“Are you going, Ruben?” Jillian asked him.
“No, I can’t handle culture,” he snickered, “and I do not speak French.”
Kimberly punched his arm. “He hates art museums. I told him to come for the food, but he said no.”
“We can’t afford for both of us to go anyway,” Ruben shrugged.
“Oh, yeah, I bet it is pricey. I probably can’t go either since it is next week, and I don’t have that kind of money. Plus getting my parents permission.”
Kimberly snickered.
“What?” Jillian asked.
“You don’t have to ask your parents permission, you are the Luna, remember? You do need to ask the Alpha though.”
“I don’t know if he could afford to send me though,” Jillian shrugged.
Ruben guffawed. “You have no idea, do you?”
“Idea about what?”
“The Alpha is very wealthy, Luna. I am pretty sure he could afford to send you,” he snickered.
“Oh,” Jillian blushed. “I guess he would be. He does own a palace.”
“It’s okay friend, you are new to this whole thing,” Kimberly said, putting an arm about Jillian. “Let’s just say, he makes Bill Gates look like a pauper.”
“Oh,” Jillian said. “How did he get to be so rich?”
“Inheritance,” Ruben told her, “and all the businesses he owns.”
“He owns businesses?”
Kimberly shook her head. “For a Luna, you do not know much about your Alpha,” she teased.
“I have known him less than a week,” Jillian pointed out, “and it’s not like I was going to discuss finances with him.”
“True,” Kimberly grinned. “So, ask for permission. I bet he will let you go. We can share a room.”
“That would be awesome, I have always wanted to visit France.”
“All you need is a permission slip,” Kimberly snickered.
Ruben grinned. “Yes, a permission slip from the Alpha,” he chuckled.
“I think I could finagle it,” Jillian grinned.
“I’m sure you could,” Ruben grinned at her, waggling his eyebrows up and down.
Jillian blushed, and Kimberly smacked him. “Quit embarrassing the poor girl,” she teased.
“Luna?” she heard from behind her.
She turned to see a guy about her age. “I was wondering if you could help me with something.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, I was wondering what you had to do to become a Luna. Were you one of his harem girls?” he grinned meanly at her.
She gasped.
Ruben jumped to his feet. “Apologize now.”
“No. She’s no Luna. She’s human. I will never support her.”
“Apologize, or I will make sure the Alpha knows about this,” Ruben growled, his canines lengthening.
“Whatever,” the guy scoffed. “She’s human, she can’t mind link with him. Even if she tells him when she gets home, he’s not going to believe her, I mean, come on, look at her,” he scoffed. “She is nothing but a low down, worthless piece of garbage. I will never respect her. You will never have my loyalty,” he growled at her, making Jillian tear up. She shouldn’t let someone get to her like that. She was the Luna, wasn’t she?
“Alpha, you need to come to the school and quickly,” Ruben mind linked with him.
Edric was at the palace going over some books when he felt his Luna’s sadness then he heard Ruben.
“What’s going on Ruben?”
“One of the students is humiliating the Luna in front of the student body.”
“I will be right there.”
He looked at Orson and Wes. “Come on, I need backup. My Luna is in distress.”
They nodded and all three shifted.
Emerson walked in. “I’ll follow in the car, with clothes, don’t need you showing off your Hotness to the ladies,” he chuckled.
Edric ignored him and ran out the door, his guards following.
Ruben was growling at the kid who was threatening Jillian. “Back down Jarem.”
“No way, she is worthless. Did you sleep with him to make him yours?” he chuckled meanly. “I mean come on. Look at you, you are pitiful, you can’t even stand up for yourself, and you aren’t even that pretty, some of those harem girls were a lot more beautiful than you.”
Jillian gritted her teeth. She had had enough and was just about to tell him off when she heard a loud growl. Every head bowed as the Alpha stormed into the cafeteria, Orson, and Wes on his heels.
“Jarem Hinckley,” the Alpha growled angrily.
Jarem turned, feeling a great power wash over him. He fell to his knees as the Alpha towered over him. “How dare you disrespect my Luna.”
“I was just having fun,” Jarem whimpered.
“You were not,” the Alpha fumed. “You were disrespecting my Luna, and when you disrespect her, you disrespect me, and I will not tolerate it.”
“But, I was just,”
“No, don’t even say it. It does not matter if she is human. She is still your Luna.”
“Yes Alpha,” he muttered.
“What?” the Alpha growled, a wave of power pushing out from him, making everyone whimper in pain, except for Jillian. She just sat and watched the Alpha, glad he was there to protect her. She could tell he was extremely ticked, but she didn’t care. Jarem deserved it.
“I promise I will never disrespect her again,” Jarem croaked out.
“No, you will not. As for punishment, you are banned from the pack for a month.”
He paled. “But Alpha,” he whimpered, still feeling the Alpha’s power pushing on him.
“No, I told you, I will not tolerate disrespect,” he growled.
Jillian wanted to step in, but she didn’t dare. She would let him deal with the wolf. She didn’t want to make the Alpha look weak in front of everyone if she stopped his punishment.
“Luna?” the Alpha said, looking at her, his face softening. “I will leave it up to you. Do you want him punished?” He had noticed that she wanted to say something.
“I do want him punished, but not banishment,” she said, with a smirk.
“Oh, and what do you have in mind?” he asked her, seeing the devilish twinkle in her eye. “Oh this should be good,” Raul chuckled.
“I think that he should work in the palace horse stables for a month, shoveling crap, because that is what he is, crap.” She stood and glared at Jarem. He flinched. She looked ready to tear him apart. For a human, she looked powerful.
Edric smirked. His Luna was taking him down a notch and he was proud of her.
“Very well. Jarem, you will start in the horse stalls today after school, for one month, every day. If you complain about it or slack off, I will banish you, understood?”
“Yes, Alpha,” Jarem said, exposing his neck to the king.
“Good, and don’t let me hear of any more disrespect, from any of you,” he growled, eyeing all of them.
They nodded, feeling the power coming from him still. He relaxed and everyone breathed a sigh of relief as the pressure was released.
“Very well then.” He then looked at Jillian. “Are you okay?”
“I am, thank you,” she said softly.
He pulled her into his arms, then kissed her, in front of everyone.
She blushed and pulled away, making him chuckle. “I like making you blush,” he grinned and then walked out.
“Well, that wasn’t embarrassing,” Jillian said, sitting back down with her friends so they could finish their lunch.
“Sorry Luna, I mind linked him,” Ruben told her. “I knew he would not want you being disrespected like that.”
“I wonder how he got here so fast?” she mused, as she watched Jarem slink out of the lunchroom, but not before glaring at her. She glared back.
“The Alpha shifted,” Ruben said. “That would put him here in moments.”
“At least he dressed before he came in here,” Jillian said, making Kimber
ly laugh.
“I take it he has shifted in front of you?”
Jillian nodded, embarrassed. “Yes, and he laughs about it. He thinks I want to see that.”
“And don’t you?” Kimberly asked, laughing as Jillian turned bright red.
“Maybe?” she squeaked, making her laugh even harder, Ruben joining in.
The bell rang then signaling lunch was over.
“Oh, I forgot to ask Edric about the trip,” Jillian said as she and Kimberly headed to French.
“That’s okay, you can ask when you get home. You’ll need a permission slip anyway.”
“That’s true,” Jillian said, as they walked into class. The students and teacher nodded at her.
As soon as class started, the teacher said, “Class, our trip is next week, I hope you are practicing your French.” She then looked at Jillian. “You have permission from the Alpha, and he is paying for your way,” she told her.
“How?” Jillian asked.
The teacher pointed to her head. “Of course,” Jillian said, shaking her head. “That would be nice to do, sometimes,” she admitted.
The rest of the class they went over in French what to expect on their trip. Both girls looked starry-eyed as they left the class.
“This is going to be incredible,” Kimberly sighed.
“I know,” Jillian agreed. “We are going to have so much fun. I am so glad you are my friend Kim, and that we can room together, otherwise, I probably wouldn’t go.”
“I’m glad we are friends too, Luna,” she winked, as she headed to her next class.
Chapter 9
The rest of the day went by much better, and Jillian was grinning as she climbed into the limo after school. Edric pulled her to him and laid a scorching kiss on her lips.
“How was school?” he asked.
“Good. Thanks for coming earlier.”
“You are welcome and thank you for not interfering. I don’t want to look weak in front of anyone.”
“I kind of figured, and thank you for letting me have a say in his punishment.”
“I have to admit, it is much harsher than what I had in mind,” Edric chuckled. “Did he give you any problems after I left?”
“He glared at me, but that was it.”
“He glared at you?” Edric growled.
“Yes, but it’s not a big deal.”
“It is a big deal. That is just as disrespectful. I will have a word with him,” he growled.
“It’s okay Edric, really,” she protested.
“No, it is not,” he said.
“It is,” she promised, and pushing the button to roll up the window separating Emerson from them, she climbed onto his lap and kissed him soundly.
“You know woman, if you tease me like that, I might take you here in the car,” he growled in her ear.
She gasped, her face heated, and tried to scramble off of his lap, but he held her tight, nuzzling her neck, and kissing her senseless.
He finally set her down when they pulled through the gates. He grinned down at her. “Perhaps when we have a longer ride one of these days, I will have to show you the art of lovemaking in a car,” he teased.
She blushed bright red, making him laugh. He kissed her cheek. “I know you want too,” he murmured in her ear.
She opened the door and escaped, making him laugh harder.
She ran to her room, trying to calm her heart. Yes, she wanted him badly, but she would wait. She had to make sure that he loved her, and she, him before she took that step. Besides, she had known him for only a week. She didn’t want to take that step quite yet, even though it was tempting.
The next day, Edric took her to school once again, and once again, he laid a scorching kiss on her lips in front of everyone. She just shook her head at him.
“You are mine, remember that,” he told her.
“How could I forget,” she laughed, then headed into school. He watched her as she walked inside.
“You need to mate with her,” his wolf said, “then she will truly be yours.”
“I don’t think she is ready.”
“Make her ready. She loves your kisses, I am sure you could think of some way to seduce her.”
Edric just chuckled. “You are worse than I am, Raul.”
“She’s our mate, what do you expect?”
Jillian’s school day went much better, even lunch was better. Jarem wasn’t there, and she was grateful. The other students just ignored her after nodding at her, which she was also grateful for.
When Edric picked her up from school, she was smiling.
“You look happy,” he said, kissing her as he put her into the limo and climbed in after her.
“I am.”
“Did something happen?”
“No, just excited for my trip next week. Our French teacher keeps talking about it.”
“It’s going to be boring,” Emerson teased her from the front seat.
“Whatever Emerson, you are just jealous.”
“I am so not jealous. I told you I went there already, and it’s not that great.”
Jillian looked at Edric. “You are okay with me going?”
“I am, I think you will be okay. Just make sure you stay with your class and not wander on your own.”
“I’ll be gone for two weeks.”
“I know, and it will kill me,” he sighed.
She punched him in the arm.
“What was that for?”
Emerson laughed.
“You will not die without me, you big bully.”
“Only because we haven’t mated yet,” he whispered in her ear, making her blush bright red.
“In your dreams, Mister.”
“Oh, I do have good dreams about you, but I sure wish they would come true, you know, like yours do?” he teased her. “How have your dreams been lately anyway?”
“Okay,” she shrugged. She didn’t want to tell him that just the night before she had dreamt of a plane crash. She didn’t want to freak him out.
Emerson pulled into the drive, and opened the door for his Alpha and Luna, he then headed to the trunk and grabbed a few bags, and handed them to Jillian. “Edric bought these for you.”
“What are they?” Jillian asked, looking into the bags. Inside were paints, brushes, and canvases.
“You bought me these?” she asked tears in her eyes.
“Yes love, I knew you wanted them.”
“Thank you,” she said, dropping the bags and kissing him.
He chuckled. “You are welcome my Luna. Want me to take them to the studio? It is all cleaned up for you by the way.”
“It is?”
“It is.”
“I want to go and see it,” she told him.
“Very well, come on,” he said, leading her through the house, and to the cottage, carrying the bags.
She opened the door and walked in, smiling. The whole place had been scrubbed clean, and it looked nice. She then noticed a few paintings of flowers on two easels.
“Were those your mother’s?” Jillian asked him, as he set the bags on the floor.
“They were. The only ones I could find. She gave most of them away.”
“She was really good,” Jillian said reverently touching one.
“She was, but I think you are better,” Edric admitted.
“Thank you Edric, that means a lot to me,” she smiled at him. “Your mother must have been a kind soul. I can see it in her paintings.”
“Yes, she was a good mother,” he said curtly, closing the subject, and she wondered why. But she wouldn’t ask him. The subject must have been touchy.
“Do you care if I paint until dinner is ready?”
“That is fine love. I have some work to catch up on.” He kissed her and then headed out the door.
She sighed and looked around. She would be very happy in the studio.
She set out her paints and brushes then put a canvas on an easel, knowing just what she wanted to paint, and so she go
t to work after finding an apron to protect her clothes.
She was smiling when she headed into dinner. Edric was visiting with Warren when she walked in. Edric walked to her and wiped her nose, showing a blue splotch on his finger. “I see you enjoyed yourself,” he chuckled.
“I did, thank you,” she said, kissing him.
“I was just discussing with Warren about cleaning up the art gallery and getting it ready to open for you.”
Jillian smiled. “That’s nice. Thank you, both of you.”
Warren nodded.
“Join us for dinner, Beta,” Edric told him.
“Yes, Alpha,” he nodded and sat down. Emerson and Carla soon joined them.
“So, how is the painting going?” Emerson asked Jillian as they began to eat.
“Good, thank you.”
“I’ll have to come and check out what you are painting,” he said.
“Not until I am finished,” she responded. “It’s a work in progress.”
“Very well Luna,” he grinned at her. He then turned to Carla. “Jillian is going to Paris next week.”
“Really. Your French class, huh?”
“Yep.”
“I am sure you will have a better time there than we did. You will get to visit museums and art galleries. We were only there on pack business, so it was boring.”
“So you said.”
“Jillian, I hope you have your passport up to date?” Edric asked her.
“Of course. With my parents traveling as much as we did, they made sure it was updated a lot.”
“I wonder why they moved so much,” he mused.
“My dad’s job.”
“Yes, but didn’t you move every year? You would think there would be some dig sites that would last longer than that.”
“You are right, he never did get to finish a dig. But as soon as the school year ended, we moved.”
“Interesting,” Edric said, wondering why they would do that, did they have a special reason?
“It was hard making friends, moving so much,” Jillian admitted, “but I don’t have to worry about that anymore. I have finally found my permanent home.”
“You plan on staying then?” Carla asked her.
“You had better believe she is staying,” Edric frowned.
Jillian grinned. “Don’t get your panties in a knot Edric, I will stay.”
The Alpha King and his Human Mate Page 9