8

-Yes ?

-Do you think you would have come to find me if I hadn't come to get you?

-I think so... The day when I would have found enough courage to do it and stop worrying about it, I suppose. I thought about it many times to be honest with you but I always found a good excuse not to do it in the end.

I'm not sure what that means to him, but his eyes sparkle with such intense joy that I start looking everywhere but him. He puts his hand under my chin and slowly, as if to give me time to turn away if I don't want to, he leans towards me. Our breaths mingle, he really attracts me so I have no desire to push him away but I dare not fill the last centimeters we have left. He is the one doing it. He kisses me with all the sweetness in the world as if he was afraid to scare me away, which I have no intention of doing.

- Good night Laura. I smile at him as he walks away.

-Good night.

The next morning, I find myself again unoccupied. Auntie is more or less taking Luna's role at the moment and she and Alex have important business to attend to today, I wouldn't want to bother them. After miserably wasting my time watching all the baby cat videos Instagram has, I decide to launch the Maze to keep myself busy. I'm about halfway through when there's a knock on my door.

-Yes ?

-Luna, you didn't come down for dinner so the Alpha is worried about whether you're okay?

Shit ! I forgot to put my alarm clock last night with what happened, I had to get up super late suddenly!

-No, no, everything is fine. I'm coming very soon !

I run down the stairs to arrive in front of Alex, who is alone at the table.

-Uh...sorry, I didn't realize the time...

-It's okay, I just wanted to know if it was okay. He looks very concerned despite this his free hand grabs mine when I sit next to him and he makes little circles on it.

At the end of the meal, we barely spoke to each other. Is it that bad what's going on? I go back to my room worrying about what can put him in this state, especially since we opened up to each other yesterday so I didn't expect this distance at all today.

The flat screen in my room is huge, it's really more practical than a computer to watch a movie. I am completely captivated by the story.

-Uh... Luna

-Aaaaaah!

Someone enters my room when we see a scratcher, hence the cry of terror. The wolf profusely apologizes as my heart pounds in my chest uncontrollably.

-I'm really sorry Luna, you weren't answering I was worried. He speaks very quickly and twists his fingers like a child who has just done something stupid.

-It's nothing, I was scared, that's all. I say half embarrassed half amused.

I hear rushing footsteps on the stairs and a panicked Alex comes running.

-What is happening ? I yelled that loud for him to hear? Whoops...

-Nothing serious, I was just watching a movie and I didn't hear when he knocked so I was scared sorry... He sighed with relief. Poor guy as if he weren't already worried enough.

- It's okay, don't worry. As usual, he runs his hand through his hair.

- I shouted so loud that you hear me?

- No, I knew you were bad, that's all. The soul mate bond works even though I'm not a wolf apparently.

-OK. I look at the wolf who has been making tapestry for a while now. What did you want? He checks his Alpha to see if he can talk before he responds.

-Julia wanted to see you before the evening to see if there was need for care. I'm supposed to know who that is?

-Hum, who is Julia?

- She's your assistant.

-Oh, do I have one? Uh, I mean thank you Alex. I give him a quick peck on the cheek and he smiles at my childish reaction. I leave my room before realizing that I don't know where she is, I look among all the doors if I see one that looks open but from where I am I don't see anything. Uh... where is she from?

Alex laughs at me, his laugh... damn his laugh is deep and so sexy... I frown, I have to stop with that!

-The door right next to yours.

I do a little jump like when we didn't want to walk on the lines of the tiles when we were children and I knock on Julia's door. A young blond woman answers me smiling, what kind of isolations they have here so that she is not heard?

-Hello, I'm Julia, come in.

I smile back and she gestures to a chair across from a desk.

-For now, our priority is to prepare you for the presentation ceremony, both physically and mentally.

-Listen Julia, don't feel obligated to address me as you agree? We'll probably spend a lot of time together if you're my assistant, so we'll save each other unnecessary formalities if that's okay with you?

-Of course ! She seems more than happy with this idea.

We then spend several hours where she explains to me the course of the evening at the same time as people take care of doing hairstyles or makeup on me under her instructions. Several times, I notice that she tenses up, every time she says something that could actually offend me. Once everyone is out, I ask him.

-Why do you seem afraid of me? I try to be reassuring but above all I have to look weird with the pink cherry mask on my face.

-My Alpha, the one before I mean was... he was completely tyrannical. And we had to never, ever contradict him otherwise he would beat us. Her voice comes out completely choked and a lone tear rolls down her cheek, soon followed by others.

- Hey, it's over now okay? I say taking her in my arms.

She nods, tears still on her cheeks, she looks at me then bursts out laughing. I look at it without understanding, the mask! I go in front of the mirror, my face covered in pink with big features right in the middle. I burst out laughing too and said to him between bursts:

-You have pink hair now!