The Unclaimed Human Luna
Chapter 64

El POV

El, thankfully, had picked up some of the language while with her family, and even here on campus she was learning more of it every day. Her use of it as a child was good as well, gave her a basis of knowledge and she was actually picking it up quickly. She didn’t understand lots of it, but was better now and though she was taking an intensive Italian course every day to help her with the language, she was tired and exhausted most nights when she got back to her dorm.

Crashed out easily in her bed, declined dinner twice that week and even her roommate Hillary told her she looked exhausted at one point. Told her perhaps she was over doing it. El nodded and murmured “probably, but I need to pick the language up more, I still miss things in class and its annoying having to rely on my cousins to help me out all the time.”

That and she had to attend class and then go home and re-listen to them in English on a podcast, was doing each class twice, wanted to be there for the class to help with her learning of the language. But then had to re-listen to it with the English translation afterwards, so she could understand it properly.

Get all her studies done and do her tutorials and plan out her assignments as well. She wasn’t the only one in her classes that had to do this, so at least she had others she could talk to as well about not understanding, or the frustration of it all. It didn’t help that she was becoming tired a lot lately, and just wanted to crash out the moment she was back in her dorm.

El did not have the inclination to go out that first weekend and party with her roommates, who were all itching to get off campus and go see the night life. She’d declined with a shake of her head and a g***n of “I really need to study up on my language skills,” and had actually managed to replace herself a group of like-minded students that were all going to get together in the library and practice their Italian. Something she needed to do herself.

Her aunt called her and asked how she was doing? If she felt comfortable and was happy with her roommates. How was she feeling? El answered all her questions with “the study was hard going but she was working on it, her roommates in her dorm were all nice. They all spoke English as a first language, which was good for her. She had found a good study group to help with her Italian. As for how she was feeling, she liked it here at the Uni.”

Got a huff and asked again how are you feeling?

El knew what her aunt meant and sighed ‘I’m tired a lot.’ Finally giving her what she wanted to hear, ‘I’m dealing with it. It will be fine, like you said. It might just go away on its own.’

Aunt Juliana had said not much on that and just told her to come home for the weekend. To which she had declined, and stated no I have study groups all weekend, but had promised to be home for the full moon, just in case Petal came. Though Petal didn’t say anything to her on that subject, she was still quiet on the shifting for the first time. Everyone suspected why.

But Petal did not push ‘the go replace Conner’ at her, which if she was mated to him and his wolf surely, she would do. Or at least that was what she thought anyway, so perhaps it wasn’t true. But even Cordi was of the opinion that Conner was her Mate. That accounted for her always asking her about him after she’d been taken back to Utah that first time.

Those weird questions of, how does Conner feel about that? Go and ask Conner. I’d bet he’d be willing to help! El had stopped answering them after a while, they’d just been annoying to her, dismissed them and changed the subject. Not that Cordi had done so, likely because she knew what Conner was to her.

She sighed to herself, she didn’t even know what she was going to do about him, if he did replace her? She had no idea what would happen, likely not much. She was out in the human world and she knew they had rules to follow now. So did her pack, likely the rules were the same. Don’t speak of it to the humans. They knew nothing about shifters. Believed none of it was real and they had to keep it that way for their own protection.

So even if he found her at her Uni, what could he really do? Nothing, couldn’t just walk up to her and start yelling at her about leaving the pack and running off to another, or physically drag her away either. They had to behave like humans themselves when in the human world. So, she had that for some sort of protection. She was just over an hour from her pack and if she managed to get away from him and go there, he couldn’t enter the pack. She knew that much.

So, she would be safe from him there as well, though was she actually afraid of him? Did she need to be safe from him? El sighed as she really thought about that, he’d never once physically hurt her. Hell, all he’d ever done was climb into her bed and have his way with her, chase her around and bring her back, replace her when she’d run off.

Not even Atlas, who had to be his wolf, had harmed her, chased her around for a while but not hurt her, cut her off a few times and pushed her deeper into the woods. Then Conner had just appeared and she, for the first time ever, had been glad to see him, just latched onto him and hugged him. Wondered herself now if that had been his wolf’s intention, to make her be happy to see Conner, he’d not turned her away either that day, had stood there and just held her in his arms. Had kissed her out there in the woods and then told her to take what she wanted from him. Which she had. No, she did not think that he was out to harm her. Seduce her at every turn, yes. So, no, she was not afraid of him, she did know that to be the truth.

All alone in her dorm room lying there by herself in the middle of the night, she did miss the s*x, as much as she’d thought it was wrong at the time. Something that had been sick and twisted, and had brought out a raw animalistic side to her, that she just didn’t understand at the time.

She now knew that was solely because she hadn’t known what she was, and how could she when not even her own father or grandma had bothered to tell her that she was half a mythical creature with the possibility of changing into something else at some point in life. Though her aunt Juliana had told her they’d brought her here to Italy many times to sense out if she would shift, none had thought she would. Likely why they’d never bothered to tell her, was human and had those rules.

Now she could mostly understand why it was the way it was with Conner, why she couldn’t ever say no to him. Why he would just turn up in her room, he was made for her, his body and her body were perfect for each other, according to the moon goddess. Even thinking that made her recall how many times that man had g*****d the word Goddess during s*x. Guess it was like humans crying out for God at the height of pleasure.

Closed her eyes and sighed, hated being alone in this bed sometimes. Especially when she had that urge to sort herself out, opted not to yet again, just tossed and turned in her bed and tried not to think about it. Shook it off, it wasn’t like being back inside his pack when she had an itch to scratch, and he would just turn up and sort her out, and he’d always seem to know when she needed that. Likely a part of their connection to each other, she thought.

Really tried not to think about that at all, only brought to her mind’s eye Conner and the way he would touch her, the way he would look down at her, with those dark blue eyes so full of desire and wanton need, the pleasure she would hear in his voice at just touching her, practically squirmed in her bed as an image of him between her thighs filled her mind and the way he g*****d so deeply and told her how good she smelled, before he would just devour her.

El sighed and again pushed the thought aside, had to or she was going to need to sort herself out, didn’t want her roommates coming home to the sounds of herself doing that. She wondered if all men were like that, so very vocal during s*x. Conner was always vocal, right from the first time he’d touched her.

She didn’t think so, Xavier had never been like that when they had dry humped each other, had just smiled at her a lot. But that was it, asked her if she enjoyed herself, chuckled softly when she’d laughed and said yes. Though she couldn’t recall what it felt like with him, she didn’t want to if she was honest with herself.

As much as she had been desperate to get the hell away from Conner, a part of her missed the physical side of knowing him, knew it had to be that Mate Bond thing, he’d never really had anything to do with her other than physically. Though he had chased her around the woods himself that one time. Told her that was just fun for him, he had been happy to sit on the ground next to her. She’d seen him smiling that day. He’d been happy that day. She realised now, being out in the woods with her had made him happy.

Knew now pack members could talk to each other with that mind-link ability, so no-one else knew they were talking as well, wondered if that day out in the woods when he’d told her he could pleasure her for hours, if his sudden change of mind had been that, someone talking to him via the mind-link. Was he needed elsewhere? He’d gone off in the other direction after pointing her in the direction back to the packhouse; she now knew it was called. He’d beaten her there too, been with his friends, or his Alpha Unit, she now knew.

Lay there in her bed and wondered about all the strange things he’d asked her to do, that day after Atlas had chased her all over the pack, the day he’d told her to never say she was leaving ever again, had been taken by his wolf in human form that day. He’d asked her to pick a fight with him, knew now, that was because they’d had s*x and more than once and her smell would be all over him, he’d been looking for an excuse as to why it was all over him that day, so no one would know about them.

She also knew why he’d told her not to tell anyone she’d seen Atlas. It was his wolf, and anyone hearing her state that his wolf was chasing her about, could well understand the meaning of it.

She was also human and wasn’t allowed to see him at that time. Conner’s wolf or Conner had allowed his wolf to break the rules, she wasn’t exactly clear on who’s doing it was. But she’d had that process explained to her by her Aunt, it took a couple of months to do that, see a shifted creature.

She thought about the last interaction she had with his wolf. How playful he had been, like a puppy even. He was not a small wolf and she’d not really known what to do with him, and had just stood still in the hope that he would go away.

But could now look back on it and see it for what it was. His wolf Atlas was trying to get her to like him, she supposed, interact with him and not be afraid of him. Atlas, she smiled to herself, liked her, tracked her all over the place, was always out in the woods when she was. Though that last time, he’d shot off down into the ravine of the woods and been in one hell of a fight, she’d heard it.

Then she had come across that other wolf, large and imposing as well. It had stared at her and then just ran off to go in the direction of the fight, wondered now who it had been? Was it his father or had it been one of his friends? They were always together. Wondered if they had seen Atlas with her for that matter?

The future leaders of the pack, likely she thought, it was Adam, Brayden or Cameron. One of them were always with him. Much the same as their fathers were always with Logan. Much the same as her Aunt Juliana and her unit, she had three men around her, not including her Mate.

They were all kitsune’s as well. Nothing was ever going to harm her aunt. They all had 5 tails each and her aunt had 9. From what her aunt had told her one life for each tail, had asked her how many tails her grandma had. Had gotten laughed at, “Ask her to show you next time you see her.” had been the response.

They got one tail for every hundred years of life, up to 9 tails, though most were not born with one, usually 3 to 5. That is what her aunt had told her. She was hoping, with El’s lineage, she would have 5 to start with. But just getting Petal would be a blessing and, no matter what, even if she only had one tail, she would be loved by all.

El rolled over in her bed and stared out the window. It would have been much easier if they had just told her the truth right from the get go. Probably would have been curious enough about what was going on, that she’d have opted to stay just to see it all for herself. Too late now, she thought to herself, knew that they had laws, but surely, seeing as Logan had insisted on her being there, he should have seen the sense in just telling her. Likely, it would have solved the biggest problem of her trying to run away at every opportunity.

Got up an hour later. There was no sleep going to be had for her. As tired as she was, she walked downstairs and called Cordi from that pay phone. “Hi Cordi, how’s it going?”

“Good, how are you doing?”

“Curious about something?”

“Ask if I don’t know Collin will.”

“Are you two ever apart?” she shook her head.

“No, we’re Mated to each other, will never want to be apart from each other.” Cordi chuckled, “I moved into his place just after you went missing. He didn’t like me being at mum and dad’s anymore. Worried I’d go missing.”

“How’d that go down?”

“Ah, what can they do? I’m 18 and going to marry him. They yelled for a bit, but had no say in it really.”

“I guess not.”

“Your questions, El?”

“Did my dad know what Collin and his family were? He was always out there in the woods.”

“It is likely,” Collin answered her, “Though that would have been between my dad and yours. Though I do know he was allowed on the pack’s territory at will. So, I would have to say, yes. He was also no threat to us.”

“He wasn’t a threat to anyone.” El sighed, didn’t really like thinking about anyone wanting to hurt him, he had been shot by some hunter out there in the woods just near there in fact. “Collin, does your dad know what happened to my dad, other than what I was told. Was it perhaps something else?”

“I don’t know El. I could ask him if you like, though he’d want to know what you were, in order to make sure you are not a threat to the pack.”

“I’m not a threat, Collin, Petal’s not even here yet.”

“Petal?” Cordi practically yelled excitedly down the line.

“Yes, that’s her name, hey yours must have a name?”

Heard Cordi laugh now “Poppy. I can just see the two of them hanging out, you know, strolling around together. Being friends just like you and me.”

“Poppy, that is so cute, so you.” El chuckled “and wouldn’t that be nice.” El smiled, even felt a little happiness roll off of Petal at the thought of it. “I think Petal would like that, I’m still getting used to it.”

“How long since you had her?”

“Um, two moons is how I think you would say it, not arrived though. Just can talk to me.”

“What does she look like?”

“I don’t know, I can’t see her.”

“Bummer.” Cordi sighed, “you should see Poppy, kind of red like a Poppy, with bright green eyes.”

“She’s tiny and cute.” Collin chuckled. “My wolf Rush towers over her, she can stand right under him and fits perfectly there, he loves it.”

“Makes him feel big and strong.” Cordi chuckled. “You’ll tell me when you see her right.”

“I will.”

“I bet she’s cute like a flower petal.”

“I don’t know, I’ve seen my aunt, not so little.”

“Well, get someone out there to take a picture for me too, huh.”

“I don’t know if that would be allowed, Cordi, I’m not even supposed to talk to you like this.”

“Honestly, El, if they care about you. Your well-being.” It was Collin. “They will want to put you and Conner in a room together to sort out your stuff or..” he trailed off.

“Reject each other.” She muttered.

“Yes.” She heard him sigh, “I don’t think he wants that, just so you know.”

“No one knows what Conner wants.” She sighed, she certainly didn’t.

“What about you, El? Would you be willing to give him a chance?” Cordi asked her.

“I don’t know, to be honest. He wasn’t exactly nice to me, you know this.”

“I do. But things are different now, and he was different with you after you ran away the first time and he brought you back right.”

“I guess.”

“Maybe just see, you don’t have to say yes right away, you also don’t have to say no right away either. Perhaps what you need is to date him, get to know him, and he you. Perhaps El, the two of you will get along.”

“Or perhaps, Cordi, he will do what he always did, seduce me and leave me.”

“He might have had extenuating circumstances, El.” Collin sighed, “like trying not to let anyone know what you were to him.”

“Oh, I’m well aware he didn’t want anyone knowing we were sleeping together. He made that plainly clear.”

“It will be different now. He will be different, I assure you.”

“I doubt it, Collin.” she muttered, and she did. “I should go, it’s really late here.”

“Just think about it, El. It is really nice having a Mate. I promise once all the issues are worked out and Conner apologises, lots, you’ll like it, being mated to him.” Cordi hurriedly told her before she hung up.

El sighed, she didn’t know if that’s what would happen. Would he apologise? He didn’t really seem the type to do that. Seemed more the type to just take what he wanted when he wanted.