Yesterday went better than expected. Mercedes was fine, and she was not isolating herself any longer. She woke up early in the morning in a good mood and started making breakfast for everyone. It was a way to atone for her recent behavior and for pushing everyone away from her. Now that everything was settled, she felt it was time she took up her role and took care of everyone. Breakfast was a way to start. She prepared coffee, pancakes with scrambled eggs, bacon, and other delicacies. She went all out to solidify her position as the new Luna of the White Claw Pack.
Her thoughts went back to when she told Felix about what had happened. She thought that it would be over between him and her after that revelation.
Flashback
Mercedes stared at Felix anxiously as he had not said anything to her after the confession and told him her unpleasant life story. Tension rose, and her heart started to beat erratically, and she began to panic. " No, no, no, calm down!" Felix said, holding her closer to him on his lap and stroking her back.
" D-do y-you t-think I am a mon-monster," she stammered fearfully of his answer. Felix could no longer help himself and burst into laughter. He laughed so hard for the first time, but it didn't ease Mercedes's distress. She pouted and waited for him to stop laughing at her. She didn't understand what was so funny about her being a murderer. After a little while, he stopped laughing and said,
" Oh, dear! You are nothing close to what you think you are." He smiled at her and caressed her cheeks. Mercedes was, of course, confused by what he said and Felix found it to be cute that she thought she was a monster. It is clear that she will be in for a shock once she gets to fully be part of the supernatural realm. Killing four people will be like child's play compared to what she will witness when they get attacked by other rivaling packs or rogues.
" Okay, let me explain it to you the best way I can," he sighed and held on to her waist. He couldn't help but feel a little bit uncomfortable because Mercedes was sitting right on top of his clothed cock. He tried as hard as he could to make sure he didn't get hard by imagining the gorry scene of the battlefield in a war, but that scene was pushed away by his sexy, disheveled mate who was wearing just pajama shorts and a flimsy shirt. Nothing was really left to the imagination because her long legs were wrapped around her waist and her pecky boobs were outlined through her shirt. The situation they were in didn't help much, but he relied on her naivety so she would not realize what he was doing to him.
He cleared his throat and looked her in the eyes. He focused on the matter at hand to distract him from inappropriate thoughts. " Mercedes, you are in the werewolf realm now. Things happen differently here, unlike the law and justice system that is used by humans. Since there is no such thing here, we all depend on violence to survive and peace treaties if we can help it. I know that you are sad, and you feel guilty for killing your parents and two other people, but from what I heard, they wanted to hurt, and your wolf instinctively protected you," he said calmly.
" So, you are saying it's okay to kill?" she asked, bewildered, and Felix shook his head in disagreement. " No, that's not what I mean. I mean that you were in danger and you protected yourself. No matter how harsh it sounds, it is what it is. Besides everything, you were not in control. Take comfort in the fact that if you were in control you would not have killed anyone, but they would have hurt you or worse, killed you. I may sound very insensitive, but according to what I have heard, your parents were not loving or affectionate. They mistreated and hurt you every chance they got, leading to them trying to hand you over to two strange men. That doesn't make them parents but monsters. What they did to you led to what happened to them. This is a cruel world and hesitating to protect yourself will be the death of you."
After what he said, she was a bit relieved that he didn't see her the way she anticipated. He didn't think she was a monster nor did he think she did something despicable. He saw her for who she was, not what she did, and he understood and supported her.
" Thank you. Thank you for not seeing me any differently and caring for me," she whispered, looking at him and smiling. He smiled back at her. " I would be a hypocrite if I claimed the moral high ground to condemn you for what happened. What happened was unfortunate, but you need not beat yourself up, because if it didn't happen you would not have got a chance to turn a new leaf in life. Fear not, because from now on I will protect you and take on your troubles. I will try my best to make sure you never face such a predicament. I will be your shield at all time," Felix declared with utmost sincerity, causing Mercedes's heart to swell with contentment. It was not a declaration of love, but it was something close to that, and it was more than enough to make her feel safe and cared for.
Her thoughts cleared when Crystal and Jake came downstairs. They were all smiles and touchy with each other. Both of them are like that most of the time, displaying their love and affection openly for others to witness. She smiles, thinking of the day ahead when she and Felix will share the same love and affection. Her eyes fell on her baby bump, which was much more visible than on other days. It was growing so well and she looked healthy. She was sure that she would be a great mother, and she was glad that she would be present to witness and be a part of it.
Crystal noticed Mercedes staring at them and smiled at her. She was glad that her mourning period was over.
" Oh, good morning Mercedes! I didn't know you were already awake!" she exclaimed excitedly and eyed everything prepared.
" Yes. I am feeling well today so I decided to be part of the day," Mercedes replied.
" All of these smell and look good. Did you make it all on your own?"
Mercedes smiled shyly and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and nodded. " Oh, it's nothing. I thought I could surprise everyone with breakfast. I hope it's alright. "
" Of course it's alright. Did you forget that you are the last of the house, as humans say it? So whatever you want goes. There is no need to ask permission to do anything Luna," Crystal said in a teasing manner and slightly bowed her head. Mercedes giggled at Crystal's antics. Jake stood silently leaning on the wall, watching the two ladies in amusement. He was happy for his friend and Alpha for finally finding his mate. The winds of change were upon them. Now he will not have to see his sad face when he talks about Crystal. He will be able to relate and share in his joy.
Speaking of Felix, he appeared from behind Jake, but his gaze was already focused on Mercedes. He couldn't take his eyes off her. All he could think about was her radiant and breathtaking smile. He never thought he would feel that way about anyone, but he was proven wrong. Even though he didn't know if it was love or something else, he knew that he didn't want that feeling to go away. In just a few days of knowing that she is his mate, he wants to be everything to her. He wants to build with her that life he never thought he would have after such a long time of waiting.
Jake smirked, seeing him gawking at his mate. He bumped his shoulder with his, bringing him back to reality. " Don't you know it's rude to stare so lustfully at that," he said, wiggling his eyebrows. Felix straightened up and cleared his throat. " I don't know what you are talking about!" he denied, but didn't meet his eyes. His face had turned red in embarrassment and Jake chuckled. It was a priceless sight to see him so flushed. Jake slapped his hand on his shoulder and said," It's nothing to be embarrassed about. It happens to the best of us." He smiled softly and Felix returned a smile of his own.
" Let's eat breakfast before it gets cold. You are one lucky guy to get a mate who can cook," Jake mused, and Felix raised his brows in confusion. " Mercedes made breakfast?"
" Ask her yourself," he said as they joined the ladies who were engaged in a conversation of their own. They sat down at the table and Mercedes took the opportunity to serve her new family. When she got near Felix, his body started getting hot, and she felt familiar butterflies in her stomach. She was flushed and trembling in excitement and her fraying nerves were haywire. She hesitated to serve him the food because she didn't know if he would like her cooking. But how would she ever know if he liked it or not if he did not taste it?
After serving, they all dug in immediately. Jake and Crystal, of course, expressed their appreciation for the food in their moans, whereas Felix was emotionless. It made it difficult for Mercedes to eat without knowing whether her mate was enjoying the meal or not. She stole glances, but there was nothing indicating enjoyment on his face. Mercedes turned away from him and kept jabbing at her food.
Suddenly, Felix spoke up. " Mercedes, why are you not eating? The food is quite delicious. I thought you would be eager to have it yourself." A small smile crept on her face when she heard that he liked her food. That was all she really needed to hear to get her spirits high again.
" Uh...yes. I just had a lot on my mind. I will eat now," she replied. After everyone finished eating, Mercedes helped each other do the dishes. Felix and Jake went outside to the training grounds to train the pack warrior. Work had been delayed for a long while since the full moon ceremony and now that the dust had settled it was time to return to normalcy.
" So Luna. What would you like to do for the rest of the day?" Crystal asked Mercedes. She smiled and said," I would like to join you at the clinic. I've missed helping you out there. Then later I would like to visit the shelter for orphaned pups and spend some time with them. It was time I showed myself to the people as their Luna and actively took on my role. " Crystal saw the determination in her eyes and heard the sincerity in her voice. She was happy because she found her happiness and purpose in the White Claw Pack.
" Okay. Let's get going then, because you have a long day ahead of you!" Crystal exclaimed enthusiastically, and they headed out of the packhouse together.