The Unclaimed Human Luna
Chapter 66

El POV

El spent a lot of time with her study group, in the library, out in a grassed area, or in a corner of a common room. They were all getting along well. She’d made some nice friends this last week. There were nearly two dozen of them all studying together now. She was preparing to go home for the full moon. Her cousins had already left.

One of them, Deena, was feeling her fox was going to come, her fox was all hopped up and excited inside her mind. Her parents had also been excited and called her to come early, so they could spend the day with her.

El, on the other hand, had one class she needed to attend this morning that she didn’t want to miss. There was a quiz to be done. She was going to miss all the afternoon classes, but they would be all on podcast for her later that night.

So, it wasn’t really a big deal to miss one or two of the afternoon classes, and she would be leaving tomorrow early in the morning to get back before her first class at 10 am. Not much she could do about it, couldn’t risk Petal shifting for the first time here at the university. Though Petal hadn’t said anything that led her to think she would shift this time either.

She’d had her for near on 60 days now and nothing at all. Though she was more restless today than on other days, and that ache in her chest was being a b***h to be dealt with. She was currently just breathing through it. It had been more than painful on the last full moon. Aunt Juliana put it down to Petal struggling to be free and out of her. Wanting to come forth but was not able to, something was blocking her. Which caused pain for them both.

Right this minute El had to agree with her, as she closed her eyes and tried to relax and talk Petal into settling inside her mind. She was not her usually chatty self either, and right this minute El wondered if it had been a good idea to opt to drive herself back to the pack? Walked herself down the stairs of her dorm room and out to the designated spot where everyone had opted to meet up this morning.

There was no need to pack for an overnight stay, she had a room with everything she needed in it back in the pack. She just had to drive on out there. She had one of the pack cars here waiting for her. Al had made sure she had the keys. It was the car he usually drove, but with Deena’s fox so hopped up he had laughed and stated “he didn’t think it was a good idea for her to drive.”

And watching Deena this morning at breakfast, El had to agree, the girl was bouncing around all over the place, her fox’s excitement was mingling with Deena’s and she looked super wired. He’d looked at El, “Anything like that for you.”

She’d shaken her head. “No, I feel restless though.” She’d commented and left out the pain she was having. That would be a concern she thought to her aunt. She didn’t want any of them to be concerned about her. She had seen Al nod but say nothing else. Knew he would report it to their aunt. She was keeping tabs on El as much as Logan had, though here she had the freedom to come and go. So, she didn’t mind the questions about Petal or how she was doing.

She’d waved them all off and now was here on her own, sank herself down on the grass with her study group, and smiled at the ones that were already here. She was carrying a cup of coffee, had bought one on her way here, passed a coffee cart, they were all over the place and the coffee was rich and deep, even though Petal didn’t enjoy the smell of it, she had no objections to the actual taste or flavour of it, though did like it much better when a shot of vanilla or caramel was added to it. So El had taken to having a double shot of vanilla or caramel with her late when getting coffee, as this tended to make Petal happier.

Everyone was arriving and she found Bryant, one of the most recent members to the group, dropped down next to her. He smiled at her, and she nodded, inched slightly further away from him. He was kind of touchy-feely with all the girls. Though as of yet she’d managed to sit herself between others and keep him from touching her.

He seemed completely harmless to her, but clearly needed to have boundaries laid out for him, but they were all new to each other and no one seemed willing to put him in his place. His hand would land on an arm or a shoulder, touch a knee or leg when he was talking to you. She didn’t want that. Had managed for the past two weeks to keep others between him and herself.

She also noted several of the other girls did the same thing, he didn’t seem offended or even to notice that she had moved and put more space between them at all. Was merrily chatting away to several others in the group, though she did note that two of the girls looked right at her and bite down on a little laugh.

He was likely perfectly harmless to all here, just grew up where touching and talking was part of his family social circle, she suspected. He was always smiling and laughing, didn’t even seem to think there was anything wrong with it either.

She sipped her coffee and chatted away with the others like she normally did, and they got down to study once everyone was there, practicing their Italian on each other, trying to hold down a group conversation that everyone was trying to follow on with. It was the best way to learn, seeing as this was how they found themselves all the time.

Many people in a discussion at once and trying to understand them, when she found his hand on her thigh just above the knee and looked right at him, as her hand brushed his off of her, he smiled right at her and then just asked her out. Right in front of everyone, her eyes widened. She’d not seen that one coming.

Heard Petal actually growl inside of her mind and understood instantly she did not want that, neither did El for that matter. But she didn’t know how to respond to him here, in front of everyone. It was awkward, and many in the group were now just staring at her, and she realised they were waiting for her answer. She looked around the group as she struggled to know how to handle this, a public rejection of him could well see him dislike her and many of the new friends that she had just made as well.

Though it was the man strolling in the background that caught her attention, he was walking right towards her, and her heart was now hammering inside her chest, Adam. She scrambled up on to her feet as his eyes locked right on her, saw him smile and sucked in a breath. Where there was Adam, Conner couldn’t be that far away.

“Eliza,” she found a hand in hers and Bryant was right there, tried to back away from him only to have him frown at her “What’s the matter?” he asked, pulling her a little towards him. She leaned over to her left and looked around him, to see where Adam was.

He was still walking towards her, saw everyone turn to look at him, he smirked right at her “Now, there you are El.” He said, for all to hear him, seemed amused to her. “I’ve been looking for you.”

Shook her head, as her eyes moved about the area to look for Conner, found herself looking right at Brayden coming from another path, yanked her hand from Bryant and turned to go the other way, to replace Cameron right there not more than fifty yards away leaning on a tree watching her, she knew everyone was now looking at those coming towards them “El who are they?” Bryant touched her face and turned it to look at him, she didn’t know how to explain that to him. “Are you in trouble?”

Felt and arm slid right around her waist, and she was pulled back away from Bryant, “You shouldn’t touch things that don’t belong to you.” was grated out as her body was pulled back against another, knew that voice. Bit her l*p and turned to look up and behind her. Where she found Conner’s dark blue eyes moving right to hers.

Petal was up and looking right at him, could feel full curiosity rolling off of her, found his hand on her face, and sucked in a breath, shook her head a little “I missed you baby.” He sighed softly as his hand ran up through her hair. Then his mouth was on hers and he was kissing her.

Gasped and tried to pull away, his grip was firm on her, he wasn’t about to let go and she knew it, she was going to be in real trouble and fast at that, she could already feel herself starting to melt into him. He was not only kissing her, he was looking right into her eyes as he kissed her. It was so intense, she’d never felt anything like it in her life, and then his tongue was tangling with hers soft and slow and she knew it was too late, as her eyes fluttered closed.

She’d not kissed him in forever, felt even Petal sigh inside her mind as she kissed him back, couldn’t bloody control herself where he was concerned, felt his lips leave hers sometime later and her eyes opened, to replace him looking right down at her “Mine.” He stated softly, smiled right at her “Its time to come home El.” He murmured down at her.

Those words brought her from the hold he had over her. She didn’t want to go back there, be stuck in that place once more. With no freedom at all. Tried to pull herself from him. “No.” she shook her head. “I don’t want…”

His hand was over her mouth in a second. “Don’t say it, El, it will hurt us both. Please come home, come back to me, where you belong.”

Shook her head, she belonged here. “Enough Conner, she’s starting to freak out.” Felt a hand on her and turned her eyes to see Brayden looking right at her. She watched him peel Conners hands from her body. “Shh, you’re alright El. Everything is going to be fine.” He told her gently, had a slight southern drawl to his voice, stared right at him as he pulled her gently from Conner and over to him.

“Relax El, breathe, I’ve got you.” he told her as Conner relinquished her to him.

She did feel relaxed, she realised, stepped right into him, and felt him hug her even as she turned to look at Conner, he didn’t look too happy about it. She was so confused, didn’t understand it herself but felt really safe and calm standing here in Brayden’s arms. Didn’t want to leave them, not even with Conner staring at her.

She knew he had just laid claim to her, knew that word “Mine.” Meant he was claiming her. She also knew that he couldn’t actually do it until the full moon set, and that wasn’t until later this afternoon. Just stood staring back at him as Brayden held her loosely in his arms, her head resting on his chest. She’d never felt so calm in all her life, even Petal was relaxed right this minute.

All that pain and restlessness she’d been feeling all morning was gone from her. “El, what is going on?” it was Bryant.

Her eyes moved towards him but she had no real idea herself what exactly was going on other than Conners laying his claim on her, that was, shook her head at him, but found herself hugged into Brayden. Didn’t want to let that man go at all. Not even Petal wanted to let him go. She turned her eyes up to him and saw him smile down at her.

“You’re alright, El.”

Looked right up at him and wondered if she was supposed to be with him instead of Conner. She felt way more at home and comfortable in his arms than she did with Conner, but even looking at him, and he was a very handsome man, his smile was amazing, his touch didn’t trigger that wanton need Conners did, watched it turn into a smirk as he realised she was looking at him trying to figure out if he was supposed to be the one for her and not Conner.

“It’s not that El.” He chuckled as she continued to stare at him and wonder if it was.

Right this minute she had no inclination at all to move away from him and go back to Conner, thought about kissing him and felt Petal snarl at her, turned and looked at Conner once more, and felt Petal relax again. She knew who her Mate was, it was going to be Conner even though she felt more comfortable with Brayden.

His eyes were on her, he didn’t particularly look mad, but definitely annoyed, she thought, and bit her l*p he’d laid claim to her and she was now in the arms of another and so very comfortable at that, he had to know it.

Watched him look at her group of study friends and excuse all of them, looked right at Bryant, “I’ll only warn you once, El and I belong together, so don’t ever think you can touch her again.”

Saw Bryant’s eyes move to hers and then he just turned and walked away, there was nothing she could do, Conner was going to be very possessive of her and she knew it, recalled the last time she’d seen him, the way he’d touched her, the way he’d looked at her and the last words he’d spoken to her. Before he’d left her bedroom, to go away.

Now here he was, and he’d found her, his whole unit was here and she had no hope of getting away from any of them, couldn’t even out run Conner, let alone him plus all of them, “Don’t think like that.” Brayden drawled down at her.

“Wh…what?” she stammered up at him.

“Running away, don’t think like that.” He murmured down at her. “Conner, you might want to get El’s things.”

“I’m not leaving.” she burst out and saw everyone look at her.

“We need to talk El.” Conner told her as he leaned down and picked up her things, then reached out to take her hand.

Shook her head and clutched at Brayden. “I got her Conner, probably best I keep hold of her right this minute.”

She did not understand what was going on, but saw Conner sigh and then motion for them to walk away. Brayden walked her away from her study group, his hand was in hers, though her eyes moved to Conner more than once. He was looking at her as well. She couldn’t be left alone with him, no matter what happened, that would be bad.

Turned her eyes away from him, goddess she just knew she was going to be naked before the day was over, that man was going to have his way with her, and she was going to let him. “We’ll go back to the hotel, sit and chat there, where it’s private.” She heard Conner state as he walked ahead of them to open a car door for her.

“Hop in El.” He told her and she felt Brayden move her to the door.

Climbed in and then moved all the way to the other side, put her hand on the door handle as she watched Conner put her things on the seat next to her, reached out and put her hand on her handbag and then opened the other door and bolted out the other side, and ran for it. It was all she could do.

Didn’t get very far at all, found a pair of arms around her. “Oh, it’s not wise to run from us, El. We like it.” Conners voice was soft in her ear, he sounded amused more than mad that she had run from him. “But if you want to run.” His arms tightened around her, “I’ll take you to the nearest forest and let you.” found his mouth on her neck “We would love that, to hunt you, Mate you and Claim you out in the woods under this full moon El.” His hand slid up her neck and he turned her face to look up at him “Do you want that?” his voice was so very rich, deep and husky and she knew he wanted it more than anything.