Chapter 21

Silver’s POV

At some point in the night, I must have fallen asleep because I was waking up in my bed, alone. The empty feeling of Elliot not being with me this morning was haunting. An ache formed in my chest; it was something indescribable. I placed my hand on my beating heart, feeling it thudding under my palm.

What could be causing such an ache?

Deciding to put the thought in the back of my mind, I got out of bed and quickly dressed in a tank top and shorts before throwing my hair in a pony and leaving the bedroom. I somehow knew that Elliot wasn’t anywhere in this mansion and for some reason, that saddened me. I could still feel the warmth of his embrace and the taste of his lips on mine from last night and heat spread throughout my entire body.

He was so sweet and tentative last night. He cared for me in a way that nobody ever has before. He now knows my deepest and darkest secret. He knows of the monster I become during the night of the full moon and yet he still held me and whispered sweet things into my ear until I fell asleep.

Why hadn’t he said anything to me this morning? He couldn’t even say goodbye or tell me that he was leaving?

I was lost in thought as I walked into the kitchen, and I almost ran over one of the chefs.

“Sorry!” I chirped out as they dodged me.

“It’s okay, Luna,” the chef said in return.

I walked further into the kitchen and paused when I saw Mariah watching me with a curious look.

Over the course of these last few days, I had gotten to know Mariah a lot and I grew fond of her. I enjoyed our early morning banters while she cooked breakfast. I started to look forward to it now.

“What’s got you all distracted this morning?” She asked, giving me a knowing look.

My cheeks flushed.

“Did you happen to see Elliot this morning?” I asked her.

She raised her brows.

“This morning, no. But I saw him last night,” she said with a twinkle in her eyes. “You two seemed pretty cozy as he carried you to bed.”

My eyes widened.

“He carried me?” I asked him, my mouth falling to the floor.

I shouldn’t have been surprised; I’m starting to realize that was the kind of guy Elliot was. He wasn’t a vicious monster; he was sweet and caring. He most definitely would carry me to bed if I had already fallen asleep. I hated that he had to see me like that, but I’m relieved that he knows my deepest and darkest secret now.

“He left this morning without saying a word,” I said, feeling a bit defeated.

“I heard a rumor that there was a rogue attack late in the night,” one of the chefs said as they passed.

“A rogue attack?” I gasped, my eyes wide with alarm.

“They’ve been getting more frequent lately,” he replied. “The Alpha had to leave to take care of business.”

I nodded, understanding. An unsettled feeling fell into my stomach. I wanted to go see him, but I also wanted to bring him something as a thank you. Actually, now that I thought of it, I should bring the entire pack something as an apology for leaving them as I did last night. I knew it was going to take a lot for them to warm up to me and last night didn’t exactly leave them with the best first impression.

So, now I just have to redo it.

“Mariah, can you help me bake some stuff for the pack? I wanted to redeem myself after leaving them last night,” I tell her, stepping around the kitchen counter.

She smiled.

“And what are you thinking of baking?”

“Maybe some cookies?” I suggested. “And cupcakes. Definitely cupcakes.”

“Sounds like fun,” she said.

With that, she helped me bake a ton of cookies and cupcakes. One of her employees was an expert in cake decorating so she helped decorate the cupcakes. She even put a little frosting on the cookies for coloring.

A few hours later, the entire kitchen was a mess, but it smelled delicious with baked goods.

“Do you need help bringing them to the packhouse?” Mariah asked after she finished putting the last cupcake in its holder.

I shook my head.

“No, it’s okay. Gamma Erik will help,” I told her.

She helped me load Erik’s car with the baked goods and soon we were heading to the packhouse.

Once we got to the packhouse, Erik helped me bring in the stuff and set them down in the community dining area. There were a few packmates in there chatting and munching on lunch, but for the most part, it was fairly empty. The smell of food from the kitchen invaded my nose and made my mouth water.

With everything going on that morning, I completely forgot to eat.

“What do we have here?” One of the girls asked as she walked toward me; her large blue eyes staring at the cupcakes. I swear she had hearts in her eyes.

Her short curly blonde hair bounced around her narrow features and her pink lips were turned upward in a curious smile. I recognized her from around the pack, but like the others, I hadn’t really spoken to her.

“Cupcakes and cookies,” I announced. “It’s my apology for last night.”

She frowned.

“What happened last night?” Seemed genuinely curious.

“I kind of ran out on the banquet,” I told her sheepishly. “I don’t want that to be my first impression on everyone. I’m not usually like that.”

That was kind of a lie, but she didn’t need to know that.

“Oh, right. I heard about that,” she said. “I’m sure you had your reasons. You don’t need to explain a thing.”

I raised my brows; surprised by her kindness. It was the first real kindness that I received since arriving at this pack.

“I’m Cara by the way,” she said. “Gamma Erik’s mate.”

My mouth fell open as I turned around to see Erik placing the last plate of cookies on one of the tables. He had a smile on his lips and the twinkle in his eyes showed me that Cara was telling the truth.

“You didn’t tell me you were mated, Erik,” I told him, disbelief evident on my face.

His smile widened.

“You didn’t ask,” he said simply.

I turned back to Cara who was beaming at her mate and then she laughed.

“You’re Silver, right?” She asked. “The daughter of the Alpha of the Stormwind pack.”

The last part wasn’t a question, but an observation.

I nodded.

“That’s me,” I told her.

“You’re lucky to be married to the Alpha. Don’t listen to any of the rumors around this pack. He’s a great guy and if he married you, he must really like you.”

I smiled at that thought, but I couldn’t help the unsettled feeling in the pit of my stomach.

“That’s very kind of you to say,” I told her honestly. “Thank you.”

“I hope we can be friends. There are only a couple of others that I really tolerate around here. I’d like to add you to that list, Luna.”

“I would like that,” I told her.

Her smile was radiant as she grabbed a cupcake.

“Great!” She said excitedly. “I can’t wait to tell the others.”

She started to walk away, but she paused before passing Erik and she brushed her lips against his. His smile was showing even with her lips pressed against his. My heart swelled for them; it made me happy to see love blooming.

It was rare to find a fated mate, so when it does happen, it’s a true blessing.

The dining area started to fill up and I smiled as other packmates took one of the baked goods and then thanked me. Some of them wouldn’t come near me and others just gave me dirty looks. After a little while, I decided to find Elliot and tell him about the new friend I had made.

I didn’t have a lot of friends other than Rebecca so the idea of making a new one sent me flying over the moon!

Just as I was about to leave the room, a voice sounded from nearby. I paused only momentarily to hear her say, “Did you hear that Miss Shirley is back in town? She hasn’t left Elliot’s side since she returned.”

“It’s about damn time his love returned. He’s been missing her. It was so obvious to everyone. I wondered why he was looking so much happier lately.”

“Yup, it has everything to do with Miss Shirley’s return. He’s hopelessly in love with the female Alpha. She’s the most powerful female in the world, not to mention she’s rich, a model, and drop-dead gorgeous.”

“I always knew they’d find their way back to one another.”

I felt sick to my stomach upon hearing this conversation and I wished I hadn’t had stayed and listened to it. Swallowing the bile of vomit that wanted to rise from my throat, I quickly hurried out of the dining room and down the hallway. I’m not super familiar with this packhouse, but I do kind of remember seeing his office the other day when I was given a tour of this place.

Within minutes, I was standing outside of his office door. I raised my fist to knock but froze when I heard a female voice inside.

“I don’t get it, Elliot. Why would you marry someone like her? She’s wolfless and weak. You know I’m better suited to be your wife than she is…”

It was Shirley!

Elliot’s next words didn’t just shatter my heart, but my soul as well.

“I can’t divorce her just yet. I still need her.”