CHAPTER 3 – DINNER

*HERON’S POV*

Sitting around the dinner table, my sister snuck up from behind and hugged me. “What’s up, little brother?”

Her infectious smile always made my mouth curve into one as well. “Pretty much the same. You know how boring I am.”

A frown subdued her features as her lips thinned. “If your life is so uneventful, why don’t you make things happen for yourself? Go visit your friends from high school or start college.”

I glanced at Mom, who refused to look at me. She must have egged Pandia into being her accomplice. The obvious guilt was plastered on her face. “My life is fine as it is.”

Dad had not joined us yet. Usually, Mom does not allow us to begin without his presence. So, something must be keeping him away. However, my Beta and Delta were here with me.

“Your commanding officers should not be cooped up in an isolated cottage. If you lived here, they could contribute much more to operations.” Pandia was a replica of our Mom.

Don’t tell me I will have to endure both of their unremitting lectures through dinner. This was an ambush that I should have stayed clear of.

Dad entered the dining room and took his customary seat at the head of the table. He glanced at everyone around the large table. “I’m happy to see my family together. It’s been a while.”

“Pandia is only a year away from completing her degree and will return home,” Mom stated as she shared some mashed potato in her dish. Surely that was to prick on my conscience.

“It’ll be good for you to be close to your brother,” Dad tells her, meaning that she should return home after the completion of her studies.

Frankly, I did not need further babysitting. I could manage on my own. I take my own showers and can cook my meals. Though Omega Nikki has recently been the maid assigned to the cottage for cleaning only.

“So, I heard that we have five punks in the dungeon,” Dad mentioned with eyes fixed on me, “I was delayed by a phone call from Ted Callaghan about us having his son.”

Ted Callaghan owned a few jewelry stores across our territories, which would be two states. He was affluent as well as one of Dad’s friends from high school. They used to go car racing together.

“Those goons were bullying someone,” I simply said, with a shrug. There was no need for more details than that.

“Have you done the report?” Dad asked, chewing his steak.

“Not yet, father,” I deadpanned. The question irritated me.

Reports were important to monitor pack members and activities. I was aware of how things operated. Most Alphas inherited the reigns at age eighteen. So I had adept knowledge of how to manage the pack and all the reports, it's just that I did not want the fucking title.

“Who were they bullying?” Again with the questions as he threw another one at me. I am almost Alpha too, so I have the authority to do as I please in the meantime.

I paused from cutting the meat on my plate with the knife and fork in my hand. I did not wish to tell him about my mate. That would only propagate more questions. Both Mom and Pandia were also giving me stares, while Forbes and Sage acted normally.

“A girl,” I terse. My food was getting cold from all this talking. I put a large chunk of steak in my mouth.

“Heron, what happened?” Pandia inquired with her mouth full. Some bad habits never grow old. I looked across at her. She was a true beauty with her black wavy hair and green eyes. She got Dad’s eyes while I inherited Mom’s blue ones.

“Forbes and Axel are on the case. We will figure that out soon.” I aimed my gaze directly at Dad, “I will not release any of them until I find that girl.”

“How badly did they hurt her?” Mom wanted to know. As Luna, the women and children were her responsibility.

“She seemed fine, but they were chasing after her,” I hurriedly digressed, “So Pandia, any boyfriends?”

That should get Dad’s attention on my older sister. Dad’s green orbs snapped on her. He waits for her to decline the notion.

Pandia glares daggers at me and says, “No one at all, father.”

For some reason, I felt that she fibbed. When Dad turned away, her fiery eyes sliced me as she mouthed, “I am going to kill you.”

An Omega comes into the dining room and curtsies. Mom perks up and beckons her closer. She was a short girl about 5’3, wearing a large fitted blue tunic with a white apron maid uniform. She seems cute with her messy blonde hair and oceanic blue eyes.

With her head kept lowered, she nervously fidgets as Mom speaks, “Heron, this is Mikayla and she will be your new maid.”

“What the hell for?” Immediately I snapped, pausing again on my meal.

“Don’t speak to your Mom like that,” Dad warns with a gruesome expression.

“Omega Nikki will be permanently assigned here while Mikayla takes over at the cottage.” Mom calmly informs me, “She will prepare your meals and do daily housekeeping. The purpose of her being there is to permanently handle all house matters so that Forbes and Sage can be freed up for other affairs.”

“So you are giving me another fucking babysitter?” Enough of this shit. My parents treat me like an invalid. I threw my knife and fork down on my plate as it clinks and clatters.

Appalled, Mom opens her mouth but Dad cuts in too early.

“Heron!” Dad bellowed and I refused to concede. I boiled with anger underneath my skin.

“I’m not a damn invalid!” I yelled as my chest heaved up and down.

“Enough!” Dad’s alpha tone boomed, reverberating through the building as I quieted down.

Mikayla knelt on the ground in terror as our alpha virulent auras permeated the room. How was she going to take care of me with that fearful attitude? Perhaps I should take over the title just so that I could do whatever the hell I wanted, and have some peace, for God’s sake. The interference in my life was exasperating.

Mom commanded the Omega to rise, “Stand, child.”

“You have lost weight and you are not sleeping well.” Mom gently acknowledged, “You need an extra hand. Mikayla is well-trained to assist you. It’s either you accept her as your maid or you move back to the pack house.”

I failed to comprehend what caused my mother to deal me with such a harsh hand of cards. My eyes glared with flames as I thought of her as a thorn in my side. I’m eighteen years old and can fend for myself.

“She reports to me,” Mom’s solemnity gave no room for opposition. “She starts tomorrow morning.”

Yes, she was definitely my mother’s spy. She was placing this feeble girl at my side to monitor everything that I did. Treating me like a child was infuriating. She might as well tell the Omega to wipe my ass too, after I take my shits.

My stormy narrowed eyes met my mother’s soft and loving blue orbs that trounced mine. Dad, for one would ensure that Mom had her way. I know I cannot win this battle, so like a pup, I lapped my tail and concentrated on my cold insipid food.

Of course, I was going to kick her out. I could scare the shit out of her and make her wish that she had never stepped foot into my cottage. She might be under my mother’s protection, but it would be easy to make her life a living hell. Timid, weak, and sore to the eyes. That’s how I saw her.

Look at her just standing at my mother’s side pretending to be innocent and shy. Ridiculous!

With a scowl, I was flaring through my nostrils for the rest of dinner. So, they gave their attention to Pandia. I can’t wait for the evening to end so that I can get the hell out of here. The table was already overcrowded.

“Axel,” Mom greeted her second cousin as he strode in. “Join us.”

“Hi Luna, Alpha,” he bowed and acknowledged the rest of us. “I came to speak with Heron.”

The long-awaited news was here. “Excuse me.” I wheeled my chair out of the room and Axel accompanied me into the corridor. He knew better than to speak in any area where straying eyes and ears could eavesdrop on the conversation. We ended up in Dad’s Alpha office and I closed the door for privacy.

He leans against the wall and begins to brief me, “She attends Luckingham College and is doing a diploma course in Java Programming. Her course concludes at the end of this semester. She is a waitress at Angar’s Eatery and lives on Wellington Road with the Callaghans. They claim that she is their adoptive daughter and the boys were just playing around. So they meant her no harm.”

 “Rubbish,” I whisper yelled. Nothing could make me believe that. “I want to know her family history.”

Axel nods, “She has no parents in the pack but I would have to dig further to find out what happened to them.”

“Do that,” I ordered. “What about her character?”

Axel took a few seconds to respond. “She is vicious and stubborn.”

Those aren’t such bad qualities.

“She is one of our warriors, and she trains extra hard.” Axel reported, “Should I bust her?”

My wolf got angry at his words. I calmed him down and explained to my Gamma, “She’s my mate.” In shock, he opened his mouth to say something but I stopped him, “This stays between us. I don’t want my parents to know about her?”

“And why wouldn’t you want us to know?” A husky voice came from the doorway.

“Dad?” When on earth did he open the door? This man's stealth is a curse. 

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