Six

"What do you mean?" Rina asked him.

"You don't eat with the family either, most times you tell the help to make you another dish. Rafaele doesn't scold you so why does he have a problem with me?" Rain asked her.

Rain was right, Rina thought to herself. Rafaele didn't scold Rita for her actions so it was normal for Rain to think it was okay.

"But I am not as important as you to the family. The rest of them really miss you, I doubt they would miss me that much." she told him.

He scoffed. "Want to bet? Miss breakfast today and watch Rafaele throw a tantrum."

"If he doesn't throw a tantrum, you will eat meals with the family." Rina told him.

"and if he throws a tantrum, no one will disturb me." Rain replied.

"deal" she answered.

She kept the food on the table and served food for both of them and they sneaked upstairs to his room.

Rafaele came down, he expected to see Rita since she wasn't in the room.

But she wasn't in the kitchen, there was food on the table but she was nowhere to be found.

His mother entered the kitchen.

"Mother, did you make this?" he asked.

"No, I am just entering the kitchen, Rita obviously made it"

"But where is she?"

Jax walked into the kitchen.

"What are we talking about?" he asked.

"I don't know where Rita is." Rafaele looked worried.

"isn't she in the room?"

"No, she isn't"

"Well maybe she doesn't want to eat breakfast with us today" Jax shrugged.

He helped himself to the food and sat down to eat.

Rafaele glared at him. "really, you want to eat?" he asked.

"Why not?" Jax retorted.

"And where is Rain?" Rafaele asked.

"He is probably in his room" Luna Rosa suggested.

Rafaele rolled his eyes and stormed out of the kitchen.

"Where could he be going" Luna Rosa wondered.

"To Rain's room" Jax told her.

"Oh dear! He looks so angry, I should go there to make sure they don't have a fight"

Jax stood up and led her to the chair.

"sit down mother, you can't keep meditating between them, if they want to fight, let them fight". Jax told her.

"But...."

"No buts, maybe this would help their relationship"

"You are right, but I am worried about Rita, I thought she was changing."

"Mother, Rome wasn't built in a day. Rita will be fine, she still made breakfast today, that's a good sign"

Luna Rosa sighed, "I just wish everything would be okay in this family, Rita will be a proper mate and Luna, Rain would act properly, Rafaele would stop getting so angry."

Jax patted her hand. "Everything will be fine mother, I assure you of that" he told her.

Rafaele opened the door of Rain's room. He was shocked to see Rain and Rita eating.

"Can someone tell me what is going on?" he asked.

"What does it look like? We are eating breakfast" Rita told him.

"I can see that but why are you eating breakfast here rather than in the kitchen?" Rafaele asked them.

"Is there any law that says we must eat with the family?" Rain asked him.

"There is no law that states that but it's the proper thing to do"

"Why?" Rain asked him.

Rafaele resisted the urge to tear out his hair.

"I am very busy as the Alpha of this pack and so is mother with the Luna duties, Jax is also busy with his beta duties. Mealtimes are the only time we see each other sometimes. If you decide not to join Mealtimes, how do I check on you to know how you are doing?"

"But Rita never joined and you said nothing." Rain pointed out.

"I know it wasn't ideal but we share a room together and I didn't think I should force her to join mealtimes but now I know better and I just want us all to join mealtimes as long as we are home."

"If I join you all at the table, you won't nag at me all the time, right?" Rain asked.

Rafaele smiled. "I won't nag at you, I will try my best" he assured his brother.

"Fine, I will join the table" Rain said with a scoff.

"And you?" Rafaele asked Rina.

She smiled, "I will join the table too" she replied.

"let's go down" Rafaele told her with a smile.

Rain rolled his eyes and grabbed the plate.

"I will be in the kitchen while you two make lovey dovey eyes at each other"

Rafaele smiled as his brother went down.

"Why are you even eating with him?" Rafaele asked Rina.

She shrugged, "Well I thought I should keep him company and show him the importance of eating with someone"

Rafaele reached for her hand and pulled her close to him.

"You are full of surprises these days"

Rina awkwardly tried to push him away.

"We should go down, they are waiting for us."

"I am sure they can wait for much longer." Rafaele told her.

'Oh goddess' this wasn't supposed to happen. All she was supposed to do was sit and look pretty.

Rafaele released her. "Let's go then" he told her.

She smiled awkwardly and fled the room. Rafaele shook his head in amusement and left the room as well.

Breakfast went smoothly, Rafaele and Jax left to attend to the pack duties while Rain went back to his room.

It was just Luna Rosa and Rina left in the kitchen.

Rina busied herself with washing the dishes.

"Rita dear, what are your plans for today?" luna Rosa asked.

"I don't have plans today"

"that's strange, you usually go out with your friends in the other pack" Luna Rosa observed.

"Ah! I just decided to stay home, I don't feel like going out" Rina replied calmly even though she was panicked inside.

Rita hadn't told her anything about hanging out with her friends. What if these friends came to look for her? What would she do?