~~

Trinity

~~

"Just remember the rules for now and things will go smoothly." He grumbled, glaring at me. Something in me just snapped. I couldn't hold back anymore, Alpha or not. I had been hearing this kind of bullshit from Grandfather my whole life, I didn't need it from him too.

"And what rules would those be?" I asked, sarcastically. "Bow down to your every whim, have no say in my own life ever again, become nothing but a piece of property like the furniture?" I asked. He grinned at me, but it was not pleasant at all.

"You've got a rebellious streak, don't you?"

"What was your first clue?" I asked him. "Was it the first, second, third, or fourth time I tried to run away from you? Or did it take you until right now?" I couldn't control my tone. My attitude was leaking out. The one I had worked so hard to control for years when dealing with Grandfather. I thought I could use the same disciplined strategy to deal with the Alpha, but I was having no luck there. I saw his smile widen and an evil glint enter his eyes.

"Take care how you talk to me, I don't like that tone with most people. I will overlook it for now, since your life is changing completely, but I will not overlook it forever." He was growling at me as he spoke, a deep rumble low in his chest, but for some reason it didn't frighten me as much as it used to. I was still scared of him, definitely, but I was not going to cower forever. If I was going to survive in this house with him, then I had to show my backbone sooner or later.

"Or what Reece? You'll get rid of me? Please do it. I dare you. Either you'll end up mateless and have to step down as Alpha and watch someone else run the pack in your stead, or you'll end up just as banished from the territory as I will."

"Where did all this newfound confidence of yours come from?" He asked me.

"It's always been there, but I was just too shocked over the events of the last few days to truly be myself." I answered.

"Hmmm." He seemed to hum in response to my answer. "No matter, just do as I said and follow the rules, Bunny." There he went with that annoying nickname again.

"Once again, I am not a Bunny." I growled at him. For someone without a wolf I still had quite the impressive growl when I wanted to. "And you still haven't told me the rules, Reece." I added. I realized that was the second time I had used his name since we had been sitting here, almost arguing. Oh Goddess, why did I just start using his name like that? But he didn't seem angry about it at least.

"Then listen closely, Trin-i-ty." He said my name slowly, stretching out every syllable, perhaps to annoy me instead of using the Bunny nickname. "For the time being, you are not to leave this house without a guard. That is for more than one purpose. One is you being a flight risk, the other, is the unknown factor of exactly what happened the other day. You were attacked by the rogue after all, I cannot be certain that you were not the intended target. You are the Luna of the pack now, which means your safety comes before all others."

"Oh my, Reece, are you worried about me?!" I asked in a fake southern voice pretending to be flattered. He growled at me, his was much more impressive than my own growl had been.

"Shut it." He snapped at me. "You are not to tell anyone that you are the new Luna, not until after the gathering this weekend, I'm sure Noah told you that already. Also, when it comes to pack related business, you will do what I say, when I say it. There are times a Luna is expected to accompany her mate, sometimes for show and sometimes to assist in other pack business." He droned flatly, almost as if he were trying to push aside all emotion.

"Aside from that your main responsibilities lie with the women and children of the pack. My job, as Alpha, is to maintain order for all, but to handle the business related to the men. That would be things such as training warriors and the like. Up until now, I have had to handle everyone in the pack, but once the ceremony is over, you will be taking on the role you are meant to have." He was glaring at me like he expected me to object. I just shrugged my shoulders.

"I expect you to behave properly, as befitting a Luna and my mate."

"And what exactly does that mean? How have I been known to behave improperly?" I snapped at him.

"Oh, I don't know, perhaps when you just fell asleep at a random friend's house without informing your family. That will not happen now that you are Luna."

"I know that, I had not intended for that to happen." I told him, defiance filling my voice.

"Which makes it even worse. Acting out on purpose can be curbed easily. Forgetfulness, stupidity, lack of common sense, those things are not so easily fixed." He was blatantly insulting me now.

"Now listen here Fido, I am not stupid, forgetful, lacking in common sense or anything else similar to that. It just so happens that the two nights and subsequent mornings prior to that incident were to blame. I had little sleep from stressing over your damned gathering and then what happened at that gathering. Then while I relaxed at a friend's house the exhaustion caught up to me. So, in truth, I guess you are to blame. Since it was your gathering, and you that literally fell on top of me and at the gathering." I vented my frustrations at him.

"First, I am only going to say this once, don't ever call me Fido again unless you want to see what kind of punishments I can dream up for you." He said menacingly, making me shiver. "Second, I didn't want that gathering any more than I wanted a damn mate, if anyone is to blame then it's those damn fools, the Elders." He growled. "I will let this slide only once. Just remember, behave yourself when in public from this day forward."

"You have my word. I will behave myself in public." I fully intended to use his wording against him sometime, soon. He nodded his approval and left the room, his agitation was clear in the way he walked.