6. In the Hallway

Demi

I hadno idea what I was doing.

When it came to lovers, I was always smart. Sex was business. Emotions were messy, and a waste of time. But I couldn't stop thinking about last night. The way Max's rock-hard body moved, and the way he made the bar-maid gasp. At that moment, I was beyond jealous, and I still didn't understand why.

I didn't want Max.

He simply wasn't mine, and I was okay with that. I had plenty of other things to do with my life, and fucking a co-worker wasn't one of them.

But then why was I so happy to find out he was single?

"You have one? Not even a casual lover?" I asked, looking up at the sexy alpha. His eyes narrowed, giving me a very heated look. I realized I could make out the faint outline of his iris in his bad eye. It was so white, looking deep into my soul. It immediately made my nipples hard, and my wolf pace. She was as restless as I was.

"Not even a casual lover," Max's voice slipped into a sexy growl. It made goose bumps flash up my sides and down my arms.

"I find that hard to believe," I whispered, forcing the alpha to lean in a bit closer to hear me. His sweet, oak scent flooded my senses. My goodness, he smelled divine.

"How about you?" Max asked in a low, gravelly voice. "Do you have a man in your life?"

"Actually, I don't." I inched a little closer, hoping he'd scent me. "It's such a shame, too. I have so many lovely dresses but nowhere to wear them." I smoothed my hands over my red gown. It was one of my favorites, delicate but heavy. The long sash along the middle was the only thing holding it together, making the frock very easy to discard. Why did I wear it?

Did I expect something to happen?

Did I want something to happen?

What the hell was wrong with me?

"Demi?" Max whispered my name. "Are you okay?"

I quickly realized I was frowning, and I forced a smile. "I'm okay." I tried to sound carefree and happy, but even I could hear how off I sounded.

"Hey." Max reached out, ghosting his hand over the side of my arm. For the briefest of moments, I thought he was going to touch me, but he didn't. "I know this is scary." He glanced at the bedroom door, and shame washed over me.

I completely forgot about Calia.

In all my shameful flirting, I forgot about the most important person in my life.

What kind of servant let their libido override their sense of duty? A pathetic one.

Then, the bedroom door swung open, making me jump. Johns glanced up and down the hall, before settling his attention on me. "The Luna would like to see you."

Max and I both rushed past the healer, and my heart seized up.

Calia sat in the center of the bed with Davon by her side. He held her close, scenting the top of her head. I wished I could see her face to know what she was feeling. She was crying—I could smell the tears—but a thousand other aromas filled the room. Joy, sadness, fear, and panic. It all swirled around me, making my chest hurt.

"Davon!" Kade's booming voice entered the room before he did. The older alpha looked panicked as he assessed the room. His eyes settled on Calia and deep worry etched between his brows. "I just heard." He glanced at the doorway as Florence rushed into the room. "Is the Luna okay?"

"Actually." A slow, spreading smile lifted Davon's lips as he motioned for Max to shut the door. He waited for it to cluck shut, then he said, "The Luna is expecting."

My mouth fell open as Calia slowly lifted her head. Tears streaked her beaming face. I had never seen her smile like that. It was pure joy.

"Really?" I clasped my hands under my chin and my wolf yipped with excitement.

"Really." Calia laughed, her eyes filled with the happiest of tears. It took everything in me not to bounce across the room and wrap her up in my arms.

"Oh my." Florence let out a joyful chuckle, falling back into Davon's office chair. He looked like someone had knocked the wind out of him, and he loved it.

"It's very early." Davon looked at Healer Johns, and the beta quickly nodded. "I don't want anyone outside of this room to know." The Pack Alpha looked at each and every one of us. Florence was still smiling like a fool at Calia, while Max and Kade looked dignified and proud. Their matching expressions made me want to laugh.

"Will you tell your mother?" Kade asked, instantly shifting the mood in the room.

I had only met Davon's mother a handful of times. She was sickly, on the verge of death, but she had been like that for years. Honestly, all the service staff were shocked she was still alive.

"I haven't decided yet," Davon said with a pained sigh.

My eyes met Calia's, and we both scrunched up our noses, trying to lighten the tension in the room. She had a lot of feelings about Davon's mother and his horrible upbringing, but she rarely said them out loud. After all, the she-alpha was dying. There was no sense in upsetting anyone with silly things like facts and emotions.

"I have a few restrictions for the Luna." Johns ripped a piece of paper out of a notebook. I hadn't even realized he was writing. "Some of these are suggestions, but a few are requirements." He held up the paper, and Max held out his hand, taking it from him.

Florence immediately stood, inching closer to Max. He stared at the paper, his long fingers twitching. I kept expecting him to snatch it out of the alpha's hand.

"Calia will follow every rule." Davon gave his mate a firm look. Calia smiled back at him, but she didn't agree. Hell, she didn't even nod.

I could only imagine the battle of wills going on through their bond.

A slip of envy cut through me, and my wolf raised her head. She wanted that. A mate that loved and adored me. Someone who would protect me even when I made horrible decisions or fought them at every turn. My damn beast was nuts. I didn't need a mate. I just needed to get laid.

My eyes drifted to Max, and my heart quickened.

I had never been a shy girl, but there was something about that alpha that made me feel…flustered.

"Where are you going?" Florence jumped up, racing to Calia's bedside.

"I need to use the washroom," she whined annoyed. Johns wanted her in bed until her fever passed. The order had led to many tense words between the omega and pretty much everyone else, but at least we had managed to keep her in her bedroom.

Davon wanted to stay and watch over her, but Kade reminded him of an important appointment with the leader of the orcs. The Pack Alpha eventually peeled himself away from his mate, scenting the top of her head many times. It was sweet to see his reluctance.

"Max," Calia said to the guard as Florence guided her to the bathroom. "Will you open the balcony doors? It's too hot in here."

"Of course, My Lady," Max bowed low.

I immediately thought of the book on my bedside table. I had just finished the chapter on Call and Response. It had all kinds of guidelines for interacting with Pack Alphas, their Lunas, and their pups. The rules were endless, including bowing after every command and every praise. I wondered if Max had read something similar.

"Where did you study?" I asked the alpha as he secured the balcony door. The spring breeze felt amazing across my face.

"Study?" he asked with a curious lilt. "I'm trained by Casin's guard, and I did my required patrols along the northern border. Is that what you mean?"

"No." I followed him onto the balcony. "I mean, where did you learn how to be a Luna's guard? How do you know what to say and what to do?"

"I attended an academy in Vaesen." Max scanned the garden below, looking everywhere from the pond to my tiny cottage in the tree line. I was sure he was looking for threats, but all I could see were his enormous thighs flexing in his very snug pants.

The alpha's ass was tight and his shoulders were broad. Then images of his glorious cock sprang into the front of my mind. His velvety skin and the thick veins. The way the bar-maid begged for it, then whimpered from it being too big.

I could have taken every beautiful inch.

"Where did you go to school?" Max glanced into the bedroom, before settling his intense gaze on me.

He honestly didn't look any different, but at the same time he was a completely new man to my wolf. She yipped and roared, urging me to touch him. She wanted his wolf to love and adore her.

Then, without any reason, Max"s eyes flashed red, and all sense fell from my head.

I launched myself across the balcony and into the alpha's arms.