The Unclaimed Human Luna
Chapter 32

Conner POV

Conner woke with his watch’s alarm vibrating on his wrist, Eliza’s whole body was pressed up against his, her head resting on his chest. He smiled to himself, it was a nice way to wake up. It felt nice to have her body half on him. Just like Adam had said, a warm body there to wake up to was a good thing.

Though Conner knew he had to get up and leave before she woke up, he didn’t think that she would take kindly to replaceing him there in her bed with her. Though she needed it, and she’d slept the whole night, that would be good for her.

He gently rolled her off of him and all the way over onto her other side, she mumbled something unintelligible in her sleep, and he stilled, thinking he’d woken her, stayed right there behind her for a minute to make sure she settled once more and was still sleeping, before getting up.

Looked down at her and sighed softly to himself, he was definitely in real trouble, and he knew it. Leaned down over her and murmured in her ear softly “I’m sorry Eliza.” He did notice she no longer looked as tired or drawn as she had yesterday, already looked better, healthier to him. He brushed some of her hair from her face and then pressed his lips to her temple in a soft k**s and left the room, as quietly as he had come into the room.

Showered and dressed, headed off for training himself, he felt much better than he had in days, which meant that so would she. Atlas was settled and happy inside of his mind, liked that Conner had spent the night in her room, liked that his human wanted to comfort her and make sure she got a good night’s sleep. Settled his wolf inside his mind.

Took on his father with gusto at their Alpha training. Taunted his father a lot, “Come on old man,” “Is that all you got.” “Getting slow you know.” Atlas had kept pace with him on the run around the pack’s territory, then pushed his father’s wolf Hale, with all he had and the old man was only just keeping up.

In the hand to hand training Conner was dodging, bobbing and weaving, laughing and egging his old man on. Was happy and actually having a good time, sparring with his father. Like they had once done back when he’d first gotten his wolf. Before, he’d been pushed with double degrees and had such a heavy workload that he was just annoyed all the time with his father.

Even his father was giving it back to him. They were taunting each other and both having a good time training. It was a nice start to his day. Found himself in a full headlock after his father called the training over, “I seem to have found my son, where you been boy all these years.”

Conner laughed “Just needed a good night’s sleep, it seems.”

His father let him go and smiled. “Well, perhaps I should knock you out occasionally. It’s good to see you happy and laughing, Conner. It’s been a while.”

He was happy, and so was Atlas. He’d never slept so damn well in all his life, or at least he didn’t think so anyway. Knew it was because Eliza had been in the bed next to him. Hadn’t fully scented that girl out yet but, she was like a drug to him. The scent of her arousal drove him completely crazy, yet just her natural scent lulled him right into sleep. If she was a she-wolf he’d likely tell his father what he suspected she was.

Couldn’t do that right this minute, hadn’t scented her out officially. But he would be here on the next full moon to do so and he knew it. Had nearly a month to work on her, getting her to forgive him for his behaviour and cruel words to her. Atlas was happy with that thought. ‘You should just have listened to me in the first place.’ Atlas told him.

Conner knew his beast was right, but she was human, and that part still bothered him. Even though he could see how happy his father was with Brittney, that didn’t mean that Eliza was going to be as accepting as her mother was. But he was happy that she seemed to not be trying to escape anymore.

He needed her to want to be here, that way he could replace the time to talk to her, get to know her, show her that he wasn’t a terrible person, that he could be nice and caring. Walked all the way back to the packhouse with his unit. They were all laughing themselves his and his father’s mood had seemed to rub off on them all, they’d all been taunting each other as well.

A good morning of training it had been for all of them, saw his father and his unit peel off in wolf form to go attend whatever it was that was needed of him and them. They could well just be off hunting for the morning. Who knew.

Saw Eliza walking out of the packhouse with Marlo and sighed internally at the two of them together, felt Atlas bristle. ‘Stop that now.’ His wolf snarled at him.

‘No, she needs to have friends. Needs to fit in and become happy here.’

‘He’s going to date our Mate.’ Atlas growled at him.

Told Marlo he had training in the afternoon, saw the shocked expression on his face and told him, so did his friends for that matter, that would stop them being out all day, and get her back here where he could keep an eye on her himself. Also placate his wolf a little. He didn’t stop walking as he spoke to the boy, so it looked like just a passing comment, but he got looked at by his whole unit.

“If they are going to be with Eliza, then they need to up their training to protect her. Also, a little punishment for them, for nearly letting her drown yesterday.” He stated.

“Your father didn’t see fit to punish them, Conner, so why are you?” Adam questioned him.

“Because I think father was too lenient with them.”

“Why?” Adam asked again as they all got into the elevator to head upstairs to shower.

“Think about it, Adam, if Eliza had been his flesh and b***d. His actual daughter, what do you think would have happened to them?” Conner looked right at him, they’d all got beat half to death and they all knew it. “If your little sister had been out there and nearly drowned and Hayden and his friends had been supposed to be watching her, what would their punishment have been?” he asked of Adam.

“Dad would have beat them senseless if Dianna had nearly drowned.” He snorted, “likely ended up in the cells or lashed even. If they survived the beating, that was.”

“Correct and father would have let him. My father didn’t punish them, as would be expected, and they know it. That shows this pack how little he cares about her. This is likely why some of the pack members ignore her, because the current Alpha shows her no concern, so neither do they.”

“So, what? You’re just going to start showing her you care?”

Conner sighed, but then nodded. “He did tell me to be nice to her. I certainly don’t want to lose this pack to her, as he told me, I would. So, I will be the brother he wants to see me be, and that will start with dishing out punishment for those that don’t look after my stepsister.”

Conner could feel all of them looking at him now, ignored it. He was the future of this pack, and he did have the right to punish as he saw fit, especially when it came to his family. He left them all in the corridor and he knew they were all watching him. Ignored that too, they could think what they liked. None of them had actually questioned him about Eliza herself, therefore he didn’t have to state anything to any of them.

Though he did get called to his father’s office later that day to explain why that group was suddenly having to train out of nowhere, “Because father,” he stated, “If Marlo and the others are going to be hanging out with Eliza, and you’re worried someone could take the human girl to hurt you or the Luna, then don’t you think that the group she hangs out with should be able to protect her properly?”

His father had looked right at him. “I guess so, yes.”

“They do not train like myself and my unit, only train like general warriors do. I doubt father, if someone does try to take her, to hurt you or this pack, that they’ll send simple warriors. So, her friends need to train to defeat elite or ranked members, like myself and my unit. Don’t you think?”

“Thought about this a lot, have you?” his father leaned back in his Alpha chair and stared right at him.

“I have, you told me to act like an Alpha, that I have no plan for this pack, that I was not ready. So, I will show you that I am capable when it comes time for me to take over. You also told me to be a perfect gentleman where she was concerned, to get over my human-hating ways. I am trying to do that, to show you I’m not useless.”

“I never said you were useless, Conner, just needed to grow up a bit, be more accepting.”

“That is what I am doing.”

“Good, are you going to train them?”

“No, I thought Scarlett and her unit could do that, she was complaining about being bored the other day at training.”

“Hmm, that she was.” His father nodded “I was thinking about sending her off to train with another pack for some variety.”

“No need, give her an unruly bunch of teens to play with, should sort her out for the time being.”

“Good idea son.” He nodded. “Very Alpha of you.”

“I thought so.” Conner nodded, “I also thought you need to start treating her like family. I have noticed some of the pack members dismiss her, much like you do. If she was your daughter, what would have happened if she’d nearly drowned under the watch of others? You would have punished them, yes?”

“Yes, you are right.” He saw his father sigh.

“If that is all.”

“You may go, Conner, this is a good start to showing me your growing up.”

Conner just nodded and left the man’s office. He had managed to get Marlo away from Eliza for a few hours this afternoon, put his father right in his place for the way he treated Eliza. All he had to do now was convince her, he wasn’t the a*****e, she thought he was. That might be a bit more on the difficult side of things.

Made sure his unit were actually attending to that group assignment that was due Monday, but did not join them. Atlas was currently tracking his Mate at a stealthy distance, as she headed for the lake, kept himself to the darkened forest as he followed her, mind-link to his father to call her the moment she stepped outside of pack territory to let him know she’d left the pack.

Got ‘How do you know that?’

‘Atlas is roaming about and spotted her.’ he stated simply.

‘Don’t let her see your wolf, Conner. He’s larger than a normal wolf.’

‘We’re not totally stupid, you know.’ He’d muttered back.

She’d not even noticed them, or felt their presence as they tracked her through the pack. His wolf was being very careful, didn’t want to scare her himself. But he was happy strolling along after her, that was for sure.

Even more so, when she strolled deeper into the woods where there was no one around at all, just him and her. Conner could actually feel Atlas wanting to play with her, chase her a little, curbed that instantly, it would not be a good idea. She had only seen one wolf at this point, and though it had been a little bigger than a normal wolf, Atlas would be twice the size and him chasing her would likely freak her out completely. Reminded his beast of that, he got huffed at, but Atlas reined in his desire to play with her.

They watched her curiously as she strolled along. She seemed very at home in the woods, saw her touch a tree and state “I miss you dad.” Sighed himself, she sounded a little sad to him, likely she did miss her father.

He had Atlas shift him back as they came up on the packhouse, where some clothes were stashed. There were plenty of places round the pack with small boxes filled with shirts and clothes for shifting back to their human form. Slipped on a pair of shorts and walked out of the woods after her.

Saw those eyes of hers move over him, had to contain his smile as she took him all in, she’d seen him naked before, he’d turned the lamp in her room on so she could see all of him. Liked that she looked him over. Didn’t like that she brought up him having a girlfriend, reached out to grab her, wanted to clear that up, so she didn’t think that, only to hear her tell him she was ashamed of what had happened between them, that she wouldn’t tell his so-called girlfriend about it.

Yanked her arm from him as he was about to voice that he didn’t have a girlfriend when Marlo bloody came out of the packhouse, and called out to her. Saw that boy look right at him and then to her. Nearly snarled at him for interrupting and then wanted to beat the hell out of him for telling her about a picnic dinner and a concert he had planned for her to attend with him.

Turned and stalked away when she agreed to go with him. If he didn’t walk away, his beast was going to rip into that boy. He had to remind Atlas she didn’t know what they were, let alone understand what she was to them.

Realised this month of her not knowing, was going to be a lot harder than he thought it was going to be, and he knew he was going to have to deal with Marlo and his attraction to Eliza. How the hell was he going to keep Atlas in check for 3 weeks? He didn’t bloody know. Was going to have to replace a way to spend time with her but not let everyone here know, what she was to them at the same time.