“What is it?”
Donna’s eyebrows shot clear up her forehead.
“I grew up with century old vampires, Donna. If there is anyone who knows the setup for delivering bad news through a compliment, it’s me.”
“It’s just, don’t take this the wrong way but it reeks of sex down here. Arousal. Yours. His. It’s everywhere. I’d barely believe it given the blush on your cheeks talking about cock, but scents don’t lie. You’re lucky it’s only me who’s been down here because any other female wolf would have you between their claws in seconds. Draven is the heir to our pack and while you seem like a nice girl, every female has dreamed about being the mate of the heir to the Moon Ridge Pack.”
“Even you?” It seemed being invested in the marriage of their heir wasn’t exclusive to the vampires court. And while she wasn’t worried about her chances in this particular situation, the last thing Flora wanted was a repeat of the Culling, wolf edition.
“No. We may not be moon mates, but Grant is my moon and stars. He gave me my Jameson. Sweetest little boy you’ll ever meet. But I admired the way you stood up in front of the whole pack and fought for what you believed in. I just don’t want to see you get hurt. Because as much as I’d love to see a Yankee like you standin’ up next to Draven, givin’ him hell, he’s going to have the fight of his life to remain heir to the pack after what was revealed last night. He’s gonna need a pure wolf by his side to convince the elders.”
Flora narrowed her eyes, and even though she had no business caring, she felt the fierce need to protect Draven. “But you don’t seem to mind he's a hybrid.”
Donna shrugged like it was no big deal. “Draven is one of the good ones. I get to see a side of him as his assistant that most don’t get to. He can be calculating and downright intimidatin’, but under all that hard exterior, his decisions are always about what’s best for the pack. It doesn’t matter to me that he drinks a little blood on the side. We all have our vices. The alternative is worse.”
“How so?”
“There are packs out there who want to see the Moon Ridge Pack fall and take over as the lead pack of the wolves. Those packs don’t have values like Draven and our Alpha.”
“Well, you don’t need to worry about me and Draven.” The words were sticky in her throat, but Flora meant them. Donna was the sign she’d needed to remind her not to hope for anything with Draven and she wasn’t about to ignore it. “Anything between us is just a night of fun, and I give you my word that I am going to do everything I can to help him remain the heir to the pack.”
“I hope there’s no hard feelings between us. I really do like you. If he was any other wolf I might say it would be nice to see things shaken up around here.”
“Thanks.” Flora smiled even though unwanted tears pricked at the back of her eyes. “I like you, too. ”
“Also, I appreciate what you’re doing. I know it’s for your friend, but the moonstone is absolutely everything to us. Just the thought that it could be found…” Donna’s voice trailed off, and Flora didn’t miss the far-off look she got in her eye. “...it gives me hope for my sweet Jameson that he may live in a world where he’ll know his wolf more than just a dozen times a year.”
Draven had told her why the stone was so important, but seeing the hope Donna radiated tugged on her heart strings, and as much as she didn’t want to go to Lune and face her childhood, Donna’s words made the sting less painful. As much as she’d wished she’d been turned before stepping foot in that town again, it was no longer just about Emery and her child, or Draven and his place in his pack. It was about the future of the wolves and who they could be if they were whole.
“I would want someone to do the same for me and my people if the tables were turned.”
Donna stood and started for the stairs before turning around. She nodded her head with a smile, “You’re one of the good ones too, Flora. Good luck, and don’t let those boys give you too much trouble on your trip.”
“I’ll try.” If only Donna knew how much trouble awaited them in Lune.
The darkness that promised to find her skirted on the fringes of her mind as Flora watched Donna walked away. But their visit gave her a renewed sense of purpose. Even if she didn’t make it back from Lune, she’d do everything in her power to help the wolves. If not for Draven, for Donna and Jameson. They deserved a future where they were who they were always meant to be.
If only she could say the same for herself.
Flora picked up the sandwich and took a bite, a full smile tipping her lips. One more thing she could cross off the bucket list she didn’t know she had. She’d never look at a sandwich the same way again.