(Alpha Dracos)
Atlas, my wolf, was getting more restless by the day. We still hadn’t found our mate yet and at this point, I had been to most of the packs for hundreds of miles around Centuri City.
I was beginning to think mine wasn’t in this d.amn country or I hadn’t been given one. But I was determined to find her if the Moon Goddess didn’t forget about me.
If I wasn’t an Alpha and technically a Prince I would have made it my life mission, but unfortunately, I had other duties and a lot of them.
S.ex was losing its appeal, no matter the partner I just couldn’t find the r.elease that I had been looking for. I scrubbed my hand over my face hoping it would push away those thoughts.
“Mr. Dracos,” My secretary came through the line, f.ucking perfect.
“What?”
“Mr. Daniels is requesting a meeting, he’s following up on an email he sent.”
“Now?” I asked.
“Yes, your schedule is clear for the next hour,” I sighed, “Mr. Dracos?” She asked again.
“Send him in,” I sat up and adjusted my tie.
“Mr. Dracos, I won’t take much of your time.” He stood in front of my desk, I gestured for him to sit.
He nodded once, “The girl, woman, that you wanted us to keep track of in our system, she just appeared.”
I sat forward, the wariness leaving me immediately, he had my full attention.
“It seems that she rented an apartment that we own in the Lower West Side,” He slid a paper over to me with a lease in Willhemia Balfour's name.
I grabbed it from my desk too fast.
“Thank you, anything else?” I asked not looking at him.
“That’s all for now, it just came in. I’ll keep you posted if anything else comes up.” He stood up and I nodded toward him dismissing him.
My wolf seemed to settle in my mind for the first time in ages.
(Willa)
I settled into a rhythm within a few days, it was more chaotic than what I was used to these past years but it was nice to feel like I was doing something and it left me little time to dwell on the negative thoughts that still circled me.
I dropped Emmett off at Cali's place every morning before we walked to work together. Her daughter, Loreli, and he seemed to get along really well. It helped that they were less than a year apart and Emmett didn’t see her as a baby.
Work ended up being the hardest thing to adjust to. I studied the menu during quiet periods, but I still couldn’t memorize all the food combinations.
After work, I picked Emmett up and my parents and I would make dinner together. My mom seemed more attached to him now that they were planning on going home, and I almost thought that she would beg to move in.
I finally chose classes, but they wouldn’t start until the Summer term so I had another few weeks to get fully settled. I hoped to have our place a bit more of a home by then. There were still so many things I needed for the kitchen and for Emmett’s room.
The list of things we needed and things I had to do grew longer each day.
It was his first room to himself and I wanted him to have a place that he would love to be in. I would live on a mattress in a bare room for a year if that’s what it took to make sure his space was perfect.
“We’re going to see a kitchen table and chairs and a kid's bed,” My mom handed me a mug of coffee while my dad helped Emmett get dressed, I would miss this help more than they might ever know.
“Let me know how much, I’ll pay for it, or pay you back.” I took a long sip willing it to wake me up. I felt mentally and physically exhausted after each day and it was harder to shake the tiredness until the rush of work started.
“Don’t worry about it,” My mom smiled at me, “We can figure it out later.”
“Mom,” I set down the mug on a kitchen counter, “Seriously. You know I appreciate all your help, but you’ve paid for the deposit on this place and the first few month's rent, and new mattresses and sheets and all that. I’ve got the rest.”
My parents didn't have that much money put aside, living in a pack most of the things were taken care of for you. They worked before but hadn’t in the years since we moved out. I knew that they were dipping into their savings.
“Okay, I’ll let you know.” She nodded but I wasn’t convinced.
I said goodbye to them and took Emmett’s hand, his shorts were coming up over his knees and I added that to my mental list of things I needed to do and buy. New summer clothes.
“What do you think you’re going to do today with Loreli and Summer?” Summer was their nanny, she had grown kids of her own, and Emmett and I fell in love with her immediately. She was such a mom and I trusted her completely with the kids.
“I think maybe the park!” He shouted, “The big one with all the black fences around it,”
“Well, that just sounds like the best day ever. I can’t wait to hear all about it.”
He talked almost non-stop until we reached Cali’s apartment and she buzzed us up, something I wished my apartment had. Her place was smaller than ours but in a bit nicer area of town with both a playground and park minutes away.
“Let’s do the d.amn thing,” Cali sighed, closing the door behind her, “Guess what?” She raised an eyebrow. I found out it could be anything with her. She could be engaged to someone she never mentioned or found a new brand of chickpeas she loved.
“What?”
“You’re officially out of training, welcome to the team, Willa.” She gave me a wry smile.
“It’s all I’ve ever wanted,” I replied dryly. She laughed heading down the stairs in front of me.
It was nice, having a friend. I had Lola but it was different having someone in person again, someone that got to know this new version of me.
It was freeing in a way.
I was nervous but excited to finally be on my own, and be making real tips instead of the ones that Cali shared with me. I felt guilty but she insisted, and not guilty enough to admit that I needed the money. Bad.
I donned the ugly pink apron and made my way to my section. I had the counter today, which I was grateful for. I knew it was because I was new that I got the easier section that didn’t require as much running around.
I went to work immediately checking the coffee pots and making fresh batches. The jingle of the bell at the door barely pulled my attention anymore, but I noticed that the air seemed to shift.
The background chatter stopped completely. Both the customers and other servers that were buzzing about cleaning up after the breakfast rush seemed to freeze.
A beep from a coffee machine pulled me from my thoughts and I went back to what I was doing, keeping an eye on the counter in case a customer sat there. I hoped the smell of coffee would wake me as I stood close to the pots filling at an excruciatingly slow speed.
My body did seem to wake up though, finally, the caffeine was hitting. Every fiber of my being seemed alert as a scent hit me that was sweet yet woody, a perfect combination of manly and soft. I turned on my heel confused for a moment as my senses awakened.
My eyes locked on a pair of light blue eyes that almost looked icy.
My wolf, Iris, danced in my mind saying something I thought I never would hear again.
“Mate.”
Beginning
(Willa)
A week later everything was packed up and Emmett and my things were loaded into my dad's car. They would come back for the rest of their boxes once I was fully established, or as much as I could be.
I looked back at the cottage one last time. It was a shell of what it was only a week before. The windows were closed up and boarded shut, making the bright cottage seem dark.
All of the small personal touches we added over the years were in boxes leaving the bare bones of the space left.
It reminded me of when we got here when I was broken and pregnant. Over the months and years we made this place home and I, along with the cottage, grew into something new and less hollow.
I shut the door behind me, taking one last look, not wanting to memorize this moment.
“Mama,” Emmett’s little voice made me turn and I scooped him up, “Where are we going?” He asked for the hundredth time.
“On an adventure,” I smiled at him kissing his nose.
“Are we leaving forever?” A small frown crossed his face.
“No, baby. We can always come back. We’re going somewhere new to make friends and meet some new people. Doesn’t that sound good?”
He shrugged and buried his head into my chest, he was getting so big, and carrying him was sometimes a struggle but I savored these moments when he still felt like a baby.
I rubbed the back of his head and held him to me, wanting to protect him from everything, and knowing I couldn’t.
“This is it,” My dad pulled up outside a building that was to be our new home.
I was able to get the keys with a security deposit that my parents gave me. I fought them on it but I knew I couldn’t do it without their help. The small amount of savings that I had went to admission fees but I still had to pay for my classes.
Cali helped me get a job at the place she worked, I didn’t even have to go in I was hired, apparently, they were desperate for help and my lack of skills didn’t matter.
The apartment wasn’t nice by any means, but it was cheap enough because of the area. ‘Up and coming’ my dad so affectionately put it. Two small rooms and one bathroom were more than enough for Emmett and I. The apartment used to be a warehouse of sorts and I liked the open floor plan, it reminded me of the cottage.
It felt modern even though it wasn’t. I knew that leaving the place more open was because it was cheaper than putting up new walls and insulation.
“This place is going to get cold in the winter,” My dad walked up to the windows and tapped on one, “I’ll come back and see what I can do before then.”
My mom looked around, a mix of sadness and pride on her face.
“Well, this isn’t bad, this isn’t bad at all,” She frowned at some of the patches of exposed brick that obviously wasn’t a style choice, but I kinda liked it. It made the place feel industrial, something people would pay to imitate.
“I’ll make it cozy, add some nice things so it's not so, stark.” I looked at the plain white walls.
“Emmett,” I called to him, he was busy running around the kitchen and living room, “Want to see your room?”
He halted before rushing to me, “I have my own room?” His eyes were bright.
“You do,” I nodded holding out a hand that he took immediately, “It doesn’t have anything in it yet but I thought that you could decide what you liked. Maybe even paint it.” His eyes were wide and it made me feel like I was doing something right.
I was excited for my first shift at the restaurant, diner, whatever, but also annoyed that it took me from furniture shopping. My parents were taking Emmett around to find some thrifted pieces to fill the space. I didn’t care what it looked like, but it felt like a moment that I should be there for.
“Ding dong,” Cali knocked at my open apartment door.
“How did you even?”
“You texted me your address, and you left the door unlocked” She smiled walking it surveying the place with her hands on her hips, “Great space, really big for this area.” I couldn’t tell if she was joking.
“Come on,” She nodded her head to the door, “Don’t want to be late for your first shift,” She sauntered out in front of me. I grabbed the keys fumbling with the unfamiliar lock.
The diner was a few blocks away. Cali showed me where she lived a few blocks further past it, where Emmett would go when I was at work. She had a sitter for the summer and her daughter ended school already. Splitting the cost would be way cheaper than daycare if I could have even found one with an opening.
I took it as a sign, Cali was my fairy godmother, a bit of a dark fairy godmother maybe, but she came in and not only offered a job but a solution for Emmett. I hoped that this was maybe The Moon Goddess was telling me that didn’t completely forget me, and I wanted to believe that she hadn't.
It was a miracle everything was within walking distance. My college was about thirty minutes, the diner, ten, and Cali another ten after that. Public transportation was great to an extent, but Cali warned that it wasn’t always reliable and I didn’t mind walking anyways.
My first shift at work was a whirlwind. I didn’t think it would be that hard to keep up with everything. It was a lot of running around, and then running back, and trying to carry things and remember everything. I felt physically and mentally exhausted after it.
“It’s not always like this, during the week we have a breakfast and lunch rush, but besides that, it's pretty dead.” Cali dumped some plates in the kitchen as I brushed past her, “Go ahead and sit down I’d say you’re done for today.”
I took off the pink apron, thankful that I was allowed to wear anything black underneath. Cali wore a knee-length black dress but I was nervous something like that would ride up my a.ss so I fished out a short sleeve shirt and black jeans that I packed away another lifetime ago.
“Here,” Cali slid over a brown envelope and I opened it up my eyes wide. She leaned back on the counter in front of me, “It's not much, part of my tips for helping out, and technically you get paid hourly training but,” She shrugged.
“Thank you,” I shoved it into my pocket. The money, even if she didn’t think was a lot, was more than I expected.
If I could keep this up for five or six shifts at least then I could afford the apartment and my classes. It would be tight but I could do it.
“Our shifts will be the same for now, I made it a requirement with the boss man. Most of them are during the day after the breakfast rush. Drop Emmett off at mine and we can walk here together.” I nodded but looked away.
“Look, I get it. It's going to be hard to have him away from your parents when it's all he's known, but he has to get into a routine.” My eyes snapped back to hers as I chewed my lip. She was right.
It would be hard, harder than I think I ever thought it would be. But I was doing this for him, for us, and that would make it all worth it.
I tumbled into bed, well the couch.
My parents surprised me with new mattresses for Emmett and me. I was elated, honestly. Sleeping on Goddess knows who mattress didn’t sit right with me, especially for my son.
Emmett was fast asleep on his, and they were sleeping in my room, I insisted but my mom still set up the couch with fresh sheets and new pillows.
I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.