Chapter Twenty-Four

June

As I looked through the few outfits in my wardrobe, I realized I didn't have anything nice to wear. When I'd gone shopping for essentials, I was not expecting to be invited to dinner. I went with the two pieces I had that were plain black—a plain shirt and athletic pants. Hopefully, the black would make it look classy and understated and the shiny swish of the brand logo at my hip could be covered by the top.

What did Evander want with me? Was this really an alpha getting to know a new pack member, or was it something more sinister than that? The image of Evander's expression in Doc's office wasn't fading. Was he disappointed that Dom was okay?

Hopefully, I'd be able to pick out anything too suspicious at dinner. And what about Naomi? Everyone seemed worried about her, so it was hard to say what I would find when I met her.

A knock at my door. I rubbed my tired eyes and walked over, opening the painted green wood and finding Linda.

"Hi, there, June." Linda smiled. "Hannah took those bags to Carmine for you just a moment ago."

"Thanks." I gave a weak smile. "I'm glad to know they'll get there."

Linda leaned in the doorway with a mischievous smile. "So, dinner with Alpha. You must be excited."

"Yeah, I guess."

Linda closed her eyes and hugged her shoulders. "I remember the anticipation before my first shift. I could almost feel something between me and Bruce already. They say sometimes a really strong mated bond can feel it. I wonder if Alpha feels something for you, June."

A chill ran down my spine. The pit of my stomach suddenly dropped, and I was almost nauseated.

No. I couldn't be Evander's mate. Absolutely not.

"Do you . . . do you mean he doesn't always invite a new wolf for dinner?" I asked.

"He hasn't before, no," Linda said. "But we haven't really had anyone join that pack who was bitten since Evander became alpha. Oh, before I forget, I brought you something to wear."

"Um, I don't think I need to dress up too much," I said, raising my hands in front of me.

"Yes, b'y. Don't worry about it, dear. Evander asked me to lend you something." Linda picked up the paper bag at her feet and handed it to me.

My heart sank. "Thank you."

"Anytime. I'll see you tomorrow, have fun!" Linda winked and left.

After closing my door, I pulled the garment from the bag. I frowned at the beautiful blue halter dress in my hands. With a groan, I pulled my outfit off and slipped into the dress that was a bit racy for my tastes. The hem fell above my knee and the front dipped low enough to show plenty of cleavage. There was even a pair of matching sandals in the bag.

"Great," I muttered, looking in the mirror. Whatever Evander's game was, he was winning it. I was all dolled up for him now, and if I didn't get moving, I'd be late.

With a groan of frustration, I went out the door and downstairs. Linda was in the kitchen cooking dinner, and I hurried outside before she could stop me and comment on my appearance. As sweet as she was, she didn't have a clue how I felt about Evander, and had just made an already strenuous night about ten times worse.

My face was pink as I walked down the road, painfully aware that there were wolves that could see me in this outfit. It might have been the beginning of summer, but it wasn't all that different from back home. I'd seen several overcast days and familiar temperatures despite being on the other side of the continent, which meant I should have brought a sweater.

After a painfully long walk, and dragging my feet, I approached the pack house. Doc's house, the last one before I left the village proper, caught my eye. I glanced over at it, wondering if Dom was all right. Then I sucked in a breath as I noticed the big gray wolf in the window. Was it Dom? It had to be. Once I passed Doc's place and drew close to the pack house, I knew I couldn't avoid it any longer and squared my shoulders. At the door, I lifted my hand to reach for the handle when it swung open.

Alpha Evander was there with that smile of his. My question of whether he owned anything other than polo shirts was answered, as he was wearing a nicer button-up and black slacks.

"June, welcome to the pack house. Come on in," he said.

"Thanks," I mumbled, and followed him inside.

He closed the door behind me, and I followed him down a different hallway than the one I had visited before to get to his office. My nose twitched as I smelled something familiar, and it took a moment to place the scent of those candles that Linda used.

Anything I saw could be important, so I gave myself permission to observe everything carefully. The house was fairly clean but most likely unused. There didn't seem to be much life in it. Were Evander and Naomi the only ones here? The lightest coating of dust was settled on a few doorknobs.

As the hallway turned, we entered a big dining space. It would easily sit two dozen, and was filled with food, but the only one sitting at the lonely table was a woman in a dress that looked eerily similar to mine. She was the spitting image of her sister, with a slightly darker skin tone and longer hair, but it was still basically Amelia at the table.

"Hello," she said warmly. "Welcome to Moonpeak, I'm Naomi."

"June. Thank you for inviting me."

Like a patient on painkillers, she wasn't quite fully alert. Whatever was going on here, I'd bet it wasn't opioids, but something else. . . . The others were right to be concerned, Naomi was going through something here.

On the table, there was salad, a pot roast with potatoes and carrots, and warm, fresh sourdough bread with butter. Naomi sat next to the head of the table, and there were plates at the head and across from her already set up.

"Here, June. Have a seat across from Naomi." Evander pulled out a chair for me, and I took it. This would put us on either side of him. I hated the mirroring effect between Naomi and me, especially with the blue dresses.

"I'm glad you could join us." Evander smiled. "I look forward to getting to know one of the new wolves. How are you adjusting? Linda tells me you're learning fast."

Evander reached for a bottle of wine on the table against the wall behind him. He poured a drink for Naomi, then me, then himself. Naomi took his signal and stood, slicing the roast and putting portions on everyone's plates.

I tried to focus on answering Evander while observing Naomi. "It was a big shock at first, but lately I've gotten a little excited about it. I'll catch myself watching the wolves run and . . . well . . ."

Evander nodded, grinning. "You want to join us, don't you?"

"Yeah," I said. "I think I do."

He chuckled and reached over, taking a slice of bread. "I'm not surprised. You have about a week left. You can expect some more intense desires to pop up over the next few days."

"I don't know if I'm looking forward to that or not," I said.

"You'll be fine, June. I can already feel the wolf in you." Naomi gave a long pause, a faraway look, and then adjusted her vision to see me again. "Has anyone told you about your first shift?"

"Some," I answered. "Linda keeps saying I'll find out more the day before."

"She doesn't want to scare you," Evander said. "And she might be right. Your first shift can be intimidating."

I reached over and took a slice of the warm bread. My mouth watered as I slathered fresh butter on it. With food in my hand, I was ready to forget every other problem I was facing for a moment and bite into the sourdough. Oh. My. God. I could eat this every day.

"June," Evander said, pulling me from my warm bread euphoria. "Have you made any friends in the village yet?"

This sounded like one of those important questions with possibly wrong answers. I knew Evander didn't seem to care for Dom, so his probably shouldn't be the first name across my lips.

"I like Carmine," I said honestly. "I'll miss her when she goes back. And Linda and Hannah. I haven't gotten to know anyone else very well yet."

Evander nodded, smiling. Maybe I'd passed whatever test that was.

"You'll meet more when you can run with us," he said. "Take Naomi here. You haven't gotten to know each other, but she's a sweetheart, and I'm sure you'd get along. So caring, such a natural-born luna."

I caught movement on his side of the table. His arm clearly reached over to touch her leg or knee or something. Naomi blushed and looked down at her plate.

I cleared my throat, trying a bite of the roast. "Mmm, delicious. Who is the cook?"

It worked. Evander moved his arm, and his hand reappeared above the table to pick up his fork.

"One of the lovely ladies from the village cooks for the pack house. She comes, cooks, and then goes back to her own home," Evander answered. "You may have met Alice at the picnic? She usually makes several of the side dishes and can be found near the roasting pits."

I nodded. "Well, she does a great job."

"Yes, she does," Evander said, and we all turned to our meals for a few minutes of silence.

I ate, and damn did I enjoy it. But I also observed Evander and Naomi. He didn't move his hand below the table again, but he did shoot her several long glances that could have been that mind link stuff. Whatever he was doing obviously made her pause, uncomfortable. Or maybe comfortable, I couldn't tell. One minute she seemed to want to get away from him, and the next moment she was red in the face and breathing a little heavy. Was this some kind of animal heat thing? What weird thing was happening to her?

"Oh, June." Evander spoke up after a few minutes of eating. "Thank you for working with Doc. Do you have a background in medicine?"

I chewed the bite in my mouth and swallowed before answering. "Yes, actually. I'm studying to be a physical therapist. I'm already a certified assistant."

"How wonderful. Maybe it would be best to have you move near Doc and study full time as his apprentice," Evander said. "It would suit you to fall into company with good wolves in the pack. It would do well for your pack status as well."

"I'll have to think about it," I said carefully. "From what I'm told, I'll need to see what kind of wolf is in me first."

"Of course," Evander said, nodding. "Something to keep in mind, who you spend your time with."

Oh. So that's your game. You don't like me hanging around Dom and the others. Is it because you want them as isolated as possible? Or maybe you just want a naive new wolf in your pocket.

Naomi cleared her throat. "Evander, shall I bring out dessert?"

A quick glance at the table showed that we were all nearly done with our meals.

"Thank you, Naomi. Go ahead," Evander said.

"I can give you a hand," I offered, beginning to stand up.

"No, June. You're our guest," Evander said. "We wouldn't dream of it. Naomi, if you need help, I will assist you."

Naomi's eyes went wide. "No, I can get it. Alice made a pie, I can handle one plate."

So much for getting Naomi alone.

Instead of worrying about it right now, I focused on cleaning my plate and making space for pie. A good thing too. Naomi brought out a still-warm dish. The smell of apples and cinnamon hit my nose and made my mouth water.

"Who's ready for apple pie?" Naomi asked.

Obviously, everyone in their right mind was ready for apple pie. She cut three thick slices and served them. I eyed mine with anticipation, waiting for whatever cue I needed to feel like I could dig in.

Evander took his fork and scooped up his first big bite. Good enough for me. I dug in, and the end of the meal was spent in silent bliss as I had the best apple pie possibly in my life. Sorry, Granny.

Once we were clearly done eating, Evander finally got up from his seat at the table. "June, care to join us for a drink in the garden by the firepit?"

"I would, but I've already had more than I should have," I said, holding up my empty wine glass. "I'm actually already feeling lightheaded. I almost never drink."

Evander chuckled. "The tolerance of a human. That will change when your wolf metabolism kicks in. For now, Naomi can walk you safely home."

Yes!

I smiled. "Thank you, Alpha."

Thank you for falling for my bullshit. As if one glass of wine would do me in when Granny had me join her in her daily glass of red the second I turned twenty-one. No self-respecting Gunn would be drunk from wine this weak.

"Get her to Linda's street, Naomi," Evander said as we all walked to the front door. "I'll see you back in a few minutes."

Damn. What a tight leash.

"Yes, Alpha," Naomi said. Her expression was neutral as we left out the front door. Evander stayed in the doorway, waving us off. I made plenty of show smiling and waving and holding my head as Naomi offered me an arm.

I finally felt like I could relax my shoulders once Evander went back inside the pack house and closed the door. I turned to watch Naomi as we walked. She looked visibly calmer as well.

"What's going on between you and Alpha?" I asked, hoping to sound casual.

"You're not really drunk, are you?" she asked.

"And you're not comfortable around him, are you?" I said.

She was quiet for another minute before closing her eyes and laughing softly. "You got me."

"What's the deal?" I asked. "You live in the same house, right?"

She looked up at the emerging stars in the darkening sky. "I do, and I can't really say why. I think he helps me somehow." Her brow furrowed. "No, I help him maybe."

"I don't think you're in a good situation," I murmured. "Why haven't you gone to see your sister? Or Dom?"

Naomi frowned. "There's a reason I can't. I don't always remember it, but I keep it in my desk. It's a very important reason."

"They're looking for you," I said. "Amelia and Dom. They're trying to find out if you're okay."

The tension was almost palpable in her.

"What if I swore to keep your secret safe?" I said. "I'm worried about you, Naomi."

And it was the truth. The same gut feeling that rubbed me the wrong way with Evander made me want to look out for Naomi.

"Moon above, maybe I'm the one who's drunk. I actually believe you're sincere about that."

"I am," I insisted. "You can't bottle yourself up forever or no one can help you. You have to let it out somewhere, and I promise I'm a good listener."

"I think Evander is making some kind of connection between us. Maybe a mate connection, I don't know," she said.

"What?" I said, shocked. "Is that even possible?"

She shrugged. "Maybe. Sometimes I'm so sad about my parents and I would give anything to get away from him. But then sometimes he . . ."

"He what?" I asked gently.

She paused her steps. "Evander has this pull over me. And I'm scared. I'm scared that one of these days I'll give in to it, and if I do, maybe I'll end up liking it."

"It's difficult to fight it," I said.

She nodded. "I hate it. I hate it so much, but my whole life is in that house. I've fought it all this time but I'm getting so tired."

"Naomi," I said, "that doesn't sound like a mate to me. Did you feel this way as soon as you met him?"

"No," she murmured. "That's the problem. It's so confusing to be around him, but I also have to stay in the pack house. It's the agreement of me living there and having dinner with him that keeps the pack—"

Her eyes went wide.

"That keeps the pack what?" I asked. "Naomi, what is he holding over you?"

She shook her head. "No, June. Our conversation is done."

She walked to my other side and I saw that we were at the edge of Linda's street. Only two houses stood between me and my destination.

"Thanks for talking to me, June," Naomi said. "And please keep your promise that you'll keep my secret."

"Naomi . . ."

"Tell them I love them, and that I'm fine. Don't come looking for me. Goodnight, June."

Naomi walked quickly back toward the pack house.

Oh. Oh, fuck this guy. I'd seen Linda and Bruce. I'd seen Carmine and Jerod. These two weren't mates, but I'd bet good money he was trying to play house with her cooped up in that place. My blood could have boiled, I was so angry. Screw Evander. He was doing something shady, I knew it.

Looking down at my dress, I wanted to throw up. What did it mean that he'd dressed us to match? I walked to Linda's door, my shoulders squared and my jaw clenched. Naomi needed out of there, and I was going to make that happen one way or another.

I probably need my wolf first, but I swore I'd get her out of that pack house.

One more week. Bring it on.