The Unmarked Mate

Chapter 12

Dahlia

I wanted to leave. I needed to have a shower. I didn't like doctors, even one as nice as Roger. He gave Damian supplies to make a bandage on my back. It was all right, I'll be completely healed in a few days. I could walk fine already. We walked back to my house. Some pack members had just started their days, and some gave me strange looks. Well, I was covered in blood, and not all of them would have heard about the attack. When we arrived at the house, Damian asked me if I wanted help. I declined his offer.

"I'm fine Damian! I just need a shower" I told him with a smile.

"I'm sure I can help with that" he said in his teasing voice. Good he got back to his senses and stopped treating me like I was about to die.

"Hum, interesting offer. But I'd like to sleep! Come back for lunch with the others!"

"Okay, good night!", he said leaving.

I woke up around noon. My back was almost healed. I tried to put some order in my house. Why did I tell them to come for lunch? It was too early for questioning. I made myself some coffee. As I was trying to figure out what I was going to tell them, I heard a knock on the door. I went to open and saw a crowd of people bearing food in their hands.

"Well, I see you all accepted the invitation! Come on in!" I said laughing. I barely ever hosted anyone in my house and there they were coming in: George, Elizabeth, Matthew, Orithya, Andrew, Lucia, Damian, Oliver, Olivia, Kanan, his mother and little brother.

"Young lady! I can never thank you enough! You saved my little boy! How can I ever repay you?" Kanan's mother gave the huge plates she was holding to her other son and gave me a tight hug. I was just awkwardly standing there; my back was a bit sore after it.

"Mom, let the woman go!" prayed Kanan. I whispered a massive "thank you" to him. After that, we all sat. There were not enough seats around the table. I never used it. So, we all sat where there was space: the chairs under the table, the couch, the big armchair I usually sat in to read, the kitchen... To my surprise no one talked about what had happened, everybody was just cheery. Olivia approached me:

"I had never been to your house. I love it. Books up to the ceiling, a collection of so many movies, a lot of good wines, I'm telling you next girls' night, we're doing it at your place!"

"What girls' night?" I answered.

"Oh there weren't any before, but you're not gonna drink all that wine alone deary!" she teased. I laughed. This went better than I expected. We talked, we ate, we laughed. A couple of hours later, everybody left. Kanan's mother told me I could always come at their house for dinner. Everybody left but Ori and Matthew who were last.

"Alpha, we need to talk..." I started.

"Dahlia, we don't. You saved members of this pack, again. You don't owe me any kind of explanation." He interrupted me.

"I think I do. And I will." I promised him. He gave me a smile. Ori hugged me and they left.

A few days had passed since the attack. Everything got back to normal. There were more patrols, they were told to have their phone at all times, just in case. But no incident happened again. The kid I had ripped the eye of, had not woken yet. The ceremony had kept me busy, it had kept everyone busy. It was two days from now. No one talked to me about what had happened. I felt Lucia had something to do with it. It was time to tell my story now. But I wanted Olivia to have her moment not ruined by a sad tale.

As I was walking toward the packhouse, I saw Delta Otto, my greatest admirer, with Margaret, Orithya's mom. I had not seen her in many years. She came toward me smiling. When we reached each other, Otto introduced her.