Chapter 5

“Not like my brother wouldn’t have told you anyway. I’m guessing that you, too, have questions for me. Why not go ahead?” she said.

Kenyon looked at her as if he didn’t know what to say, especially now that she had called him out.

That’s when a booming voice came out of nowhere and could only belong to no other than her father, Alpha Mick, who broke the silence and tension that was going on between them.

“Come on, you two, it’s time for dinner,” Alpha Mick’s voice boomed once more.

“Coming, Daddy,” Lilly sang out, turning to pick up her violin case. She told Kenny, “Well, you can ask me later when you work out what it is you want to ask me, but in the meantime, we need to head back to the dining hall.”

With that, Lilly took her violin case into her arms, hugging it like it was her only friend. This was how she probably felt most days, but even more today.

Lilly and Kenyon walked side by side towards the dining hall, an awkward silence hanging between them. As they entered, the chatter of pack members filled the air, but Lilly could still feel the weight of curious glances directed her way.

At the head of the long table sat her father, Alpha Mick, his imposing figure commanding respect even in this casual setting. Her mother, Luna Harmony, sat beside him, her gentle smile contrasting her mate's stern expression.

Lilly took her usual seat next to her brother while Kenyon moved to sit on Luka's other side. Lilly could feel her father's gaze as the food was served.

"So, Lilly," Alpha Mick began, his deep voice cutting through the dinner conversation. "I hear we had a visitor at school today. An Alpha in training from another pack?"

Lilly replied, “Yeah, we did. His name is Alpha Axel Blackthorn. He seems alright and was impressed by my violin-playing skills.”

Lilly had done her best to keep the conversation as casual as possible. Her mind and body were still in turmoil, and she didn’t feel like playing another round of 20 questions, especially with her father.

Just then, a familiar voice she had gotten to know today came from behind her mother, Luna Harmony. The voice made both her brother Luka and Kenny look up. Yup, it was Axel, and now more than ever, Lilly wanted to crawl away and hide in the peace of her room.

Lilly's heart skipped a beat as she heard Axel's voice behind her. She turned to see him standing there, looking every bit the powerful Alpha he was, yet somehow managing to appear both confident and respectful in the presence of her father.

"Good evening, Alpha Mick, Luna Harmony," Axel said, bowing his head slightly. "I apologise for the intrusion, but I wanted to thank you for your hospitality in allowing me to visit your pack and school."

Alpha Mick stood, his imposing figure towering over the table. "Alpha Axel," he acknowledged with a nod. "We welcome you to our pack. Please, join us for dinner."

As Axel sat across from Lilly, she could feel the energy in the room shift. The other pack members were watching intently, curious about this visiting Alpha, who seemed to have caught their attention. The mood changed when Alpha Axel sat with the pack leaders at the head table. It wasn’t very unusual for a visiting Alpha to join them, but pack members turned to their pups, asking them questions regarding the matter, and that’s when the whispering and random stares aimed at Lilly began. How quickly people's options can change at a moment’s notice.

Kenny became noticeably uncomfortable and began pushing his food around his plate, which was very much out of his charter, as he was usually the first to finish and look for seconds.

Also, to make matters worse, the she-bitches, Kendra and her besties, are on their way to top it all off.

Lilly felt her stomach tighten as Kendra and her friends approached the table. The last thing she needed was more drama, especially in front of her parents and Axel.

"Alpha Mick, Luna Harmony," Kendra said sweetly, her voice dripping with false respect. "We just wanted to congratulate Lilly on her amazing performance in music class today. And to welcome our distinguished visitor, of course."

Lilly could feel Axel's eyes on her, but she kept her gaze fixed on her plate, pushing her food around as Kenny did.

"Thank you, Kendra," Luna Harmony replied, her tone polite but with an underlying note of suspicion. "That's very kind of you to say."

Alpha Mick's eyes narrowed slightly, sensing the tension. "Yes, well, we're proud of Lilly's accomplishments. We’ve already enjoyed seeing her performance as Mr. Song so kindly recorded it. Unsurprisingly, she played so elegantly this morning as she has been preparing for the world violinist championships.

‘Shit, so he probably already seen Axel kiss my hand as well. I doubt Mr. Song remembered to stop recording shortly after I stopped playing. Fuck,’ Lilly thought to herself.

Thinking that she had won, Kendra turned her attention to Luka.

“Luka, what do you make of all this? After your sister’s performance today, she stole the limelight from you,” trying to pretend she was sweet as honey.

Luka saw right through him and replied, “Why should that bother me? It was nice to have at least a few minutes of peace. Now I know why my sister likes to stay as far away from it as possible. Besides, she earned it, so just like every other time she has won a competition, it was from her hard work, not just because she’s an Alpha’s daughter.”

Kendra's smile faltered momentarily, caught off guard by Luka's response. She quickly regained her composure, but the damage was done. The other pack members at nearby tables had overheard, and whispers began to spread.

Axel, who had been quietly observing the exchange, spoke up. "I must say, the talent in this pack is truly impressive. Not only is Lilly an exceptional violinist, but I've heard great things about your leadership, Luka. It's clear that both of you have inherited your parents' strength and wisdom."