Unwanted Mates (Black Moon Book One)

Chapter 32 "Luna"

Hannah POV

Another couple of days passed by one by one...

I can feel my frustration growing. Everybody is tensed and frustrated with prolonged imprisonment in the packhouse, even though reports we get from the fighting zone are quite optimistic. We keep winning, and till now, there are not many casualties, although some warriors are injured quite seriously.

 People are slowly getting more and more desperate, easier to irritate, or just sadder every time I look at them. Children keep asking about their parents or older siblings, and their relatives cannot give them a straight answer about when all of this will be over and when all of them will come back home, and if all of them can come back home safely.

Families of those who will not come back are devastated, and once again, I'm the one who tries to give them some comfort. After all, I understand how it feels when you get the news that those you care about so much will never come home again. I know that sometimes a simple hug is worth more than a thousand words. And I'm genuinely sorry for all the lives which have been lost; probably that's why somehow I managed to find the right words and say them to those who need comfort.

My brothers may not say it loud, but I know they are worried about Hayden. They keep saying they are not bothered by his absence, but I know they aren't honest. Hayden is now our family, whether they like it or not. They can still see him as the prodigal father, but I know they slowly started to accept him as their father.  

I'm worried about him too; I haven't thought about him as a "member of our family" by coincidence. He was the one who welcomed us here, he was the one to make sure that we are taken care of and guarded, he was the one who guided us through the pack rules and daily life, and he cared about us from the beginning, even though giving our family situation he was no obligated towards Rosie or me. Yet he saw both of us as equal family and was there to shield us from everybody, including his own brother, because at the beginning, Mikkeli was nothing but an asshole to me.

Speaking about Mikkeli... I keep feeling him more and more, sometimes, I wake up in the morning, and I'm surprised that he didn't sleep next to me.  Even though I miss him very much, the fact that I can feel him so intensively gives me a lot of peace of mind. I just know that he is safe. I know he's still alive. During any moments I'm depressed or doubtful, I just have to concentrate strongly enough, and I'm able to hear and feel his heartbeat, and that immediately brings me some calmness I'm so desperate to have.

Tony enters the room and interrupts my moments of wool-gathering.

"I have just got the call. If everything goes smoothly, the end of it should be in two days. Most of the hunters' forces were annihilated. It really should be over soon."

I immediately notice the change of mood; people seem more relaxed and happy, as if the long waiting they had to endure is finally getting closer to an end. 

 But the cheerful atmosphere is long gone when the next night, all pack members are wakened up because of a possible attack on the ranch. We follow the security protocol. Everybody but Tony and the warriors go downstairs to the safe rooms. 

Tony informed us that the ranch is under threat of being attacked by a small group of rogues. He doesn't seem concerned, but still, I agree with him that percussion should be taken into consideration, so sending all of us to the safe room is a good idea. The ranch is located quite a large amount of kilometers away from the main pack lands, so it will take them at least a couple of hours to go over there and to come back.

"I really wish it would be over; I start feeling nauseous," Kyle complains after spending a considerable amount of time sitting in one place.

I understand him, the kids are slowly making me crazy too, and apparently, all families have exactly the same problem. After all, sitting for a couple of hours in a crowded room in the basement isn't comfortable, especially for children. I sigh, and I try to stretch my legs, which isn't an easy task considering the limited space we are sitting in now. I notice from the corner of my eyes that some ladies are constantly looking at Kyle and me, of course, pretending they are not doing that.