I was left reeling, my mind a whirlwind of confusion. What the hell just happened? What alliance was he referring to, and why had his anger flared so suddenly? He should feel the same way I did. This wasn’t right, and lashing out at me wouldn’t make things any better.
Asshole.
Sure, he was handsome, and yes, he was Alpha, but he was also a complete idiot. What was I supposed to do now? For a fleeting moment, I considered shifting into my wolf form and disappearing into the woods.
But that would mean leaving my clothes behind, and his pack would track me down within minutes. I’d be in deep shit.
Eventually, I returned to the room, where both my mom and dad were waiting, their eyes on me. Thankfully, he wasn’t there.
I was relieved to see my wine glass still full; otherwise, I would have had to show my disrespect by opening another bottle. But who cared? I was going to be living here.
I could feel my mom’s gaze on me, her eyes filled with concern. I ignored her, choosing instead to focus on my wine glass.
“Liam, can we speak privately?” My dad stood up. What did he want to discuss with him in private?
“Sure, let's move to my office.” They both left the room, and as soon as they were gone, my mom turned to me. I knew she wouldn’t be able to hold her tongue for long.
“What happened here? You look furious.”
“I am, but I don’t want to talk about it, so drop it.” Surprisingly, she didn’t press further. Anna, the woman who had served us dinner, came over to ask if we needed anything else.
She seemed nice. I hadn’t noticed anyone else around, so I assumed she was running the place on her own.
“Thank you, we’re fine.” I smiled at her. We sat there for half an hour, sipping our drinks and taking in our surroundings. In the meantime, I received a text message from Ashlee.
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Enjoying yourselves, ladies?” My dad raised an eyebrow at me, a grin on his face. Why was he so happy? I wondered what they had been discussing.
“So, everything’s settled then, isn’t it? I’ve been sold, the wedding is next month, and after that, I’ll move here with all my stuff, while you’ll get a camel and two goats…”
“Mia, please don’t start.” My dad took a seat next to my mom.
“You have quite an interesting sense of humor.” Liam picked up his whiskey glass.
“You’re about to find out,” I retorted, but my mom quickly intervened.
“Okay, I think it’s time for us to leave. Liam, thank you very much for…a lovely dinner and for having us. I’ll send you our guest list, and we’ll see each other next month then.”
I hated them, I truly did. The word “wedding” made my knees weak. This wasn’t right.
“You are very welcome. Everything will be ready.” He smiled at her, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
I said goodbye to Anna and left the house. I wasn’t about to pretend that I had enjoyed my time here or that it was a pleasure to meet him. We got into a taxi and headed back to the hotel.
In the morning, we had a flight back to Idaho.
Once home, Lea bombarded me with questions until I finally had enough. She would meet him next month anyway, just like everyone else.
“Oh, at least can you tell me how he was? Is he as handsome as Ashlee said?” She winked at me.
“It’s relative,” I replied, but my mom, as always, had to have the last word.
“Don’t listen to her.” She pointed at me and quickly added, “He was lovely, and he is a very handsome boy.”
“Handsome boy?! You make me feel like a pedophile!”
Lea laughed and nudged my arm. I was going to miss her so much.
I mean, she could move in with Kai at any time, but we would be miles apart. At least we would be able to visit each other. That was the only silver lining in this whole mess.
“Shush, you.” My mom swatted me with a kitchen towel.
“I’ll tell you this much. As a host, he was rude and horrible. What kind of Alpha doesn’t take the other side into consideration?”
“What do you mean?” Lea frowned. My mom had left the room, so I could tell her the truth.
“I tried to convince him that we don’t have to get married to be allies.”
“And?”
“And he didn’t take it well. Basically, he said I had to accept it and that was that.” I avoided her gaze. I didn’t want Lea to see that it had affected me emotionally.
Of course, that wasn’t true. I was devastated, but if she noticed, she would start blaming herself. I didn’t want that.
“I actually feel sorry for him.” She smirked and hugged me.
I rolled my eyes. “Everyone feels sorry for him. I’m not a bad person! I’m just stubborn, but so is he. I’ll just avoid him. I’ll have to find a job and keep myself busy.
“Okay, Lea, I’d better go now. I want to go for a run by the river, just to relax and stop thinking about all of this.”
“Sure, love you.” She kissed my cheek and started texting someone. Probably Kai. A pang of jealousy clouded my thoughts. I wouldn’t have that. The kind of relationship you would die for.
A whirlwind of smiles, playful expressions, shared laughter, and a passion that threatens to consume you both. First dates, first kisses. I find myself caught in a whirl of emotions, arguing with myself, with him.
I was genuinely happy for her, but I couldn’t bear it any longer. I left the house, seeking solace in the woods.
I quickly arrived at the deer clearing. In the center, the feeder stood out. This was my usual hiding spot for my clothes. It was nearly ten o’clock and the area was deserted.
The darkness was only broken by the soft glow of the moon. Without hesitation, I shifted into my wolf form. It had been almost two weeks since my last transformation, so I needed a moment to adjust to the sensation.
I ran through the woods, my heart pounding with exhilaration. My wolf sight allowed me to see everything with crystal clarity in the darkness. My hearing was also significantly enhanced.
I could hear the soft rustling of animal footsteps, likely a mule deer. I veered away, avoiding the unfamiliar scent.
Like wolves, we could hunt and consume raw meat, but it was a choice, not a compulsion.
The only time we lost control was during estrus, which occurred once a year at the onset of spring. That time of the year was always chaotic.
The scent of desire was everywhere, the need pushing you toward each other.
Those who had mates or partners were the fortunate ones; otherwise, you had to satisfy yourself or find someone willing to help.
I heard that, if you were strong enough, you could resist it. Well, that wasn’t me. I started to feel it once I turned nineteen. It seemed to affect everyone differently.
During my first estrus, I lost my virginity to my ex-boyfriend. A decision I’ve regretted ever since.
Finally, I reached the river. I plunged in, the cool water soothing my heated skin. My mind was clear, free of worries. Mr. Boyle was gone, and so was the wedding issue.
In that moment, I was simply content.
When I returned home, everyone was asleep. I took a shower and went straight to bed. Tomorrow, I had to hand in my resignation at work. Another step that would drastically change my life.
The same nightmare haunted me. Should I get used to it? Did its recurrence mean something? I was certain it was because of this arrangement. It had to be.
I was overthinking, overreacting, and it was all manifesting in my dreams. I knew this nightmare all too well, but that didn’t stop the shivers, the cold sweat.
My mouth was dry, and I needed water. I needed to adopt a more positive outlook; otherwise, it would drive me insane.
The next day, as usual, I left early, skipping breakfast.
Most of my shift was spent with high school classes, teaching about environmental changes and their impact on animal species. During my lunch break, I managed to speak with Katy, the zoo manager.
“Hi, Katy, can I speak to you for a minute?” I approached her. She looked up and invited me into her office.
“Of course, come on in! Is something wrong?” Katy perched on the edge of her desk. I was nervous, and it was evident.
“I…I wanted to thank you for the opportunity and the chance you’ve given me. It was amazing to be part of this team.” My voice wavered. I loved this job, and now I was being forced to give it up.
“You’re leaving us?” She sounded surprised.
“I am, I’m very sorry. I really enjoyed it here, but next month, I’m moving to Montana, and you know…” I attempted a smile, but it felt forced.
“Oh, Mia, we will all miss you, such a shame. It’s with regret, but I will accept your notice. So when are you leaving us?”
“I’ll be moving in mid-August, but I need time to pack my stuff and plan everything. So I wanted my last day to be the end of July if that’s okay with you?”
“Of course, I will reschedule everything. I’ll prepare a reference letter for your future employer. It might come in handy.” She hugged me.
She was such a wonderful person, and I felt a pang of regret at leaving this place. I had learned so much during my time here, and I truly enjoyed it.
“Thanks again. I’ll be going back to work. See you.” I closed the door to her office and headed to the kitchen, where I could finally eat something.
Days passed quickly. My mom was busy planning and organizing everything, and I was grateful she was taking care of it all.
I couldn’t be bothered with the wedding theme color or the guest list. This wasn’t a real wedding for God’s sake. It was an arrangement, a deal being sealed.
The only thing they kept asking about, Mom and Lea, was the wedding dress. To be honest, I didn’t care about that either.
I could show up in the first white dress someone handed me, but Mom and Lea wouldn’t hear of it.
“You both understand that it doesn’t matter what I wear, right?” I found myself shouting.
Why should I feel relaxed when everyone was trying to immerse me in this happy pre-wedding mood that I never wanted?
“Honey, we know this isn’t what you wanted. It’s not what we wanted either, but let’s make the best of it and try to at least pretend we enjoy it.” Mom did her best to sound convincing.
“Mom, we’re already pretending, and it’s all on me. I don’t care what I’ll wear, and believe me, he doesn’t either. Let’s skip the crap. I’ll order something online.”
“You can’t!” My sister raised her voice. “This will probably be your only wedding, the only chance to buy your perfect wedding gown.
Fuck him, but let us be with you, while you try on all those dresses. We’ll be judgmental cows and we’ll tell you how awful you look.
“Please don’t rob us of this...”
Her eyes were pleading, and I could tell this meant the world to her. Maybe they were right. Maybe I could bend my rules just this once, especially for the wedding dress.
“Alright, but we’re only going to one store, and that’s it. And whatever I pick, you all have to be happy with it.” I wagged my finger at them, emphasizing my point.
“Hell no...but deal!” They enveloped me in a group hug, their laughter echoing around us.
