Chapter Four

Thomas smirked at her scowl. Of course, she was surprised too find him there. He was back to take her to go with him.

"Look who we found. This little sly kitten thinks she can escape the paws of the lion!" Thomas said aloud, attracting the attention of the people around them.

Maryanne offered a confused look. "Excuse me? Do I know you?"

"What?" Thomas whispered. "What do you mean by do you know me? You have lived with me for the past two years!"

People began to gasp, and Maryanne smirked.

"I did? Oh, I've been doing my masters abroad." Maryanne said. "I just bagged my certificate. Perhaps you mistook me for someone else."

Thomas scoffed. "Like hell, I would! Aren't you Maryanne?"

"Everyone here knows that, they know that I am Maryanne and that's just because my father announced my name before now."

"So, how can I believe that you have truly met me? Can you say anything about me? Something which wasn't announced here?"

It was a fair question. Everyone waited for Thomas's response. They needed him to say something but he couldn't. One, he never expected Maryanne to talk back at him. He also never expected her to be so brave.

"Maryanne, it's me... Thomas Donovan." Thomas said.

Maryanne gasped. "Thomas?! You should have said so! Aren't you the one guy who rumors said had slept with all the girls in high school and even our math teacher?"

Thomas's face turned black instantly. What was she trying to achieve by bringing up his hidden past? So she did know him.

People around giggled and some threw mocking looks at Thomas. He was seething in rage.

"You should have just said so earlier, rather than telling tales," Maryanne said, chuckling. "Tell me though, is it true that you also kissed the gay science teacher for good grades?"

Thomas glared at her. "I... I think my mother is looking for me, I have to go."

Maryanne chuckled and waved him bye. Thomas was quick to disappear among the crowd of people. Someone tapped the mic on stage.

"Can I have everyone's attention?"

Maryanne turned to the stage when she heard the beautiful voice. It was the same man that had approached her, the one who Thomas had chased away with his ugliness.

"For a proper introduction, my name is Calhoun Maximus. I am the Alpha of the guardian pack."

There were gasps everywhere. Firstly, the guardian pack was the strongest pack of all time. The best pack in the whole of Europe and they were feared and envied by other packs. Everyone wondered what business he had at Maryanne's welcome banquet.

"I know that a lot of you are wondering what business I have here, but I want to ask, what business do I not have... At the welcome back banquet of my dearly and so beloved, Maryanne?"

Maryanne could feel a shyness seep into her bones. She smiled sheepishly, finding a way to leave the crowd before the spotlight found her.

"I will like to ask Maryanne Bullyvan to please come up on stage with me," Calhoun said, his eyes following her small figure as she tried to hide further. She exhaled, why was she trying to hide anyway? He wasn't that scary.

Taking deep breaths, she began to walk toward the stage where Calhoun stood, his eyes still on her.

She climbed the stage and Calhoun walked over to meet her halfway. He stared down at her, he didn't know why he felt so protective of her, he knew he wasn't in love with her. They just met for the first time. But he knew that she was his mate and he wasn't going to take any chances. After all, she was a worthy mate, regardless of whatever business she had with Thomas Donovan.

Calhoun took her to the mic and turned to face her. He delivered a very beautiful speech which Maryanne was sure he had made up because she knew that he didn't know her well enough to say such sweet words to her. Yet she wasn't moved.

Not until he went down on one knee and took out a 24-carat gold ring with a green emerald stone at the center. Maryanne was somehow surprised and she began to feel emotional immediately. She didn't love the man, she knew she could love him, but why was she feeling emotional?

She took the ring and Calhoun breathed in relief. He had hoped that she would embarrass him before everyone. He stood up and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Thank you." He whispered. "I promise not to break your heart."

Maryanne was overwhelmed. Would this be the start of her love life? All her life she had only loved one man and he never reciprocated the love, so how come she was being loved by another man?

The guests were cheering them and Maryanne looked at Calhoun's face. Up close, she could see every one of his facial features, his jawline, his nose, his eyebrow, his eye color, and the shape of his lips. The way his Adam's apple boggled up and down with each swallow. Her mouth went open and she licked her lips.

"Dear, don't do that when I'm holding you," Calhoun warned. "It's hard to hold myself when I'm holding you."

Maryanne blushed red. How can he utter such shameless words to her?

Maryanne's father asked for music to be played for them to dance. Maryanne felt uncomfortable. Dancing was one thing her mother had tried to teach her but she ended up having two left legs just like her father, whereas Michael took her mother's dancing feet. Every day she blessed her luck for it since she found it stressful. But now, she cursed her luck for it.

Thomas smirked when he saw that they were about to dance. Maryanne couldn't dance.

"I can't wait for her to embarrass herself, Mother." He said aloud. "The thing can't even move her fingers to match beat, not to mention her feet."

"Shush now, Tommy," Matilda said firmly. "Let's simply watch her. If she indeed misbehaves, we shall trip her and let her fall."

They watched and waited. Maryanne was too reluctant to dance.

"C'mon, dance for everyone!" Florencia yelled from behind the crowd. The people began to cheer for them to dance.

"Or can you not dance?" Thomas asked. "Perhaps mommy didn't teach you properly."

The crowd gasped instantly. Everyone knew how much Sally prided in her children and if someone made jest at them, the sleeping beast behind her beautiful face would awake.

Thomas immediately had the dreading feeling that he had trespassed. Why did the entire hall go cold? What had he done?