The Unclaimed Human Luna
Chapter 18

Conner POV

Conner did not sleep, as much as he wanted to, he could not, it took well over an hour for the pain in his body to reside, and then he was just lying there staring off into the darkness that was his room. A room that was his till he was Marked and Mated, sighed heavily into the darkness, might be in here for a very long time at the rate he was going.

Got up in the end, seeing as he couldn’t sleep, and packed for his trip to the New Moon Pack, to take their pack members to the mating ball that they had been invited to. A ball he needed to attend, to not scent out Eliza, sighed again. And wondered who, in their right mind, didn’t want to scent out their own Mate? When they had an inkling as to who it was, and just refused to be around when the moon set to know the truth of it.

Punched his alarm at a quarter to five and mind-linked to the boys to skip training and pack, they would leave directly after their last class at the university.

They didn’t seem to mind, heading off to a Mating Ball was always a good thing, and now they knew they couldn’t hold those here in the pack, having to go away for a weekend once a month wasn’t such a bad thing. Kind of like a weekend getaway, they weren’t required to do much, just show up, eat, drink and replace a mate. Laze about for a whole evening, a day and then come home the next day.

It was actually really nice for the visiting pack, nothing to worry about, just chatting away and getting to know others. Hanging out with your friends, hooking up if they were allowed to, depending on the inviting pack.

Some Alpha’s and Luna’s frowned upon that, didn’t think it was a good idea, others didn’t so much as care either way. He’d been to the New Moon Pack dozens of times, they’d been allied forever or for as long as he could recall. It was a pretty open pack, and there was no super fancy Mating Ball, it was just a massive spit roast out under the stars.

The whole pack had the feel of a luxury camping resort, there was nothing over two stories’ high, and most of their wolves lived in log cabin-type buildings with three or four families per cabin. It was a little weird coming here if you didn’t know them.

But Alpha Thomas was friendly, kind of a hippy, nothing really was vetoed here, to the point that if you wanted you could go and smoke up a storm down in the greenhouse and get nice and high if you liked that thing. He’d been there and done that, so had his whole unit at some point. Was pretty sure they would do it again when they got there.

Sometimes it was fun watching wolves trying to get high. It could take a lot to do, some wolves just let their human counterpart roll around on the ground happy as larry, others didn’t like the loss of control sensation and burned it out of the system fast. For him, he’d done that twice but not in years, and wasn’t interested. He needed to be on alert when he was here and in charge. He had seen his father down there in the greenhouse more than once though.

The man probably needed to do more of it, to mellow out a little more and release that temper of his, though Jared had stated it wasn’t so bad after meeting Brittney and the man wasn’t wrong, or until Eliza had turned up and challenged him at every turn.

Shook that thought off, didn’t want to think about her. He dressed for the day, took his suitcase downstairs and put it the back of his Lexus RX Luxury SUV, and then headed for the Luna’s office, to replace that list of people allocated to the mating ball. Collected it for himself and mind-linked to each of them to tell them to meet them out at the uni just on 2pm. That’s when his last class ended and they’d leave from there, to make sure there was enough room in the cars to bring back Mates at least two available seats per car. Each of the pack trucks could seat five comfortably.

His father made sure they had a whole fleet of vehicles that were used just for Mating Balls and attending other packs for assistance there were twenty of them. They were Mercedes G Class vehicles that were all white, and all seated 5 individuals, so they could take a hundred warriors for assistance if need be. His father, like himself, always travelled in his own car, though his father’s was a Lexus Flagship, Luxury SUV.

Headed off to uni the moment breakfast was eaten, the boys were a bit annoyed with him for that, leaving earlier than the normal, but that was because they were all tired, hadn’t come home till nearly midnight due to being out with the human girls and they were tired, and he was riding them all about that group assignment that they’d ditched.

Conner stead fastley kept his mind on class work and was completely unaware of Eliza being at the university this morning, until he saw her walking along through the university holding a map, to show herself around, it seemed. He looked her over, knew why the high-collared shirt, he’d left a deep mark on the crook of her neck, she looked tired he thought absently. Probably didn’t sleep any more than he did.

Atlas was still gone from him, and it annoyed him that this one human girl was causing him so much turmoil. She was always just showing up wherever he went, always saw her when she moved about the pack. Was the one to have to track her down if she was bloody lost in the pack somewhere.

“Hey, Eliza’s, here.” Brayden had said and pointed her out to all of them.

“Marlo did say he was having a lunch date with her today. I think those two are hitting it off quite well.” He heard Adam chuckle. “He was up early telling mum and dad she might be his Mate, and she’d agreed to go dancing on the full moon with him. So very excited this morning, young and in love.” He laughed, both Brayden and Cameron laughed as well. It seemed they all thought it was cute and funny.

Conner could feel his anger notching up at the thought of Marlo going on a date with her. He’d warned that boy to stay away from her, yet he was still going on a bloody date with her. Without Atlas around, he could do and say as he pleased around the girl. Wanted to make her leave so there was no lunch date with Marlo.

Picked a fight with her, to get her to leave. Though he had not expected to see so much anger pouring out of her over it, and he could actually see the tears pricking in her eyes. Then she was screaming how much she hated him right to his face, in front of his unit. Which made him feel very uncomfortable inside his chest at hearing those words screamed at him.

A dull ache pulled at him, and he knew why, if she said those words after he scented her out, their bond was going to be severed. It wasn’t going to take much for her to sever ties with him, she seemed to just know what to say to get rid of him. Every time that girl shot angry words at him, he knew if he’d scented her, it would be over for them. Her own instincts, it seemed, were to reject him.

Then she was just gone, stalking away from him, before those tears he knew were there were falling down her face. He saw Brayden go after her, his Gamma off to try and calm her, couldn’t bloody help himself. It was his nature to want to comfort her. Not that the man knew what she was going to be, and he was going to keep it that way.

Could hear Adam and Cameron telling him, well chastising him really, that his words had been uncalled for, that he should not be mean to her, to ease up on the girl. She was still trying to fit in and even heard Adam state ‘Get over this human-hating thing you have’ down the mind link at him.

Watched as Eliza slapped Brayden damned hard and glared right up at him, he had not been expecting her to hit the man, hadn’t seen anything like that in her before. He’d really pushed her buttons today, it seemed. Internally, he sighed to himself, not even he liked seeing how upset she really was, if he was completely honest with himself.

Watched as his Gamma real back more than one step and then touch his own face, must have hurt quite a bit. It certainly sounded like it did, and he wondered if she thought it was him trying to stop her. Him she was trying to hit, wanted to hit by the look and sound of it.

Then she was gone, walking off once more, knew she was going to leave and go back to the pack. That was what he wanted right this minute; he didn’t want to have to see her with Marlo. Didn’t want Atlas coming back and replaceing her with that boy. Anything could happen if his wolf found her dating someone else right this minute.

“What the hell is wrong with you Conner, pain was rolling off of that girl.” Brayden snapped at him as he walked back towards him. A full handprint on the man’s face could be seen.

He knew it was, had seen it for himself. They just didn’t know why, not the real reason. It had been nothing to do with the words he’d stated, but that they had been together yet again and then he’d left her, and was trying to make her leave to hate him. Needed her to so that rejection would be easy for her to state.

“She really does hate you right this minute, that’s what I felt from her. What the hell Conner, she’s still trying to fit in, you need to get over your stupid human s**t. She’s your stepsister and isn’t going anywhere.”

Glared right at him and then turned and walked away. That dull ache in his chest had gotten worse with his Gamma’s confirmation that she really did hate him. Needed to be by himself right now, knew none of them would follow him. They were all annoyed with him for being mean to her. They themselves had no issues with humans.

He drove out of the university himself, they had their bags in the back and were met with a dozen pack cars who were all headed off to the mating ball, up in Idaho. To a pack they were affiliated with and had three packs they didn’t know attending as well.

A three and half hour drive up to the Caribou National Park in Idaho, to where the New Moon Pack was situated, he knew them, they knew him but there were going to be plenty of unmated male and female wolves that he and his unit and the pack members hadn’t seen yet.

At least his beast was still elsewhere right at this minute, it didn’t seem to bother him that the full moon would be here tomorrow and they were not in the pack, or anywhere near Eliza. Or at least not yet, anyway. It could well be a problem when he came back from being by himself.

Was shown to his room and took a long hot shower before attending an informal dinner and checking out the other packs, they’d arrived a little late having to go right from the university after classes finished at 2pm. There were plenty of she-wolves here for this thing, that was good. Needed that for his men, for the pack.

His pack was out drinking and meeting and greeting other pack’s members. He introduced himself to a few of the Alpha’s that he didn’t know, and they all sat and chatted, he was much younger than most of them and they were all Marked from what he could tell. Some from up north, and others from Montana and Wyoming had come from all over the place, he realised.

Saw his unit head off to go dancing with some of the others, he himself opted not to, that ache in his chest just wouldn’t bloody go away at all. Retired to his room to be alone, needed to be alone so he could be a little on the miserable side, his wolf had abandoned him and was still not back, been hurt by Conners sudden leaving of Eliza, and now his human mate hated him.

He told himself repeatedly it was what he wanted, for her to hate him, but it wasn’t sitting well with him at all, could easily bring to mind those eyes of hers with those tears brimming, she’d held them in, wasn’t going to let him see her cry. Though he knew she would have, at some point, let them fall.

Brayden had told him all he needed to know, she was full of pain, rolled off of her, and he was the cause of it. He couldn’t even call her and ask her if she was alright and right this minute a part of him wanted to. Kind of needed to know if she was alright and not knowing was causing that ache inside his chest to linger and he knew it.

Might not want a human Mate, wanted her to hate him and reject him, but he was in pain because she was in pain, despite what he wanted, he was unable to stop being drawn to her, couldn’t it seem not, even not think about her, right this minute.

Scrolled through his phone and realised he didn’t have her number, couldn’t even call her right this minute. Doubt she would pick up anyway. He wouldn’t if he was her, and he wasn’t about to call Marlo and ask him how she was doing. That boy was likely with her though. Looked at his watch. It was just after eight. She must be alright. If not, his father would be on him about her.

It was likely that she was just back in her room trying to avoid him. Hell, it was a certainty that she was going to be avoiding him. Even that thought brought that bloody ache back to him. He wanted to strangle his own wolf for knowing what she was to them and telling him.

He called his father to see how things were going, though didn’t bring Eliza up even though he wanted to, had to say nothing. It wasn’t like him to bring any girl up in conversation and he wasn’t about to raise suspicions where his father was concerned. Though it didn’t take long for the man to bring her up.

“Did you see Eliza at the university today? She was attending a tour today.”

“I did, around lunch time.” He stated he had seen that girl get angry and be upset and then leave. “But only briefly, how did it go?” he asked. Surely his father would know, they would have been on her the minute she got back to the pack. On her to replace out if she would be attending it. It was his father’s preference for her, to keep her close to the pack and as safe as possible.

“Good, she made some friends, is out to dinner with them and their parents, as we speak, not due home for an hour or so.”

“You let her?” he frowned. That wasn’t like his father, to let her go off with unknown people. Hell, they could be wolves for all any of them knew, not allied at that. That was certainly not like his father to do.

“Of course, I did, Conner. I am trying to make her feel more comfortable here, and that includes letting her hang out with friends she makes outside of the pack.”

“Fair enough.” He replied, kept his tone reserved, didn’t want his father picking anything up. At least she was alright, had calmed down and gone out to hang out with people she’d met today, it seemed. Took some comfort that his attitude towards her wasn’t so bad that she’d holed herself up in her room once more.

“How’s it going up there?”

“Good, three unaffiliated packs, met some new Alpha’s. I was courteous and polite, a little reserved, seeing as they were not allied. Just like you taught me to be.”

“Good, get any tingles out there Conner.”

“No.” he answered, knowing he wouldn’t either. Nearly sighed out loud at that thought, “The boys are all off dancing and getting acquainted with the she-wolves.”

“Aright, it would be nice if you or some of them could bring a Mate home.”

“Yes, it would. Don’t get your hopes up, father. I looked about, didn’t even see anything that attracted me, to be honest with you.” He hadn’t actually looked, was not actually interested in looking, knew there was nothing here that was going to interest him.

“Sometimes, Conner, you never do until it just smacks you in the face. You might have known your Mate all your life and not once looked at them like that and then boom, she’s all you can think about. All you want. You’ll replace the one son, your only young yet. There is plenty of time to replace your Mate.”

“I know we have very long lives, could take decades or more even.”

“Don’t give up hope, she’s out there somewhere, just waiting for the right time to meet you in all likelihood.”

“Probably.” He murmured. “I’ll let you go. Go spend time with Brittney. I’m sure Eliza will be just fine.”

“Of course she will, and I’m already curled up with my Mate.” He chuckled.

Conner rolled his eyes “Night father.” And clicked the line closed, did not need to hear that from him. Curled up with his mate was just a polite way of saying they were either naked already or were well on their way to being naked.