Chapter 3: Hoping

"What happened earlier?" Remus asked Stella when they were going back to their house. "Nothing important!" Stella answered, and she was looking outside the car. "Don't be so sensitive, Stella! The world that you are living in is worse than you think." Her father told her, and she didn't have the energy to talk back. 

They reached their house, and Daisha immediately welcomed them back. "How's your mate, Stella? Is he good-looking?" Daisha asked her sister after following Stella to her room. "He is, but I don't like him!" Stella answered and lay on her bed. "Why?" Daisha asked her, and Stella remembered what Brandon told her earlier. 

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"I know that you are expecting something from me, but lower your expectation because I can't give you anything." Brandon told her, and Stella looked at him seriously. "I'm not expecting anything from you!" Stella told him, and Brandon nodded his head. "That's good! Just tell your father that you don't like me so  he will stop pushing you to marry me!" Brandon said, but Stella shook her head. "I can't do that!" Stella answered, and Brandon smirked at her. "Then it is your problem now!" Brandon told her and walked away.

Stella watched him leave and couldn't believe that he was the man that her father wanted for her. "Why don't you tell that to my father?" Stella whispered and went back inside the mansion.

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"I want to get some sleep, Daisha!" Stella told her sister, and Daisha nodded her head at her. "Of course! I will leave now!" Daisha answered and went out of her room. Stella was looking at the ceiling and could remember Brandon's face.

"Yeah, he is good-looking, but I don't like his attitude!" Stella told herself and went to sleep.

The next day came, and Stella was busy in their garden when her father called her, "What are you doing there? Digging some soil?" Her father asked her, but she didn't say anything. She was already tired of talking to her father. "Why aren't you answering me, huh?" Remus asked his youngest daughter and looked at her seriously. "I'm tired! Just tell me what I should do!" Stella answered, and Remus nodded his head.

"Alpha Raven wants you to have dinner with them. I will just drive you into their house, and let Brandon drive you back here!" Remus told her daughter, and Stella smirked at him. "What if he didn't want to drive me back home?" Stella asked her father and gave him a tired look. "Then walk until you come back here!" Her father answered, and she just nodded her head.

It was already five in the afternoon, and Stella started preparing herself for dinner with Brandon's family. She picked a black midi dress and put her hair into a bun. She also put light makeup to be presentable in their eyes.

Stella left her room, and her father was waiting for her outside their house. "Get in, they are already waiting for you!" Remus told his daughter, and Stella didn't say anything and entered the car. She fastened her seat belt, and her father started driving away.

"Don't do anything that will drag our name down." Her father warned her, and she just nodded her head. "I will do everything you want!" Stella answered while looking outside the car. "That's good!" Her father said, and they reached the mansion of their alpha.

Stella left the car, but before she could close the door, her father told her something: "Remember what I told you!" Remus said, and Stella rolled her eyes at her father. "I will not drag your name down!" Stella answered and closed the door. 

She watched her father's car leave until Brandon left their mansion. "What are you doing here? Let's go inside!" Brandon said, and she followed him to their house. "Are you not cold?" Brandon asked her, and she just gave him a tired look. "Stop asking me a lot of questions!" Stella told him and went to the living room.

Alpha Raven was waiting for them in the living room. He stood up when he saw Brandon with Stella. "Good evening, young lady!" Alpha Raven greeted Stella, and Stella smiled at him. "Nice to see you again, Alpa Raven!" Stella said, and Brandon couldn't stop himself from smirking at her. "Let's go to the dining area!" Alpha Raven said, and they entered the dining area.

Stella was startled when Brandon offered her a chair, "Such a plastic!" Stella whispered to him, and Brandon glared at her. "Just sit!" Brandon also whispered to her. "Thank you!" Stella told him and gave him a fake smile. "You're welcome!" Brandon answered and smirked at her.

"Serve the food now!" Alpha Raven instructed their maids, and they served the food right away. "Give me some water, please?" Stella told the maid next to her, "I will!" The maid told her, and Stella smiled at her. She didn't forget to thank the maid for her service.

"Let's start eating now!" Alpha Raven said, and Brandon started serving food to Stella. "Oh! I can do it alone!" Stella told him, but Brandon didn't listen to her. "Let me help you, Stella!" Brandon said, and Stella froze when she heard Brandon say her name.

They started eating, and Stella was conscious while eating her food. "So, Beta Helias trained you to become a warrior?" Alpha Raven asked her, and Stella nodded her head. "His daughter is my best friend, so we used to train together under Beta Helias' supervision." Stella answered, and Alpha Raven was listening to her. "Brandon didn't want to take his training under Beta Helias because he wanted to train without help from others." Alpha Raven said, and Stella looked at Brandon.

"I'm training with someone now!" Brandon answered, and his father immediately looked at him. "With who?" His father asked him and waited for his answer. "It's confidential!" Brandon answered and drank some water. "You should be open with Stella after your marriage!" Alpha Raven said, and Stella got choked with water. 

"Nah! It's fine!" Stella answered and cleared her throat. 

They finished eating and the maids served red wine. Stella was looking at the wine when Brandon got it. "Do you know how to drink this?" Brandon asked her, and she just looked at him. She didn't say anything and stood up from her chair. "I will just get some air outside!" Stella told Alpha Raven, "Are you okay? Do you need something?" Alpha Raven asked her, and she immediately shook her head. "I'm fine, I want to get some air!" Stella answered, and Alpha Raven let her go outside the mansion. 

Stella was walking outside and looking at the flowers in the garden. "My Mom built that garden before she died." Stella was startled when Brandon appeared, "That's why it's beautiful!" Stella answered while looking at the garden. "I'm sorry for everything I told you last time." Brandon told her, and Stella looked at him. "It is fine, I'm used to it!" Stella answered and started walking again. 

"Used to it? What do you mean?" Brandon asked her, and she immediately shook her head. "Nothing!" Stella answered and didn't want to share what was happening to her life. "I want to be alone!" Stella added, and Brandon let her walk alone. 

Stella stopped walking when she saw a bench near the pond, "I don't know what to do now, Mom!" she whispered and sat on the bench. "I wish that you are still here with me." Stella said and didn't realise that she was already crying. She wiped her tears when she heard footsteps towards her. 

"What are you doing here alone?" Alpha Raven appeared, and Stella smiled at him. "I'm appreciating this place!" Stella answered, and Alpha Raven nodded his head. "When your father talked to me about marriage between you and Brandon, I was shocked because it was new to me when he asked something from me." Alpha Raven told her, and she was listening to him attentively. 

"Do you want to get married to my son?" Alpha Raven asked her, and she looked at him. She needed to think about what she should answer because it might change his perspective towards her. "Yes, I want to get married to him." Stella answered even though it was not what she felt. 

"Thank you for choosing my son! He's just like that, but he is a warm person."Alpha Raven told her and decided to go back to the mansion. Stella wanted to go home so she went to find Brandon. 

"Where can I see Brandon?" Stella asked the maid when she saw her walking near her. "He likes to stay outside, just walk around and you can find him there." The maid answered, and Stella nodded her head. "Thank you!" Stella answered and started walking away. 

She walked past the pond and the garden, but she couldn't find Brandon. She wanted to go home but no one could drive her back to her home. When she couldn't find Brandon, she decided to walk until she reached her home. 

Stella didn't need light while walking in the dark, she could see the road even though it was already dark. She was complaining about her legs but didn't want to shift into her wolf form. 

Almost an hour passed, and she was still walking. No one passed the road so she didn't have a choice but to walk again. "Dang, I should learn how to drive!" Stella told herself and kept on walking. She knew that it was already midnight but she was still on the road walking alone.

"I know that he will not drive me back home so it is better to leave without saying goodbye to them." Stella was talking to herself when a car stopped beside her. She immediately looked at and tried to see who was inside the car.

The window opened, and she saw Brandon inside the car. "My Dad told me that I should drive you home." Brandon said, but she refused to get inside the car. "I'm sorry for being a burden but I can walk." Stella told him, and Brandon nodded his head. "Okay, I will just tell him that you don't want to ride with me." Brandon answered and closed the window. He made a U-turn and drove away. 

"Yeah, that's right! I don't need you!" Stella said and went back on walking. Half an hour had passed, and she was still walking on the road. "I didn't want to ruin my dress!" Stella told herself and didn't want to change her appearance. 

She was startled when she heard a siren behind her so turned around. "Don't be stubborn, come inside!" Brandon told her, and Stella decided to get inside his car. She fastened her seat belt, and Brandon started driving. "My Dad will get mad at me if I let you walk." Brandon told her, but she didn't say anything. She was too tired to talk now, and she wanted to drink some water. 

"There's water at the back, if you need some just get it!" Brandon told her, and she immediately looked at the back seat. She saw a bottle of water and got it from the back. "Thank you!" Stellas said and drank the water. "Gosh! I'm tired!" Stella said and looked outside the car. 

"Why didn't you call me?" Brandon asked her, but she didn't want to tell him that she looked for him earlier. "I told you that I can walk!" Stella answered while looking outside. "But you just said that you are tired!" Brandon told her, and she rolled her eyes at him. 

"Oh! My fault!" Stella said and didn't say anything again. They reached Stella's house, and she got out of the car. "Thank you!" Stella said and closed the door. "No problem!" Brandon answered even though she couldn't hear it. 

Stella waited for Brandon to drive away before she went inside their house. She was startled when her father appeared from the living room. 

"What happened earlier?" Remus asked his daughter, and Stella just looked at him.