Freeing Starr

The sun streamed through the bedroom window, sprinkling kisses across my face and irritating my eyes as I blinked them open. My body felt stiff and soar as I tried to move, but something was restricting me.

I glanced down at my waist and frowned when I saw the muscular arm wrapped around it.

Slowly, I turned around and stared blankly at Zion’s face. Why was he here? That was my first thought as I finally realised that Zion was in the bed with me. The hand around my waist tightened and I quickly placed a hand over my mouth to refrain from squeaking in surprise.

My wolf purred lightly and urged me to snuggle into his chest but I refused. Instead, I slowly slipped from under Zion’s arms and entered the bathroom. I looked at myself in the mirror and refrained from wincing at the sight.

I looked horrible.

My hair was pointing in all the different directions, my eyes were glossy and hollow, my cheeks were puffed out and my lips were dry. I just got mated and I looked miserable. I was miserable.

I felt miserable. My skin was covered in moss and dirt. How in the world Zion managed to stick so closely to me while I smelled and looked a mess was a mystery.

I turned towards the shower and turned on the water to fill the tub. The water flowed into the tub slowly and I sat on the edge of the tub and ran my fingers lightly across the surface of the water. I stared at my blurry reflexion in the water with a frown. The face of a lost and terrified teen was what greeted me.

Before the tub could overflow, I turned off the water. I took off Zion’s shirt and gently eased my sore body into the water. I sighed in relief as the cool water massaged my skin, grateful to be cleaning myself from the harsh events that took place yesterday. I cupped my hands under the water and brought them up to splash the water on my face. There, I relaxed and enjoyed the solitude.

All the bruises I got from last night were now fully healed.

After stepping out of the tub, I took up the robe that was placed on the toilet seat for me and wrapped it around my body. I purposefully ignored the fact that someone entered the bathroom while I was bathing.

I peeked out into the room in search of my mate. Zion was nowhere in sight and I thanked the moon for that. I walked over to the other door in the room and opened it. There I found clothes for both me and Zion hung up on either side of the room. I found the closet.

I looked through the female section of the closet with a frown on my face. All of this was so thin and exposing but then again, I should get accustomed to this. Zion’s pack liked to wear as little as possible since it made it easier when they shift into their wolves.

I picked up a shirt and opened it for me to see better. It wasn’t that bad. It was a floral blouse with spaghetti straps. I decided to wear it with a pair of jean shorts and my white sandals.

The scent of something burning caught my attention and I quickly followed the scent, praying to the goddess that it wasn’t the house. I followed the scent into the kitchen and sighed in relief when I realized that it was just Niah.

Trying to fry bacon.

My relief soon turned to amusement and I smiled.

“How hard is it to fry a damn bacon?” Niah hissed to herself, running up and down the kitchen, in search of whatever it was that she was looking for, “If I hear a peep out of you, I swear to the goddess that I’ll throttle you until you die,” she threatened, pointing a finger over her shoulder and at me.

I was surprised that she sensed me that quickly, and frowned in confusion.

Niah turned around and caught the confused look on my face. She smiled.

“We’re trained to sense someone before they could come into close proximity of us. I have to in order to protect you and myself. You’re going to learn that to. Although, as an Alpha female, that’s supposed to come naturally to you.”

I raised a brow in question, “You’re going to train me?”

Niah shrugged nonchalantly, “Zion and I will.”

“Oh.”

“For an Alpha, you’re very... oblivious to your surroundings, you know that?”

“Really? How so?” I questioned, taking a seat at the table as I watched Niah ‘make bacon’ or whatever it was she was doing. I looked over at the plate on the counter and winced at how burnt they were.

Niah went and flipped over her bacons, luckily these ones weren’t burned, before she turned her attention to me.

“You’re scared of Zion. When he looks at you, there is no ounce of defiance shown in your eyes, just pure fear.”

“That’s called being smart,” I reasoned.

“It’s called being dumb. Wolves love the fact that they’re stronger and bigger than everyone. You are Zion’s Luna and mate. You are supposed to be the one to show him that not everyone is afraid of him, that you could stand up to him.”

“But you’re not afraid of him,” I pointed out.

Niah shook her head, “That is different. I grew up with Zion, I know he wouldn’t hurt me unless necessary.”

I shook my head in frustration, “What does me being afraid of Zion have to do with me being oblivious?”

“Ugh, never mind, you’ll understand soon enough,” she huffed, her eyes flashing in irritation.

She turned her attention back to frying the rest of her bacon, causing me to frown. I took the fork out of her hand and stepped between her and the stove. She glared at me furiously and I gulped, my eyes shifting from her face to the floor.

“Please, just tell me,” I begged.

She stared at me blankly before sighing in defeat.

“You’re oblivious to the kind of power you’re giving off. You’re an Alpha. An Alpha is suppose to have a backbone but where is yours? You’re not suppose to let another Alpha run over you. You’re suppose to be dominant, defensive and here you stand before me in submission, a mere omega over you, an Alpha.”

I glanced back up at her face and shrugged helplessly. I didn’t know what to say, my wolf was the problem, not me. I never had a problem with people, but my wolf basically shies away from everyone around us. I knew that our abuse probably played a major role in this but there was nothing I could do because I was just as fucked up as she was.

I turned around, and faced the stove, my thoughts spiraling.

I continued frying the bacon and spoke to Niah over my shoulder. “I know how to make breakfast. Just sit and let me.”

This was my chance to start fresh, have a new life, even though it wasn’t the one I wanted, it was the one I got and I had to live with that. It would be best for me to make an effort in becoming a supportive and strong Luna. I had to gain the pack’s approval if I wanted my life here to be somewhat easy.

I mentally sent an image of me learning to fight to my wolf, who hesitantly agreed to help. I wasn’t the only one who felt helpless.

“When does training start?” I asked, taking the bacon out of the pan.

“Right after breakfast. In fact, Zion is waiting for you out back so you’ll have to hurry it up or he’ll get very angry and impatient,” Niah’s voice became tense at the mention of Zion’s mood and I gulped down my bubbling fear.

Baby steps.

I’ll take it slowly.

Maybe after I get to know him, he’ll turn out to be a decent guy after all.

My wolf scuffed at me and retreated deeper into my mind, giving me complete control and leaving me alone. I sighed in annoyance and called her a coward.

The bitch left me on my own to deal with our mate.

Lovely.