Chapter 9

Gianna POV Dinner with Ethan was an interesting one. I've noticed that all three brothers seem to have very different personalities. Daniel is always very serious. Mason seems incredibly kind. And Ethan, well... he acts like the wolf that got into the chicken coup, mischievous, proud, and a whole lot of trouble. After about twenty minutes of him grilling me about Will and me repeatedly insisting that there are absolutely no romantic feelings involved, he finally agreed to not bother saying anything to his brother unless the topic came up. Though, I wouldn't put it past him to find a way to bring the topic up. I guess only time Will tell. He hangs out in the penthouse for a little while and teaches me how to play some video game. He, of course, beats me every time, but I eventually made it a little less easy on him as time went on. After a couple hours he finally leaves. I stretch and let out a yawn. I get up from my spot in the media room and walk in the direction of the room that I had woken up in after my stay in the dungeon. Daniel hadn't said whether I'd be going back to that room or staying in his room, so I decide this is my best option. Two guards follow me to the room, though they aren't the same ones from earlier. I don't bother making conversation. I'm not sure what Daniel has told them which makes me feel uncomfortable. I don't want to overstep or tell them more than I should, so instead I just keep my mouth shut. I close the door behind me and begin searching through the drawers of the dresser to find something to wear to bed. Finally, I settle on a long, baggie sweatshirt and some cotton shorts before I go to the bathroom to wash my face. A few minutes later I am crawling into bed and pulling the covers up to my chin. It was nice meeting Layla and Ethan today, but now I suddenly have an overwhelming sense of loneliness. Is this how it's going to be every day? I don't know how much longer I can put up with this. I miss Will and Ella and the other packless. I miss going out and hunting and helping at the shelter. I feel useless here. My worries continue to escalate as I begin to wonder if Nicole Sanchez is staying here too. Is she in the pack house right now? Does everyone think of her as their Luna? Is she with Daniel? He's been gone all day. What if they are together? Everything about this situation is so frustrating. Layla said he wants to be with me, but what if she was just trying to spare my feelings? And why do I care so much? Sure, he's my mate, but he's barely spoken to me unless it's to interrogate me. I feel my eyes begin to burn with tears as one slips down my cheek. Damn emotions. What is going on with me lately? I want to go back to The Bane, back to my life. It may not have been much, but it was my home. Eventually, I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I know I'm woken up when Daniel peels my covers back. "What are you doing? What time is it?" I groan groggily. He bends over and slides his arm under my knees as the other goes around my back and he scoops me up. "We are going to our room. And it's late," he remarks as he turns to carry me out of the room and down the hall. When we reach his bedroom, he carries me over to the bed and pulls the covers over me. He turns from me, peeling his shirt off before walking into his closet. He comes back out wearing only a pair of sweatpants and my breath hitches in my throat. I don't know if I'll ever get over his magnificent body. His arms and torso are chiseled to perfection and covered with just the right amount of muscle that would make any woman drool. His abs end in a V as they dip below the waistband of his pants. I clench my thighs together. Goddess Gianna! Get ahold of yourself. He scrubs a hand down his face before walking around to the other side of the bed. I feel the blankets shift as he lifts them up and crawls in behind me. His arm comes around my waist as he scoots closer to me, pulling me into him so that my whole body is enveloped by him, sending delicious tingles throughout my entire being. His scent is intoxicating and he is radiating heat like a furnace. My whole body relaxes into his and I allow my eyes to close before he kisses my temple and lays his head on a pillow. And that's how we spend the rest of the night. ***** Three days later, I am going completely stir crazy. I haven't been outside the penthouse for even a second. All the balcony doors have been locked so that I don't have access to them. Daniel spends his days working, leaving before I wake and returning after I've gone to bed. I hate it. My wolf has been going crazy too. All she wants is to be around her mate, but he is never here. I don't have a phone or a keycard or anyway of getting ahold of him while he's away. That is, unless I asked one of my guards to mind-link him for me. But that just seems weird to me. Instead, I try to distract myself. I've been using the personal gym the last few mornings. And I've already finished reading a couple books. Every day I shower and get dressed just in case I'm finally allowed to go out, but so far I've not been that lucky. A couple days ago Mason had shown up with a bunch of groceries to stock the kitchen so that I could make myself something to eat whenever I'm hungry. The silence was too much that I gave in and started making small talk with my guards. Every single one of them has a mate. I'm sure that's not a coincidence. "Hudson, can we go outside?" I ask as I lean against the wall of windows, watching the city below forlornly. "Sorry Gianna. Alpha doesn't want us leaving the penthouse," the guard named Hudson answers. "What if we just go for a short walk? Or up to the roof?" I bargain desperately. Hudson shoots me an apologetic smile and I let out a sigh, deflated. "How much longer is he going to keep me locked away? I'm going out of my mind." "I'm afraid I don't know. Maybe you should ask him when he returns," he replies. A puff of air leaves my lungs. "That would require him to actually come home early enough to face me." He chuckles before looking down at his feet. "Well, if you really want to get out you may want to plan on speaking to him no matter how late he shows up. When my mate Amy wants something she says so and she doesn't take no for an answer. She is always getting her way." I smirk at him and shake my head. I should have known that Hudson was just a big teddy bear. "You should bring Amy over sometime. It'd be nice to have some company or even make some friends." "I'm sure she'd like that," he responds with a smile. I grin at him before letting my gaze wander back to the bustling city. Hours pass just like any other day until it's time for me to get ready for bed. I bring a book with me, planning on staying up until he gets home. Unfortunately, I have no idea what time that will be. I'm often already asleep by the time he comes in to join me. By the time I hear footsteps coming down the hallway, I'm struggling to keep my eyes open. The door swings open and Daniel's eyes widen in surprise to see that I'm still awake as I immediately sit up on my knees with my feet tucked under me. "You're still up," he states somewhat gruffly before clearing his throat. He peels his shirt over his head and walks to the bathroom. I wait somewhat impatiently until he comes back out. "I wanted to talk to you about something," I explain cautiously. He looks at me and narrows his eyes as though he thinks I'm lying. "Okay... I'm listening," he remarks as he climbs into the bed next to me and I turn to face him, my hands resting nervously in my lap. "I'd like to leave the penthouse tomorrow." "You want to leave?" he asks angrily, his features instantly turning hostile. "Yes...err...no... I mean," I stammer before letting out a sigh and trying to collect my thoughts. "What I mean is that I can't continue being cooped up here. I haven't been outside in days. I just want to get out and get some fresh air. Maybe explore a bit. Maybe visit my friends and catch up with them..." Daniel's gaze seems to be locked on an unknown target as he thinks about what I've said. When he looks up at me his expression is determined. "You can go out—" I instantly squeal and clap my hands before jumping on him to give him a hug. A laugh escapes his lips at the sudden attack and he returns the embrace before I pull away. "But... you will have guards with you at all times," he begins and I nod eagerly. "You will not go anywhere near The Bane." "But—" He instantly holds up his hand to stop my objection. I close my mouth again with a frown. "You will not go to The Bane," he repeats sternly and I nod disappointedly. "If you run off or anything then I will not agree to an outing again so easily. You understand?" My head bobs up and down in understanding. I will take whatever I can get at this point. "I'll have Layla take you shopping. The Dark Moon Pack is coming to visit and you'll need a formal gown. Alpha Sanchez is a celebrated artist and while he's here he wants to show off some of his pieces at a gala." I stare at him for a moment as my brain tries to comprehend what he's telling me. "So... you're going to let me go?" "Yes. You'll be going with me. As my date." ***** Ever since Daniel informed me that he was taking me as his date to some fancy party, I can't stop smiling. My wolf and I feel like giddy schoolgirls. I woke up early to exercise and get ready for Layla 's arrival. I'm excited to finally get to go out and explore a little. Suddenly I hear the ding of the elevator before Layla 's voice carries down the hall. "Gianna! You ready?! Let's get this show on the road!" she calls. I quickly run out of the bedroom and towards her. When she spots me, a wide grin spreads across her face and she instantly wraps me into a tight embrace. "Hi Layla ! How have you been?!" I question happily as she loosens her grip on me. "Doing better now! It's about time you convinced my pigheaded brother into letting you spread your wings a bit," she says with a wink before throwing an arm over my shoulders. "Alright boys," she adds, addressing Hudson and Tony who are my guards at the moment. "Time to take this girl on a shopping expedition." I smile and roll my eyes at her. She's making it sound as though we are about to go on safari. In reality, I'm really excited. This will be my first time to go shopping like this. Growing up in The Bane, all my things were always scavenged, made, or hand-me-downs. I've never had money to spend anyway. Not to mention that all the malls and stores are within pack territories so I wouldn't be allowed to go there anyway. Layla drags me towards the elevators and swipes her ID card once we are inside with my guards. We descend to the main floor where I am led to a black SUV. Within ten minutes we are pulling into a parking garage and getting out. When we walk into the large building my jaw drops. I have never seen anything like this before. There are so many stores lined up with displays in giant glass windows. The floors are covered with shiny, white tile and everything looks so clean and sleek. Large light fixtures hang from the high ceilings and railings wrap around each of the higher levels. It seems to go on forever. As I gape, Layla loops her arm around mine. "So, where do you want to go first?" she asks with a toothy grin. My eyes widen. How am I supposed to know? I don't even know my options. I don't even know what brands still exist since The Great War. "Umm..." I begin as I look at her. Her smile grows as she waggles her eyebrows at me. "Too many to choose from? Don't worry. We have plenty of time to hit them all. We are going to get you completely stocked up and I'm just the girl to help you do it," she exclaims before dragging me into the first store. I begin browsing and my fingers lightly run over the items hanging along the aisle. Soon I come across a nice black dress that I like and I look for a price. My eyebrows shoot up into my hairline when I find a tag hanging from the neck of the dress. "Oh my goddess! Is this a typo?!" I question, astonished. Layla simply laughs at me. "Girl, we're in Selene LaCroix. What did you expect?" Selene LaCroix is a very famous and very expensive designer. She is a Luna of one of the many werewolf packs in France. I had come across an old magazine that talked about her when she was first starting out after The Great War. She was compared to designers such as Dolce and Gabbana and Versace. Elegant, stylish, and meant for the extremely wealthy. "Maybe we should go somewhere else...." "Nonsense. Don't worry about the cost of anything. My brother can afford it. He wants you to get a gown for the gala, but he also said they'll be having a nice dinner when the Dark Moon Pack arrives, so we'll want something for that too. Plus, you have a whole walk-in closet that we need to fill. You're going to be Luna one of these days, so you need to look the part." I am feeling a bit stunned as I continue further into the store while Layla is shoving garments into my arms. As she piles me up with dresses, skirts, and blouses a saleswoman comes over and offers to get a fitting room started for me. I gratefully accept before she takes the items that are weighing me down. Eventually I go try everything on. Twenty stores and eight hours later all our bags are being loaded into the cargo of our SUV and my feet are on fire. I'm exhausted. Layla leans her head back with a lazy smile on her face. "I can't wait till my brother sees you in that dress for the gala. He's not going to know what hit him," she says as she turns to face me without even bothering to lift her head from the headrest. I smile shyly back at her. I hope so. I haven't decided my feelings for Daniel, but my heart still races whenever I think about him. I want to impress him. I want to feel wanted and desired by him. "I want to mate with him and mark him. When is that going to happen?" my wolf chimes in, interrupting my train of thought. "Oh shush. I'm in no hurry for that. Besides, he apparently needs to finish dealing with the Dark Moon Pack and their alliance treaty before any of that can happen," I quickly remind her. My wolf doesn't have any doubts about our mate, but I'm still struggling. We didn't exactly hit it off in the beginning and frankly we've barely spoken. I feel as though I don't know anything about him. "Then why don't you ask him. You are finally out of the penthouse. Find him and make him talk to us. Then you'll see how perfect he is for us." "I guess that wouldn't hurt..." "Of course it won't! He's our mate! He probably wants to see us as bad as we want to see him!" my wolf insists. I'm lost in thought when we arrive back at the penthouse. We drop my bags off before Layla leads me down to the floors that belong to the pack house. "Layla , where would I find Daniel?" "He's probably in his office. Do you want me to show you?" "That would be great. Thank you." After a short elevator ride, she leads me down a hallway to a closed door that has Daniel's name on it. To my astonishment Layla bursts in without knocking as she exclaims, "Oh brother dear—" but she stops as her eyes widen in shock. I freeze, rooted to my spot as my gaze lands on Daniel kissing another woman.