I Can't Be The Alpha's Mate

Chapter 22- Adjustment

We were waiting to hear back from the line guards with more information on the rogues that were planning on attacking the pack. We needed more of a grasp on what they were after before we could go out there and counter their attacks.

I still believed that we should try talking to them. It may be a foreign concept to Rafe, but I knew many things could be accomplished through words instead of actions like violence.

But, since we were still waiting, there was nothing for either of us to do, so I had gotten in contact with Nolan and asked if he wanted to grab lunch. I was waiting for him at a cafe near the center of the pack. There were many shops and businesses around, and it seemed like the perfect place to catch up with him. It had been a couple days and I wanted to see how he was adjusting to pack life. I also needed some time myself to destress.

"Hey, Kat," Nolan said as he sat in the chair across the table from me.

"Hey," I said smiling at him. "You're looking good."

"As are you, Luna," he said lightly.

"Oh enough of that. It's just Kat." It felt ridiculous for someone I had known before to call me Luna. Actually, it still felt odd for anyone to call me Luna. "So how have you been?"

"Pretty good. I managed to find a job at a shop just down the road. I start in a couple hours."

"That's awesome!" I said with a grin. It was nice to know that he had found a place to work already. He was becoming just one of the pack. "Have you met any friends or anything?" I asked. I wanted to ask him about a mate, but I didn't want to push. And I would assume that if he had found his special someone he would tell me.

"I've found a few friends. Nothing more than that though," he said with a slight frown.

My shoulders slumped a little. I really wanted Nolan to find his mate. Everyone deserved to have at least that chance, and if not a mate, at least someone who could return his feelings.

"Well, there's pleanty of time. I'm sure you haven't even met a fourth of the people yet, this is a really large pack."

"That it is," he mumbled. "Anyway, how have you adjusted to your new job?" He said with a smirk.

"To be quite honest, I have no idea what I'm doing. I feel like I'm really not equipped to handle this whole Luna thing. I don't know the first thing about leading a pack, I was always the one no one saw. To be standing at the front of the pack is really nerve wracking. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to be the balance and stability, I'm probably one of the most klutzy people I know!"

"I'm sure you're doing fine," he said with a smile. "Keeping that Alpha of yours in line and all that, if anyone can do it, it's you."

I laughed at that. I wasn't sure if keeping Rafe in line was actually possible, but he had seemed slightly less violent lately. I had been constantly nagging him to try something other than fighting and war at first. I know it had been hard for him, but at least he had been trying.

"Oh yes, keeping him in line. Right now there isn't much to keep in line. We're just waiting back to hear some information."

"I heard something about that, there are some groups of rogues that are looking to attack some packs aren't there?"

I sat back a bit. I wasn't sure how he knew about that, I didn't think anyone besides the people who had been in that room knew about it.

"People talk, not everyone is as silent as you guys. Someone catches wind and rumors spread," he shrugged. "It happens. I was just curious."

I relaxed slightly, but was still nervous about how much much information I shared with Nolan. It wasn't that I didn't trust him, I just didn't feel comfortable about talking about these things in the open.

"Something about that. We don't really know what's going on at the moment. We'll have more information hopefully tonight or tomorrow morning though."

"Hope it's nothing too serious."

"Me too," I said. We sat there quietly for a moment.

"Well," Nolan said standing from the table. "I have a few things I need to do before I start my first shift. It was really nice talking to you. We should grab dinner or something sometime."

"I'd like that," I said with a smile. "And I'm really glad you're adjusting so well here."

"So am I."

I stood up and Nolan leaned in for a hug.

As I was on my way back up to the pack house, I ran into Rafe.

"There you are, what were you doing?" He asked looking me over.

"I was just having lunch with Nolan."

"Nolan? You mean that rogue from the woods?"

"That rogue that's now one of our pack, yes."

Rafe nodded for a moment. I could tell he wanted to say more, it was just waiting to come on out.

"What?" I asked, giving him invitation to say whatever it was.

"I just don't like that you were out alone with him."

I rolled my eyes. He was so not going there, he did not get to go into over-protective Alpha boyfriend mode, no. "You don't like that I was having lunch with a friend in a public place."

Rafe kept quiet. Good, he was learning a few things at least.

"Need I remind you that he and his friends took me in when I was out there alone. They could have turned me away, made me wander around, but they decided to bring me in. They're all my friends and if I want to have lunch with them, then I will."

I think that may have been what broke him. I saw Rafe's eyes darken and his jaw tense.

"He likes you, Katarina. As more than a friend and you know that just as much as I. I am not going to sit around and let him walk around like he thinks he's going to get you."

I gaped at him and took a look around. People were starting to stare now and I wondered if this would be a conversation best suited behind closed doors. I knew it would be better to wait until we were inside, but I couldn't just let him get away with what he said. I pulled his arm and we ducked into a shop.

I pulled him behind me through the racks of clothing, past the jewlery, and into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind me.

"We are mates Rafe. That does not mean you own me. I am going to have lunch with whoever I want, I will talk with whoever I please, I will go where I want. And you are just going to have to trust that I won't do anything."

"How do I-"

"I wasn't finished," I said cutting him off. "There is no room for any of your orders here, you can't pretend like you have a right to tell me who I can or can't talk to. You lied to me then went behind my back and slept with Aphrodite. I was the bigger person, I let her stay here when I got back. She's walking on thin ice, but she's still here. Now it's your turn to take the back seat. Trust that I'm going to remain faithful."

Rafe's face had relaxed slightly. He knew I was right, I had talked to him the night after we got back about kicking Aphrodite out of the pack. I knew she was pissed about how everything had unfolded, she had wanted the power of the Luna position and I knew she wasn't going to back down from it easily. So far she had remained quiet, and I had agreed to allow her to stay, but I had warned that the first peep I heard, she was gone.

He knew he had no room to talk, not after what he had done, and he also knew that he could trust me. I knew he wasn't worried so much about me, but about Nolan.

"Now, if we've come to an understanding?" I asked him.

Rafe just nodded.

"Good."

I unlocked the door and we both made our way back out of the shop and up to the pack house.

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