/Rowan's POV/
It's been a week since the funeral and meeting our omega. Erin. Despite the fact that we failed to acknowledge the bond all these years, an instant spark ignited within me. Reed felt it too. I could watch as his face almost scrunched for a second before he covered up. As the members had all their attention focused on us, we could not do anything impulsive. Besides, we were still mourning for our father.
The days since that have been slow and draggy, almost torturous to get by. She blossomed into a beautiful woman, bold and unaffected by the prying eyes on her. The omega did not even flinch when my mother showed indifference towards her. Or when people started whispering the moment she blended into the crowd. At least tried to.
Erin stood out among those boring faces; everyone solely showed up with an ulterior motive. Mainly to get in the good books of their future leaders. I was all too aware of how these people thought and functioned. Courtesy of my late father. He taught us everything there was about pack, trained us till we turned eighteen and handed over the company reins.
Reed and I gladly accepted as we have been preparing ourselves for this. From a very young age, we were moulded to think about pack and business before putting ourselves first. That's the sole reason Armani Empire ruled the northeast province and proved to be the most substantial pack. No one dared attack us in almost a decade.
The omega, however, appeared devastated, like the loss was personal to her. She did not cry in the hall, but when the ceremony was over, I found her sobbing on the lone bench, her hair covering her face. I was tempted to sit next to the grieving omega but thought against it.
"Rowan!" A nudge to my shoulder almost startled me, dragging me back to reality. Blinking against the blurry vision, I stared at my twin, looking back at me.
"Huh?"
"Are you thinking about that omega again?"
The tone irked me. I sat up on the couch and nudged him back. "She is also your mate. Could you stop acting this way?"
"That changes nothing." He murmured, looking away with a book held upside down in his hand. My brother was in denial for so long that he started to believe the lie now.
"Your reaction after seeing her told me otherwise."
Reed huffed. "I was merely startled that she showed up. That's all."
Rolling my eyes, I nudged at his foot and crossed my arms against my chest. From the housekeeper, I managed to find out more about Erin. Simply because I could not stop thinking about her and our beta, Charles was too busy to indulge me. Beth, our housekeeper, told me that Erin often had dinners with my father and checked up on him constantly. No wonder the omega was affected by his passing and cried her heart out.
"Sure, if that helps you sleep at night."
Reed shut the book a little more harsh than expected before pinning me with a look. "Why are you suddenly so invested in talking about that omega? I hope you are not having any second thoughts now, brother."
I clenched my eyes shut as I remembered that fateful day. A lump formed in my throat as I shook my head and was about to answer him when a knock startled us. Tilting my head towards the door, I saw the housekeeper smiling at us.
"Beth. Come in, please.”
She took a step further, hands folded together in front. “Luna asked you both to
join the family for breakfast.”
“I am not hungry.” I curtly said, sliding back and trying to hide my face behind the iPad screen. The thought of sitting with the entire family for a meal had my stomach in knots. Due to the busy week, my brother and I mainly stayed in the room and avoided their dramatics. I want to keep it that way for a long time.
“Rowan.” My brother cleared his throat before turning to the housekeeper and giving her a forced smile. “Don’t worry; we will be there in a few minutes.”
Beth smiled and turned on her feet, exiting our shared room. As soon as she was gone, I turned to my twin brother, pinning him with a glare.
“Why did you do that?”
“Rowan, we cannot avoid them forever. Come on now!” With that, he placed the book on the coffee table and stood up, a wince escaping past his lips. Reed has been sitting in the same position, for now, so his leg must have fallen asleep. It serves him right.
“Who says we cannot do that? I can try.”
“Have you forgotten we will be living in the same town now?” He arched his brow.
“No.” I lamely replied, picking at the strap of my watch, my head cast down. “But we won’t be under the same roof as the rest of them.”
“The cabin is not yet ready.”
“How much longer? We were supposed to move in this evening.”
My brother twisted his lips. “Charles is looking into it. I am guessing it will take a day more, at least considering the amount of stuff we both have.”
With a sigh, I stood up and followed his lead out of the room, dragging my feet.
***
Silence lingered in the dining room as Reed, and I walked in, their faces tilted to our side. Our mother sat at the head table, her back straightened and an emotionless look on her face. We bowed and greeted her before taking a seat on either side of the table.
“Good morning, Roro.” The youngest of our family, Anya, my cousin, beamed at me before turning to Reed. At five years old, the omega was a delight and the only reason I tolerated our stay here.
“Good morning, Rere.”
My brother grunted in response before pouring himself a glass of freshly squeezed juice.
“Use your inside voice, Anya.” Her mother reprimanded with a scowl on her face. My aunt plastered a smile when I faced her before picking at her food. Her husband, Philip, was sitting next to her, completely focused on the strips of bacon on his plate.
“Sorry, mummy.” The pup apologised.
Looking around the table, I noticed our two other cousins, Valerie and Ryan. They were my Uncle Philip and Aunt Claire’s children and stayed in the packhouse. We did not get along with them despite what the pack members thought of our siblings bond.
“Are you both busy in the afternoon?” Our mother's voice startled me.
“Uh…we are looking into dads finance and meeting with the companies he invested in. Why? Is everything alright?”
The Luna folded her lips. “I was hoping you could start with the basic Pack Alpha duties from today. We should also prepare for the announcement and ceremony soon.”
Philip, who had been stuffing his face for a while, broke out in a nervous laughter. “Luna, what’s the rush here? My nephews just got back, and they must be still mourning my brother. I am sure the pack members can understand the delay.”
I was not even shocked at his reply, knowing full well the reason behind it. He wanted his son Ryan to take over as the Pack Alpha instead of us.
“Since when do you speak on their behalf Philip?” Our mother blankly replied, setting her fork down. “Besides, the Council won’t stop intervening in our internal matters till we declare the Pack Alpha. I want us to be done with this as soon as possible.”
Reed placed a hand on her clenched fist, patting it, his features softening. “Do not worry, mother. We will try to finish up our work soon and start with the basics.”
“Good.”
***
Charles joined us in the study after we were done with breakfast. My mother wanted to sit and have tea with us, but the Council summoned her for an urgent meeting. So she left with her bodyguard and a few guards.
The beta rushed in with a stack of files in his hand, his glasses almost sliding off the bridge of his nose. He waited patiently as he set the files on the desk, lips folded together. After our fathers sudden death, we had a lot to deal with, especially finances, since he invested without making any profits.
“Does this contain all the names of the companies my father invested in?”
Charles bobbed his head. “Yes, arranged in alphabetical order.”
“Excellent!” With that, I started flipping the pages when a name stood out to me. My fingers froze, eyes widening as I stared at the owner's name and the company name—Woods Publishing. A low breath escaped past my lips.
“Reed.” I nudged my brother's side. “See this.”
“Interesting.” He mumbled, his eyes narrowed together and lips pursed in a straight line.
“I think we should start with this company. What do you think?”
***
Their second meeting is in the next part yay :D
/Reed's POV/Running a hand down his black striped suit, I adjusted the sleeves of the white shirt. A heavy feeling sat in the pit of my stomach, all too familiar and aching. The thought of seeing the omega again caused a stir in my heart. Immediately I thought back to the day of my fathers funeral and how broken she appeared.Erin looked like she was barely holding together when she saw my father's picture. The omega slipped away before the end of the ceremony and cried her heart out. I could hear the rings of them, and quite frankly, it ripped something inside me. But why? After all these years, I should not be thinking about comforting her for the moon's sake!“Looking handsome, brother! Who are you trying to impress?!” Rowan wriggled his brows, le
/Erin's POV/As soon as their scents fade in the meeting room, I let out a loud exhale, still able to feel the musk hit my nostrils. My eyes bore hatefully in their direction, hoping it was enough to burn their back. Both of them dared to show up and give an ultimatum. Then again, after their father's death, they had no obligation to invest in our company anymore.Still, it stung. The harsh reality that we had no one to back us anymore slowly settled in. Our staff paychecks relied heavily on monthly payments from the Pack Alpha and few royalties. How will we survive? Most importantly, Alpha Reed mentioned us paying him back.What am I going to do now? Panic began seeping into my bones, legs clamped together. My head slammed on t
/Rowan's POV/I awoke with a startle, my eyes flinging open as I felt a sharp, metallic poke at my cheek. My hand swatted at the object as I sat up as fast as my body could manage, a groan escaping from parted lips. I didn't see anyone when I came to until I heard a childish giggle from behind. With my brows furrowed together, I twisted my body to see the unwanted visitor, my back cracking as I did so.The pup blinked at me; her silky blonde hair appeared messy with a tiny hand clamped over her mouth. I had to squint from the harsh glare from the ceiling lights to observe her on her knees beside the bed in an attempt to hide.“Anya, love, what are you doing here?” I slowly tugged on her wrist and nudged her closer, making the pup sit opposite me. After the afternoo
/Erin's POV/My eyes widened as I let his voice sink in, washing over me in waves. Those words kept on echoing, my toes curling around the sandals. Goosebumps prickled at my arms all over, suddenly aware of the chill in the room. For a second, I thoroughly thought that they were both joking about it. Then again, Rowan and Reed would never try to open up past wounds, not unless they were severe.“Excuse me?”Rowan was the first to speak up, wetting his lips and breaking the silence that followed my question. “Yes, you heard us right, Miss Woods. You have to be our omega, as in the Pack Luna, and we will keep on funding your company.”I took a quick breath through my nose, feeling incredibly exposed.Rage coiled in
/Reed’s POV/Staring at the cold omega in front of me, I couldn't help but think back to the first time I met her. My brother and I were pups just like her but a few years older and mature. Or so I thought."But I don't want to go!" I whined while crossing my arms together and slumping on the bed. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Rowan tying his shoelaces, a grin on his face. At eight years old, my twin was already enthusiastic about listening to everything our father said."Reed..." My father sighed, a furrow in between his brows as he sat on his knees. "I promised my friend that I would bring both of my kids. Besides, don't you want to make a new friend?"My mouth twisted at that, head
/Erin's POV/I closed my eyes briefly, steeling myself as the honeyed voice seeped in through layers of clothes. My treacherous body had always innately responded to the dark, forbidding men sitting across. The way the Alphas talked to me, so brash and honest that it spurred something inside.Also, I hated to admit it, but they looked more dangerously handsome than ever today. I couldn’t help but gawk at their thin shirts, barely concealing anything; their dark brown hair was as attractively dishevelled. Reed's eyes appeared deep green and intense as they stared, the laugh lines at the corners in stark contrast to the brooding expression on his face.I kept my gaze down for a hesitant moment, biting on his lip, uncertain whether to oblige to the demand he made.&n
/Reed POV/There’s a heavy hand on my shoulder, holding me tight enough to let me know that trying to get away wasn’t a good idea. I twisted my head towards Rowan, who mirrored the same expression. A sigh escaped my parted lips, tearing my eyes to look at the Luna in front.“Mom.”“We need to talk.” Her nostrils flared, eyes shifting around the living hall, her tone sounding grave. “Now!”“What is it, mom?” Rowan tried to ask but only got a glare in return which made him cower. The Luna can be scary when she wants, a fact that made the members steer clear of him most times. Growing up, we thought it was fun, but it only made it difficult for us to get through with her.
/Erin's POV/As the question washed over me, I shifted on my feet. Suddenly the room turned hot, toes curling as sweat clung to my skin. My chest heaved, chin raising defiantly to meet the Alpha's accusing stare. He appeared a lot closer than before, making my heart pound."It's my family issue, Rowan." I crossed my arms against my chest, making sure to emphasise on the 'family' part. His face fell for a second, inhaling sharply."Are you serious right now?" His brows rose in utter disbelief as if the Alpha couldn't believe that I would even have the nerve to say something like this. "We have known each other for years, Erin. My brother and I expect you to inform us of such critical matters, especially if we are going to be mates."&nb