Chapter 52
Chapter 52: Sutton
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Lucas straightened and my feet went back to the floor. He kissed my forehead and I saw his grin from the corner of my eye. He wrapped an arm
around my shoulder and forced me to face our intruder as I tugged at my clothes to right them.
“I should have called ahead,” he said. “Elise, this is Sutton. Sutton, this is Elise. She’s the head housekeeper here at the packhouse.”
“Oh, it’s nice to meet you, Elise,” I managed to stumble out.
She gave me a smile. It was a little stiff but seemed genuine enough. I’m sure walking in on us was just as shocking for her.
“Sulton is my mate,” Lucas informed her to my surprise. “She’s moving in today. Please include her in any changes that may need to be made to your routine.”
“Of course, sir,” Elise replied.
“And I expect you to continue to maintain the same level of professionalism I’ve come to expect,” he said somewhat cryptically.
“Absolutely, Alpha,” she replied firmly. “Is there anything I can help you both with at the moment?”
“Not at this moment, Elise,” he replied. “But Sutton will likely be in need of a few essentials. She’ll provide you with a list when necessary. You can go now, I’ll follow up with you in the morning.”
She tipped her head at him and then gave me another awkward smile before leaving. The elevator doors closed and released a loud breath, covering my hands with my face. Lucas chuckled, taking my wrists and pulling them away.
“That was my fault,” he said. “I should have locked the floor.”
“I don’t think she was very impressed with me,” I said, my shoulders falling as I tried to ignore the state we had been caught in. “That’s probably not the best first impression I could have made. They’re probably going to start saying I’m some floozy just trying to seduce you or something. And I would be surprised if she goes along with it.”
“Elise has more class than that,” he said. “She’s also not one for gossip. She won’t say anything against you. I think you made a better impression than you think. Elise is a bit formal. She can come off cold at times. So, that smile is more than I’ve ever gotten.”
“I didn’t think you were going to tell people we were mates,” I said.
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“I thought we still had to keep things a little quiet?” I asked. “Aren’t you still worried about Alpha Anders?”
“I’ve been thinking about that,” he said, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. “I spoke with Alpha Renward of the Silverstreak Pack. Alpha Anders did reach out to him as well a couple of weeks ago looking for you. He had a few run–ins with Dawn Stalker scouts but not like we have.”
“So you think he already knows I’m here?”
“I think it’s more a strong suspicion still,” he told me. “But it’s only a matter of time. What matters to me is that you are established here as soon as possible. It would make ensuring your safety much easier. And the best way to do that is to announce our relationship.”
“I see,” I replied calmly.
“Do you?” he asked, hooking my chin with a finger. “I’m not pushing you, Sutton. I said we would move forward at your pace and I meant that. But I want you. I want the pack to know you. To know who you are to me. And yes, being my Luna comes with a level of protection that would relieve a lot of our fears.”
“I know,” I said honestly. I chewed my lip as I considered what he was saying. “If we did that… what would that mean? I mean, other than everyone knowing obviously. I’m just… I don’t know what a Luna does.”
His brow furrowed. “I suppose you wouldn’t,” he said. “The Dawn Stalkers haven’t had a Luna in almost twenty years.”
“And I wasn’t allowed to really be a member of the pack,” I told him. “So, I’m not sure what they’ll expect of me.”
Lucas wrapped his arms around my waist. “They will expect you to be who you are, Sutton,” he said.
“Lucas, that doesn’t help,” I replied firmly. “Right now I don’t even know who I am, remember?”
He chuckled. “You know more than you think you do,” he said. “For now, they’ll just want to get to know you. Be kind. Be considerate. Put the pack
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Chapter 52
first. Those are things I’ve seen firsthand from you tenfold. You can make things what you want them to be from there.”
I thought about it. It still wasn’t much to go on, but he had said we would take it one step at a time. I was nervous about having to meet so many people, but if I was honest with myself, I was also looking forward to it. I had been isolated for so long, the idea of having friends again was exciting. I would certainly try to meet their expectations as best I could.
My hand went up to my neck absently as I thought about the expectations I did know about. My gut clenched a little and worry crept into my chest. Lucas covered my hand with his.
“That won’t happen until you’re absolutely sure, Sutton,” he said, reading my mind. He lifted my chin again, forcing me to meet his eyes. “I don’t ever want you to feel pressured. So, until the time comes, this is the last time I will say this – you’re mine, Sutton. I fully accept you and want you as my mate. If it were up to me, you would already be marked, mated, and pronounced to the world as my Luna. That said, I know what you’ve been through. I know you can’t trust what that means yet. But when you can – when you’re ready – just say the word.”
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