Chapter 2-2
"Are you more upset about Kurt finding his mate or your reputation amongst the pack?" My father, ever the professional. Not a hint of emotion in his tone.
"Both?" I snort tearfully, getting up to face him.
Dad says nothing, nodding to himself. After a few seconds, he reaches for the breakfast tray and places it on my lap. Setting a spoon in the palm of my hand, he gestures for me to eat.
"Dad, I'm really not hungry." I whisper.
"Just a few bites, Alanna. For me?" His rare plea catches me off guard and I try my hand at a few mouthfuls.
Cracking a small smile, Dad watches me force down some food. It's eerily comforting, sitting here with him after so long. We barely spend more than a few moments together nowadays.
"Where are the boys?" I ask, the sudden urge to see my brothers taking over. Dad's smile vanishes instantly.
"Alpha Kurt and his mate have moved in together. Her name is Claire. Her initiation ceremony into the pack is happening tonight. She will be announced as our Luna later tonight."
I drop the spoon heavily, gasping in disbelief. Tears begin to form in my eyes and I blink them back angrily. "So soon?! It's only been a few days!" "Kurt wants her in the pack immediately. The boys have been issued orders to help with the function tonight." A look of anger flashes across his face. "You were also ordered to attend...but I stepped in and put my foot down."
The nerve! I told you he was a jerk!
"Despite everything, he still thinks I'll attend?!" I exclaim, breathing heavily. "Not once has he called or even contacted me to-- to draw a line under things! He's just tossed me aside like I meant nothing!" Dad nods, rubbing his face tiredly. Lines are starting to appear too frequently across his broad face and I wonder just how many worries he has placed on his shoulders.
"Kurt has stated that he owes you nothing. What happened between you guys was a mere fling. You knew from the start that his loyalties would lie somewhere else. This was your choice from the beginning. You coerced him."
"So he's trying to save his own skin now? Trying to prove to his mate that he was loyal from the start?" I scoff, wiping away my angry tears.
Dad pats my shoulder tersely, back rigid with anger.
"As Beta, Kurt seems to think my allegiances to him are prioritised over my daughter."
"I refuse to go, Dad! I'd rather throw myself off a cliff, then be seen--"
"I know, I know. And I'd never let you go there...not by yourself, anyway."
Tears fall silently and I huff intermittently, feeling like a fool. Kurt has well and truly played me.
"Alanna, do you remember the night of the Gala? When you were leaving with your brothers?"
My stomach jolts and I nod. I remember feeling uneasy and my wolf was yipping with excitement, which I couldn't pinpoint.
"Yeah...I remember seeing you with-- someone else." I pace myself, feeling butterflies for no reason.
"That's right, Dante Pelosi. The Alpha of the Midnight Fire pack." Mate!
I flinch in recognition, an eerie feeling of hope filling me. Conflicting with the sense of rejection, it's too much. How can my wolf be so happy when I feel like complete crap right now?
"That was-- the Alpha?" I whisper.
"Your mate." Dad states, getting to his feet abruptly. "What--" I huff, pushing the breakfast tray aside.
"You heard me, Alanna. I saw the look in your eyes when you saw him from the truck. Your eyes were glowing...and so were his. That only happens when you first set eyes on your mate."
Dad towers over the bed once more, arms crossed over his chest as me watches me with a knowing smile.
"That's impossible!" I insist, avoiding eye contact.
"No it isn't. And you're blushing."
"Well, we've been invited to his house. He wants to meet you face to face."
I gesture to my food stained pyjamas and greasy hair, shaking my head furiously. Dad just shrugs, as if there's no problem.
"You have time to make yourself look presentable. This is your chance, Alanna. To avoid Kurt and his mate."
"But Dad--" I insist, yet I'm cut short.
"No excuses, Alanna. Be ready by seven. Presentable or not, you are going. It's either this, or the initiation." With nothing left to say, Dad leaves the room while I stare into space, absolutely bewildered.
"Listen, Aly. Dad's trying to protect you." Reese explains, watching me comb my tousled locks vigorously. "I know Dante. He's a pretty cool guy; one of those modern Alphas who are destined for greatness. Nothing like Kurt."
The mention of his name flips my stomach with disgust. Whatever feelings I had for that loser have been quashed. Atleast, that's what I'm trying to tell my stubborn brain.
"You should wear this coral dress." Ryan adds, poking his head out of my closet and tossing the outfit towards my bed.
"I don't want to." I grumble, folding my arms and ignoring the exasperated looks I'm getting. "Don't look at me like that! I'm not dolling myself up so I can be objectified."
You didn't have a problem when Kurt objectified you...
My wolf and her snide comments are testing my limits. She might think we've found our mate but I beg to differ. Mates don't exist, despite what everyone thinks. What Kurt suffered from was a major infatuation, not a bond.
"Aly! Look, even if this wasn't an important introduction, you would still have to look presentable. Dante is one of the main Alphas and you're the daughter of a Beta. But forget all that; the bottom line is - Dante could potentially be your mate." Reese scolds me with a frown.
"How do you know? How does anyone know? If you don't recall that night, we were all preoccupied. If he were my mate, I'd have felt it. I would have noticed his presence." My voice is laced with heavy sarcasm, my usual stubbornness on the topic of soulmates.
"Okay, I'll accept that." Reese nods reluctantly, his serious face plastered on. "But Dad was with Dante when he first saw you. Remember, you were in the truck so maybe he didn't see enough of you to react. Dad said he had never seen Dante so restless and he only caught wind of your scent."
"Don't forget your reaction." Ryan adds, lounging on my bed. "I saw you freeze up and hesitate. You couldn't resist him."
I stay quiet, knowing I've been defeated. There was definitely some weird chemistry between Dante and I, that's for sure. Soulmates? Definitely not, but it could be something else.
"Someone's blushing..." Reese sings, grinning at me.
"No-- I'm just thinking." I reply defensively, reaching for my makeup to distract me. "Don't overthink. Go with the flow. Get ready and just give the guy a chance." Ryan talks in short bursts, jumping to his feet.
"Now that you're a little more accepting, we'll leave you to get ready. You have an hour." Reese launches a scrunchie at my face, exiting the room with his super speed before I can yell at him.
Ryan chuckles, pointing at the coral dress one last time and following Reese's footsteps.
I face my mirror with a frown, ditching my sneaky master plan. I had been plotting to look deliberately ugly; frizzy hair, no make up and stained clothes, to put this Dante guy off. Now come to think of it, there's no reason why I have to put a dampener on my appearance. If anything, I should look extra presentable.
"Prove that I still got it." I mutter to myself, the shame of Kurt's rejection getting me worked up.
----
"I can drive there myself. There's no need for a family trip." My frustrated words are ignored, Dad pulling out of the driveway. Embarrassingly, I'm sat in the passenger seat with the twins in the back, poking fun at me. I've made some effort but nothing like the night of the Gala. Dad gave me his approval, even though I didn't need it.
"I know but we need to be your ward. Dante can't access our pack lands without Kurt knowing, as Alphas must inform each other before entering another's territory. If Kurt realises Dante is here to see you, he'll block it." Dad checks the clock on the dashboard, his obsession with punctuality taking over.
"So Kurt wouldn't approve? It's none of his business." I spit grumpily, folding my arms.
"That's why he won't know." Ryan adds firmly. "Dad, Reese and I have taken the day off our duties. Kurt doesn't care because he's too busy with the initiation. We've said we'd rather be at home to support you and that shut him up."