Annalise

The Attacks

Weeks went by and Cristian moved into the Pack House. It was inevitable and wholeheartedly expected of the Alpha. The house was where the Pack business was handled, and that was where he was required to be to oversee it. His parents allowed this because what were they to say, he was Alpha, and he was eighteen. 

It had taken me several weeks after that to follow. Mainly because of my mother's objection, and me needing to be convinced. But again, she wouldn't deny her alpha, he'd talked her into it, and she did what she thought was best. We were mates, bonded and all, so it was pretty hard for her to say no, but strangely even harder for me to agree. I wasn't excited about staying in the Gadreal house, but Cristian wanted me with him. We'd been apart long enough, and the bond was only making it harder, so I said yes. With reassurance and light renovations, Cristian emphasized it was the Alphas house, not the Gadreal home, and that I could make it mines, but it wasn't. It wasn't home, or welcoming in any sense, but a big mansion that was often filled with passing faces, pack sentinels, or some displaced soul who needed a home. It was ordinarily busy, and I finally understood why Eric had pawned me off to the solitude of the room, less of a distraction, fewer questions, and one less person to deal with.

I stayed by Cristians side whenever possible, but our time together was usually cut short by the business of the pack a conference or a phone call. With Amarogs help, he swiftly took control and easily managed his busy schedule. I, on the other hand, found myself struggling to adjust, and resenting the move. Every week someone new showed up for this or that, and I grew tired of the long meetings with dominant men, who only conversed about the pack or pussy, so I opted out and let Cristian fill me in when he twirled my hair around his fingers. 

His ascension provided a much-needed distraction from my birthday, and I subtley slipped into adulthood without much notice. I was grateful because I hated parties. I could never find my place at them, and always ended up alone awkwardly standing against a wall or something. Me not having one, and no one paying attention enough to throw one, was jsut as fine. Other than that our days passed the same, and our happy life of frolicking in the woods and ice cream, were overruled by days in offices, and guarding sentinels.

I spent my time in the cellar that Amarog offered, and found it to be quite pleasant. Other than my room, there was nowhere else on the property to be alone, so I appreciated the gift, and wondered if he knew all along that I would move here. 

A knock on the door broke me from my thoughts, and I flipped the book close. Sara peered through the door and nodded. "Forgive me for the intrusion Ms. Jameson, but Alpha Cristian is requesting your you upstairs."

The use of the formal title made me uncomfortable, but since I'd become a permanent resident, and she was full-time staff she insisted on using it. 

"I'm coming up now, and Anna is fine."

"I don't think Master Cristian would approve."

I grabbed her hand with a light squeeze.

"Trust me, Anna is fine."

She smiled, "Yes ma'am." 

I released her hand and proceed to put away the books, "and no more of this ma'am stuff, im only eighteen."

"Yes, ma'am," she said out of habit.

I shook my head and smiled, before a sense of embarrassement hit. "Hey, Sara?"

"Yes, ma'am?"

Habits are hard to forget.

I looked into her eyes with the deepest sincerity, "I never apologized for the way I treated you when we first met."