Ava sat on the edge of Arthur’s king-sized bed and surveyed her surroundings. The black and white colour scheme was definitely masculine and matched Arthur perfectly, but it left her feeling cold and out of place. The idea of her under-things draped here and there, or her makeup scattered on the dresser seemed wrong. A shiver ran through her; would she ever be able to feel at home here?
She spent a few minutes considering how she could make the space more appealing then checked her watch again. It was four-thirty. After showing her to their room, Arthur had left, promising to return and give her a tour of the house once he dealt with some pressing business. That was two hours ago. Since then, she’d explored the three rooms of their suite, finished unpacking her things, and familiarized herself with Arthur’s collection of music, movies and books. Now what should she do? Arthur had said he’d be back, but she was beginning to think he must have forgotten he now had a mate. He seemed to vacillate between careful attentiveness to her feelings and blatantly ignoring her.
Right now she was feeling ignored, just as she had upon arriving. Her mind drifted back to a few hours previously...
~~~
Once Marla stopped blocking the doorway, Ava made her way inside and looked around with interest. She could see into several rooms from her position in the main foyer. A living room was to her left, a staircase with an oak banister was in front of her, and a dining room could be seen down the hallway. A few rooms were to her right, but their closed doors gave no indication as to what might be inside.
Her first impression was that the house was simply decorated in a homey, traditional way with comfortable looking stuffed chairs and small occasional tables scattered about. Gleaming hardwood floors and neutral walls were a perfect foil for the dark green curtains that hung from the expansive windows. Light shone in from all sides and the impressive view of the outdoors, combined with the earth-toned decor, gave her a feeling of being one with nature.
Not sure if she should follow the men carrying her boxes upstairs, or wait for Arthur, she stood in the middle of the foyer, debating the best course of action. When she hesitantly stepped towards the stairs, Arthur quickly called out her name.
“Ava, wait! I’ll only be a minute.”
How had he known what she was doing when his attention was so focused on Marla? The other woman was speaking intently to him and Arthur nodded several times before ending the conversation with a one-armed hug. After watching Marla walk away, he moved to stand by Ava.
“Sorry about that. Marla needed a bit of reassurance.”
Glancing over to where the woman stood near a window, she noted that Marla was shooting daggers at her with her eyes. Why had the woman taken an instant dislike to her? About to question Arthur on the matter, he took her hand and led her upstairs. As she trailed her hand on the wooden rail, she could feel eyes watching her and had to resist the urge to turn around and see who it was.
At the top of the stairs, a hallway led in two directions. Arthur turned to the left and guided her to a set of doors at the end of the corridor.
“Our rooms are up here. Since the house is usually busy, I have my own retreat. There’s a bedroom, bath and a sitting room that are strictly off-limits to the rest of the pack. Sometimes, even social animals like wolves need their own space.” He offered this explanation with a crooked smile, while opening the door and ushering her inside.
The room was large and bright with sunlight streaming in from three sets of windows that spanned the outer walls. A king-sized bed dominated one side of the room and a large closet took up most of the other. Through an open doorway, she could see a sitting area with a fireplace and couch, while a second door appeared to lead into a bathroom. It was much grander than she’d expected. Apparently, Arthur’s pack was well-set financially.
“This is nice.” She wandered about the room, peering into the closet and then into the sitting room.
“Carrie moved some of my stuff over, so there’ll be room for your things. She’ll help you unpack or rearrange anything that you want.”
“Thanks, but I can do it myself. With a baby on the way, I’m sure she’s tired and doesn’t need the extra work.”
“That’s considerate of you.” Arthur came up behind her and squeezed her shoulders, then guided her to the window. He pointed over her shoulder and explained the view. “See over to the west? That’s the direction of your father’s land. Of course, you can’t see it, but possibly it will make your old pack seem not quite so far away.”
She looked up at him in surprise. It was a nice thing for him to say. She hadn’t supposed he’d understand how she felt. Arthur guided her around so she was facing him and cupped her face.
“I know this has been hard on you, Ava. Leaving behind everything you know on such short notice has to feel overwhelming, but I’m proud of how you’re handling things; no whining, no temper tantrums, no angry accusations. I was expecting all of that and more.”
His words filled her with warmth but also made her stop and reflect. “I think I’m in shock.” She furrowed her brow trying to sort out her thoughts and feelings in her own mind. “Everything happened so fast, that I didn’t have time to think or react. I instinctively followed the Alpha’s orders.” She shrugged and sighed. “Besides, there really wasn’t much choice. I could fall in with the plan or leave the pack.”
“You’re right. A wolf that refuses to comply with the Alpha doesn’t stay in the pack long, though I doubt your father would have immediately thrown you out.”
“Maybe not right away, but he’s traditional and expects obedience...” Her voice trailed off.
What would have happened if she had kicked up a fuss? She couldn’t remember her brother or sister complaining when they’d mated to form alliances, but then again, she hadn’t paid that much attention, having been considerably younger than her siblings. Searching her memory, she tried to recall an instance when her father hadn’t been obeyed and what he’d done as a result, but no such occasion came to mind.
With a start, she realized that Arthur was still talking.
“—and after supper, I’ll take you for a walk around the immediate grounds. Tomorrow morning, we can go for another run.”
“I’d like that. It looks to be a nice territory.” She twisted around and focused her attention on the view again, noting the trees stretching as far as the eye could see. It was nice, she said to herself, just not as nice as her father’s land.
Not aware of her thoughts, Arthur spoke with pride. “It’s a beautiful place, especially down by the lake. I think you’ll enjoy it here, but don’t go too close to the edge of the property. We have
the same problem with hunters and trappers that your old pack has.”
She murmured her agreement, his comment about her old home causing her to shift slightly and study the view to the west; that was where her pack was. Pressing her hand against the windowpane, a wave of homesickness wash over her. Arthur turned her in his arms once again, running his hands down her back, before pulling her body flush against his. “It will take some time to adjust, but soon this will feel like home. Don’t worry. I’ll be here to help you.”
She studied his eyes, curious as to how he knew what had been running through her mind. At this moment, he seemed so kind and understanding. Heat from his body seeped into hers, causing a funny flutter in her stomach. Before she could examine what the feeling meant, Arthur pressed a kiss to her forehead, then let her go.
“I have a few things I need to do. You stay here and get settled. Check out the sitting room; feel free to move my stuff about, I’m not fussy. I’ll be back in about an hour to give you a tour of the house.”