AT THE BLOOD MOON PACK

ZAILA

I must have heard that wrong. “Come on, you can stay at the packhouse until I speak to my Alpha,” he says, waving me forward.

“Grab a change of clothes. We can come back to your car tomorrow,” he says. Terrified, I don’t move.

It's been so long since anyone has helped me. He sighs before grabbing a bag and stuffing a can of formula, the diaper bag, and some of my clothes inside the bigger bag.

“Come on, wouldn’t you rather have a warm house than a cold car?” he asks. I look down at my son, wondering if I should trust him.

He grabs the car seat. I climb out, and he hands me my umbrella before shutting my trunk.

“This way,” he says, walking to his car. I follow him to his electric blue sports-looking car.

I always wondered why he doesn’t drive to work. And why would he leave such an expensive car at a train station?

He puts the seat in before scratching his head. “You know how to clip it in?” he asks, and I nod.

“Okay, you put it in, and I will hold your…” His eyes darted to my son. “Son,” I tell him, and he nods, holding out his arms for him.

He takes him from me, and I lean in, making sure to keep an eye on him while I clip the seat in before turning around. Retrieving the baby, I clip him in his chair before climbing in beside him.

The Beta then passes me the bag before shutting my door.

He turns the heater on when he hops in before glancing at me in the rearview mirror.

“Your son has odd-colored eyes —reminds me of my Alpha’s. He is the only person I know with amber eyes besides his father,” he says.

I look at the man, and he looks away, looking back at the road.

He definitely has his father’s eyes, but I keep my mouth shut. Though maybe this would be my chance, he would be able to tell if he saw his own son.

We can sense our own family, plus their resemblance is unmistakable.

“Who is your Alpha?” I ask, pretending I don’t know. “Brian , the Blood Alpha,” he says, his eyes darting to mine in the mirror again, gauging my reaction to his words.

I feel excitement bubble in me, knowing I am correct in who he is. “He will be fine with you bringing a rogue into the territory?” I ask him.

“He won’t be there, and I will speak with him tomorrow. Are you hungry?” he asks, and my belly rumbles loudly at the mention of food.

He chuckles at the noise. “I will take that as a yes,” he says, and my face heats.

I give my son his binky, his amber eyes peering at me in the darkness of the car.

“What’s your name?” “Zaila ,” I answer him. “Odd name.

What pack were you from, or were you born rogue?”

“No, I was in a pack,” I answered. I refuse to tell him which one; it's no secret my family’s pack and the Blood-Alpha are constantly at war.

“Your name? I can tell you have Beta blood,” I tell him. “Adrian , and yes, I am Brian 's Beta,” he says before pulling into a drive-thru.

I grab my wallet. “I don’t want your money,” he says before ordering for himself.

"What do you want?" I don’t say anything, feeling awkward, so he orders two of the same thing.

“Is he asleep?” he asks, and I look at my son. I nod as he pulls up the next window.

“Climb in the front,” he says, which makes me look at my son again, worried. “I don’t bite, climb over,” he says while patting the passenger seat.

I unclip my seatbelt before climbing over into the front. Placing the seatbelt on quickly, I notice that he doesn’t have a mark on his neck; he hasn’t found his mate yet.

A bite on the neck always means that anyone, man or woman, has been “marked” by their mate.

He opens some cupholders and places the drinks in them before passing me a paper bag.

“You can eat in the car,” he says. I thank him and I open his burger box for him, letting him take it out.

Adrian pulls over on the side of the road before flicking the interior light on so we can see before turning in his seat to face me.

“Eat. I won’t hurt you.” I open the burger box, the smell making my stomach melt.

My hands are shaking as I retrieve the burger. “Are you cold?” he asks, turning the heat up.

I nod my head. It's a lie. I was fine in the car; it's the fact I haven’t eaten a hot meal in ages or even just actual food that isn’t canned spaghetti or granola bars.

I bite into the burger and a sob nearly escapes my lips; I am quick to suppress it so he doesn't hear.

I chew slowly, savoring the taste and the warmth. Looking up, I see that he is watching me while eating his burger.I blush, feeling embarrassed that he is staring.

He must think I am pathetic. I feel pathetic accepting a stranger's help, and almost crying over a damn burger. “Thank you,” I tell him while taking a sip of the cold Coke.

It fizzes in my throat and on my tongue but tastes so good.

“Where is your family?” he asks curiously. “He is my only family,” I tell him, looking at my son.

“They tossed you, didn’t they, for being unmated?” I swallow, looking down.

“My mother was a single mother, not a rogue, though. My dad died and she raised me alone.

She struggled, but she had the pack. Must be hard having no one to help at all,” he says. I don’t say anything.

What can I say? I am the disgraced daughter of an Alpha?

We eat in silence, and for the first time in ages, I feel full, yet still, he hands me his fries, telling me to eat them before starting the car again. After twenty minutes of driving, I realize we're getting close to my old pack when he turns onto a road going in the opposite direction.

It takes another twenty minutes of driving through his territory before he pulls up at a large, threestory house.

I can hardly see through the darkness of the night, but I can tell it's modern-looking.

“Are you okay? Stepping across didn’t make you feel sick?” I shake my head. It's odd. Usually, rogues feel sick crossing a border, but I don’t. “Huh. Odd,” he mutters.

“Are you sure it's okay for me to stay here?” I am a little nervous about being in pack territory when I am a rogue. “Yeah, no one is here, and you can stay in my room tonight; I have a pack patrol, so I won't be home.” I nod.

“The Alpha won’t mind?” I ask. “No, he won’t even know until I see him tomorrow.

He's in the city partying tonight; you will have the place to yourself,” he says, opening his door.

I climb out before walking around the car and grabbing my son. Adrian places my bag over his shoulder and puts his hand on my lower back, showing me to the front door.

I watch as he unlocks the door before motioning for me to enter.