Page 10 of Rising Luna
Jackson and Hunter looked at each other, and it looked like a bulb went off. They raced toward the bar.
"This is so much fun!" Sera yelled out so I could hear her. "We should come here more often to dance and blow off some steam."
"That sounds like a good idea. I could use a break like this now and then."
Sera shook her head. "You can use it more than that. I know you are an Alpha, but that doesn't mean you have to take care of everyone to the point you don't take care of yourself."
I looked at my friend. Her radiant smile revealed she knew she had hit deep into my soul with one statement. It was the curse of being an alpha, and she knew it. Alphas take care of the pack. Some take their role too seriously and rarely take care of themselves. Unless they have a mate to step in and force them to do things like eat and sleep, many fall into the trap of becoming obsessive with fixing everything, whether or not it is in their control. I may have had mates, but we just found each other. We haven't hit that rhythm yet where we take care of each other.
"Thank you," Dylan said to her with a smile.
"Any time."
Hunter and Jackson arrived with drinks. Jackson handed me a clear cup with pink liquid and a strawberry on the rim. Sera's was yellow and had a pineapple on the rim. We exchanged glances, sipped their drinks, then traded them. It tasted like eating a black cherry and had some fizziness to it. The drink wasn't strong at all, from what I tasted, but that meant nothing. It tasted like I was drinking a cherry soda. When tasting Sera's,I could taste the pineapple juice and a hint of orange with it. Then a layer of coconut followed. We exchanged glances, then switched beverages again.
"What the fuck was that about?" Jackson asked through a laugh.
Confusion went across my face as I looked at him. "Girls try each other's drinks, sometimes, especially if we never tried it before. It helps us figure out which one tastes better to us."
They did not look amused. "We are your mates, Dylan. We know what you like. And you two are glued to the hip, so we've learned what she likes, too." Hunter explained.
A laugh bubbled out of my throat. He wasn't wrong. They've gotten to know Sera just as much as I have from how close we've become.
"Let's not forget we've been Betas our entire lives, which is the role of learning everything about the pack. We're the ones who inform the Alpha of things they may not know."
Without realizing it, I had drunk through my entire glass already. Thankfully, Sera cut in saying, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. You are outstanding Betas and exceptional mates. Imma need me another one of these."
I lifted my hand to signal that I wanted another one, too. The guys left chuckling while they chugged their beers to get the next round. I felt the heat from the alcohol spread through my system. The weight of finding Lupe dropped off my shoulders, and I couldn't stop smiling. The guys brought the next round to the table, the same drinks for Sera and me, and a fresh beer for them. Sera pulled out money to give to them, but Jackson slapped her hand away.
"You may not be mine, but you are her friend. You'remyfriend. Your money isn't good or wanted here."
Sera pouted at him. "GUYS! I'm not yours to spoil or take care of."
They stared at her. Dylan giggled. I already knew how this would play out. For once, it wasn't me telling them they didn't need to spoil me. It would be fun to see how they reacted to Sera saying the same things I always tell them.
"Take my money, damnit!”Sera yelled and tried to shove the money in his hand. It was hilarious to watch Jackson step out of her reach when she tried. Sera growled and shoved it back in her pocket. "Stupid, dominant men,"Sera mumbled just loud enough for them to hear it.
"Dylan, who is ours to spoil, loves you like a sister. If she could, she'd take you home to her pack so she wouldn't have to say goodbye after the term ended. So, because of that, we consider you packalready and our friend. Pack takes care of pack," Hunter told her.
Sera looked over at me with her eyes wide. After the second drink, down to its last drops, I was far too relaxed. I could usually keep my trap shut during such topics. Not today.
"If I could kidnap you, I would. I thought about fighting your Alpha for you, but the guys told me no." My voice sounded like a child who was told no and not a twenty-year-old. Did I care? No. I would love to bring Sera back home with me. She deserved to be in a pack who would love and cherish her. A pack with her ex-mate who would refuse to fight for her? That is not something I will allow my friend to go through.
Sera laughed. “Seriously? You want me to be part of your pack?"
My eyes narrowed to a squint. Did she just ask me that? "Of course I want to bring you home! My best friend found her mates and probably went off with them. I'm going to be lonely... and my pack can get on my nerves. You don't. It would bring me so much joy to bring you to my pack."
Tears welled in her eyes. "Gods, I would love that. Do you think my alpha would consider a transfer?"
I scoffed in response. "Depends on how much they care about us being Shadowborns."
"I don't think mine cares! I don't remember ever hearing the topic of Shadowborns even come up in my pack. Well, outside of learning about your kind, but that's about it."
This excited me. I wasn't sure how to bring up this topic to Sera. More importantly, I wasn't sure how she would react if I asked her to come home with me. "I'll send the transfer papers when we get home!"
"I'M SO EXCITED!"
Sera screamed before jumping to her feet and pulling me off mine and into a hug. I squeezed Sera close to me, sighing in contentment. This felt nicer than I expected it would. Hunter had described how I viewed Sera—I loved her more like a sister than a friend.
