Ashton's POV:
The feast that Sage has been so excited for is going to be starting in a few hours, and I find myself in the kitchen chopping up a watermelon to help out. Everyone will bring their own dishes to share, that's what makes it the feast that brings the pack together.
Then, afterward, Zach, Owen, Sage, and myself will come back to the pack house and spend time together as our own little group. The day after the feast, the pack takes the day off from training except for the warriors who patrol. Thankfully, Sage has a group that volunteers to patrol post-festival day so everyone else can sleep in.
Apparently, before he had a mate, Sage used to do the patrol, but the festival is a form of holiday for the pack and everyone who has mates likes to take the following day off. He and Zach would watch a movie or two and then go to bed so they could patrol the next day.
Alder and I have spent a lot of time working together lately, as he's responsible for my training to be the future Luna. He's an amazing mentor and has been very patient as I adjust because being in a normal pack, and soon a form of leader to said pack, takes a lot of time to adjust to.
I'm nervous I'm going to mess up or disappoint the pack or, worse than that, disappoint Sage.
Alder understands my fear and he's been supportive of me in every instance. The Luna is responsible for advising pack members and helping the Alpha with whatever paper work they have to do because organizing and supplying a good pack takes a lot of work. They also have to help make decisions of who gets to be an ambassador, a head warrior, and the other important leadership roles in the pack. There's a lot to do, and I'll obviously be working with Sage when he takes over as Alpha, and he's organized and likes things to be done a certain way.
My biggest fear is giving advice to other pack members. Alder has said that he often goes to different places in the pack to meet with everyone and oftentimes pack mates will come to him for help and advice. That's what scares me; talking to people and them wanting me to give them answers because I don't always know what to say and I'm a little nervous around people who aren't Sage, Owen, or Ronaldo. Hell, I've been here for almost two months and both Alder and Hazel still scare the hell out of me!
"Sweetheart, you're zoning out," Alder says, pulling me out of my daze. "Not safe to do with a knife."
I look down at the watermelons chunks that are all different sizes and not consistent. It has nothing to do with my zoning out; I'm just not the best in the kitchen, but Sage is decent and I'll learn from Alder for the time being.
"Sorry," I apologize, sliding the cut up melon into a plastic bowl.
"Anything you need to talk about?" Alder asks.
He's been offering me one on one advising sessions outside of my training, usually when he can catch me, such as right now. He's really been assisting in boosting my confidence and I greatly admire him for that.
"Nothing new or different than what we've already discussed," I say, continuing to peel the fruit.
Alder hums, as he knows my insecurities. "As I said before, it is perfectly alright to have insecurities and you can't get rid of them overnight. You can focus on ways to alleviate your fears, but it will take time and you have a large group of people who will support you and help you," he explains, cooking something that smells amazing on the stove.
The words do help me a little and I feel relaxed now that he's reassured me once again. Alder's words and attitude show me a lot about how and why my mate turned out the way he did.
Speaking of, my mate comes running inside, cradling his hand and looking irritated and mildly anxious.
"What's wrong?" I ask, abandoning my task and rushing over to my make and grab his hand.
"I got a splinter and I need to get it out!" he shrieks, and he seems way more anxious about this than he has facing wolves three times his size.
Alder sighs and grabs a pair of tweezers. "Sage doesn't like needles and splinters remind him of needles," he tells me. "Here."
I take the tweezers and pull the tiny splinter out of his hand with ease, and Sage sighs in relief.
"Oh my goddess, I couldn't get it out with my fingers and I thought the skin was going to grow over it and it would be stuck in my hand forever," he rambles, hugging me and throwing the tiny piece of wood in the trash. "Damn wooden tables."
I did offer to help move the tables, but Alder said he'd prefer my help inside and that they had plenty of wolves to move tables. He'd rather have me learning a skill that was better and more useful than brute force.
"Oh, don't be so whiny," Hazel says, but she still checks his hand to make sure I got it all out. "Your mate took perfect care of you."
She gives me a kind smile and I feel my face heat up because I'm not only being praised for taking care of my mate, but also by the Alpha. She's definitely admirable and takes care of her pack, including myself and the new Alphas.
"Yeah, he did okay," Sage says, winking at me and I'm sure I'm even more red now. "Can I steal my mate now or are you too busy making him into my perfect little housewife?"
Alder scoffs. "Your perfect little housewife has the capability of chopping watermelon. Good for you."
Sage giggles and grabs my hand. "Come on, let's go help with decorations on the tables."
I wave to Alder and Hazel as Sage drags me outside. It's cool out, but it doesn't bother us too much as long as we wear jackets, and we have heater lamps set up at the different spots along the set up of wooden tables.
He hands me a dark blue table cloth and we run it down the length of the tables that have been put together until they're all covered. The tables are usually out in different spots in the pack so that pack members can sit outside and eat if they feel like it.
Sage loves sitting outside if it's nice out; he just loves to be outside in general. Not that I'm complaining since I live being outside as well. I was never allowed to spend so much time outside and going out is one of my favorite things to do.
We also add candles to different spots on the table and light them, since it will get darker earlier and it'll offer us light. We also put out vases with black eyed susan flowers to make it more festive.
There's other wolves out here adding their own decor around the area, such as bigger vases of flowers and plants. A mated couple who I've seen around the pack and at training, Bri and Cyndi, are working on setting up a fire in the fire pit for the pups to make some kind of dessert that Sage calls a s'more.
"Wow, it looks nice. We did fucking awesome," Sage says, looking at our work. "Let's go help my parents start carrying food out. Everyone else should start coming out here in a little bit anyway."
Almost on cue, I see a few people come outside with their dishes of food, placing them on the table and embracing their fellow pack mates.
Sage and I help carry out big bowls of fruit and the huge platters of macaroni and cheese that Alder made. Apparently it's his favorite thing to make for Hazel and she loves it, but it takes a while to make because of all of the different components Alder puts into it. He's been at work on it since eight this morning to make sure everything would be ready on time, and it's five o'clock now.
"This smells so good," I say, my stomach growling as I smell all of the different dishes being brought out. "I'm so hungry!"
Sage nods in agreement and I pretend to wipe drool from his chin, making him laugh as he slaps my hand away. "I haven't eaten all day just so I can gorge myself until I fall into a food coma," he says, staring at the table.
"Aren't we supposed to watch movies tonight and spend time with our friends?"
"Yes, and it's still technically spending time with them if I'm in the same room."
I openly pout, which always seems to make Sage melt and give in to what I want. "But I'll be lonely with you being asleep," I whine.
"You shouldn't be allowed to be this cute," Sage grumbles, pushing my face away playfully. "I'll stay awake, just for you."
I smile and press our foreheads together. "Thank you," I say gratefully.
We sit down when everyone else arrives, and I'm between Sage and Owen, with Zach next to my friend and Ronaldo across from me. The food is simply amazing and I find myself talking to pack mates whom I've never spoken with before.
I catch the look of pride on my mate's face while I speak with other pack mates whom I haven't met, and it makes me feel all warm inside. I feel bad that I haven't been more intimate with him, because I feel like I'm ready to at least do some stuff. While I'm definitely not ready for sex, I want to kiss him on the lips and go further than just cuddling, and I can tell he wants it as well.
The problem is that while Sage is the leader in every aspect of our lives together, he's a bit different while we're alone and I can tell that he wants me to initiate and take the lead.
I've become less scared that I'm going to hurt him because I know that if he tells me to stop something that I can do it. The fear is there, but it's been lessened and I want to take things further, so I think I'm just going to have to take a risk. If he tells me no, then I'll stop, but I won't know unless I try.
Sage is talking with Ronaldo while I shove mouthfuls of macaroni and cheese in my mouth, the crunchy topping bursting with flavor. Food like this wasn't an option in my old pack, and this is absolutely incredible, between the pack gathering together and sharing and the amazing food I'm receiving.
I even sit with some of the pups who I helped Zach to train and then teach me how to make a s'more! They're messy and kind of difficult to eat, but it's fun to see how excited the pups are to teach me something. It's adorable, and if Sage and I ever want to have kids, I know they'll turn out well as long as they're surrounded by this pack.
Eventually, when things wind down, we help clean up and then go back to the pack house. As we said in our plan, Zach, Owen, Sage, and myself sit in the living room and start watching some animated movie that Owen seems to like.
Sage and I are laying on the couch, with him on top of me. His head is turned so he can watch the movie while I rub his back, and I can feel a purr echoing in his lower throat area.
"Sage," I whisper, my heart pounding when he turns to look at me.
I don't know what to say, so I cup his cheeks in my hands and kiss his forehead, his cheeks, and work my way down to the corner of his mouth.
He seems a bit surprised but he scoots further up my body and allows me to continue.
Our lips meet at the same time and he lets out a small gasp as we kiss for the first time. His hands are gripping my shoulders and I'm holding his face with one hand and the other is at the back of his head.
He kisses me harder and I'm the one who gasps this time, my mouth opening so he can push his tongue in. The only thing running through my mind is "Sage, Sage, Sage" and I kiss back more firmly.
I'm surprised that he gives up control so quick, but it feels weirdly good to have control. I let my hands trail down his back and to his hips, making Sage arch his body into mine.
"Will you two take it to another room? This is a public space!" Zach whines, as him and Owen have surprisingly not gotten as touchy as Sage and I.
"Fine with me," Sage says, grabbing my hands and we walk to our room, both of us blushing and smiling the whole time.
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