Shattered Tears mxb

Chapter 13

Riley's POV

It didn't take long to get settled in the pack house, especially with how hard Sunny and Lily were trying. Everyone has been incredibly nice and my decision to be the best Luna has been going better than I expected. I've been able to focus on it solely because strangely Mason hasn't called me since he told me I would be staying here on the weekends 3 weeks ago. Ever since Garrett's parents, Mr. Scott and Mrs. Scott, have helped me navigate my responsibilities.

"The daycare is having arts and crafts later today. Would you like to join us, Luna? The kids loved the reading you did for them last week. They said that no one can voice characters quite like you." Mrs. Scott chuckled while passing around the salad.

"I would love to help. Being around them, especially when they shifted to tiny pups, was the cutest thing ever."

"You know Alpha Mason was watching you from his office when you were chasing the pups around the yard." Garret murmured with a mouth full of pasta.

"Honey, we have talked about table manners." His mate, Penny, scolded.

"Sorry, babe." He said sheepishly. "You know, I think I saw a tiny smile on his face while watching."

I highly doubt he was smiling, but he was probably smirking because he imagined me tripping on a rock and falling on my face.

"Oh, that's lovely!" Mrs. Scott exclaimed. "I always worried that Mason wouldn't accept his mate when he finally found them. I'm so glad he likes you, sweetie." I suppose having sex with me requires a degree of liking.

"He definitely hasn't changed with the pack." Sunny groaned. "Last week, he had us do double the cardio training! He thought getting tired after 2 hours of sparring meant we were in bad shape. On top of that, Lily and I still had warrior training after." She whined.

"He's making sure everyone in the pack can hold their own in a fight in case we get attacked." Lily murmured with her head on Sunny's shoulder.

I envy their relationship. Actually, I envy a lot of the mated couples here. When they looked at each other it was like there was no other person in the world they would rather be with. For example, Lily always had Snicker bars in her bag because they were Sunny's favorite snack. And Sunny would always have Lily's spare house keys and lipstick because she was forgetful with small items.

I don't think Mason and I will ever be at that point. Our relationship may get better, but I have a feeling that a birthday card a month late is all I can expect on the horizon.

"Alpha Mason is a little rough around the edges, but Riley will polish him up. They're mates, after all." Mrs. Scott said cheerfully.

"Alpha Mason would like for you to join him this evening." Leo shifted in his seat as he spoke. He snuck a glance at me before quickly shifting his eyes. Unlike Mrs. Scott's optimistic view, he knew that Mason wanting to be my mate would never happen.

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"Alright, kids, we're going to be making origami flowers next." I instructed, followed by the sounds of squeals around the playroom as Penny and I demonstrated how to make a simple flower to the kids.

"I know Garett and the pack are excited to have a Luna because they think it will change Mason's personality, but I can see you're not very happy with him." She completed a flower and added it to a little girl's bouquet. "Garrett, Leo, Mason, and I used to hang out a lot growing up. I think it was around the time that we were 13 that everything changed. Mason became completely closed off and hostile. The night that he mind linked everyone about you, I knew that it wouldn't change him. He told us, 'My mate has found me, his name is Riley; do not kill him' to me he made it sound like an inconvenience."

I stayed quiet and continued making more flowers. It's not that I wanted to fool people into thinking he loved me, but I at least wanted to appear cordial. But I am an inconvenience to him from their perspective; I can't fight or use a weapon, and if it comes down to it, I'm a liability to this pack.

"I don't think it's a lost cause, though. I'm going to help you win him over, so don't look so gloomy." She laughed and bumped her shoulder with mine.

"He wants us to only be sex partners." I admitted shamefully. However, before she could answer the door to the daycare opened and Mason walked in.

"Alpha!"

"Alpha Mason!"

"Look at my flower, Alpha!"

All the kids were simultaneously screaming, trying to get his attention as he walked around listening to them ramble about the flowers they were making. He looked up and whispered something into a little boy's ear.

"Oh my God, look, he's coming over here." Penny whisper shouted.

"Hello Riley, I hear these flowers are for the people we love." He handed me a pink origami flower. "Would you like to join me on a date right now?" He asked with a tiny smile on his face, or was it a smirk?

"I would like that." I took his extended hand feeling the sparks that Sunny told me about. I peeked at Penny and saw her eyes were about to pop out of her sockets along with the other pack members volunteering.

He didn't let go of my hand when we walked out of the daycare. It felt amazing being with him like this. Maybe he's noticed my efforts to be a worthy Luna for the pack.

"Stop going around playing Luna with the pack." He let go of my hand the closer we got to the pack house. "We agreed to be sex partners, Riley. That was the deal. I don't want the pack to get attached to you."

My eyes stung as tears started to gather in them. "They explained to me what a Luna is, what a mate is. The way you treat me goes against the entire concept of mates. Why are you treating me like this?"

I felt a warm hand caress my cheek, and I leaned into it, enjoying the soothing sparks as he wiped away a stray tear. His sharp features looked heavenly against the pink and yellow glow of the fading sun. I had never seen his face this close, but it gave me the opportunity to notice the small mole right next to his right eyebrow and the light freckles that dusted his nose and cheekbone.

"Because you're not my real mate."