Under the Skin

Chapter 10

Just a heads up, there will be mature content at the end of the chapter. There won't be many sex scenes in this book but you should expect some since its rates mature for a reason. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Two weeks after he had been accepted into the pack, The other wolves were still acting cold towards him. 

Despite trying his hardest to contribute to the pack, it seemed like his efforts weren't enough to convince them he wasn't dangerous. 

Jonah spent all of his morning taking care of the pups, which he had taken a liking to ever since he went the first time with Zoe. As for the afternoon, he worked at the meat house until the sun set in the sky. 

By the time he got back to their cabin, he was completely exhausted. Alec had to remind him to eat since he was only thinking of going into bed and fall into a dreamless sleep. 

Speaking of Alec, the beta was starting to feel concerned for his mate. Working this much certainly wasn't ideal for his health, and even though he had recovered from his injuries and put on a decent amount of weight, he didn't want Jonah to deteriorate. 

One night, after Jonah had almost passed out while eating, Alec finally confronted him. 

"Why are you working so much hmm? You're going to drop dead if you continue like this." He said softly while rubbing his mate's shoulder to comfort him. 

Jonah nibbled on his lip while he hesitated on voicing his concerns. He did trust Alec by now, but it was still difficult for him to speak about what he felt. 

"I..." Another thing was that Jonah didn't want to worry him. He felt like a burden because the beta was always checking up on him. 

"You can tell me if something is bothering you. We're mates, we're suppose to rely on each other.  If anything, it worries me more not knowing what's going on." Alec wore a frown on his face now, looking concerned. 

"I... your packmates, t-they don't like me. I try really, really hard to be of h-help to them but... it's not enough." He hadn't realized he started crying until he let out a sob. But the tears really began to flow in earnest when Alec wrapped his arms around him.

"I- I just w-want to b-belong!" He wailed desperately as the heavy weight that had built in his chest since the ceremony finally lifts.

Alec simply holds him and lets him cry into his chest. He rubs his back and whispers soothing words to help him calm down as well. 

When Jonah has significantly calmed down, Alec pulls away while still holding his arms. 

"I didn't notice how you felt, and I'm really glad you told me. If you want, I can introduce you to more of my friends."

Jonah still felt embarrassed from his break down and appearing so needy, but he nodded his head. He couldn't help but admit that it would probably be easier talking to people if Alec was there to put him at ease. When he was alone with new people he tended to freeze and stammer, not really knowing what to say. 

"Good," Alec smiled and squeezed his wrist slightly to reassure him. "You should give yourself some time to adapt too. You've never been in a pack before and you're used to being alone, so it's normal that you have a hard time interacting with other people."

"But you've made a lot of progress since you've arrived here. And I'm not just saying that because I'm your mate. Moira and Zoe said so as well. You should be proud." 

Jonah blushed and tried to hide his red cheeks with the hood of his sweatshirt, which made Alec laugh. 

"Everything's going to be alright, you'll see."