Keira and Donovan arrived at the edge of the forest as Marcus, Wade, and some of the other pack members had gathered to go and search for them.
"What's this about?" Keira asked, looking at the group of 5 wolves.
Wade cleared his throat. "Our pack doesn't patrol the area near the river. Marcus asked us to assemble in the event you were delayed."
Keira looked at Marcus for an explanation.
"We can't be too careful," Marcus replied, rubbing his neck.
"Le-" Keira began, but stopped herself. She had to remind herself that Marcus was not her soldier. She was just a Donovan's mate, and she had no authority to give commands. At least not without Donovan's permission.
Keira shyly looked at Donovan.
"Lead the way," Donovan said, if he noticed her blunder. He didn't react.
Marcus nodded, and the group walked back to the packhouse. Keira followed behind, tugging at the shirt.
'This feels nice,' Sabelina beamed. 'I love his scent!'
"Nothing's exposed," Donovan leaned down to whisper. "You don't need to keep tugging at the shirt. It's long enough."
"I made sure of it," he added.
Keira pouted and tugged at it once more. She didn't want to admit it, but Sabelina was enjoying having Donovan's scent all over her.
When the packhouse came into view, Keria wanted to rush inside and change, but saw Avalynn waiting outside.
'What does she want?' Keira wondered.
"Welcome back," Avalynn greeted. "A small dinner was prepared, if you're hungry."
"We'll be leaving," Marcus said, stopping Wade from stepping forward. "Have a good night."
Marcus grabbed Wade's arm and dragged him along. Keria could hear Wade's soft protests.
"Good night," Avalynn excused herself and also left.
"What was that about?" Keira muttered under her breath.
Even though Keira thought it was weird how everyone was acting, Keira decided not to think too much about it. She quickly went inside and headed toward the small dining area. Keira felt Donovan following silently behind her.
'Are you not going to say anything to him?' Sabelina asked as Keira piled food on her plate.
'I don't have anything to say to him,' Keira answered, eating quickly.
'Keira, ask him to eat with us,' Sabelina prompted.
'So, you're not mad at him anymore?' Keira asked, glancing at Donovan. He hovered nearby, watching her.
Keira did her best not to stare at his abs. It was very challenging.
'I'm mad, but I'm not,' Sabelina said.
Keira stopped mid-bite and glared at Donovan. "Stop staring. Sit down and eat if you want."
'Keira,' Sabelina gasped. 'That's not how to invite our mate to dine with us.'
'You're supposed to be mad at him,' Keira reminded her. 'Don't act like you don't know what he did.'
'I'm hungry,' she continued. 'Stop interrupting me.'
Donovan didn't wait for another invitation; he sat and started eating as well. He didn't bother with a plate; he grabbed food from the main trays.
"I had the bedroom refurnished," Donovan said in between bites. "You can stay anywhere you want."
Keria glanced at Donovan and continued eating.
"It doesn't matter where I sleep," Keira stated.
Keira quickly finished her food and got up to leave. Donovan's footsteps padded softly behind her as she made her way down the short hallway to the bedroom. She pushed the door open, her hand already reaching for the light switch. Then, Keira froze.
The room was bathed in the soft glow of the hallway light, but even that limited light was enough to see it. The four-poster, large bed was replaced with a darker-colored bed. The vanity set, dresser, and two chairs matched the color of the bed. There were two new nightstands added to the room. A plush, charcoal-grey rug now covered the carpet.
"Donovan?" she breathed, turning slowly to face him.
Donovan stood in the doorway, a small smile playing on his lips. "I had the staff get rid of the cherry scent. I know you don't like it."
'He actually listened to us,' Sabelina squealed in delight. 'You should thank him!'
Keira nodded and walked further into the room. The newer furniture definitely brought the room to life, even though the layout was the same as before. She turned back to him.
"Donovan," she whispered, her voice low. "Sabelina says thank you."
Donovan smiled. "I'm glad she liked it."
Sabelina pouted. 'Why didn't you say you like it? It's not just me.'
Keira decided not to answer and went to grab a set of clothes and went to shower before bed.
*
The next morning, Keira woke up early and got dressed for a workout. Donovan was nowhere in sight, but she didn't care. She didn't even remember if he had slept on the new bed with her or not. After her shower, Keira had fallen asleep almost instantly.
Keira put on a supportive sports bra, running shorts, and a hoodie. She grabbed a pair of headphones, her iPod, and a water bottle before heading out of the pack house.
"Luna," Avalynn called out, seeing Keira step out of the pack house. "Where are you headed so early?"
"Avalynn," Keira greeted. "I'll be back."
Without another word, Keira put in her headphones and turned on her workout music playlist. She headed toward the nearest path leading toward the forest and took off running.
The early morning scent of pine and trees was like a breath of fresh air to Keira. The last 24 hours had been eventful. A cool breeze blew in the scent of the nearby river.
'This is perfect,' Keira thought, a small smile on her lips.
Although Keira didn't know her way around the forest, there was no hesitation on her part. As her legs found their rhythm, a different kind of energy began to flow through her. Her breathing deepened, a steady in and out. Her heartbeat found a good rhythm. Within minutes, Keira felt the tension slowly ease from her body.
She entered the shaded canopy of the woods, the sunlight barely peeking over the treeline. The air grew cooler around her. As she emerged from the treeline an hour late, the sun had already begun its climb in the sky. Her pace slowed as she near the end of the forest.
'That felt great,' Keira thought, breathing in and out to steady her heartbeat.
Feeling energized, Keira headed back to the packhouse. As she entered, she heard voices coming from one of the conference rooms on the first floor.
"Is the Luna not joining us?" a deep voice asked.
"I thought she would be here," another voice spoke up. "I didn't get a chance to see her yesterday."
'I wonder what that is about,' Keria wondered. 'Are they having a meeting?'
Keira turned off her music and headed to the bedroom to shower quickly. If her presence was required, then she would attend. On her way to the bedroom, she bumped into Donovan, who was walking out of the room.
"You're back," Donovan stated. "I thought you had left."
"I went out for a run," she replied, shrugging. "I didn't see anyone else training."
"There hasn't been time to get all the pack affairs in order," Donovan admitted. "Training isn't on our priority list at the moment."
Keira didn't comment and simply nodded.
"There's a meeting," Donovan began awkwardly. "You're more than welcome to join us."
"Let me shower first," Keira said, walking into the room.