Moon Tears

Chapter ♡ 2

6.45pm

Melody got Seth Woodburn to pick us up from her house – because I panicked just before the meeting.

She tried to get me to talk to him on the phone but I kept shaking my head. I couldn't break the agoraphobia today. I couldn't. I was ready in the morning but not now.

But all my anxiety is sucked away when a certain scent filters through the open door, where Melody is welcoming Mr. Woodburn.

"Thank you, so much for coming, Eliza really appreciates this," Melody gives Seth a big hug, while I peek out from the living area, down the hall – looking at and taking in the size of Mr. Woodburn.

He looks down the hall at me and his smile is beaming – only faltering for a moment when he sees my face, perhaps because I have dark rings under my eyes, although I tried applying makeup to cover it.

"Hello," I speak up, one word, couldn't be that hard, "...I'm Eliza."

"Eliza," Seth is not just 6ft 8, with a clean cut of jeans and a tight white shirt – he is also definitely not softly spoken. The projection of his voice is both soothingly deep and also undeniably loud. I've flinched when he's said my name and he steps out of the house, ushering Melody and I forward, "It's no problem, I'm more than happy to help a first timer..." with Seth's encouragement, Melody grins and skip and hops out.

Jack was with friends for a sleep over, which bid well for me to panic without my son witnessing my anxiety peaking. Now it's just a stranger and Melody for emotional support. Her husband took out their two young girls out to a late-night gymnastics class.

I had dressed in an oversized coat to hide my body, coupled with baggy pants. My long outgrown light brown brunette hair reaches past my butt, but I managed to wash and brush it out, although I didn't have the strength to straighten out the frizz, I did tie it back in a lazy pony. I shove my hands in my pockets as I move forward, eyes focused past Seth on Melody as she waits by the curb.

She moved quick, giving Seth a moment to introduce himself as I passed his frame.

"Seth," he holds out a hand.

I don't shake it, I just stop to meet his eyes and I nod.

I've stopped right in front of him for a moment, utterly dwarfed by his size, "...you're... very tall," not sure why I voiced that, but it's hard to ignore his insane genetics.

"I'm an Alpha," Seth murmurs, quietening his voice as much as he can, but he can't get rid of the low deep burr. He smelled good. Like clementine and lemon. I nod again and continue moving toward Melody, his scent lingering in my nose. He smelled so... cozy.

Melody's husband also had a strong smell, but it wasn't pleasant to me.

Most wolves didn't smell pleasant to me.

Seth is the first one to smell weirdly comforting almost.

I hop in the back, Melody in the front, Seth in the driver's seat of a small community van that could fit up to ten people.

As he starts the engine, Melody compliments Mr. Woodburn, "You really are a good man, Mr. Woodburn – this is the furthest Eliza has been out of the front yard in some time."

"Best not to linger on that..." Seth shoots a look at Melody, warning her not to get me overthinking, "I could smell you had a pup – I mean a son – Elizabeth, my apologies, I've not interacted with many humans," he looks in the rearview mirror at me for only a moment, and his blue eyes, which contrast with his dark brown curling hair, are narrowed suspiciously for a moment, "Is your son being looked after tonight? You have a son, yes?"