Rise from the Ashes

CHAPTER FIVE

Aden-Catullus

Talone, I connected to my Second via our mind link. I need you to do me a favor.

Ask away, Alpha. His deep voice happily chirped. He, along with the few others who knew, were glad to see I had found my mate. I need you to go to the Moon-Rose pack and discreetly see what you can find out about my mate.

As you say, so it shall be. He gave the most respected replay. I do wonder why you ask.

She won't tell us her name, and the only match Doc found was a familial one. The deceased Second and his wife of the Moon-Rose pack. There is no record of them having any children

That is odd. I will send a message to their alpha and be there as soon as I hear a replay.

I appreciate it. No matter what you find, leave on peaceful terms, and do not let them know she is here. Whoever she is, there must be a reason she isn't telling us anything.

~~~

Two days. Two every long days of paperwork in a hospital room that was my mate's. Two days of being an Alpha, but refusing to let my Luna out of my sight. Two days of her never saying a single word to me. It was agonizing.

No matter where I was in the room, she kept an eye on me. At first I thought she was feeling the pull of our bond, but I quickly realized this was not what was going on. She was studying me. My mate watched my every move to see all of my ticks and tells. Anytime my hand clenched, she went rigid. Anytime I moved suddenly, or growled in annoyance at my alpha duties, she flinched. She studied me, and so I studied her.

She was shy. Worry marred her beautiful face more often than not. She fidgeted in her sleep. It took her crying for me to confirm that she was having nightmares. My beautiful mate shrank back at nearly all movement towards her. Slightly less so when a woman saw to her needs, but the fear never left her gaze.

A sweet bit of excitement came in the form of a text.

Talone: Her name is Lilia- Rose. That is all I know.

Talone: so far

Such a beautiful name, for such a gorgeous woman.

When I finally brought Lilia to my house, I thought it would be different. Maybe being in the hospital contributed to making her so uncomfortable with me. The hopes I had fell as she stared, with no emotions crossing her face, at the large space.

A stiffness held my body as I offered, "You can sleep in my room." seeing her eyes swell in size I quickly added, "I have a couch I will sleep on, you can have the bed to yourself." Then I held my breath.

Wordlessly, she shrugged.

"Okay, I will take that as a yes." With a gentle hand on her back, which she initially recoiled from before allowing it stay, I led her up the stairs to the master suite.

The silence and watchful gaze continued. I hated it. I wanted to make her talk, wanted to push words or laughter from her lips. It was not meant to be, not until later that night.

~~~

Gesturing to the Texas King bed, I said, "Make yourself comfortable."

I grabbed an extra blanket and pillow from my closet. Lilia went to take them from me, I held them aloft and raised a brown at her. "What are you doing?"

"T-tak-king the c-couch?" It was more of a question than an answer. I couldn't fathom why she had picked up a stutter between the hospital and my house. She hadn't spoken beyond refusing to answer Doc's questions, but she had spoken so clearly then.

"Why?"

Her head tilted to the side as her eyes and brows pinched uncertainly. "I-it's your b-bed."

"And?"

"Y-you're the A-alpha..." I waved my hand, gesturing for her to continue. "Y-you deserve the b-bed."

"Ah," I say in understanding. Her Alpha must have been one of the types that thinks they get better than all else. "That isn't how things work in my pack," I inform her. "Every member has as comfortable, if not more comfortable home, than I. The same goes for you. The bed is more agreeable than the couch, therefore the bed is yours."

She stubbornly shook her head.

Lifting my shoulders I say, "too bad, I have the couch." Side stepping her rigid form, I walk to and place my stuff on the couch. Then I sprawl out making my intentions clear.

I could practically see the cogs in her pretty head turning as she looked about the room for a solution. Cockily, I grinned in her direction. Then she grabbed a blanket from the foot of my bed, followed by a pillow and pulled them to the floor.

"What are you doing?" I snapped.

Stiffly she said, "I'll n-not be in t-trouble. " Then my too sweet mate curled up onto her makeshift bed atop my fluffy rug and fitfully fell asleep.

At some point, when I was sure she was asleep, I began to lift her. Black wolf eyes opened and glared at me. As with her human counterpart, she did not trust me.

"I simply want to move you two to the bed." She eyed me before huffing her consent. "I am surprised to find you the one to wake.

She needs the rest. Her wolf spoke simply to my mind. Until we are mated, only her wolf side would be able to communicate with me this way, and only when I was close by.

"What is your name?"

Lilith.

"Lilith and Lilia, that doesn't happen too often."

Our wolf parents wanted all who knew me to know I was strong. Small but fierce. They liked the name their humans had settled on and wanted to match. There was no surprise in her tone. All wolf counterparts are logical like that. Of course I figured out Lilia's name, I was her mate, nothing would keep me from knowing her.

I smiled at this. "It is nice to meet you Lilith, and I am glad Lilia- Rose has someone like you. Might I inquire one more tidbit from you?"

Ask and then I'll decide.

"Why is she stuttering?"

Fear.