At Arya's question about Keith ignoring Alpha Cristian's suppression, Keith wondered how much he should tell her.
At what point do the secrets he found out cross the line of putting Talia's safety in danger? Would Talia be in danger from Arya? Would he need to keep Arya in the dark because of Talia? Surely, there must be some middle ground.
Arya was his mate, she joined the Dark Howlers pack, and he could feel that she didn't have malicious intentions, so… Keith smiled and reached to touch the necklace around his neck. "This is from the Midnight Guardians pack."
Arya stared at the necklace. "Is that a magical object that gives resistance to Alpha aura?"
Keith was not sure what it was, but he knew what Talia had told him. "This necklace offers protection and healing. Talia gave it to me when she visited you in the hospital." It was not a lie. Talia fixed the necklace and gave it to him. "You were unconscious, and doctors were not optimistic about your recovery."
Arya gaped at Keith as his words sank in. Doctors and nurses were gushing how Arya's miraculous healing was because of the mate bond, but now it seemed it was because of the necklace.
"Are you saying that Luna Talia didn't save my life once, but twice? I feel like an idiot."
"Why?"
"I insulted her, looked down on her. I am jealous when you talk about her, yet she saved my life twice. She gave you time off duty as her guard so we can work on our bond in solitude, and I am…" Ungrateful. That was the word, but Arya couldn't say it as there was a lump in her throat.
"Don't be jealous of Talia, Arya. I told you, I think of her as a friend." Keith thought this was a good opportunity to clarify a few more things. "There is more."
"More?"
"Mhm," Keith hummed in confirmation. "The Oracle of the Midnight Guardians pack gave me prophecy. She said that my luck is tied to Talia's and that by protecting her, I'm protecting myself. I didn't know what that meant until the night I found you. While kneeling next to Talia who was holding your battered body, I realized that I needed to protect Talia so she could save your life. If Talia was not in that forest, you would succumb to your injuries, and we wouldn't meet. So, you see, Arya…" Keith looked at her dreamily. "I will be forever grateful to Talia because thanks to her, I have you."
Arya's chin trembled. "When you put it that way, I feel even more like an idiot for thinking badly of her."
Keith shook his head. "You have the right to think what you are thinking and feel what you are feeling. We are all products of our previous experiences. But I hope you will keep an open mind and don't let prejudice guide you. Talia is kind and forgiving. Once you spend more time with her, I'm sure you will see how wonderful she is. The Dark Howlers pack is lucky to have her as our Luna."
Arya never had so many conflicting emotions. She wanted to slap herself for acting like a bitch to her savior, and she wanted to slap Keith for thinking so kindly about another woman. Was she the bad guy in this situation?
But there was one more thing. Keith's acceptance. He didn't think badly of Arya, no matter what she said. How was that possible?
Keith could feel Arya's conflict. "Talia is your Luna now, and Damon is your Alpha. I hope you will find pride in the fact that the two strongest Alphas are leading us. Their glory is ours, and ours is theirs. We are one pack, bound to face challenges and prosper together."
Arya left the Spring Leaf pack and joined the Dark Howlers pack. She could feel that the pack bond was different, but she still needed mental adjustment in accepting it as her new normal.
"I want to know more about the pack," Arya said.
"You can ask me whatever you want to know, but first…" Keith spread his arms, silently inviting her into his embrace.
Arya blinked. He was completely naked, and she had only a towel around herself. Arya was not sure if she should ask him to cover up (at least his erect cock, if nothing else). Or should she remove the towel? Was he really going to talk with that hard-on? And there was still some food left.
Arya decided not to be fussy, and she scooted closer to him.
Keith liked seeing Arya settling into his embrace. It was natural, and she fit in there perfectly.
Keith resumed feeding Arya and himself, and then he started telling her about the pack.
"As you already know, our pack is the largest in North America. For a long time, it was just Alpha Damon with his Betas. A few months back, he found his Luna, and things started changing."
Keith put a piece of steak into his mouth, and Arya used that chance to ask, "Only Alpha and Betas? What about Elders?"
"We have Elders, but they don't hold any real power. Alpha doesn't consult them when making decisions."
"What's the point of them being Elders if they don't do anything?" Elders normally held influencing positions and had a say in managing the pack.
"I'm not sure," Keith admitted. "I heard stories that things changed when Alpha Damon took over, and he stripped away their power while letting them hold titles. I was in middle school then and not interested in pack politics. We can go to the library where we can check our archives."
"Isn't it simpler to ask Alpha and Betas?"
"I guess it is, but if it's a sensitive topic…" Keith's voice trailed, and Arya nodded in understanding. Alphas get touchy if someone questions their decisions.
"Library it is," Arya said. "What else?"
"Whenever you are up for it, we will go for a run, and I will show you the territory. Our wolves could use some bonding time."
Arya agreed with this. She felt that her wolf was happy to be with Keith, but she also wanted to meet her mate's wolf form. Arya wondered about the fur color of Keith's wolf and how big he will be. Her cheeks heated at the thought that their wolves will go for a run, and they will want to mate as well.
Keith's nostrils flared when he picked up the scent of her arousal. They still didn't finish the steak, and there was dessert also! Or should he just leave that on the side and tend to more serious matters? He was hard ever since they exited the bathroom, but he focused on feeding Arya at talking because he didn't want to appear like a savage. However, if Arya was willing, there was no need to hold back.
Keith contemplated what to do, and then he decided it was safest to ask, "What's on your mind?"
Arya lowered her gaze. She had no intention of admitting her thoughts. She was imagining two wolves going at it, and for some reason, it turned her on. How embarrassing.
"I was wondering about Darkbourne. I heard it is large enough to support the economy of the Dark Howlers pack without trading with other packs or humans. And there were fantastic stories about the Summer Solstice festival."
Keith decided to let this one slide. He didn't want to starve his mate. They will get frisky as soon as they finish the food.
"Darkbourne has good restaurants and a sweetshop that will make you gain a few pounds… I guess the best way to see the town is to go shopping. We can get you some new clothes…" Keith imagined holding Arya close to him and walking around for everyone to see that he had found his mate, and that she was gorgeous. "The lake gets chilly in the winter, but otherwise, is a great gathering spot…" He told her about bonfires in the evening, how he will show her the perfect spots to watch nature blooming in the spring and the explosion of yellows and reds in the fall.
Arya smiled while listening to Keith's stories that had the power to dispel her worries, and she was looking forward to seeing all those places with Keith. Her mate.
