Jax POV

It took everything in me to leave Annabelle with Dr Tessler as I went to sit in the waiting room. After seeing her worried face when she realised I was getting up and leaving without her my instincts started screaming at me to stay with her at all costs. I knew I couldn't though, she needed privacy if she was going to answer the questions honestly and the last thing she needed was me breathing down her neck and growling at every bit of information she revealed that I didn't like.

"I'll be waiting right outside" I reassured her as I kissed her forehead and went to sit in one of the uncomfortable orange chairs in the waiting room. Did I seriously authorise these chairs? I'll have to look into getting some comfier ones for my pack once I have a spare five minutes. Xavier has been looking after the pack since I first found Annabelle last night, not wanting to leave her for a second. She was so skittish at the moment I didn't want to leave her with anyone else, just in case she got scared of her new surroundings and makes a run for it.

I didn't know what she had been through to make her so on edge but I can imagine I will not like the answer once she finally trusts me enough to tell me.

I clenched my fists in anger at the mere thought of someone hurting my mate, hurting what's mine, and I had to take deep cleansing breaths before my wolfs anger took over and I destroyed this whole room.

'Alpha we are finished' Dr Tessler linked me after a few hours of me sitting here and I sighed in relief at the thought of having her in my arms again. She was like a calming balm to me and my wolf and I can't imagine my life without her, even though I've only known her for a total of thirteen hours.

I walked into the office and found Annabelle sitting in a chair in front of Dr Tessler's desk. I saw her physically relax as soon as her eyes locked onto mine and I smiled at the thought that she couldn't seem to spend that long away from me, just like I couldn't spend time away from her.

"Alpha I would like a moment to configure all of my data so if you wouldn't mind taking Annabelle outside for a few minutes I would really appreciate it" the doctor said as she looked up from her laptop screen.

I nodded my head in understanding and took Annabelle into my arms, glad I finally had her back with me, and made my way back towards those uncomfortable plastic chairs.

"So how'd it go?" I asked, wanting to find out if the doctor had made her uncomfortable in any way, but she just shrugged and nodded her head, as if that answered all my questions.

I sighed and nodded, I hoped she would trust me enough to talk to me soon. Her voice was like music to my ears and I could hear her talk all day.

We sat there in silence for a short while, both just enjoying each other's company, as we waited to be called back into the doctor's office. Even though neither of us spoke it wasn't an awkward kind of silence, it was more like we were just enjoying each other's company.

"Annabelle, the doctor is ready for you now" the receptionist informed us after a while as she peaked her head over her desk. I heard her heart flutter ever so slightly when our eyes locked but she quickly cast them down as she realised I was looking at her. I rolled my eyes and stood up, making my way back into the doctor's office.

"So Annabelle, I've correlated everything together form today's tests and they've all come back looking good". I sighed in relief at that, happy that my mate wasn't severely affected physically by what had happened to her. "There's nothing a bit of rest and plenty of food and liquid won't fix" she continued.

"Your quite malnourished so I'm putting you on a special controlled diet so that you can put some much-needed weight back on". I nodded at the thought of my Annabelle putting some more weight on, she was so tiny I could lift her with one arm.

"I'd also like to see you next week for a catch up and to see how you're getting on alright? I've emailed the information regarding your diet over to you Alpha and I suggest you stick to it as best you can. Even though you aren't severely emaciated Annabelle we still need to be careful when reintroducing certain foods, I would suggest soups and liquid foods until you feel well enough to stomach something more solid. If you vomit at all or you struggle in any other way, please do give me a ring alright?"

I nodded my understanding to the doctor but frowned when I saw Annabelle looking up at me with a slight frown set between her eyebrows and a silent question in her eyes. Did wherever she came from withhold food from her? I mean it would explain why she was so underweight, but the thought made me tense slightly. I held back a growl at the thought and looked back into her beautiful blue eyes, instantly calming me.

"You okay little mate?" I asked when I realised she was still staring at me, as I tucked a strand of her golden locks behind her ear.

She smiled up and me and she suddenly looked like the weight had been lifted off her shoulders, I wonder what she was thinking about right now? I can't wait to mark her so that I would no longer have to guess what she's feeling, mates can block thoughts from each other but not emotions.

I smiled down at her before I realised where we were and shock myself out of my trance. "Thank you very much doctor, we will see you in a week" I said as I started to stand but Dr Tessler mind linked me before I could take a step out the door.

"Alpha I don't think the Luna has any idea about our kind, I asked her multiple questions that most wolfs would know the answer to, like mind linking, but she stated that it didn't exist".

I frowned at her statement "that's impossible, when I found her she was in her wolf form and she's over sixteen, how could she not know?"

"It's possible that she's blanked that shift out from her memory due to the sheer amount of trauma she has recently gone through. You need to find out whether she has ever shifted before yesterday".

"There's only one way someone doesn't shift on their sixteenth birthday" I stated, suddenly worried.

The doctor looked at me with slight sympathy in her eyes "I know, I just pray to the Goddess that it's not what I think it is".

"Me to" I replied.

"She has a lot of injuries Alpha" the doctor continued 2a few new ones, a few a week or two old and a lot of bones that have fracture lines on them where they've been broken in the past. Wherever she came from Alpha, it wasn't a good place".

My wolf growled at the thought of anyone harming Annabelle and the doctor lowered her head in submission instinctively.

"I believe it would be helpful for you and I to have a chat alone together, Annabelle has obviously gone through something that some of us couldn't even dream about and I feel like it would help to  prepare you for what you can expect from looking after her", the doctor continued and I nodded slightly at her in understanding.

"Thank you doctor" I said before looking down at a confused looking Annabelle. I hadn't realised how long we had been standing there in silence for, but just when I was about to come up with something to say to help ease the awkwardness Dr Tessler saved me with handing me a prescription stating Annabelle had to take it once a day. I quickly nodded and thanked her and before long we were back in the car.

"What do you fancy for lunch?" I asked as I buckled her in before sorting myself out and starting the car. I listed off a few things I knew I had in the fridge but when she didn't automatically respond I got frustrated, why wasn't she answering me?

I pulled the car onto the side of the road, but instantly regretted it as I heard her heart rate drastically increase. I looked over to see Annabelle trying to open the passenger door, tugging at the door handle several times. When she realised it was locked she started looking round with wild eyes, as if she was looking for an escape route. She looked like a scared deer caught in a set of headlights.

I immediately felt like crap for making her feel trapped and quickly tried to calm her down as best I could. "Hey, hey calm down little mate...please you're going to start having a panic attack in a minute if you don't slow your breathing down". I spoke as softly as I could but it doesn't seem to be working as she just stared at me wide eyed, looking through me rather than at me.

"I made a promise to you Annabelle" I stated as I changed strategy "and I will reiterate that same promise to you now. There is no way in the goddess's name that I could ever hurt you. I could never hurt my little mate, not after waiting so long to find you" I said, hopefully in a soothing voice, as I hesitantly reached my hand out to cup her cheek.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I heard her breathing and heart rate slow down and a small smile graced her beautiful lips. At least I can help my mate this way I thought as I smiled down at her, happy that she had calmed down and wasn't going to hurt herself.

She nodded slightly against my palm, telling me that she was alright now, but I couldn't bring myself to let go of her yet. I told myself it was to help her stay calm, but really it was for purely selfish reasons.

"Please angel" I pleaded, hoping this time she would answer me and not have another panic attack, "what would you like to eat?"

She contemplated for a second before slowly whispering that she wanted the chicken soup that I had mentioned earlier. Whether it was because I had offered it or because she actually wanted it I didn't mind, as long as she was eating I was happy.

Once we made our way back into my house I went straight for the kitchen and went to place her on the counter. As I looked down at her I smiled at her expression, she was gazing around my kitchen in awe and I had to wonder whether she enjoyed cooking. I hoped she did because whilst I can cook something edible, I did lack in the creativity and patience side to produce anything of note. After a long day of work, either doing paperwork or training, I would usually just come home and either reheat something my mum had dropped off for me or I would just make something simple like mac and cheese.

"Do you like it?" I asked and I got an immediate blush as her response which I laughed at "well you have unlimited access to it; I hardly use it anyway so whenever you feel like cooking something you just go for it". It was like I had just offered her the world with the way she smiled back up at me and my heart couldn't help but stutter slightly at her beauty. She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen, and I was so lucky that she was my mate.

I silently went about making her food, but I wasn't really paying attention to what I was doing. I was more focused on what Dr Tessler had told me earlier on in her office. What if she didn't know about our kind? How was I going to explain to her what we were, what she is to me, without scaring her off? Could she really handle being Luna of a pack when she didn't even know what a Luna was?

My wolf growled at me at the thought and I quickly agreed to push it from my mind. The Moon Goddess had paired us together for a reason, she believed that Annabelle would make an amazing Luna, the least I could do was trust her and go with my gut.

I handed the steaming bowl of soup over to her and laughed as I watched her eyes grow wide in shock at the sheer quantity that I had made for her. After quickly explaining to her that she didn't have to eat it all I watched her devour half of it, barely stopping for a breath.

As I watched her eat my brain whirred with questions and it wasn't long before one came tumbling out. "Annabelle can I ask you something?"

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Today's story recommendation is...
Alpha Jaxsons Second Chance by @dreammcatcher