Chapter 3 - Lena

I stood in front of the mirror, nerves filling the pit of my stomach as I could hear my sister moving around in the room next to me. It was unusual that we would be called to the packhouse. I had ran through recent days in my mind trying hard to recall events that had happened to try to recollect anything that may have happened which could have angered the senior members of pack. But no matter how hard I thought there was nothing that came to mind…

I adjusted my tank top slightly before once more checking my reflection and leaving my room. Meeting my sister, Cora upon the hallway outside of the doorway of my room. “Ready for this?” She said with a roll of her big blue eyes.

I could not help but smile. My sister was not one for letting things get to her. Nor would I imagine she had been considering the things that she could have done that may have got her in trouble. Cora was somewhat a free spirit. Liking to do as she pleased. I was surprised she had even agreed to come to the meeting at all.

“Not really, I feel a little sick in fact.” I told her as we began to walk down the stairs, causing Cora to giggle as she tossed her blond waves over her shoulders as she turned to look back at me.

“Aww, little Lena, you are funny!” She chided. “They will be trying to find us crap to do around pack like they do, you know that. Former Beta’s granddaughters and all that.”

I did not see how the fact our grandfather was the former Beta was relevant. Our father was the second son which meant he did not inherit the title of Beta, and therefore he had taken a job within pack as a CEO of the pack business. He was successful in his own right, and we were always busy doing things connected to the business, so the meeting made such little sense.

“Come on girls, we are waiting.” My Dad greeted us the moment we reached the bottom of the steps, his face had an almost unreadable expression upon it, which did nothing to settle the unease within my belly. Did he know what they needed to discuss with us? The look upon his face did not appear to be a happy on, and that concerned me.

“Is everything okay, Dad?” I asked as he held the door open for us, but instead of a real answer all I received was a brief nod. Something was wrong, and I don’t think I liked it. If my Dad knew what they wanted to talk with us about and it was making him uneasy then that meant it had to be bad, right? The fact my Mum had not spoken a word since we joined them was so unlike her, and that worried me further.

“Finally!” A voice greeted us the moment we had all stepped from the house, and it was a familiar voice. That of my Uncle, Jack, our pack Beta. “You know he will be waiting on us, right?”

Dad gave his brother a cold glare, while I felt myself frowning. He? Who were they talking of? ‘Dad? Who is waiting on us?’ I mindlinked, but the link was dead. Like he had chosen to ignore my question, and as I turned to look at my sister I could see the same confusion upon her face telling me she may well be thinking the same thing.

‘Something does not feel right Cora.’ I linked her and she nodded.

‘Who are we going to see?’ She questioned. She wanted the same answers I did. Answers nobody seemed willing to give us.

‘I don’t know. Nothing was mentioned. Just that they wanted to talk to us. But for Uncle Jack to be here, which again was not mentioned, do we assume it would be Alpha Roberto?’ I linked again, watching as my sister’s eyes narrowed.

‘But he rarely bothers with us. This is not sitting right with me. I don’t like it LeLe.’ Despite us communicating through the mindlink her voice was barely a whisper.

‘Me either.’ I replied, as I felt my Uncle rushing me along as he placed his hand upon my back. Whoever we were going to meet, my Uncle was not happy about keeping them waiting.

“Quickly. We have things to do, you know?” He snapped. He was so different to my Dad, I guess the pressures of the role of Beta in pack were a lot for him to take on. But he always seemed so stressed.

“Uncle where are we going?” I asked politely as I fell into step alongside him while walking toward the packhouse, and he gave me a look that told me to mind my own business, so I looked down to the ground, feeling embarressed to have even asked. He evidently did not want to talk. Instead he was rushing forward to the packhouse where we were to have this apparent meeting they were wanting with me and my sister, so I was left with little option but to follow.

We walked through the doors of the packhouse, a building I loved and one that usually felt like home, but today as I followed my Uncle, my father and mother through the large front doors it felt like I was being led to my sacrifice. Something did not feel right and I could not put my finger on what it was. That I did not like.

“Ah there you are.” Marco, the upcoming Alpha said from the wall he leant upon next to the lounge. His dark eyes giving us a glowering glance. “Nothing like keeping us waiting is there? Dad is on his third coffee.”

“Hmm, sorry about that, you ,now what girls are like.” Uncle Jack said with a chuckle. I rolled my eyes at the dismissive way they discussed us. We were ready at the time we were asked to be as far as I knew, and yet they still complained we were late. Infuriating!

We were guided into the large library next door to the lounge, where our pack Alpha, Alberto De Luca was sitting at a large table, nursing a mug of coffee looking like he needed a few more hours sleep. I doubted the fact he had drunk three coffees already was going to do him any harm...

“Ah sweet girls, so good to see you. Why does it seem like an eternity since I saw you both?” He greeted Cora and I with warm smiles. Okay, that was odd, as nobody else had acted like that toward us. Not to mention it was being implied he was angy we had been keeping him waiting was he not?

“Alpha.” I smiled in response, as he motioned for us to sit down. I sat down alongside my sister who gave me a confused look.

‘What the hell is going on? Who have you pissed off?’ She mindlinked. 'Though if you pissed someone off I doubt Alpha Berto would be acting like he was dosed up on happy pills. He does seem weird, right? It isnt just me, is it?'

I held back a smile at my sister's words. She was not wrong. Alpha Alberto was acting overly friendly, which was only adding to my concerns if I was honest. ‘Didn’t we go through this already? Nobody! But, I agree Alpha does seem weird. Very weird. In truth, Cora, I have no clue what is happening, but I know I feel sick…’

“Right girls, we will not beat around the bush, I have other things to do today, and there is no point dawdling about telling you.” Alpha Alberto spoke firmly, and I watched as my Dad ran his hand through his hair, in what looked like panic, something told me he knew what was coming, and I don’t think he liked it…