7. Aquired Taste

Nivia’s pov

It annoyed him so damn much when I talked, so I kept going, not giving my mate a moment of rest from my voice.

He had treated me like crap, and while I have given in to Gwyn’s request to stay here and give Alpha Dashwood another chance, it doesn’t mean I’m going to make it easy.

 Besides, I’m a nervous talker. So talking just comes naturally to me in awkward situations. I get it from my grandma. Well, both of them. All of them? I chuckled as I thought of all the women in my family.

Grandma Lily is a great talker, but she can be pretty quiet when she’s busy painting. Then there’s Grandma April, who can’t get a word in when she’s around Grandpa Cy. They’re all actually my great-grandparents, but that’s a mouthful. Then there are my real grandparents, Grandma Leia and Grandma Eve. Eve isn’t as talkative as Leia.

She did teach us all Dutch, which is a nice skill to have. Maybe I need to start cursing in Dutch to avoid more fights with Asswood.

Out of all the grandparents, Grandma Leia is my favorite. She’s the reason I have pink streaks in my hair.

It’s hard for her because most of her kids and grandkids live elsewhere. So I think she gives special attention to me and Forrest. All the love she would usually put into her other grandkids, she now gives to us, but I am not complaining.

I wish she were here; she would have kicked Alpha Dashwood’s ass. She’s tiny, but mighty and so very scary when she wants to be. Even my grandpa, the infamous Iron Alpha, is scared of her sometimes.

I chuckled again, imagining Grandma Leia tackling the cranky British man next to me to the ground.

“You sound unhinged when you laugh like that,” My lovely mate suddenly said. I did not realize I had laughed out loud.

Maybe I should invite her here sooner rather than later...

We arrived at the packhouse, which was just an average-looking building. A bit larger than the Alpha’s house, but it looked a bit rough around the edges.

I didn’t say anything, not wanting to insult the pack, but if it were up to me, I’d fix this place up and make sure it felt like a safe place for the pack members to visit.

“Ladies first.” When did the asshole suddenly turn into a gentleman?

It’s funny; he thinks he’s the epitome of politeness while scolding me on my elbows, my way of speaking, or anything else I do. But he fails to realize that his way of speaking comes across as much more rude than mine.

I might swear from time to time, but I don’t blatantly call people out on their behavior or insult them for no good reason.

I walked up the stairs, swaying my ass left and right, hoping he would get a good view of the one thing he’ll never get.

Sam and his mate, Sarah, opened the door for us together, both greeting us with a warmth I had missed inside Alpha Dashwood’s house. It has only been a day, I keep reminding myself.

“Nivia, it’s so nice to meet you.” Sarah said with a warm smile after bowing to us.

I don’t like the whole barring your neck thing like I’m royalty, so I gave her a hug, “sorry, I’m a hugger.”

Sarah giggled, “oh, no need to apologize. I love hugs. Come on in!”

She was a few years older than me and reminded me of my aunt Kat. She had the same stunning dark eyes and curls. Although my great-aunt Kat has been wearing her hair short for years, she once wore braids similar to those of Sarah. Grandma Leia showed me all the embarrassing pictures of them when they were young a few years back.

We walked into the packhouse. It was clear they had tried to make things cozy, but they must have lacked the funds to really do it.

From what Alpha Dashwood shared during our negotiations for a treaty, the pack was doing well. So why did my mate decide it wasn’t important to reflect this in the packhouse?

A packhouse is like the heart of the pack; it’s a place where everyone is able to turn to when they need help. It’s in the fucking name! Pack… House!

“I have business to attend to,” my least favorite person in this house said.

“Okay, have fun.” I replied with a fake smile.

He had this constipated look on his face as he just sighed and walked away to his office.

“Let me show you around,” Sarah offered.

She showed me around the various rooms and offices while she spoke a little about the pack.

“You know, I didn’t expect Alpha Ford’s mate to be this, um…”

“Young? Cheery? Talkative?” My words made her giggle.

“Yes, Alpha Ford’s chosen mate was very different. A very quiet woman who kept to herself. A great mother to those kids, but I never really got to know her well. I hope I get the chance to get to know you. I would love it if you stayed.” Sarah admitted.

My wolf growled at the mention of Alpha Daswood’s chosen mate.

No. You know what. I might be forced to call him Alpha Dashwood in public, but I will not call him that in my thoughts or in conversations with my wolf. I refuse to speak about my own mate like he’s above me.

“I assume Sam told you I am here temporarily?” I asked.

“Yes, Sam said, you might not be staying long. I just hope Alpha Ford gives you a chance to see the real him. It often takes people a while to warm up to him. He’s an acquired taste.” She said, winking at me.

“Like black licorice? Because I tried it, I really did, but I still think it’s gross.” I joked back.

Sarah laughed, “you’re funny. I like that. No, but he came here from another country, not knowing much about how we ran things. His father wasn’t a great alpha, using pack funds for his own gain. People were living in poverty. He’s greatly improved this pack. Alpha Ford may not show it, but he genuinely cares for his people."

I sighed, adjusting my hair to one shoulder. “I hope I'll get to see that side of him.”

She looked around to see who was listening, but the packhouse was pretty empty besides us four, and I knew Ford was busy working anyway. “Just be careful, especially with people who are tied to the council.”

“The Council?”

She nodded, “some elderly members and members with money who want a say in how the pack is run. They’re the ones who forced Alpha Ford to take a chosen mate. They have some old-fashioned views of how things should be.”

“Like Alpha Dashwood?” I replied. “He seems pretty old-fashioned.”

She shook her head, “much worse, Luna. Much worse.”

“Just Nivia is fine. But thanks for the warning.” I replied, wondering what kind of hold this council had over the pack. Ford never mentioned them to me. Maybe because he’s too arrogant to admit something is wrong with his pack. Or to admit he’s not the perfect alpha he claims to be.

She smiled at me, “but enough about that. Let’s talk about something else.”

We spent the rest of the afternoon talking about our families, our favorite songs, books, and the names she had picked for the baby. 

Sarah shared how she and Sam met and how excited they were to start their family.

"We wanted to wait a while until we felt it was safe enough to have pups." She admitted.

"Safe enough?"

She nodded, "there has been a lot of unrest; there have been many rogue attacks, and after our former Luna died, it just didn't feel right to get pregnant."

"But now the timing feels right?" I asked.

She smiled, "it does. The pack is doing great; Sam feels at ease at his job. Like he knows what he’s doing, and he’s got a good relationship with Alpha Ford.” She chuckled, “and in the end, you can plan all you want, but life has a mind of its own. Like with you…”

I scoffed jokingly, “well, I sure as shit didn’t plan this!”

She giggled, “I know, but I’m a firm believer in things happening for a reason. Maybe I’m just a bit more religious than most people around this area, but I truly trust the Moon Goddess and her plan.”

I smiled at Sarah, “I’ve seen true love in many forms, mated by destiny or chosen by love. Almost everyone in my family has a great love story, one they tell stories about.” I sighed, “I just…”

“You thought it would start differently?” Sarah tried to fill in my words. “Some have that big romantic reveal when they meet their mate, but for a lot it’s just awkward or confusing. Suddenly you’re thrown into a relationship with someone you barely know. You feel this attraction, these sparks, this lust... yet, you don’t even know their favorite movie, food, or color. You don’t know if they’re a momma’s boy or if they cut their toenails in bed.”

“Please don’t tell me Sam cuts his toenails in bed!” I exclaimed. Goddess, that’s gross.

She giggled and whispered, “no, but he does chew very loudly. It drives me crazy.”

I laughed loudly, imagining Sarah giving death glares to Sam every meal and telling him to chew softly.

Sarah seemed like a great person, and I would have loved to be friends with her, but I wasn’t staying here long enough for that.

From the other side of the room, I suddenly felt eyes on me. I turned my head slightly, seeing Ford staring at me. For a moment he didn’t seem like a total douche. The expression on his face was kind, and if he were anyone else, I would say he looked at me as if he liked me.

But he isn’t anyone else.

We locked eyes across the room, and as much as I wanted to look away, I couldn’t. Despite his personality, he really is handsome. In the end it was Ford that broke away first, as he cleared his throat. “Miss Omari, it’s time to head home.”

I thanked Sarah for her time and told Samuel and Sarah I’d probably see them tomorrow, since I wanted to get some work done for the Iron River pack.

Ford and I walked back in silence for a while, until I couldn’t take it anymore and tried to fill the awkward silence with anything.

“Sarah is nice.”

“Indeed she is.”

Okay… Um... What else... “So, she said there’s a council or something? Do I need to meet them?”

He nodded, “I have a meeting planned for us tomorrow.”

I stopped as I looked up at him. “And you were going to tell me this when?”

He turned to face me, “I am telling you now.”

“And if I hadn't asked?”

He shrugged, “then I would have informed you tomorrow. Let’s continue our walk, Miss Omari. I am famished. We didn't consume much food during lunch."

Great talk… Is this how it would be? If I were to stay here? I’d be informed instead of being part of the decision-making process. Instead of running a pack back home, I’d be a Luna without any say.

I scoffed internally, mentioning lunch as if nothing happened. Like seriously, let’s just pretend that whole bloody nose thing didn’t happen. Like he didn’t alpha command me like a toddler.