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**** Alyssa **** As Dara stares at Uncle Simon, the room falls deathly silent. Simon, however, is staring out the side window, clearly lost in thought, oblivious to the significance of this moment. Then, I see his nose twitch and eyebrows crease. When his eyes scroll the room and finally land on Dara, his mouth drops open in shock. Oh, Goddess. No, this can't be happening. I want them both to be happy, but this is too much for him, given everything he's gone through in the last couple of days. Jamie said Simon had been understandably isolating himself, clearly depressed. On the other hand, Dara has wanted a mate for so long. She's the fairytale type. The type that always believed her prince charming would find her one day and sweep her off her feet. Instead, Uncle Simon has just been betrayed by the woman he loved for a decade and is facing running a pack and raising a baby and a toddler while grieving. His present circumstances are way more stressful than when he took over from my
**** Alyssa **** 3 Months Later.… I was hesitant when Enzi first suggested a real wedding. We'd been through so much that I was happy to just move on without it. He had to build a case, explaining how guilty he felt that I hadn't been given the dream wedding he thought I deserved the first time around. He said that he'd always planned for us to have a proper ceremony where he could shout his love for me for all the world to hear. I could hardly believe this was the same man I'd met all those years ago. In the end, we agreed to a wedding that included the traditional Luna oath as part of the ceremony, effectively killing two birds with one stone. Now the day is finally here, I am thankful and thrilled he's put as much effort into this for me. He's gone above and beyond to make me feel special. The pack house and grounds have been completely transformed. I'd decided on a fall wedding with a fall color palette. I wasn't much of a party planner, but apparently, Jada, Enzi's mother
****Alpha Enzi Armett**** Stifling a groan, I toss my duffel bag in the car before turning back to hug my mom, thinking not the dreaded mate lecture again… “You are 21, honey, almost 22! You have to start looking for your Luna. The pack members are starting to wonder about it,” she says for the umpteenth time this week. I shove another groan deep down before it can escape. That would just result in an extended lecture and that disappointed look of hers that I hate. Frankly, I’m pretty sure the pack members couldn’t give a shit if I have a Luna or not right now. We are a successful, safe, stable werewolf pack, and I’m sure that’s enough for everyone. For perspective, werewolves are gifted fated mates by the Moon Goddess and, as such, move much faster in love than humans because it’s easy if you know that you’ve met the one person you’re destined to be with. And as far as my mom is concerned, I’m behind. This is especially funny since werewolves tend to age much slower than humans and
****Alyssa**** This is the happiest I’ve been in a while. OK, not happy, maybe content… way less sad… not crazy depressed…. Next year, I’ll be an official attendant at the ball. This year I am, as I’ve always been, a pretty fixture. I’ve done this meet-and-greet thing countless times in my life. This year, the difference is, that instead of standing beside my loving parents, I was standing beside my aunt and uncle. As the previous Alpha’s daughter and the new Alpha’s niece, I am required to stand here and greet the attendees as they enter the ball. Tonight it’s harder. Though I slap a pretty smile on my face and hide away the pain. Everyone, and I mean everyone, makes a point to tell me how great my parents were, how much they would be missed, how they feel for me, etc, etc. That part of the meet-and-greet sucks. According to my uncle, I’ve been “ding in my shell” since my parents’ deaths and it’s time I “rejoined the world” and this is apparently the perfect time to do it. As much
* ****Alyssa **** I’ve just finished breakfast when I’m summoned to see the Alpha. As I approach my father’s office, no, my uncle’s office, a bad feeling like a physical something is twisting in my belly and I feel a strange restlessness. Gamma John sees me approaching, bangs twice on the door, and opens it for me without waiting for a response from inside the office. The once silent hallway instantly fills with yelling the second the door opens. “I came here for a Luna, and I’ll take her,” Alpha Enzi roars, pointing at me as I enter the room. I’m sorry, what? You’re taking me as your Luna? I resist the urge to look over my shoulder and see who might be standing behind me; he must mean someone else, right? “That’s not how it works, and you know that. These balls help people find their fated mates. This is not a shopping mall for you to just pick anyone you like. Besides, she’s too young and not 18 for another couple of months,” Uncle Simon protests. I was quite surprised by hi
****Alyssa**** The drive is long and quiet. Enzi fought my uncle for me and then doesn’t even want to talk to me. Talk about confusing. He spent the entire drive texting on his phone, staring out the window, or mind-linking his Beta, all while emitting frustrated sighs. At one point he passed his Beta a handwritten note, like we were all 15 and passing notes in class. I’m not sure what he wants me for, but I am not looking forward to whatever it is. As each agonizing minute ticks by, I feel myself retreating into my shell again. I asked my uncle for my phone back right after the wedding, and that was when Alpha Enzi snatched it right from my hand, saying he had to hold on to it for “security reasons for the time being.” Does he think I am a security risk? Does he think I’m a spy or something? It’s not like I chose this ridiculous marriage. I didn’t have any say in the matter at all. Without any contact, my friends will be worried about me. I wonder what my uncle will tell them? Will
**** Alyssa **** In the morning, I dress in my standard workout gear; a sports tank and capris leggings, eager to work off some of my anger. I only hope it's not wolf training day. The last thing I need is to expose that little secret just now, and as far as I know, he doesn’t know that the daughter of the famously strong Alpha Noah is wolfless. Though people used to gossip about my mother, so maybe he suspects it. Not that I care, nope, not one bit. I should have asked the Blond Bimbo how they run their training here. I didn’t even ask her where they meet in the mornings. I scrape my hair into a ponytail and head downstairs, I hear giggling from across the hall as I exit my room. Really!? He couldn’t have the decency to put me further from his room, and I had to listen to them fooling around. I close my door with a little too much force and instantly regret it. He would have heard that slam. It probably gives him pleasure knowing I heard them and that it peaved me off. When I head d
**** Alyssa **** It is now the next day, and I’m still furious. Suddenly I feel like if grudge-holding was an Olympic sport, I’d be a gold medal winner. I’m a firm believer in forgiveness and second chances, everyone has a bad day, everyone gets overwhelmed, and often people have struggles they are hiding. I get that. But if you burn me twice, or you hurt me for fun, then that’s it. I’ll never trust you again. My dear husband is definitely on that list already. Grudge-holding has never before been a fault of mine; I hate who I am becoming here. I see the dickwad having brunch with his mother at the outdoor dining area, right beside the pool. She's beautifully dressed in a light and bright summer dress while he’s in shorts and a bright T-shirt that perfectly compliments his dark skin. From the outside, he looks like the perfect, dutiful son. I wonder if his mother even knows he got married or about the supposed treaty. On impulse, I dash upstairs and decide to screw with him. Ok, s