001| The Move

MENA

"Now, remember, Mena," my mother began, using a fake sweet voice, "I want you to be on your best behavior because you have to impress your new father and brother. Your brother, Jude, is the Alpha heir, so you owe him a lot of respect. I want you to do everything he tells you to. Offer to clean his room and do nice things for him. Do it without question. Always serve him no matter what he asks. The bottom line is that I want you to get on his good side. Don't embarrass me."

I turned my head slowly to look at her. Her look was pointed like she didn't expect me to rebel against this at all. "How can you ask me to do that, Mom? You want me to play maid to your stepson?"

"Don't give me that crap, Filomena!" she yelled, wide-eyed, just as she parked her car in front of her new house. It was a mansion, really. Her fake sweetness was gone now. "You have a lot to be thankful for because if it weren't for me, you'd be living in that dump your father left for you! You should be thankful that we're accepting you into our home! A home where you'll be comfortable and have everything that broke father of yours couldn't give you!"

Her words sliced into me. Being in this car with her was the last place in the world I wanted to be, but I made a promise to my father on his deathbed that I would come live with her when he was gone, get an education, and get protection from her new pack.

My father's words right before he closed his eyes and took his dying breath right in front of me popped into my mind. "I don't want you to be alone. Go to her. Get your degree. Please, Mena. Do this for me. It's the only thing I'll ever ask of you."

That was the reason why I was here, or I would never have come anywhere near her.

My mother and I never got along, ever since I was a child. My childhood was filled with her screams and curses. She'd tell me all sorts of things, like I ruined her figure and I was the cause of her being stuck with my father, who was a poor Omega. My mother was born to a Beta father, and she was rich, but she fell in love with my father and ran away with him, but later on, she regretted her decision.

This made her angry all the time, and she took it out on me. Sometimes, she even beat me when I did something wrong, and that's something I never forgot.

One day, she abandoned both me and him to pursue a relationship with a man she had already been cheating on my father with, who I'm guessing is this new husband of hers. She never looked back. Never called. And it stayed that way for years.

The only thing I heard from her after four years of her being missing was that she'd married some rich alpha, who was this new stepfather of mine, and she never even sent me an invitation to her wedding, even though I was twelve when it happened.

I was stunned when I called her and she picked up the phone. Before I could even ask her for the favor to live with her, she told me to come. For a moment, I thought she had changed.

I was wrong.

Mom broke the silence with harsher words. "Denzel died and left you a run-down house that can't be lived in and a busted car! Hah! My husband will provide for you and even pay for your school, so I expect you to do as you're told and not be an ungrateful brat!"

This time, I kept my lips shut and didn't say a word, but inside, I was burning with rage.

"If you want to change your mind, fine!" she continued angrily. "But remember this: I won't give you second chances. I don't even want you here—I'm only performing my duty as a mother. If you mess things up for me, I'll get rid of you quickly!"

A man appeared at the massive, tall front door. He was looking right at the car, and I figured out that he was probably my stepfather. Her husband. Mom fixed her hair even though there was no need to, and turned to look at me with a warning in her eyes.

Deep down, I already knew this arrangement would never work. The only reason why I was here was because my father begged me to right before he died. I made a promise to him, and this was me keeping it.

"I've had enough of you already," she spat in a much lower voice. "You will do as I say, or you'll find yourself living in the streets. Like I said, you will do whatever Jude wants! If he wants you to clean his room, you do it. If he orders you to take his plate into the kitchen or fetch him a glass of water, you do it! Hell, if he tells you to bark, you do it, too!"

She opened the door and got out. I watched her for a few seconds, calming myself, and then I got out, too.

She was already standing next to her husband, Alpha Marcus Trevelyan of the Rebel Moon Pack, and they shared a kiss before he turned to me. "You must be Mena!"

"Yes," I said a little coldly as I walked toward him, extending my hand for him to shake. "Filomena Averette. It's a pleasure to meet you."

He shook my hand and laughter rumbled in his chest. "There's no need for such formalities, Filomena. Is it alright if I call you Mena?" I nodded. "We're all going to be a family from now on, and I want you to be comfortable. Okay?"

I nodded and refused to look at my mother, who was watching me with a wild look in her eyes. Her husband took over and placed his hand on my upper back to guide me into their home. "This is where we live, for the most part. We do have a cabin in the mountains for vacations. And of course, the occasional weekend getaway."

He and Mom exchange a look and she chuckles before they kiss again. Wow. She looks so calm and collected in his presence that it almost feels like I dreamt up her screaming in the car.

I wonder what her new husband would think if he knew my mother once shifted and bit a chunk off my father's leg mid-argument.

He never walked right after that, and she abandoned us directly after.

"I'll show you your room," Alpha Marcus said.

"No!" Mom protested. "One of the maids can do it."

He gave her an odd look. "Mena is family. We have to be the ones who show her around." His eyes met mine. "Come, Mena."

I followed him up the stairs while Mom stayed downstairs, watching us. I didn't look back at her once.

"I put you in the room right next to Jude's," he explained. "Jude is my son. He's a little older than you and he lives with us. I figured you could...interact more. You'll even share a bathroom."

He pushed my new bedroom door open and gestured for me to head inside. The first thing I saw was the massive poster bed in the middle of the room. This room was huge—I even had a couch. The next thing was the door that led to the bathroom we'd share. It was pretty massive, too.

"I hope you like everything."

"I do. Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me," he claimed as he leaned against the door frame. He was tall, with bright blue eyes and gray hair at his temples. He had a nice face. When I saw his photo on the Internet, I thought he'd be scarier. "Mena, my hope is that you'll be a good influence for him. My son...he's fierce and everything an alpha should be, but he's..."

Alpha Marcus struggled to find the words. He then finished with, "I've always wanted him to have a sibling, and your mother told me you've always been very calm and sensible. I'm hoping you'll rub off on him."

I found this very strange. Well, at least what my mother said about him made sense now. If he wanted a maid, that meant he was bossy. "Sure."

He looked at me intently. "I hope that's okay with you."

"Yes. It is. I want to repay you in any way that I can."

He frowned. "No, don't even think about that. You're family now, alright? You don't owe me anything. It's my pleasure to help, and I'm sorry about your father."

I gulped and nodded. How could I say no when I had to make this work to keep the promise to my father?

Someone hooted loudly downstairs, and the sound made me jump. Alpha Marcus said, "That must be him. Wait here, will you? I'll be right back."

He closed the door and left me alone. I looked around and headed toward the balcony of the new room in my new life.

I leaned against the railings and looked down. A sleek car was parked right beside the car Mom drove, and the door opened before a guy walked out, dressed in all black with sunglasses on his face.

As if sensing my eyes on him, he looked up and we made eye contact for a few seconds before he walked inside.

I had the impression that I saw his lips curving, but maybe I got it all wrong.

He had to be Jude, my stepbrother.

Well, all I could do now was hope that he didn't ask me to bark.

Because I definitely wouldn't.