Chapter 9
Lilly leaned down and accepted a single rose from a little girl who cam up to give it to the pretty new luna. Lilly turned to look up at Tyler, but h seemed to be mind linking with someone. She could tell by the concentration and slight haze over his eyes. Lilly turned back and thanked the little girl, who skipped off happily.
Kade walked up and stood next to Lilly, and she had the feeling he was there to take care of her. When she looked over at Tyler, she could tell that she had guessed right. He looked down at her with apologetic eyes.
"Sorry Lilly, I need to take care of a couple of things. I shouldn't be too long. Kade will stay with you." Tyler leaned in and kissed the top of Lilly head before he walked off.
The moment they parted, Lilly missed his familiar heat next to her body She had been held next to his side all morning, and it suddenly felt foreign without him being near her. Her father was the alpha, and she knew that there were always things that needed to be taken care of tha required their alpha's presence. With a bit of longing, she turned back the crowd in front of her, putting on her best face.
The little boy that she had tended to when she first crossed into their border came up to her grinning ear to ear. "You are a very nice person. am glad you're our new luna." The little boy then giggled and took off, running away.
A short time later, Lilly was freely wandering among her new pack members and greeting them all. Kade stayed closely by her side. A young man about her age came up to her. Lilly noticed that he seemed
to have quite the following of young ladies ogling after him.
"Man, our alpha has all the luck. You are simply mouthwatering." The young man winked at her and Kade growled at him reproachfully, stepping up to Lilly's side. The man was very attractive. Not Tyler attractive, but you could tell the man knew women couldn't resist him.
"Cedric, have some respect for your new luna.” Kade warned him. His tone did not sound overly aggressive, but his eyes shot Cedric a warni that could not be ignored.
"I didn't say anything that she didn't already know. I was just commenting on how lucky Tyler was to find such a beautiful luna.”
Lilly gave him a small smile in acknowledgment and took a small step away from him. He made her feel uncomfortable. He looked at her like she was dessert, but that wasn't what was making her feel uneasy. Something felt different about him. While she stood in his presence, st felt the back of her mind stir.
Kade gave Cedric another reproachful look, then rested his arm arounc Lilly and led her away from Cedric. "He's really quite harmless. He's jus what you would call a man w***e," Kade said bluntly as he led Lilly awa "Let's get you something to drink."
Lilly let Kade lead her back towards the house when something caught the corner of her eye. She stopped and looked, causing Kade to look in the same direction. In the distance, near another building, were Tyler a Jessica. Jessica had her arms wrapped around Tyler, and in that moment, she stood up on her toes and kissed Tyler. Lilly felt her stomach turn immediately, and a clenching pain formed in her chest. S was giving Tyler her heart and trusting him. She knew that they had been engaged just yesterday, and it was probably difficult for Jessica t
adjust. Tyler's hands went to her shoulders and moved her back from him. He must not have scolded her, because she smiled up at him.
Lilly felt betrayed, and her color faded from her face. Kira, on the other hand, was seeking bloodshed. She was pacing back and forth in Lilly's mind, demanding she take the head of the she-devil that touched their mate. Even though Lilly wanted to throat punch Jessica, her desire to get away from the situation was greater. She looked up at Kade whose face was rigid, and his jaw was set.
Kade was furious. How could Tyler allow Jessica to get that close to him when he had just found Lilly? Lilly was perfect, and Tyler was screwing it up. He looked down at Lilly, his face conflicted. He was angry and feeling apologetic towards her.
"Can we go for a walk instead?" Lilly asked quietly. She didn't look back towards Tyler and Jessica again. Instead, she looked far off in the distance. She had not had a chance to explore, and she had always loved the woods. She used to walk with her mother every day, and it wa something she tried to continue.
"Sure, let me grab a bag and a couple of bottles of water." Kade left anc returned within a minute. "Let's go."
"What's in the bag?" Lilly asked, as she saw the small backpack he swung over his shoulder.
"Routine things. I always like to bring shirts and shorts. You never know when you need to shift, and you don't want to end up in a situation with no clothes. I'd never be able to keep the girls off me." Kade grinned anc Lilly laughed in amusement.
"Especially now that you have a good shoulder." Lilly gave Kade a wry smile which he returned with a wide grin.
"You know, rose bud...-" Kade started.
"Rose bud?" Lilly arched an eye and looked up at Kade.
"Yeah, your name is Lilly, so I decided that I am going to call you different types of flowers as your name. Anyway, I would not over think what you just saw. I know that he wants you. He didn't even hesitate to break up with Jessica and call off the wedding. The moment we came back after meeting you, he called it off. He's just feeling guilty about he situation is all. She didn't exactly take the news well. She was hysterica "Kade smiled as he thought of Jessica's reaction. It was one of the top moments of his life. He loved her getting the boot, because he did not like her at all. He only tolerated her because of Tyler.
"She seems like a piece of work. I only met her once, but I pegged her for lying, manipulative and sneaky. Not to mention a downright bitch." Lilly did not often speak ill of people, especially someone she barely knew. But she was messing around with something that belonged to her. Tyler was her mate, and the bond made her possessive over him. I was enough that it made Kira want to kill Jessica.
"Nailed it. She is whiny, needy, demanding, and a sketchy person. She always hid her true colors from Tyler, and he was so blinded by needin a mate that he ignored the red flags. Thank goodness we found you. I will always have your back, especially since you repaired mine." Kade chuckled as he made his lame joke.
"So, what about you, Kade? No girlfriend or mate?" Lilly was curious about him. He was really the only friend she had there. She met Caleb and Avery last night and was certain they would become friends after spending time together, but as of now, it was just Kade that she felt tha relationship with. She could tell that Kira liked him too, which was a bonus.
"No, not yet. But she's out there. I'm nineteen, so I still have time. Tyler was getting worried, though, since he is twenty-two. I tried to tell him that it didn't make a difference. Just because a lot of wolves find their mates young doesn't mean you age out of your mate." Kade kept the slow walking pace on the well-beaten trail. "I do have a girl who is my date girl. We have fun and go out together. We both agree it's just for fun until we find our mates, though. It's a good deal for me. She's going to be my date for the banquet coming up tomorrow."
"Banquet? One of those multi pack ones? I've never been to one of tho:
before." Lilly felt a little bit sad about the things she'd missed out on in life.
"There are going to be three to four other packs there. It's something that's held periodically to keep up relations. It also helps wolves find their mates. You know, had you gone to these things in the past, then Tyler would have found you sooner," Kade gave her a smirk.
"You mean he never would have ended up with Jessica, so she is technically my fault." Lilly chuckled, as she read the undertone of his meaning loud and clear. "Will my pack be at the banquet?”
"No, not this time. They try to keep it down to just a handful of packs at
a time. They normally have good food and, of course, dancing. You'll se what it's like tomorrow," Kade mentioned casually.
"Me? I don't plan on going." Lilly waved her hand in front of her in a big shape.
"Umm, Luna, you can't not go. Sorry. You are the luna of our pack, so yo have to go." Kade grinned at her as she groaned in annoyance.
"This up here is the edge of this side of our territory." Kade pointed to the near distance where the tree line broke. The sun was shining bright through the trees that were hiding the open land behind it.
"Whose territory is that?" Lilly asked.
"It's a mixture. Rogues often wander there. It's always been known as a magic land, though. It's where they say the fairies and witches dwell," Kade said with an air of mysterious play.
"You say dwell like they are in the stone age and don't know what electricity and cars are." Lilly giggled.
SNAP
Lilly and Kade froze as they both heard the sound of twigs and leaves crunching. They turned towards the sound, their stomachs dropping at what they saw.