Moonstruck ✔️

chapter 22

Shay Kingsley

The whole pack was practically up all night, the packhouse was lively but not in the way we would hope. The atmosphere was tense and thick. Dom was angry. I didn't know what to think I was just sore. Dom's family were freaked out. The rest of the pack was restless and Jordan and Dom's Beta, who I had not caught the name of, were trying to keep everyone calm. Mainly Dom.

By the time the sun had risen was when everything started dying down, mostly because of the exhaustion that was consuming everybody.

Dom was restless, pacing around the large living room we were in. He barked commands at his Beta and Delta to send out patrols over the perimeter.

I scratched at the bandages around my neck that were uncomfortably tight and making the pain a whole lot worse. I didn't know what to do. What was I supposed to do?

"Don't scratch at them," Dom urged, kneeling beside the chair I was sitting on. "Your bandages will come off."

"It's not like they do much against bruises anyway," I smiled sadly.

He backed away, an unreadable expression plastered on his face as he plopped down on one of the couches. Dom stared at the ceiling silently. His face was empty but behind those eyes, in his mind was a mental battle with himself.

"Hey," I sat down beside him. "Don't blame yourself for this."

"How could I not?" He exclaimed. "My one job is to ensure the safety of my mate and pack and somehow someone managed to sneak into our home and attack you just a few hours after we announced you as Luna."

"His scent was unrecognisable," I shook my my head. "It would've been practically impossible to know he was there the way he hid it so well"

"Shay," he turned to me with a serious look. "This is the second time now where you've been attacked now. Under my watch too. This is serious shit. I mean, fuck, someone is targeting you and you're telling me to not worry?"

"Dom, you couldn't have prevented it," I pleaded. "It's over with now, you got to me and scared him off."

He shook his head, standing up and silently leaving the house through the front door with a small click behind him.

"Don't mind him, he'll come around."

I glanced up to Elora who stood leaning against the doorframe with a gentle smile.

"It's not his fault though," I sighed. "Not this time and not last time either."

"He'll never see it as 'not his fault,'" she shrugged. "If he did he wouldn't be fit to be an Alpha."

I nodded in silence.

"Give him some time to clear his head, come up with a plan on how to handle this."

"Than-"

Yelling came from outside the house. Elora and I glanced at each other with a frown before rushing out of the house. Just in time to see Dom punch a dude straight in the jaw.

"What the fuck?!" The man yelled with a harsh glare.

I glanced up to my mate, his eyes now pitch black and glaring a murderous glare at whoever he had just punched.

"You weren't invited," Dom hissed.

His voice was much deeper and pairing that with his black eyes it was clear that Dallas had taken over his body.

"Which is exactly why I came!" The man exclaimed desperately. "I thought I'd at least get an invitation to see my little brother's mate. But to my fucking surprise I only find this out through Trinity."

"Everyone," Malcolm appeared. "Let's all head inside and talk."

"He is not stepping a foot into my house," Dom chuckled darkly. "Goddess knows what he's planning."

"What the hell are you on about?!" The unfamiliar man yelled. "What could I possibly be planning?"

"I don't know," Dom growled. "Which is exactly why I'm not trusting a single soul outside of this pack."

"Dom, take a walk," Malcolm demanded.

"Dad you-"

"I wasn't asking, son," Malcolm glared. "You're under a lot of stress, take a walk and come back in with a clear head. Until then, don't step a foot inside. We don't need any more mistrust within this pack."

Dom looked between his dad and his apparent 'brother' and then glanced towards me. I gave him a firm nod which seemed to be the only thing he needed before hesitantly walking away.

Malcolm ushered us into the house, away from all the eyes of the pack members and sat us down in the living room. I sat across from Dom's brother and in-between Elora and Malcolm. Feeling a sense of safety that Malcolm was beside me in case anything went wrong. After all, if this was the brother that was supposedly after me I did want some sort of security and safety near me.

"Let me formally introduce you," Malcolm said. "Shay this is Owen, Owen meet Shay our newest addition to the family."

Owen smiled gently, reaching a hand out to shake which I hesitantly shook. Looking into his eyes he didn't seem as if he was targeting me but looks can be deceiving.

"Nice to meet you," he greeted.

"Likewise," I nodded.

"So," Owen sat back, clearing his throat. "What's all this mistrust and me supposedly planning something all about?"

"Just a simple misunderstanding, nothing for you to worry about," Malcolm assured. "Your brother is under a lot of pressure right now, he's not thinking clearly."

I glanced towards Malcolm, seeing a certain hesitance and caution when looking into his eyes. Understandably, we had to be careful who we spoke to and about what about the attacks. Owen was one of our suspects behind those attacks, after all. He seemed like a nice enough guy but one could never be sure.

Elora left the room and re-entered with a small first aid box. Sitting beside Owen, she began tending to his lip that had been split open and handing Owen an ice pack for his left cheek. He thanked his grandmother and turned towards me.

"So," he began. "When did you and Dominic find out you were mates?"

"Uh," I cleared my throat. "Around three weeks ago now."

"Been a while then," he nodded. "You two mated yet?"

"Oh," I blushed. "Er, no, not yet."

"Oh," he exclaimed, shocked. "Huh, you'd think you two would be marked and mated each other already considering he's so protective over you. Not to mention most newly found mates mate within the first week."

"Yeahhh..." I chuckled awkwardly. "This is pretty new to the both of us, male relationships I mean. So I think we both just subconsciously agree that it's best to take it as slow as possible."

"Understandable," he nodded again.

Owen now turned his attention to Malcolm and started a conversation with his father while I listened and joined in where I could. That was until Dom walked in, causing the room to go completely silent.

To describe the atmosphere as 'tense' would be an understatement.