YES I GOT THIS CHAPTER UP IN TIME. Kind of...

Any way, this is my last week before exams. Ah I'm so panicky.

Enjoy the chapter!

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Blaire's POV

It's been two days. The meetings are boring and long. The meals are loud and rowdy. The alphas are becoming less scary. And Darcy is trying to teach me to swim.

There is this meeting where the Luna's don't have to go, and so Darcy forced me into a swim suit. We went into the shallow bit of the pool where Darcy is teaching me to swim.

She didn't tell Darren either.

It's easy but I accidentally swallowed a bunch of water. The pool has a few other Luna's, laying on floaty thingies or sleeping in chairs. Or, they look like they're sleeping. Violet, Darren's sister, joins Darcy and I. That means James is here! So why haven't I seen him?

Violet and Darcy talk about some things I don't know as I try swimming back and forth across the pool without touching the bottom.

Soon, after I've gotten the hang of it, when Darcy isn't paying attention, I climb out of the pool. I walk to the deep side and look down... It certainly is deep.

"Blaire, what do you think you're doing?" Comes Darren's voice.

I'm gonna swim. I jump in and it's a moment that I'm disoriented before I resurface. I didn't realize how easy it is. I look over at Darcy and Violet who have wide eyes. There's a little splash beside me and then Darren pops up.

I put my hands on his shoulders, growing tired quickly.

"I don't want you to ever swim without me. Okay?" Darren says, looking... worried? Concerned?

"Okay." I reply quietly.

He swims us back into the shallow end where he walks with me out of the water. Other alphas starting to join their mates at the pool. I watch Jace sit on one of the chairs, looking over at Darcy. Darren wraps a towel around my shoulders as I watch Darcy climb out of the pool and stretch, showing off many muscles in the plain black bathing suit she's wearing. Darcy had lots of muscles, like Darren. She's very strong. I glance back at Jace who looks uncomfortable. I frown in confusion but Darren pulls me away.

"We're going to get you cleaned up. Tomorrow is the last meeting okay? Then we can go home." Darren says.

"Home." I sigh happily.

"Yes," Darren nods. "Home."

We take the elevator to our room and Darren tells me to take a shower and wash my hair. He ends up washing my hair for me since apparently the first time I didn't do a very good job. But he doesn't come in the shower, just stands outside it. His eyes turned black at one point which I pointed out and he just brushed it off.

When I climb out, Darren wraps a towel around me and walks out quickly. He tosses me some pajamas but I don't put them on. I'm too hot. The summer was ending but it was very hot outside and inside the hotel. I put on my underwear and walk out, plopping down into the bed.

"Blaire," Darren groans. "Is it really that hot?"

"Yes!" I reply. "You sleep... With no shirt! So... I can!"

"Fair point." He mumbles.

"Goodnight Darren." I yawn.

Darren comes over and kisses my forehead. "Goodnight angel."

***

I slowly blink my eyes open. I can tell it isn't morning yet because the room is dark. Nevertheless, I climb out of bed.

The dark makes it hard to navigate and despite the light from the windows, I run into a few things. I find a shirt and even though I find its Darren's, I slip it on.

I make my way onto the balcony, looking up at the moon. The moon is my favourite. I love the moon, it helped me to tell the time and it is beautiful. I've always felt drawn to it. I remember faintly, when I was very little, always getting excited when I saw the moon.

I jump a little when arms are wrapped around my waist. I relax into them, quickly realizing it's just Darren. His arms and back are extremely warm and it's really quite nice. He rests his chin on top of my head.

"Why are you out here angel?" Darren asks softly.

"I wanted... To see... The moon." I point up to it before putting my hands back on the railing.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Darren says softly, moving his arms so instead he's holding my waist. I just nod. Slowly he presses a gentle kiss to my neck. It sends a feeling of butterflies in my stomach.

He keeps kissing, all along my neck. I shiver, closing my eyes. I like this. Whatever it is. But all too soon he pulls away.

"If I keep going, I'll mark you. And you aren't ready for that yet." Darren whispers.

I just nod a little, looking back to the moon.

I don't think I'll fall back asleep tonight... I take Darren's hand, pulling him back into the room. There's a question I have to ask him, one I'm really quite nervous about. Letting go of his hand, I sit up on the bed.

"What's up Blaire-Bear?" Darren tilts his head.

"Please... No Blaire-bear. Don't like." I sigh.

"Oh... Sorry angel, I didn't know." He stands in front of me. Angel I like. He can keep calling me angel.

"Do I..." I pause, thinking of how to word it. "Make your... pack weak?" I had taken some of the words that alpha had said to heart.

Darren's eyes widen a little. "Oh Blaire," he sighs, sitting next to me. "Of course not! Blaire you make the pack stronger. You are my adorable Luna. You make pull us together. You're balancing me out..." He pauses. "I, as you may have noticed, am quite rude to the pack. You, angel, you're the one who helps to keep the rudeness and anger at bay. You make the pack a better one."

"Promise?"

"I promise." He says softly.

"Hungry."

Darren shakes his head, looking amused. "I'll bring you something, wait for me okay?"

I nod and sit on the bed. He pulls on some pants and he walks out. So I'm alone... Biting my lip, I stand on the bed.

I jump on it, letting out little bits of laughter as I do. My hair slaps down on my back every time my feet touch the bed. It feels funny when I'm in the air. But this is fun! I keep jumping, messing up the already slept in covers.

I stop, feeling a little tired and I plop down on the bed, tangling myself in the covers out of boredom. Can't the food just come already?

"You are so cute." Darren says, walking over. He's holding a tray of food in his hands. I squirm, pushing the blankets off me and reaching for it.

Getting food whenever I want without having to hunt is one of the best things about being with Darren. That, and I just like being with him. I'm not sure why, he can be a bit scary sometimes.

"There's cookies and milk and more cookies." Darren says, not giving me the tray. Instead he walks into the other room. I slide out of bed, going to join him. I try the cookies, they're very good!

Darren shows me that dipping them in the milk makes them taste better. I agree. It does.

When all the cookies are gone, I look outside where it's slowly getting lighter. I smile a little, tonight I'll be home. Just one more meeting full of alphas.

Darren picks me up, putting me on my feet. "Go get dressed, I'll do something with your hair if you hurry."

That's what I go do, pulling on comfy clothes and then returning to Darren. He does a 'French braid' to my hair. It takes him a little while, but I like it.

"Violet and... Your mama?" I tilt my head.

"Yeah. They said that my mate would be ecstatic if I could braid. I just find it really useful now since you know less than I do." He says it with somewhat of a playful tone.

I look at him after he finishes, holding out my arms. "Hug?"

He gives me one. My cheek is pressed against his bare chest, sending little sparks. I pull away with a smile and head back onto the balcony, listening to Darren as he gets ready.

We go down for breakfast, where I am careful to avoid everyone. Until my eyes spot James. I miss him! I walk over, sliding next to him. Darren is quick to follow, carrying plates for both of us.

"Hello my little beta, and how are you today?" James asks with a smile. Violet sitting on the other side of James is smiling at me.

"Good-" I gasp, seeing a bite on his neck. "Hurt!?" I point to his neck.

"What?" He looks to where I'm pointing. "Oh no. Blaire," James chuckles. "That's V's mark."

I tilt my head. I know what that is! Darren told me!

"I took my claim on him, and he claimed me." Violet says, showing me a bite on her neck. I touch it curiously and she laughs a little.

"Is that... How yours," I look over at Darren. "Will look?"

Darren looks over me curiously then back at his sister. "I suppose."

"I don't know what that means." I reply.

"Everyone's mark looks different Blaire." Darren replies, he looks a little uncomfortable. "Their marks will change a little, they're fresh right now. But they will change into a scar like bite or a tattoo of a bite, it really depends on the mates."

"Oh..." I look over at their marks. "Does... It hurt?"

"Well," Violet starts as she finishes a bite of food. "It does." She says slowly. "But not too much. It's like, well, it's like what a bite would feel like. But as soon as he pulls away you'll feel very good."

I don't want to get hurt though. "Promise?"

"Promise." Violet replies, smiling softly.

"Eat up." James nudges me softly. "Or you won't get your cake."

I let out a little laugh and eat some of the breakfast.

All too soon though, I'm back in the stupid meeting room. They're just so boring and hard to sit through!

"Darren, all due respect, but I think you've taken too much land. You're starting to claim acres of no-mans land." A wolf speaks up.

"My pack is growing, I've needing the extra space." Darren replies.

"But that doesn't mean you can do whatever you want and take from that land!" The alpha replies.

"I have went through all the proper procedures to claim that land. It is rightfully mine." Darren says, looking quite tense.

"Are you sure you don't want that extra land to get closer to my boundaries?" The alpha asks through narrowed eyes. "Everyone knows you're a heartless man, are you sure you're not going to try to take some of my land?"

My wolf decides she does not like that, well, I also decide I don't like it. I gasp but it's cut off by my own growl. The table grows dead silent, everyone looking to me. That was my wolf!

"How dare," I pause, speaking slow and through narrowed eyes, I think of the sentence so it comes out smoothly as I say it. "You talk to him like that."

Under the table, Darren takes my hand. Calming my wolf and myself ever so slightly.

"I... I apologize Blaire." The alpha says a little stunned.

"Don't do it again." I reply, again, having to think the sentence over before speaking it so it came out without pauses. I want them to take me seriously! I am not a little girl.

The table sits in an awkward silence before Jace asks if anyone has anything to add before they end the last meeting. After a few more short comments, the meeting is over and everyone is quite quick to leave.

Darren is looking over me, he looks curious and surprised. "You stood up for me." He says.

I nod slowly. "My wolf... Growled. Not me. Sorry."

"No, Blaire, it's fine. And honestly, it was kinda hot." He rubs the back of his neck.

"I don't know what that means." I reply.

"I know you don't. Now come on, let's go home."