Chapter 27: Chapter 27

EVIE

Noah was at my doorstep the next morning, right on the dot at seven. I sleepily let him in, warning him that I wasn’t exactly a morning person and that I wasn’t accustomed to having company first thing in the day. It felt like forever since I last woke up with someone else in the room.

After a good amount of coffee, I began to enjoy his company a bit more.

Noah broke the silence. “How are you feeling this morning? Any jitters?”

I chuckled in response. ~He knows me too well.~

“Actually, no. I feel…comfortable here,” I confessed, surprising myself.

Noah’s face lit up with a grin. “That’s because you belong here,” he stated with conviction.

I rolled my eyes at his enthusiasm but decided to play along.

“Would you mind staying here today?” Noah asked, a hint of shyness in his voice as he held my hand, his fingers playing with mine.

It was Tuesday, and technically, it was a school day. But after yesterday’s whirlwind, all my classes were canceled.

“Sure, I’d like to stay today,” I agreed.

This would give me two full days to adjust, considering I didn’t have classes on Wednesday.

Noah’s grin widened, clearly delighted by my decision.

“I want you to feel at home here, Evie,” Noah suddenly said.

A pang of guilt hit me as I remembered what I had told him on Friday. I had said that I didn’t feel safe at the pack house or with him. I squeezed his hand, knowing I had to make things right.

“I feel safe here, Noah. I’m sorry for what I said before. I want this to be my home too. I want to stay.”

Noah pulled me into a tight hug, lifting me off the ground and spinning me around.

“You have no idea how happy that makes me, little mate,” he said, his voice choked with emotion.

I giggled and wrapped my arms around him, holding on tight so I wouldn’t fall.

After a while, Noah sighed and confessed that he had some work to do.

“I’ll be gone for a couple of hours. Will you be okay?” he asked, pausing at the door.

I laughed. “Yes, Noah, I can keep myself entertained.”

“Okay, I’ll send Sawyer up later. Maybe you’d like a tour of the pack house,” Noah mumbled, seemingly talking to himself.

I rolled my eyes at him and pranced across the room. Standing on my toes, I planted a kiss on his lips.

“Stay safe, Alpha,” I teased.

Noah growled and held my face, kissing me passionately. I pulled away, my cheeks flushed.

“Anything for you, my luna,” he said in a husky voice, giving me one last sweet kiss before disappearing into the hallway.

I shook my head at him and retreated to the bathroom to wash away the remnants of last night’s ordeal. Just as I finished dressing, there was a knock on the door. It was Molly, with a cart full of breakfast.

“Oh, I’m so glad you’re okay!” Molly exclaimed, pulling me into a hug. “And I’m so glad you’ve decided to move here.”

I hugged her back. “It’s just for now, Molly. I haven’t fully committed to moving in yet,” I clarified.

Molly pulled away, her face falling. “But…why?” she whined.

“It’s a bit soon for Noah and me to be officially living together,” I explained.

~Who am I kidding? I’ve definitely moved in,~ I thought to myself.

Molly rolled her eyes. “No way. Mates are supposed to live together. Being apart will drive you and Noah crazy,” she said matter-of-factly, pushing the breakfast cart to the sitting area and helping herself to some food. “Besides, staying here is just like having your own little apartment.”

I slid onto the couch next to her. She was right—being away from him was like a slow torture. The past seventy-two hours had been a test of my sanity. My foul mood and the way I snapped at Molly yesterday were clear evidence of that.

~That reminds me…~

“Molly, I owe you an apology for my behavior yesterday. It was uncalled for. You were just trying to help, and I appreciate it,” I said, wrapping my arms around her in a hug.

She returned the hug with equal warmth.

“Don’t sweat it, Ev. I knew you were just missing Noah. I didn’t take it to heart.” She shrugged as we broke the hug. “But I will take it personally if you don’t move in!” she teased, her laughter filling the room.

“Let’s just take it one step at a time,” I replied, piling my plate with pancakes, eggs, and bacon.

Noah had really outdone himself with breakfast.

“So, what’s on your agenda today?” Molly asked, picking at a cup of fruit.

“I think Sawyer is supposed to show me around later. And I need to unpack.” I gestured toward the mountain of bags.

“~Oooh~, I can come back and help you!” Molly offered, her eyes sparkling.

I had a feeling I might regret this, but I owed her.

“Okay, sure,” I agreed with a smile.

After another hour or so, Molly excused herself, saying she had some errands to run. I was left alone, though not for long. Sawyer knocked on my door a few minutes later.

“Am I ever going to get a moment of peace again?” I asked him as soon as I opened the door.

“Noah just wants to make sure you’re okay. He doesn’t want you to feel lonely or bored. And I’m here to persuade you to stay forever,” Sawyer said, winking at me.

I let out a sigh.

“You and your sister are quite the team.”

I couldn’t understand why everyone was so fixated on my living arrangements. I was here with half my belongings. It was clear I wasn’t planning on leaving anytime soon. Just because I wasn’t ready to sell my apartment and ask for a key to the pack house didn’t mean I wasn’t committed.

“We all want you to stay.” Sawyer shrugged.

“I’m not ready to be anyone’s luna, Sawyer,” I admitted, revealing the real reason behind my hesitation.

“You don’t have to be, Evie. You can just be here as Noah’s mate. Yes, people might call you luna, but you don’t have to take on that role until you’re ready. You would just be living here, getting to know the pack and Noah. It would make things easier for both of you,” Sawyer said, his tone serious.

I gave him a sideways glance, my expression skeptical.

~These wolves were persistent.~

Sawyer let out a sigh.

“Okay, tell me you’ve had a good night’s sleep since you met Noah—and I’ll drop it,” Sawyer challenged.

I averted my gaze, looking down at the floor.

“I can’t,” I admitted.

“Of course you can’t, because being away from your mate is unbearable,” Sawyer said, a smug smile on his face.

“I hate you,” I muttered.

“No, you don’t.” Sawyer laughed.

“Now come on, I’m going to show you around your new home.”