck.

“Jay-la may I?”

She nodded a bite with no filigree, not a full bite, not Marked though it was likely it had been very bloody close to it. Saw Stephen lean over and look right at it, saw him probe the area, and watched as Rae-Rae flinched. It was painful for her. “I will have to inform the boss in an official capacity Jay-la.” She already knew why, the mark was half realised and that was why it was causing Rae-Rae pain. It was not complete.

“Oh, I will do that myself.” She grated out, looked right at Rae-Rae “I’m sorry he did this to you. Michael is going to get into trouble Rae-Rae and a lot of it, this is not on.”

Saw her nod slowly “Who just bites someone so hard?”

“Jay-la, she needs to go to the pack hospital, for b***d tests.”

“Agreed.” She nodded up at him and stood up. They both knew that a half-realised bite over the full moon could well kill Rae-Rae. He was going to have to Mark and Mate her fully before then, if Rae-Rae would now allow it. She was not happy at all. “Rae-Rae,” she looked at her.” Stephen here is going to take you to the hospital for some b***d test alright.” Saw her nod

Looked at Stephen and muttered “I will deal with Michael, where is he?”

Saw him smirk “Ran to his mother it seemed, Luna.”