Ayla
“Tell me again why you were so insistent on spending time with me today? The truth this time,” I asked a quiet Raven as we made our way down to my first stop today, a meeting with Sarah, the owner of a linen and homemade goods store. Of course, I had jumped on the opportunity to have Raven spend the day with me. I also couldn’t drive. It would be nice to know the real reason she wanted to spend time with me today.
“I told you. Girl time and you know, all of that stuff,” she said, waving her hand vaguely as if the very concept of girl time was some ridiculous, invisible thing floating in the air between us.
“I haven’t known you very long, but I have known you long enough to know that ‘girl stuff’ is not your cup of tea.”
“Fine. You are right. I am obviously hiding something.”
“What is it?” I asked, hoping she would tell me.
“If I told you, then I wouldn’t be hiding it now, would I?”
“You wouldn’t be hiding from your mate, would you?”
“I am not telling you anything.”
“So, I am right,” I stated rather than questioned because, of course, I was. Her cheeks blushed with the mention of him.
“Can we please just do whatever it is that you are going to do?”
“Who knew you would be so eager to meet with the owner of a linen and homemade goods store?” Raven turned and scowled at me. “That would have been nice to know before coming down here.”
“Then you wouldn’t have come with me.”
“I know,” she whisper-growled as I pulled open the front door and entered.
“Good morning. I am Sarah, you are Luna Ayla, correct?”
“That is correct. This is my…well… my bo…dyguard. My bodyguard, Raven.” Raven turned toward me, her eyebrow arched in the air, questioning. I shot her wide eyes back, hoping my facial expression did its best to convey I’m sorry I panicked, not knowing if friends can legally sit in on pack business meetings and we never talked about you being in my inner circle so maybe if I place you there you will agree when Thane asks you and now you have to stay and be with us and take your mate look.
“We all understand the need for comfort during our heats,” Sarah said. “The alphas wouldn’t naturally. They think about it when they are caring for their own mates, but they wouldn’t necessarily think of it regarding running the clinic.”
I nodded, my wolf humming in quiet agreement. This was exactly why I had come.
The thought of going through heat in that cold, sterile place made my skin crawl. I glanced sideways at Raven. She sat with her arms crossed, listening intently, though her jaw was tight. I wondered what memories this conversation was stirring for her.
“I mean, it’s in the name. Clinic. And it is run as one. I agree with you that maybe it shouldn’t be. You would want waterproofing and soft fabrics that hold up with washing. Fleeces. I could come up with a lot of ideas.”
My shoulders relaxed a fraction. Sarah got it. Really got it. The relief that someone else saw the problem felt like a small victory. Raven shifted in her seat, uncrossing her arms and leaning forward slightly. Was that approval in her eyes?
“Whether it is a building or, like you mentioned, something else, I would be able to help. I can come up with some samples and some ideas, and we can meet next week?” she asked.
I felt very good about how this meeting had gone. Hello Sarah, welcome to Operation New Heat Clinic ….That Isn’t A Clinic.
Wow. Maybe I had been talking to Cyrus too much. I noticed I was getting sassier. Maybe it was the hormones. Maybe I was just becoming more of who I was supposed to be. Not sure, but I was enjoying it.
We left the shop a short while later, the afternoon sun warm on my skin as we climbed back into Thane’s once-again “borrowed” car. The engine purred to life, and Raven’s hands gripped the wheel a little tighter than necessary.
“You know, if you didn’t burn your mate’s car, you wouldn’t have to steal Thane’s.”
I teased gently.
“Everything you own is his, so I am just driving you around in your car, but you did just give me a great idea.” The way she said that made me feel like she was up to no good.
“What are you planning to do?” I asked her, not sure if I wanted to know.
“Oh, I plan on going car shopping.”
“Wow. Replacing Cyrus’ car? That’s a great idea.” I smiled, and she rolled her eyes.
“You aren’t replacing it, are you?”
“Nope.” She popped that P for emphasis as I shook my head. Thane was right. These two needed to get this figured out.
Our next stop was the library. I had already looked over the books in the pack house, but this larger collection held far more texts and potentially deeper answers on all things fates gifted. I needed more than surface-level knowledge this time. Anything that could help me keep our pup safe. I also wanted to learn more about Thane’s lineage, and we could either spend all of our free time together lost in each other or have the serious conversations that the information might demand. But every time we were alone, I found myself wanting far less talking and far more of… other things.
So instead of adding to Thane’s already crushing workload, I decided to dig deeper on my own.
My wolf had been unusually quiet lately, and I sensed a low-lying fear in her. I believed she was afraid for our pup, and I knew it was time we started forming real plans to keep the little one safe.
Another conversation to have with a too-busy Thane.
I would focus on fixing what I could for him. One less thing for him to carry.
“You brought me to a library?” Raven asked, her tone flat with disbelief as we climbed the wide stone steps.
I furrowed my brows. I thought she liked to read.
“Don’t you like to read?” I asked.
“Yes, but I doubt they have the books I like in there.”
“Oh, I know about those. Cyrus told me. You two are naughty, by the way, but Monica says they are here.” I opened the heavy door and stepped inside as she followed.
“What are you looking for here?”
“Some information on Thane’s lineage. Some other stuff. Oh, and a map of the pack itself. I want to look at the land and see if we can relocate the ‘heat complex.'”
“Heat complex?” She repeated as we stepped fully into the vast main room.
“Just trying out names for the heat lodge,” I said as we rounded the corner and entered the largest collection of books I had ever seen in my life. Towering shelves stretched toward the high ceiling, filled with leather-bound volumes, scrolls, and carefully preserved texts that smelled of aged paper and faint magic. Dust motes danced in the shafts of sunlight streaming through tall windows, and the quiet hum of knowledge settled over me like a comforting blanket. My wolf perked up, curious and alert, while a quiet determination settled in my chest. This place might hold the answers I needed to keep our pup safe.
Raven trailed beside me, her usual tough exterior cracking just a fraction as she scanned the endless rows. I wondered what she was thinking — whether the books reminded her of better times or stirred up old wounds. Either way, having her here felt right. We were building something, even if it was one awkward, sarcastic step at a time.