Chapter 11

Gianna's POV The next day Layla comes up to accompany me down to the pack house for breakfast. When I enter the dining hall I see that it is set up like a buffet. Omegas go back and forth from the kitchen refilling the large tray of bacon, sausage, and scrambled eggs. They walk around the room, filling everyone's drinks and cleaning up empty dishes. My eyes scan the crowds of people gathered around several long tables. I don't see Daniel, nor either of his brothers. Daniel hadn't come home last night and I missed having him there beside me. After so many nights of feeling his warm body pressed against mine as I slept, I had grown accustomed to it. "Layla!" a young male wolf calls out from his seat at one of the nearby tables as he waves a hand above his head. Layla smiles widely at him and grabs my arm, dragging me over to him. She plops down in the seat next to him and I do the same beside her. "Hey baby bro! How's it going?" Layla asks him with a light punch to his bicep. He quickly swats her hand away. "It's going. Who do you got with you today?" "Oh! Gianna! This is my brother Tyler. Daniel meet Gianna," Layla says as she gestures between the two of us. "Wait... how many of you are there?" I question, dumbfounded. Layla and Daniel share a look with humor in their eyes before they both turn back to me. "Just the five of us. Daniel, Mason, and Ethan are from Alpha Elijah's first wife, Luna Mia. She was his fated mate. About six months after she died, he took a chosen mate and had the two of us." My lips make an 'o' shape as I nod. I had never realized all of that. The only Lopez siblings I ever heard anything about were the three eldest. I hadn't even known that Layla and Daniel existed. "So, you're the illustrious Gianna. The whole pack has been talking about you, wondering when they would finally see you. Some even rumored that you didn't exist," Daniel laughs as he pushes back so that the front legs of his chair leave the ground. "Well... I can assure you I exist," I joke. Layla and Daniel chuckle and I scan the room again before placing a hand on Layla 's arm to get her attention. "I'm going to get some food." "Whoa. Hold on," Layla answers as she stops me from rising from my seat. Then she looks over her shoulder. "Omega!" she calls to a young she-wolf who looks to be about fourteen. Her mousy brown hair is pulled into a loose pony tail and she wears a simple dress with a dirty apron over it. Her hazel eyes widen when she walks over and sees me. She drops into a small curtsy in front of me. "Luna," she greets before turning to Daniel's sister. "Miss Layla, what can I do for you?" "The Luna and I would like something to eat," Layla states. "Oh! Of course! What would you like for breakfast Luna?" she inquires, turning to me first. "Umm... I don't mind getting it myself..." "Oh no Luna! I'd be happy to get it for you!" the girl insists. "Er... okay. Thank you uhh.... What's your name hun?" The girl's eyes widen again in surprise. You would think that no one has ever asked her that before. "My name's Lilly, Miss." "Well, thank you Lilly. Would you mind getting me some bacon, fruit, scrambled eggs, and toast?" "Absolutely! And what would you like to drink?" "Do you have apple juice?" "We sure do! I'll have that right out for you!" she chirps happily before turning to take Layla 's order as well. When she walks away, I turn to Layla. "I thought that they couldn't announce that I'm going to be the Luna?" I mutter softly to her. "They can't. No one is supposed to know yet, but that doesn't stop people from talking. Daniel has only told his closest companions, though it doesn't take a genius to figure out who you are to him. Everyone knows he had brought you to the hospital and that you've been living in his penthouse." I nod. This is news to me. ***** As soon as I'm done eating Lilly comes over to collect my empty dishes. "Lilly, what happens to all of the extra food?" She looks around as the other Omegas begin to clean up the dining hall. "Well, after the Omegas eat, whatever is left gets thrown away." I press my lips together in dissatisfaction. "Would it be possible to wrap up the leftovers to go?" She tilts her head at me in a questioning look. "I suppose so." "Great! After the Omegas have eaten can you wrap the rest up for me?" "Oh! Umm... sure! Of course, Luna! Whatever you want!" "Thank you so much Lilly!" She curtsies quickly before hurrying into the kitchen to give her new orders. I look over at Layla and she's giving me a quizzical look. "What's that all about?" "Daniel agreed to let me go back to working at the shelter. There is never enough food there so I thought, why let good food go to waste?" I reply with a shrug. Layla lets out a little laugh as she shakes her head and leans back in her chair. "What?" "Nothing. Just you. You have to be like the most compassionate person I have ever met." I cock an eyebrow at her. "I'm taking that as a compliment." "Good. You should. My brother has been needing someone like you in his life." ***** Later that night I get home and find Daniel in his home office, completely focused on whatever he is working on. I lightly tap on the open door, alerting him to my presence. His head quickly snaps up and when he sees it's me his face breaks into a grin. "Hey beautiful," he says as he rises from his seat and strolls over to me. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me to him, pressing a sweet kiss to my forehead. "How was your day?" "It was amazing. Thank you for finally letting me go back to the shelter," I reply as I place my hands on his neck, my thumb lightly stroking his jaw. He grabs my hand and nuzzles into it before turning it to kiss the heel of my palm. My heart flutters inside my chest and I must admit that I really like his affectionate side. My wolf purrs, clearly, she likes it too. "You're welcome. I know it may not have always seemed like it, but I just want you to be happy Gianna," he insists as he gazes into my eyes, his fingers lightly stroking my back as he continues to hold me as though he never wants to let me go. I bite my lip shyly as I stare into his stunning blue eyes, debating on how I want to respond. "Well... do you know what would make me happy now?" His smile widens at my teasing. "I don't... but I look forward to you telling me." "I think we should play a game." "A game? What kind of game?" I grin mischievously back at him. "I saw a pool table in the media room. I was thinking that for every ball I get in the pocket I get to ask you a question about yourself and you have to answer it honestly and vice versa." The smile he gives me causes warmth to spread through my body like it has been ignited. I can't help but wonder if my feelings for him are because of the mate bond or if I would feel this way about him regardless. There is no denying that he is utterly gorgeous with his perfectly sculpted muscles, tall stature, azure eyes, and dark hair. I would certainly be attracted to him regardless. I don't know how any woman would not be drawn to this Adonis. He's like a work of art. His facial hair that is just slightly more than a five-o'clock shadow gives him a somewhat rugged look but the rest of him is always so put together and intimidating. He has an air of mystery about him that makes you want to be the one to discover all his secrets. But that smile... Goddess, it could melt the Antarctic. It almost seems to make him a totally different person, one who is fun and carefree. "Why, I like the way you think Miss Denton," he jokes as he gestures towards the open doorway. I lead us out of his office and he immediately wraps an arm around my waist again as we walk towards the media room. We reach the room and head over to the billiards before he hands me a stick and a small cube of chalk. "So, have you ever played pool before?" he questions as he racks the balls. "Yeah. One of the abandoned buildings in The Bane has a billiards table that is useable. It certainly wasn't in the same condition as this one, but it worked," I respond, unable to hide the nostalgia in my voice. The material had been worn and faded, but we were used to that. None of us ever had gotten anything that wasn't old or used. Will and I, along with several other packless would spend time playing pool and darts at a place that had once been some sort of bar. It was the only fun we could have without getting into any kind of trouble. "Do you want to break or should I?" he inquires as he grabs his own stick. "I will," I state before taking position at the end of the table. I pull the stick back and aim before sending the white ball sailing towards the triangle of colored orbs. They burst apart and begin bouncing along the sides in every direction before the purple one falls into the corner hole. I pump my fist excitedly and turn to Daniel who is looking at me with an amused expression, trying not to laugh at me. "Alright Alpha Lopez..." I begin as my eyes roll up towards the ceiling and I tap my finger on my chin in thought. There are so many things I want to ask him, so many things I want to know. "What exactly do you do?" He raises his eyebrows at me before letting out a chuckle as he scratches the stubble along his jaw. "What do you mean?" "I mean, you work all of the time. So, what are you doing all day? What keeps you so damn busy?" I ask, my tone light but curious. "I dabble in a lot of things. Between me and my brothers we own most of the city. Mason deals a lot with real estate and finances. Ethan focuses on entertainment and leisure. I spend most of my time with technology. I like to make things that better our lives or makes them easier. I invented drones that allowed all of the different packs or clans to import and export without shipping costs, which helped all of the territories to grow and flourish." His features light up as he talks about this and I feel my smile growing as I watch him speaking so animatedly. Once he's done, I take another shot and miss. He takes position and easily knocks one of the striped balls into the side pocket before turning to me. He just stares at me for a moment as he contemplates and his jaw twitches a bit as he displays a serious expression. I begin to feel a bit anxious about what he's thinking about asking me. Finally, he demands, "Explain your relationship with this Will guy." I tilt my head to the side and furrow my brows. Why is he asking about Will? "Umm... he's my best friend. We've known each other since I first came to live in The Bane when I was three." "I need to know more. What are your feelings for him? What are his for you? Have you ever been romantically involved?" he persists and my jaw drops before I clamp my mouth shut. "Where is all of this coming from?" I ask hesitantly. "You have guards Gianna," he states as if that explains everything and I raise my eyebrow at him. "Yeah. And?" "And they are MY guards. You didn't think they would keep me informed about how things went at the shelter? You didn't think they would let me know that another man was hugging and touching my mate? That he KISSED you?" My eyes widen in both shock and anger. Will had kissed me on the cheek when he hugged me goodbye. There hadn't been anything romantic about the encounter. It was the same as it's always been. "You have your guards spying on me?!" "No. They are protecting you and reporting back. I don't like him touching you Gianna," he growls and I can't help but to scoff as I cross my arms over my chest defensively. "If you want to continue seeing him and helping at the shelter then tell him to keep his hands and lips to himself." "You can't be serious!" I demand. "Oh I am." "And what if I don't care?" "I promised I wouldn't throw you in the dungeon again but him on the other hand, well I have nothing against keeping him there indefinitely." I stare at him wide-eyed, at a loss for words as my mouth hangs open in astonishment. He would actually throw my best friend in the dungeons for hugging me?! I stare at him for a moment, wondering if this is some kind of horrible joke. He remains stoic, completely unfazed by his absurd decree. I shake my head. "Wow.... You are really used to getting your way all the time, huh?" I spit before turning around with a huff and marching towards the door. How dare he?! I can't believe him! I hightail it to the elevator, the guards that are here this evening quickly follow. "33 please," I state, causing one to swipe his card. We descend to the pack house and I immediately strut to the kitchen, ignoring all the looks that I'm receiving. When I arrive at my destination the kitchen is mostly empty other than a few Omegas that are cleaning. They all stop what they're doing and look at me as I enter. One quickly dries her hands with a towel and hurries over to me. "Luna! What can we help you with?!" she inquires in a somewhat panicked tone. "Umm... do we have any sweets in here? Maybe ice cream? Or chocolate?" "Oh! Of course, Luna! Help yourself! Ice cream is in that freezer there and cookies and other goodies are in the pantry. Take whatever you want!" she insists. "Thank you... what's your name?" "M-Mary, Miss." "Thank you, Mary," I say with a smile before heading to the freezer and grabbing a pint of ice cream. After Mary shows me where the spoons are, I take one of the pints and head to the game room. Again, people stop and stare as I make my way over to one of the electronic dart boards with a cup of darts. I place the cup and pint down on a tall round table before opening the ice cream and stabbing it forcefully with the spoon several times. Spooning out a nice sized bite, I put it in my mouth before grabbing one of the darts and turning to the board. I whip my hand forward and watch as the dart lands in the ring outside of the bullseye. This routine continues for a while as I try to calm down the rage that is inside me. "Who the hell pissed you off?" a familiar voice questions as he comes up behind me. I turn around to see Mason. I give him a pointed look which he immediately understands. "Ahh... what did my brother do now?" "He threatened to throw my best friend in the dungeons if he ever touches me again." Mason makes a face that I read as 'yikes.' "I get that's a bit extreme, but maybe try to consider where he's coming from..." "Seriously?! You're siding with him on this?!" "No no. I'm not taking sides. I'm just saying, think about how you would feel if he had a relationship with another woman that was similar to the one you have with your friend. How would you feel knowing that she is touching him the same way? Especially when you know that you've already messed up the way he has. You already tried running away once. Yeah, he's being overprotective and controlling, but his heart is in the right place. You just have to talk to him." I let out a sigh. As much as I hate to admit it, I guess I can see his point. "Okay... I'll talk to him, but I can't make any promises." Mason gives me a boyish grin as he sticks his hands in his pockets. "Good. If anyone can talk sense into his thick skull it's you." He gives me a wink before he saunters towards the exit and passed my guards. I shake my head with a smile and go back to my game. I'll talk to Daniel, but not yet. I'm not in a hurry to have another exhausting argument. "So, you're the slut trying to take my spot as Luna of the New Moon Pack," a high-pitched nasally voice comes from behind me. My eyes widen at the hostility and I turn around to see who has spoken to me, only to find that horrid blonde that I had seen kissing Daniel the other night. Did he call her Zoe? "Can I help you?" I ask her, my tone cold and measured. "Sure. You can help me by crawling back to whatever hole you came from," she remarks bitterly. "What is your problem?" "My problem is that I was going to marry Daniel Lopez and be named Luna. And then your skanky ass showed up. What'd you do? Get down on your knees for him the moment you met?" "Excuse me?!" I exclaim as I take a step towards her. "Oh, you heard me. It's only a matter of time before he realizes that you're just some trash that was only good for a little bit of fun. He'll be bored with you soon enough. Really, he is already growing tired of you. That's probably why he comes to my room every night before he goes home to his penthouse." "You're lying," I seethe through gritted teeth. "Oh yeah? Then why did he kiss me yesterday?" "You kissed him. He didn't want it." "Is that what he told you?" she asks in a voice full of fake shock and sympathy. "You poor thing. You really think he cares about you? That he would want to take some nobody like you as his Luna? I've heard about you. You came from The Bane. You're just a filthy mutt with nowhere else to go. He just keeps you around 'cause he feels sorry for you." This girl is pushing every one of my buttons. My emotions are going haywire as I feel sadness, confusion, anxiety, but most of all, a profound sense of rage. Everything seems to move in slow motion when without thinking, without even realizing what I'm doing my hand comes out and smacks her hard in the face.