Dr. Luna
Chapter 8

Lilly had never felt so thankful to have him by her side. He was what was familiar to her and she felt at ease near him. Crowds were a new thing to her, and she suddenly had a weak moment. At that moment of fear, Tyler had approached and put his arm around her. Her body naturally responded by trying to tuck herself further into safety; into him. Tyler embraced her with both arms and held her protectively against his chest. "You okay?"

Lilly nodded her head and looked up to him with a crooked smile. "Just a small moment of panic. I am not really used to crowds. They've avoided me my whole life."

Tyler felt angry about how her pack used to treat her, but he didn't let her see that. Instead, he lowered his head down to hers and kissed her forehead tenderly. "There is nothing to be afraid of. They are just excited to meet you, their luna. These are only a few of the pack members, we still have to greet the whole pack in a bit. Are you up for it?"

Lilly nodded. "It was just a silly moment. I am fine now." She looked up at Tyler and smiled bravely. She admitted it was dumb to be nervous because of a crowd. She knew it was just because she was conditioned her whole life to avoid them. Still, though, she held onto Tyler's side. She felt that she would need him to keep up her confidence.

Tyler kept his arm around her and was internally smiling as she kept hers on him. For a new mate, she had been fairly distant with him. It was not usually like that. The normal is once you replace your mate you complete the mating bond that night, if not instantly, and mark your mate for all to see. The drive and attraction are extremely powerful. Tyler could sense that Lilly needed him to go slow with her, so he was doing his best to control himself. He wanted to give her the time she needed until she felt ready. He wanted to mark her so that all would know she was his and it was getting harder to wait.

He smiled as he felt her grip tighten on him as they descended the stairs. He glanced down at her. No one would ever notice that she was nervous, she hid it so well. She looked confident as she strode down the stairs with him. His heart swelled with pride and new budding feelings for her. He looked ahead at some of his pack members and beamed at them proudly

"I would like to introduce you to your Luna, Lilly." Tyler said proudly as he hugged Lilly's side into his.

Lily nodded to the pack members, who bowed their heads respectfully towards her. She could feel that they were all excited to speak with her, but Tyler graciously kept her locked into his side. He walked around with her as he introduced her to the various pack members in the room.

"I see you are very protective over her, seeing how you are keeping her tucked into your side so secur

"If she was yours wouldn't you be protective too?" Tyler asked with a happy grin.

"If she were mine, I would definitely keep her locked away safely. You are stunning my dear."

n around your own pack." One of the pack members teased. Tyler looked down at Lilly and then back up to the man.

"Thanks." Lilly felt a light blush seize her cheeks. She was not used to being complimented, let alone being openly complimented.

Tyler chuckled as he looked down at his adorable mate. She was too cute. He was very proud to have his mate. He only wished that she would be able to see that and trust him with whatever it is she was hiding. "There's my favorite flower." Kade said as he walked over to them. "My arm still feels great. From this day forward you are my favorite person in the world, at least until I replace my mate." Kade said with a wink.

"From now on, if you can help it, don't heal that quickly in the future. It is easier to set the bones first." Lilly was happy she was able to help him. None of the other men in her pack would let her touch them. She was only allowed to be in charge of immunization with the children. She subconsciously leaned into Tyler. She felt happy and content. This was what it felt like to be accepted. She had missed out on so much and she tried to convince herself that she hadn't. Now she knew what exactly she was missing. She hoped she wouldn't lose it.

Tyler smiled as he felt her body relax into his side. She was becoming more comfortable with him and with the people around her.

"The pack has gathered outside of the pack house. Are you ready to meet everyone?" Tyler quietly spoke to Lilly and watched as she smiled up at him and nodded. He shot her a wide smile and then kissed her temple tenderly. "Let's go then. Alright everyone, outside. I am going to formally introduce your luna." He then turned to Lilly and looked down at her. "I won't leave your side, so you have nothing to be nervous about. Let's go meet your new pack."

Lilly let Tyler lead her to the large double doors. She could hear the chattering of muffled voices from behind the door. It sounded like there was a large number of people behind the door. She was no longer nervous though. She had been taking hits of her Tyler drug for the last hour and she felt confident by his side. To her, Tyler was the equivalent to humans drinking alcohol and replaceing their confidence. Except, she was not incoherent, she just had the self-confidence boost. Twenty-four hours ago, she never wanted a mate. Now, she was going down the dangerous path of feeling that she needed him. She knew she wanted him already, she could not deny that, but she was starting to feel a dependency towards him. She knew this was a normal feeling to have with your mate and she wanted to fully embrace it. The panging she felt in her heart was telling her that it was already too late. Tyler had invaded her mind and heart and now she had to hope he did not break it.

Tyler proudly opened the doors and escorted Lilly out, tucked into his side. The chattering crowd grew silent as Tyler led them forward to the waiting crowd. Most of the pack had shown up for the announcement and there were hundreds of people standing around and staring at his beautiful mate.

"I want to introduce you all to your Luna, Lilly. I expect that all of you will give her the respect she deserves. From this day forth, you will offer her your loyalties and allegiance. Soon, I will make her an official member of this pack, but until then you are to consider her your luna nonetheless." Tyler heard his pack applaud and whistle in response. They all seemed mostly pleased with the quiet beauty by his side. Once he completed the mating ritual and marked her, she would officially become their luna and also be able to mind link with the pack members. He had never felt so happy before in his life. He happily kept his arm around her, not wanting to break the intimate contact that they have had the last couple hours. He could feel the shift in their relationship changing. She was no longer trying to escape his touch, but was leaning into it. Their connection was growing, and the bond was forming the longer they stayed together.

Lilly's eyes sparkled cheerfully, and she had a radiating aura around her. The pack members were captivated by her and they were swooning over their new luna; well, most of them. There were a few members who were not happy with Lilly and those were members who were loyal to Jessica. Jessica stood at a distance and sneered over at Lilly who was attached to Tyler's side. She was bitter and was not willing to give up on what was supposed to be hers. She was supposed to be their Luna and she was not about to accept Lilly as theirs.