Apprehended Ch. 17

Apprehended: Chapter Seventeen

It took a week and a half to prepare Edwin's funeral. During which, I barely saw Ethan. I only knew that it wasn't an easy death.

It was also Dina who did it.

I'd never seen Ethan so...lost? Bereft? There wasn't an accurate word to describe it. There wasn't a word powerful enough to describe his seething anger either. One of their own killing one of their own. It was the vilest act within a clan. A sacred law upheld by every wolf in existence.

Traitorous. Treacherous. Unforgivable.

I'm not sure what the punishment was for such a crime, but I didn't ask Ethan. He was too busy; lost in his own head.

Between looking for Dina, setting up constant watches for security, protecting me and preparing the funeral for Edwin, Ethan seemed like a phantom; coming back to me when I least expected it.

Sometimes at night, I would wonder where he was...who he was with. The long hours apart were taking its toll on both of us. Though I never complained. I tolerated it for the safety of his people...his own safety.

I stood indoors mostly, and I tried to keep myself entertained but there wasn't much to do. Ethan had males keeping a close watch on me, so leaving wasn't an option.

I heard a knock on the door downstairs, and I ran down the steps-two at a time-hoping it was Ethan. Though, he never knocked. This was his cabin. There was no need. I opened the door anyway and my mouth formed a perfect O.

"Tony?"

He assessed me, his brows furrowing. "I see Ethan tied you down real quick."

Uncomfortably, I looked away. What was I supposed to say to that? I ran a hand through my hair uneasily. "What um...are you doing here?"

"Edwin was my friend," he said, lowly.

I didn't know that. "Oh. Well, I'm sorry for your loss. How did you find out?"

He shrugged absently, his military-style jacket crinkling around the edges. "Jared called me. Told me what happened."

My eyes widened. Ethan didn't even tell me the extreme gruesome morbidity surrounding Edwin's death. Yet Tony knew? I wanted to voice the unfairness of it, but kept my mouth shut.

Tony shifted a duffle bag around, settling it on his left shoulder. Abruptly, he took a step forward and snagged a piece of my hair, sandwiching it between his fingers. "Looks just like Ethan's hair," he said, his breath tickling my skin.

Just as I was about to take a step away from his close proximity, Ethan's voice pierced the unease. "Sheriff. You mind taking a step away from my female?"

The smile that erupted on Tony's face was filled with sarcasm. He turned and faced Ethan, nodding his head in acknowledgment. "Dune. Sorry 'bout your brother."

Ethan walked right up to him, planting himself in front of me and effectively shielding me from Tony.

Okayyyyyy. More awkwardness.

"So am I," said Ethan. It didn't sound genuine. "What are you doing here?"

So Ethan didn't know he was here. Interesting. I shifted to my left a little, catching a better view of the conversation. Ethan's smell wafted up my nose and I took a deep inhale. He smelled so good.

"Jared told me what happened," said Tony.

"That doesn't mean you were invited."

Great. An argument. Just what Ethan needed to piss him off further. I leaned in a little, completely enthralled by the stimulation. I was so bored; this little disagreement was like entertainment.

Sad but true.

I also missed Ethan. So any chance that I could have to be around him, I would gladly take it.

Ethan turned, his eyes finding mine. "Did you look to see who it was before opening the door?"

Shit.

How the hell did this turn on me?

However, I knew I couldn't lie, so I simply shook my head no.

Ethan cursed and tossed me a glare. "That could've been Dina. She could have murdered you without my knowledge. I wouldn't have made it here fast enough to protect you. You realize that?"

"I thought it was you," I said.

"This is my cabin. When have I ever knocked?"

That's exactly what I was thinking. But Ethan didn't need to know that I simply ignored that fact and opened the door anyway. "I'm sorry," I said, quietly.

He sighed. "Do I need to add more males to your protection detail?"

I shook my head. "No." I hated being looked after. I was not a child.

"Then don't give me a reason to."

"What's going on with Dina?" asked Tony, shoving his way inside of the cabin.

Ethan urged me back a little, still protecting me with his huge body.

Ugh.

I couldn't see anything.

"That's none of your concern," snapped Ethan.

Frustrated, I moved up a little, lightly grabbing a few of Ethan's fingers and standing to his side instead. He gave me a look. I pretended not to see it. He sighed again and held my hand, lacing his fingers through mine. It felt good to feel his warm hand against me.

"It is if you're protecting cupcake over here from her," said Tony.

Ethan's head snapped over to Tony and he growled. "Don't call her that. Not if you want to walk out of here alive."

Tony seemed unperturbed by the threat. "Then tell me what's going on. I could be of help. I am the Sheriff."

Ethan actually considered that and decided to tell him. I had no idea why. "Dina kidnapped my mate," he said, looking at me briefly. "She threatened to kill her and left her on the road, where you just happened upon her. That is not acceptable behavior here within my clan. Especially when it concerns my Luna. As Alpha, I locked her up until I could contact the Elders. She escaped, burned down one of my cabins and murdered my only brother. As such, I don't want her anywhere near my mate. Hence the added protection." Ethan ran a hand through his hair. "Which is going to be increased, considering that you received immediate access to my Luna. Without my fucking knowledge. A slip like that could end her life," he said, looking at me again. "Which I will never permit. So excuse me, if I'm overprotective of my mate."

Tony's brows shot up. "That's quite a lot to take in," he said, processing. He took a seat on a bar stool and I felt Ethan tense beside me. "You think she could be in town?"

Ah. So that's why Ethan told him. If Dina managed to make it into town, Tony could inform him. Made sense. It was pretty smart too.

"Possibly," replied Ethan. "She's more than a loose cannon. She's a murderer and a traitor. Anyone is at risk; be that human or wolf."

Tony nodded. "Agreed. I can have my men on the lookout. You got a picture of her?"

Ethan unlaced our fingers and shoved his hand into his back-jean pocket, where he pulled out his wallet and opened it to sift through some pictures. There, he took out a small photo of Dina sitting beside him, both smiling at the camera. I didn't recognize the location, but they were awfully close.

It was unsettling.

Ethan offered it to Tony and Tony took it, examined it, and shoved it into his own pocket. "I'll make some calls and circulate her image. If she's in town or in the neighboring town, we'll find her."

This seemed to placate Ethan. "Sounds good. Thank you."

Tony gave a tight nod. "Can I stay for the funeral?" he asked.

I was expecting Ethan to say no. I knew they didn't like each other. "Done," said Ethan. "You can stay in the second cabin near the main road."

My eyes widened in disbelief. He was letting him stay here?

"When are you having the funeral?" asked Tony, standing up. He moved towards the door.

"Midnight. Tonight."

Tonight?! Was no one telling me anything anymore? I would like to think I was invited. Right?

"Sure thing," said Tony. He was about to leave but stopped on the small, narrow porch. "Thanks for this, Dune. I liked Edwin."

Ethan nodded. "He liked you too, Matheson."

And then, Tony was gone. No doubt going to the cabin Ethan had offered.

When we were alone, Ethan turned to face me, and I knew this wasn't going to be a great conversation. "Do you need another reminder about opening the door to those you don't know?"

I exhaled sharply. "Look," I said, putting a hand in my hoodie's pocket. "I wasn't really thinking."

"Obviously," retorted Ethan.

I didn't want to talk about this anymore. I already apologized. I decided to talk about what was really bothering me. "You didn't tell me that Edwin's funeral was at midnight."

"I was busy," he said, moving towards the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and grabbed a bottled water, where he chugged it down in one long pull. "We need to go food shopping," he added.

Food shopping? He was thinking of a grocery?

"Too busy not to tell me?" I pressed. "Were you even going to tell me?"

"Of course, I was," he shot back. "What kind of mate do you think I am?"

"An overly busy one apparently."

"That doesn't mean that I wasn't going to tell you, Luna." He looked me over. "Have you eaten today?"

"Have you?" I countered.

He shook his head lightly. "The last thing I want to do is argue with you, my petal."

My anger was suddenly deflating. Which was something that was happening very easily since we joined. I couldn't tolerate being angry with him. "I don't want to argue with you either," I admitted, softly.

He stalked over and wrapped his arms around me. I breathed him in. He was fully clothed today. I longed to feel his skin against mine. I fucking missed him. A mere week and a half and I could barely function without having some form of interaction with him. It was unbearable.

"I've missed you, sweet Luna," he said, brushing a kiss across my forehead. "I'm sorry we haven't been spending time together lately. But I promise to make it up to you."

I smiled; the side of my head pressed against his chest. I could hear the steady beat of his heart. "Oh yeah? What kind of promise?"

He laughed, the sound vibrating against my ear. "Anything you want."

I cocked a brow. "Anything?"

"Yes, anything, love. But first we need to get through the funeral. Can you do that for me, baby?"

I nodded. "Of course, I can, Ethan. I only wish I could do more."

He held me tighter. "You do more than enough." He kissed the top of my head and reluctantly pulled away. He lightly ran his fingers along the side of my face. "Our funerals are different here. Don't wear black. We don't view death as an end of life. We view it as a beginning to another."

"What should I wear then?"

"Whatever you want. It's going to be cold so dress warm."

I frowned. "It's going to be outside?"

He nodded, his hair spilling free and covering his left eye. "It's wolf tradition. Don't worry. You'll see."

I couldn't stop myself from reaching up and brushing his hair aside. I tucked the piece behind his ear. He was always so warm. He smiled and grabbed the back of my hand to bring it to his lips, where he pressed a kiss to my open palm.

"As much as I would love to stay here with you, take care of you and ravish you, my flower, I cannot. Last minute decisions need to be made. We also have to secure the area for the funeral." He tapped my nose playfully. "I want you safe when you're outside of this cabin. At all times. However, once things settle down a bit, I'll take you out. How does that sound, honey?"

I smiled. "Really?"

He laughed again. "Yes. Where do you want to go?"

I thought about that. "Can we get ice-cream?"

"Of course, we can. I know a great ice-cream shop not too far from town. They have every flavor you can think of."

I clapped my hands giddily. I knew I looked infantile, but I really wanted to spend time with Ethan outside of the cabin. I loathed being locked in for safety reasons.

Ethan leaned in to kiss me on the lips a few times. He growled when we were interrupted.

"Everything's ready, Alpha."

It was one of Ethan's males. I had seen him around before, but I didn't know his name. He was always in the background.

"Thanks, Yuri."

So that was his name.

Ethan gave me another long, deep kiss, but it didn't involve any tongue. I was slightly disappointed; however, I knew he had matters to tend to. "Get ready," he said, pulling away and heading for the door. "I'll be back to pick you up." He winked at me and left, closing the door quietly behind him.

***

Ethan was punctual and arrived at 11:00 in the evening. He took a quick shower, smelling like fresh soap and shampoo when he was done. He picked up his hair, knotting it into a tight bun at his nape; sleek and shiny. He wore dark-blue jeans, a cream cashmere sweater, and some boots. He left his beard alone, making him look like a model.

I couldn't compete with that.

I shuffled through the new clothes Ethan had purchased for me and I was having difficulty picking out an appropriate outfit. Ethan headed downstairs quickly to speak amongst a few clan members, so I had some time. I saw something sparkling in the far, left-hand corner by the closet wall, so I snagged it and a pair of form-fit leggings.

I headed to the bathroom and put on the pink, glittery sweater, and black leggings. I remembered the moccasin's Bertha had me try on, so I grabbed those and tossed them on with some fuzzy cream, overlapped socks. When I was satisfied, I split my hair into two pieces down the middle and made two side buns, letting a few tendrils spill free. To look a little prettier, I slapped on some soft pink lip gloss, mascara, blush, and a hint of highlighter for my cheeks, nose, and the corners of my eyes. I grabbed iridescent glitter at the last minute and sprinkled some on my hair and face.

I looked at my reflection.

Interesting.

I looked like a glittery, sparkly fairy of some sort. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing for the situation, but I liked glitter...and makeup. Newfound pieces of my identity. I remembered earrings and grabbed a pair of iridescent studs.

When I was done, I took a gander at Ethan's bathroom counter. I laughed quietly. My toothbrush, hairbrush, makeup, and feminine toiletries were scattered around the sink haphazardly. Ethan was a very neat male. I, however, cluttered. I never did that with Jerry, but Ethan never seemed to mind. Wherever they landed, they stood. Sometimes, I would see Ethan smile when he was brushing his teeth. I didn't realize what was so funny until now.

"You rea-"

I turned, catching sight of Ethan leaning into the bathroom, staring at me with his mouth agape.

I looked down at myself. "Is this okay?"

"Shit, Luna. You look amazing." He came in and took a spot behind me-my back to his front. He lowered his head, finding my eyes in the reflection of the mirror. He smiled. "You're magical, sweet female." He tickled my sides lightly.

I laughed. "I like glitter," I admitted.

He pressed a kiss to the side of my throat. "And glitter loves you. Are you ready? It's time."

I followed. He led the way, holding my hand until we were downstairs. A large group of people were already there, waiting and talking amongst themselves. I didn't recognize any of them. But their eyes gave them away, glowing in inhuman ways.

They were fair-skinned and appeared wealthy. I noticed a few mink coats, silk robes and diamonds. I wasn't sure if they were all in the same clan. I only knew that they too were wolves.

I grew nervous, feeling inadequate amongst these affluent beings. They were ethereal; holding a beauty I could never possess. A few of the females had long, thick blonde waves of glossy hair, and bodies that were made for the runway. The males were large like Ethan, though none were of equal measure. It seemed Ethan was always the largest male in the group.

He draped my arm over his forearm and cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention.

Shit.

They all turned, focusing their inhuman gaze on us.

"Once again, thank you all for coming. Introductions are in order." Ethan searched the group, looking for someone. "Where is Caleb?"

"Here," a deep, male voice replied.

The crowd parted and I noticed that each member of the group lowered their head in submission when he passed. His eyes were captivating; a deep purple. Only, they didn't sparkle like Ethan's. They appeared to be neon. He was fair like the others, with thick silver hair. The sides were shaved close to his head. The top was left alone, with a peak at the center. His beard was silver; a light sheen covering his strong jaw and high cheeks.

My eyes widened at his otherness. He wasn't as tall as Ethan. Nor as muscled. But he was still strong.

And a little intimidating.

He wore a black, button down shirt that was cuffed to his elbows, black slacks and a thick, gold watch on his wrist. I looked at his feet.

Loafers.

He was just as wealthy.

He stared at Ethan, waiting.

"This is my mate," said Ethan, looking down at me. "Sol Luna. Annie."

I felt my face flush from embarrassment as all eyes shifted towards me. Caleb silently assessed me, his eyes going over my entire body and halting a few times to take a longer look at my legs, pink, glittery sweater, and hair. He stopped on my face, examining my makeup and appearance.

I felt naked.

And a bit uncomfortable.

He tossed a glance at Ethan...and abruptly broke out into a huge grin, revealing, straight white fangs. "She's ethereal, Ethan." He clapped Ethan on the shoulder.

Ethan smiled and introduced me. "Luna, this is Alpha Caleb of the Lindisfarne Clan."

I smiled warmly and offered my hand for a shake. "It's nice to meet you."

He stared at my hand and took it with gentle, warm fingers. Which were amazingly soft. He flipped my hand over and pressed a kiss to my knuckles. "I've never seen such beauty, Dune. Excellent choice." He held my hand after he kissed it, and stepped closer to me, smelling of a cologne that was foreign and musky. He lightly rubbed his thumb over my knuckles as he and Ethan spoke.

Ethan noticed and I grew concerned. Ethan was overprotective. He didn't take too kindly when other males got close to me.

But Ethan simply smiled and was at ease, speaking to Caleb so fast, I couldn't keep up with the conversation. I had experienced this type of communication before amongst Ethan and his clan members. I assumed that due to their wolves and speed, they interacted with each other in the same fashion, knowing that they would understand each other when chatting at such a fast pace. They didn't communicate with me in the same way. Humans wouldn't understand.

Caleb continued to stroke my knuckles. It felt a little weird, but I didn't want to be rude. I was still trying to process how he associated me with the word, 'ethereal.' Ethan, I could understand. He used a multitude of endearments. We were bonded and joined so it was expected. But for Caleb, I would like to think he looked ethereal. In fact, they all did. Ethan included.

Not me.

I blinked in confusion when I realized that Caleb and Ethan were staring at me. "I'm sorry?"

They both smiled.

"I asked how old you were, my dear," said Caleb.

I smiled again. "I'm twenty-five. But my birthday is in January."

Caleb cocked a brow at Ethan. "A young one, no?"

"The wolf chose," said Ethan. "Age is of no consequence when it concerns your mate."

"Agreed," said Caleb. He refocused on me. "Your cheeks," he said. "They are the most decadent shade of pink."

Ummm...okay?

He smiled at my obvious confusion. "As you can see, my clan and I lack such vivacity. We are of Irish descent. As pale as snow."

"I don't hear an accent," I pointed out.

He laughed again and lightly squeezed my hand. "You are absolutely endearing. But we do not take residence in Ireland, saccharine."

Saccharine? What the hell did that mean?

He continued. "We live but a few miles away from Alpha Dune and Leader Sabina."

"Sabina? I don't believe I've met her," I said.

"A ferocious beast, if I may say so," said Caleb. "She's been attempting a bond, it seems. With Alpha Dune."