Chapter 6:

Camila liked to fit people into the world like puzzle pieces. She thought herself to be a dependable, easy to find edge pieces, but she realised that she was the center. Surrounded by so many, so many knobs and curves, making dents in herself to accommodate for others. To help everyone else around her fit. To make the picture complete. This didn't mean that she overextended herself, or allowed parts of her to be taken. For her, it meant that she was that last central piece, that allowed everything else in the world to make sense. Her edge pieces, Libby, Alpha and Luna Hart, Jake, they were her surrounding edge pieces, that gave her purpose. They were placed first before she was. They gave her a place to fit and she completed them.

That is how she has processed the loss she had been feeling. She was a lost puzzle piece. And Taine and her were supposed to fit, but in reality, it was more like two different puzzles.

It seemed like many months since she had left, yet it also felt like she had not even stepped foot outside the borders of the pack. It was all very confusing. She told herself she wouldn't get emotional and sentimental, but who was she kidding.

Camila felt like she was leaving so much behind, for something that truly wasn't turning out to be so great. It's not like she never wanted a mate, she had just assumed that it would be someone from the pack, or at least someone who could uproot from another so that she could fulfill her dreams in this one. Fate had a cruel sense of humour.

She had her reasons and her secrets. Maybe it was a good thing that he was cold and detached. Maybe it would protect them both from getting hurt.

She looked back on the months that had passed...

time-jump

She was passing through Taine's pack on her way back from a low scale, pack related road trip with Luna Hart. Lizzie had a cousin living in the area and she thought it would be very rude if they didn't stop by and say hello. Luna Lizzie got permission from the Alpha to stay as long as needed. Camila, not wanting to intrude on family time said she would either stay in the car or just hang out at the shops and cafés in the middle area, that wasn't part of the pack. It was a nice community. The air and streets were clean and well kept, the people were friendly - not the friendliest to an outsider, but enough for her to remain unguarded. Not anticipating anything but a quick visit Camila walked around browsing at a few boutique stores when the utterly unexpected happened. Her head turned on its own accord and walking past the window at that very moment, was her soulmate.

Their eyes connected and time seemed to stop. She could feel her gum falling out of her mouth. Panic was the first emotion she felt, then nervousness, then anxiety. Camila walked out of the store with trepidation and came face to face with her mate.

Her first thought was that she looked like a sleep-deprived disgusting werewolf that hadn't showered in two days. She was so ready to go home. She had only managed to wash her hair in the gas station sink that morning.

He was different from what she has always imagined. She was dark in colouring but her personality was light and bubbly. She always thought she'd meet someone to bring out more of her, someone golden with a lighter wash to match an inner brightness. But the man in front of her was a stock standard tall dark and handsome, with a strong heavy set jaw with warm coloured eyes that she would come to realise, preferred to stay cold and guarded.

Not thinking she would be the one to make the first move, she forced herself to go in for a hug to break the awkwardness. He tried to hug her back, but arms were in weird places and their heights didn't match.

She internally cringed. This is going SO well.

He cleared his throat and introduced himself. "I'm Taine."

She tested his name against hers mentally. 'Camilla and Taine...Mila and T, not as bad as Liberty and Patrick at least...'

Realising she hadn't responded, "My name is Camila...Kadner."

An uncomfortable beat passed between the pair. As if the gods had heard her plea, Camila's phone chose to ring. It was Liz telling her that she was ready to leave. Leaving had suddenly become more difficult.

Taine could hear the conversation, it was on speaker. Without giving Camila much time to think, he said. "I know the family, I'll come with you."

He walked her to her car, they made intermittent small talk that was somewhat natural for Camila but forced for Taine. She drove him to his very expensive-looking car and she followed him as they drove to Luna Harts, cousin's house. She wondered what his role in the pack was, it must be something considerable, with a car and demeanour like that. Looking back she knew she should have been able to sense his Alpha status. It was probably a combination of her mess of emotions and him omitting it from their conversation.

Camila and Taine were standing squeezed in the passage where the front door and welcome mat was. She could feel Taine's body warmth behind her and he could smell her freshly washed hair. Both feelings were shamefully intoxicating

Lizzie's cousin opened the door and smiled at Camila. When she saw Taine she flushed red. Not recognizing Camila's presence any further she flustered and took a step inside.

"Alpha Taine, I didn't know you were stopping by... I would have prepared dinner or I don't know." She threw her hands in the air, clearly nervous. "Something...haha..."

Camila froze. Did she just say Alpha? Alpha Taine glanced at her and saw her expression shift. She looked dismayed.

They entered the house and Luna Hart made an appearance. She smiled warmly at Camila. She raised her eyebrows and smirked at her upon seeing Taine. "Oh, my Mila, who is this?"

The words not being able to form coherently, cousin Demi answered. "Liz, this is the Alpha of my pack."

Lizzie looked confused and then simply elated. Her excitement filled the room. "Camila, does this mean what I think it means?"

What did this mean?

Suddenly she wished they had never made this pit stop.

Camila fake smiled, wide-eyed and concerned that Luna Lizzie had lost her mind. She began clapping her hands and squealing. Remembering that she was in fact, a Luna, she composed herself momentarily to formally introduce herself. "Alpha Averio, so sorry...I'm Luna Hart, Elizabeth. It's a pleasure to meet you. "

"You too Luna Hart. Thank you for visiting."

Lizzie smiled again, letting excitement return to the room. "I'm assuming you two are mates? How exciting. This is just SO wonderful!"

Demi sensing the need to calm down her cousin, led everyone into the living room. "Okay I think we all need to sit down for a minute before Liz explodes, I'll take tea and coffee orders."