Chapter 7

I nod, wondering how to use the bottles. Of course Mama and I washed ourselves. Sometimes we stood in the rain, especially in summer when it was hot out and the rain chased off the bugs for a few minutes. In winter, we collected rainwater and heated it over the fire to have a warm bath, standing outside and rubbing ourselves with a wet rag that we dipped into the water to rinse. I decide this isn't so different, except the rain comes from the wall and the bottles must be used to squirt more water on myself.

"We'll be right here. Holler when you're done." Lewis nods and backs away, shutting the door behind him.

I'd like to go check on Mama, but there are no windows to escape. Since I'm curious about the shower, I peel off the moss and rags and step under the falling water. A gasp of pleasure escapes my lips. It's warm, and it covers my whole body at once instead of just a bit dribbling from a rag while I stand outside, hurrying to clean myself before I freeze my buns off. This... This is wow.

Dirty water streams down my body, heading toward holes in a metal grate on the floor. I pick up a bottle, but it's not empty, so I can't fill it with water. I open it, and the smell of flowers comes out. I tip it up and pour some of the contents into my hand, using it to wash my hair and body thoroughly, as Lewis instructed.

When finished, I twist the metal thing, and the water stops. Soaking wet and feeling amazed, I open the door.

Lewis's jaw drops when he sees me. He grabs a thick sheet of fabric and hurries toward me. "Let's get you a towel, honey. Here you go. Dry yourself off and put on this robe."

He seizes a white, fluffy garment from a hook on the wall and hands it to me. After drying myself and donning the robe, I let Lewis comb out my tangled hair and do something called "styling" to it. After that, he brushes various powders and creams onto my face and dresses me in some silken garment that feels wonderful against my skin. Finally he stands back and looks me over.

"You look fantastic. Doesn't she look amazing?" He turns to Ama, who looks up with a scowl.

She sits in the corner in one of the wooden chairs with a small rectangular device that she's been tapping with her thumbs every few minutes since we met. "Sure. You always do good work," she says to Lewis. She shoves her hand in her pocket and passes him some green papers. "Will that be enough?"

"This is more than enough," he says, clasping his hands beneath his chin. "Tell your Alpha thank you from the bottom of my heart. He's as generous as he is handsome."

Ama laughs. "Don't encourage that man's ego."

I stare at myself in the mirror. I've been dressed in a waterlily green top and pants the color of cattails. The garments feel smooth and supple, and they don't restrict my movement, which I like. My face has no mud or dirt, only a powdery substance Lewis brushed on my skin, black goo on my eyelashes, and pink cream on my lips.

I look so different from the girl I know from looking into pools in the swamp. I'm not sure who I look like, but it's not me. And I feel as odd as I look.

"Let's go, chica," Ama says, seizing my wrist once more. She drags me out of Lewis's cave of mysteries, through the big room with clothes, and out the door into the bright sunshine.

I want to slug her for dragging me around like the catch of the day, but she's stronger than me, and my wolf instinctually obeys the commands of an older, more intimidating wolf.

"Where are we going now?" I ask, blinking into the glare of the afternoon sun.

Ama lets out a sigh of irritation. "We're going to meet Axel, our Alpha. He's your True Mate."

Axel

Ever since Sterlina the Seer told me who my True Mate would be, I've had dozens of fantasies about the kind of woman I'll meet. I picture wild and stunning, svelte and shadowy, gorgeous yet strong. What I haven't anticipated is this wisp of a barely adult woman who stares at me from my front porch with all the ferocity of a puppy.

Jesus Fucking Christ. Is it even legal to breed her? She looks like a mere child.

I study her through my screen door. Even with all the make-up, as well as the curve-hugging clothes, she looks like jailbait. Sure, she's pretty, but I prefer real women. Still, it doesn't really matter. She's my True Mate, and if she were only eight, I'd just have to wait for ten years to be with her. Sometimes that happens, though it's definitely not ideal, especially in this situation, when I need an equal at my side to help lead the pack.

But this is what I've got to work with, so I put on a presentable smile, ignoring the snide expression my Second has on her face and hoping Luna is older and less timid than she looks. It could be an asset if she's fierce as fuck but looks unimposing.

That hope is dashed when I let my wolf surface for a second, and she drops her gaze so fast he barely has a chance to see her, let alone show dominance. Opening the screen door, I welcome them both, standing over them with a simple Alpha command. "Come in."

Luna drops into a half-crouch, like she's going to shift and tear my throat out. "What kind of hex did he just lay on me?" she hisses over to Ama. Even her voice sounds young.

"It's not a curse. Axel's making you feel welcome." Ama gives my mate a little shove toward me. I flash my Second a glower. Her disdain for my True Mate is evident, and she needs to remember her place.

In a blur, Luna whips around, shifts into a wolf, and pins Ama to the porch floorboards. Just as quickly, Ama shifts and rolls to pin Luna, and for a second, I think this game will be over with one dead wolf, and it's obvious who will win.