The Book Keeper

Chapter Fourteen

The Book Keeper

Chapter Fourteen

            “I want you to meet my pack,” Ashton says, from beside me. I glance over at him, nervously. “What if they don’t like me?” I ask, quietly. He gives me that ‘are you serious’ look. I look away.

He pulls me onto his lap so he can look me in the eye. “Baby, they will love you. You are their Luna. They have to respect you,” he says. “But what if they don’t actually like me?” I ask him.

He takes my face in his hands and kisses me gently. “They will. You are smart, talented, beautiful, and funny. What’s not to love? You are perfect and there is no way they won’t like you.” I smile at his words. He always knows what to say to make me feel better.

“Okay.” I tell him. He gives me a confused look. “I want to meet your-our pack tonight.” Ashton grins. “Thank you baby,” he says. He looks at me proudly, like this is some heroic act or something. I guess it is to him. It’s just nerve-wracking for me.

“When do you want to meet them? And do you want to have a ‘Meet the Luna’ barbeque?” he asks me. “I don’t care when we do it. I’d rather do it in a fun, less awkward way. If we are all doing something, there’s less of a chance for it be silent and uncomfortable,” I tell him. He nods in agreement. “I’ll think of something,” he says.

I groan in frustration. I can’t find anything to wear! Ashton told me to dress nice, but not fancy. So I am deciding to wear a slightly casual dress. Unfortunately, it looks like I don’t own one!

“Baby, what’s wrong?” Ashton asks, poking his head in my small walk in closet. I’m sitting on the ‘no’ pile. “I can’t find anything to wear,” I pout. He helps me stand up and walks me out of the closet. We walk through my small kitchen and straight out the door.

“Where are we going?” I ask, once we get to the car. He doesn’t answer, but opens my door for me. I get in the car. “To get you something to wear,” Ashton says, from the driver’s seat. He smiles at me.

“I don’t need anything,” I tell him, “I can find something at home.” He gives a look that tells me he doesn’t believe me. He keeps on driving.

Realization hits me. He didn’t tell me where we were going until we were in the car, because he knew what I would say if he had told me. As if reading my thoughts, Ashton looks over at me with a knowing smile.

I roll my eyes at him and look out the window, pretending to be mad. He puts his hand on my thigh, making me jump. I half-heartedly glare and shove his hand off. He laughs.

After a quick drive, we pull up to the mall. Knowing that Ashton wants to open my door for me, I wait until he does. He rewards me with a small kiss.

We walk hand in hand into the mall. Girls stare at Ashton with their mouths open and then turn to glare at me. A few guys stare at me and receive a hard glare from the man beside me. I giggle at his jealousy. I don’t let the girls make me jealous, because I’m the one who is holding his hand.

“What do you need?” Ashton asks me. “A dress,” I tell him. He pulls me gently towards Buckle, but I hesitate. I know this store is very expensive. Ashton ignores me, and walks in anyway.

“Go try on some things. Get whatever you want” he says. I walk towards a rack full of dresses, with Ashton trailing behind me, seeming a little bored already. I’ll try not to take too long. If that’s even possible.

I pick up one of every dress in my size. I walk to an employee, asking for a changing room. “Right this way, beautiful,” the teen guy says. Ashton growl lowly and grabs me by the waist. The dude either ignores him or doesn’t notice.

He unlocks a door for me and tells me to holler if I need anything. “She won’t,” Ashton mutters, his voice coated in jealousy. I giggle and walk into the changing room before he can say anything.

The first dress doesn’t fit right.

The second dress is a horrible color on me.

The third dress is too poufy.

The fourth, fifth, and sixth are just plain ugly.

But the seventh one is perfect.

It’s dark, hunter green. It’s made of soft lace. The sleeves are half sleeves made of pure lace. It hits the middle of my thigh so it’s not too long and not too short.

Eager to show Ashton, I rush out of the changing room to find him sitting in a chair across from the door. He looks deep in thought. When I walk up, his eyes automatically snap up to meet mine. He looks me head to toe, making me nervous for his opinion.

When he looks into my eyes again, I see love, approval, and a little bit of lust. I blush at the last thought. “Baby you look gorgeous. I assume it’s the one you want?” he asks, when I walk out dressed in what I came in. I nod, but then I remember the price tag.

When I look at it, my heart drops: $69.99. I frown. I really like this dress. Ashton stands up and makes me look at him. “Don’t worry about the price, baby,” he says. “I can’t afford it,” I tell him sadly. He takes the dress out of my hand.

“Yes you can. With this,” he says, pulling out a shiny black credit card. I frown at him. I can’t let him buy that for me. He walks up to the cashier, pays, and then heads out of the store. I don’t need anything else so I follow him out to the car.

Once we are situated, I say, “Thank you.” His response was a heartwarming smile. I lean over and kiss his lips, showing him my appreciation for his kindness. “Anytime, baby girl.” I smile at him.

The drive to the house is silent, but not at all awkward. I sit there, thinking about how Ashton plans for me to meet the pack. I’m starting to become nervous. What if they don’t want me to be their Luna? What if they don’t think I am good enough? What if they simply hate me?

“Stop those thoughts in their tracks right now,” he says, pulling me out of my revere. I look over at him. “I know what you are thinking. They will love you,” he tells me. Hearing his sincerity and seeing his facial expression of honesty calms me instantly.

“Now go get ready for tonight. Be ready at four. We have a long night ahead of us,” Ashton tells me, smiling at me. Wow, why so early? I’m guessing that he has the entire evening planned out. Seriously, he is the sweetest.

It only takes me about two hours to get ready. I took a shower, blow dried my hair, got dressed, did my make-up, and curled my hair. I wanted to look perfect for tonight. I look at the clock and frown when I see that it is only three o’clock. That leaves me time to relax, but it also gives me time to doubt.

I push that thought away from my mind. I want to look confident in front of my pack. I am their Luna and I want them to know that I am capable of protecting them and serving them as best as I can. I do not want them to think of me as weak.

I hear someone knock on the door. “Come in.” Ashton walks in wearing jeans and a green button up shirt. I grin as I realize that it’s the same shade as my dress.

I notice he has his hand behind his back. A few moments after I notice, he hands me the beautiful white roses he was hiding. I smile and run over to him. I take the roses from him and smell them. Roses have the best scent. Ashton smiles at my happiness.

I go over to my cabinet and grab a vase. I fill it with water and put the flowers in it. Once they are placed safely on the night stand, I slip on my sandals and walk to Ashton.

He offers me his hand and I gladly take it. Ashton looks me in the eye as he asks me, “Are you ready for one amazing night?”

Hey guys, hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! Please let me know what you think in the comments. Also, vote if you liked it!

-Kelsey