Verge of Insanity

Chapter Twenty

Mara Leigh

At breakfast the next morning Blythe and I were the only people at the table. Xander had went into the next town to visit another pack. Ella and Beau had left early because he'd realized he needed to go check in with his mom.

I knew Mrs. Crawford was likely to be on the verge of calling the cops, and didn't blame him for going. However, I knew that it could mean that I would have to start school back ASAP. Which I didn't mind, but knew Xander would.

As much as I enjoyed having no homework, I was ready to get back to school. There was only a short amount of time until graduation, and I wanted to get it over with. But I didn't dare talk to Xander about it. 

When there was little left on our plates and my belly was full, Blythe looked up at me. I could tell that she was disappointed and I had no doubt it was because of how I'd acted yesterday. I was sure I'd proved myself to not be the type of girl she wanted her son to be mated to. 

"I'm not judging you," she started quietly, "but I know you don't know the protocol of pack life. Would you mind if I shared it with you?"

I put my fork down and nodded for her to go on. I hated how down she sounded. Knowing I'd upset her made me feel bad for what I'd said.

"When you're the luna...well, if you are a mate to a male in general, you shouldn't disobey him. Especially not in public."

"Don't disobey Xander in public," I repeated, modifying it into something that I could follow. 

She seemed to overlook my modification and continued on.

"Don't order him to do anything. An example could be telling him that he has to fight you. That he can't forfeit."

I blushed, remembering how I'd lost my temper with him. But he had fought that Cecilia girl, so he could fight me. That was how I saw it.

"Don't order him around," I reciprocated.

"It is shameful for an alpha to have his mate run away from him. It's just as shameful for his mate to openly disregard his orders," she said. 

I felt my face heat up. When her eyes started looking troubled I knew she could see that it was red.

"I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm bashing you, Mara," she said, getting up from her seat to come and sit beside me and hold my hand. "You're not like us, and you don't quite understand. But I'm here to help you as much as I can."

"I just lost my temper," I explained. "He'd fought with that other girl, and it made me mad. And then he wouldn't even look at me."

"You were jealous," she smiled, squeezing my hand.

I didn't try to argue, because I knew it was true.

"All of these girls seem to not understand the concept of a mate," I ranted, watching her smile grow. "I'm human, and I understand it better than they seem to."

"Now you see how Xander feels. He sees guys that are attracted to you and gets jealous too. After he marks you, it'll get better. Everyone that looks at you will see that you are his, and it will calm him."

"But that doesn't help my end of the bargain," I said. "There's nothing on him to show that he's mine."

She seemed to think about that. After a while she said, "Get him something to show the world that he's taken. Something he could wear even when he shifts."

Like I knew what he would be able to wear even when he'd turned furry.

She seemed to hear my thoughts and said, "Like jewelry and clothes. They stay with us when we shift, but that's about it. Unless you want to pay for him a tattoo."