The Art Of Sneezing

Chapter 17

I smile as Alexander opens the meeting room door and walks in to place the tray of food and plates on the dark table.

"Hi, Alpha Stone. I'm Riley; we talked on the phone about the meeting." I stick my hand out to shake his.

When he doesn't move, I begin to feel awkward. Alexander kicks him and pulls him back to our world. "Right . . . Luna Crescent. Of course. Wow."

I blush as he softly takes my hand. "Please call me Mouse."

"Mouse?"

"You'll find out if you every meet me without him," I jerk a thumb to my alpha.

"It's fantastic to meet you, Mouse." Alpha Stone beams at me.

Blushing again, I murmur, "I'm not that special."

"Oh, but you are."

I begin to spoon food on the plates and pass them out. "So, what's up with the rouges?" I put some chicken on my fork and move to get my first taste of the delicious smelling food.

"Actually, Riley, this is more of an alpha matter." I pause with my fork half way to my mouth. It clatters as it accidentally falls on my plate.

Looking at Alexander, I nod at his request. "Yeah, okay. I'll just, um, go then. Don't wait up for me; I think I'm going to go home." I nod at the visiting alpha and look through a wet blur at my alpha who just rejected me.

"Mouse-"

But I'm already out the heavy door, my food long forgotten. As if I need it.

1 month later and everything has evened out. Derek doesn't like my friends - hates them, actually - so I spend my school days with them. After school, Derek and I go to his apartment or out somewhere. At night, I play my part as Luna - volunteering to cook dinner. Everyday my parents see my stress, but they're too involved in themselves to worry about me.

Recently, Derek has been pretty stressed. He gets phone calls throughout the day that always leave him upset.

I try my best to cover the bruises and I feel like I'm doing pretty well at concealing them. At least, no one has commented.

I completely understand, though. He always apologizes, holds me tight. Its okay for now.

"No school tomorrow," Alexander announces during dinner. "We have a pack meeting all day. Zach, Luna, I need a new patrol routine before the meeting. Daniel, I'll address more tomorrow, but I have an Alpha Meeting Thursday night, which means double guards."

We nod silently.

Sometimes I feel like I'm living three lives. I'm fun and loose with my friends, quiet and understanding with Derek, strong and supportive with the pack.

I'm not sure which one is really me.

I'm tired.

Pond and I watch a rerun of Doctor Who before I walk to the alpha suite. I grab one of the alpha's shirts to wear to bed before climbing under the fluffy blankets.

"The bed is lava," I whisper with a smile.

I feel a dip beside me. "You're not like that anymore, Mouse." His words are as soft as mine.

"I know."

Arms pull me up. "You're tense," he says as he begins to rub my shoulders. "What's changed?"

I sigh. "Alexander . . ."

"Hey, I just want to know why you're acting different." I melt into his hands that send tingles through my skin. They slide to my upper arms, still massaging.

"Ow," I wince and pull left arm away.

"What? What's wrong?" He pulls the sleave of the shirt up before I can reply with a 'nothing'. He catches sight of the black and blue spot

"What the hell, Riley? Who did this to you?"

"No one," I mumble and turn to face him.

"Fuck that. Was it Derek?" He reaches for me and I automatically flinch back. Alexander's face falls. "Mouse," he says quietly, "I would never hurt you."

I sniff. "Neither would Derek."

"Bull shit."

Tears leak out of my eyes. "I don't know how to stop him," I gasp with a sob. "I-it's not his fault. Someone makes h-him upset. He always apologizes."

"How long has this been going on?"

"Two years."

"And your parents don't notice?"

"In case you haven't noticed, my parents don't fucking care."

"I'll kill him."

I reach for him. "No, Alexander, please. I love him."

He grabs my waist. "I can't let him hurt you anymore." He mumbles into my hair. I like the way he holds me and the tingles he sends off. No one else feels like this, so it must be an alpha thing. "Soon, we're going to introduce you to the pack. There's something we need to do first, but - wait."

I blush as he squeezes my waist and side. "Oh, um, I'm trying to get rid of that fat. I'm too big, I know."

Alexander lifts his eyebrows, "excuse me? You're fat? Any skinnoer and you'd be boneless!"

"That was a good episode."

"Yes, Doctor Who is amazing. But who told you that you are fat?"

I mumble. "No one."

"Derek is a dick. No more losing weight; it's bad for you and your wolf." He pauses. "Riley, you're a Luna. Not even I can boss you around. How can you let someone do this to you? You're stronger than that."

"Love makes you weak."

"No, thats wrong. Remember when I said the other alpha's were pushing me to mate? Mating will make me stronger. Mating makes every wolf stronger. Our soul mate is our one love that makes us better and stronger.

"When you see, smell, hear your mate, there's no power on earth that can stop you. She's your everything. Her intoxicating smell, her voice holds you here. Every time you do something - every time you fight - it's to keep her because without her, you would be nothing. And that makes you stronger."

Silence fills after his voice.

"You speak as if from experience."

Suddenly, he beams brightly. "I am."