Alpha's search for his Luna

Chapter: New and Old Bonds

Priyal's POV:

I woke up the next morning only to realize my mate, Tanishq, was missing. My hand reached for my phone on the side table; it was 6 AM. The sound of running water came from the bathroom.

"So, he's inside," I muttered to myself, recalling last night-the gentleness of his touch and the vulnerable way I had felt in his arms. The bathroom door unlocked, and Tanishq emerged, a towel wrapped around his waist. His muscular form was hard to ignore. I watched him in awe before he smiled at me.

"Morning, beautiful," he greeted, walking over and placing a soft kiss on my forehead. I blushed as he headed to the cupboard to dress. My phone rang-it was Anika again.

I answered, and she practically shouted through the phone. "It's been a week! Don't you care about attendance?"

In the background, I could hear her roommates, Riya and Anu, bickering. "Yes, I've been a little busy," I replied, watching Tanishq button up his shirt, his eyes flicking towards me.

"Professor Raghuram was asking about you. You've missed a lot of his anatomy lectures."

I was his favorite student, and missing classes wasn't like me. Tanishq gestured for me to tell her I'd go.

"I'll attend college today," I said. Anika let out an exasperated sigh before hanging up. Tanishq, now fully dressed, approached me.

"I'll have to formally introduce you to my pack and the council of elders soon," he said softly. "But until then, you can live your life as usual." He gave me a playful smile, pecking my lips briefly, leaving me surprised.

"Get ready and come downstairs," he added before leaving.

I rose from the king-size bed and made my way to the bathroom. The warm shower felt refreshing, and the scented body wash was heavenly. Probably something Misha or Kaya picked out, I thought with a smile.

Afterward, I wrapped myself in a towel and headed to the wardrobe. Kaya had neatly arranged clothes for me, and I picked a yellow crop top and black jeans. After getting dressed, I stood in front of the mirror, appreciating the way the outfit looked. "Not bad," I murmured. I applied some lip gloss and eyeliner-again, courtesy of the ladies-and noticed the black thread around my wrist.

"I'll have to ask Tanishq to cut this off," I made a mental note before heading downstairs.

The dining room was a lively space, with Misha and Kaya going back and forth from the kitchen, bringing out breakfast.

"Need help?" I asked, secretly hoping they'd say no. I was awful in the kitchen.

"No," Misha smiled. "It's our Luna's first breakfast here."

"To be honest, I don't know the first thing about cooking," I confessed, embarrassed.

"Misha loves it," Kaya teased. "And I help her when I can."

"What do you like more, then?" I asked, curious.

Kaya thought for a moment. "I enjoy training young werewolves in combat. But as a Beta's wife, I have more responsibilities at the pack house now."