The soft grass tickled my feet as I walked barefoot through the forest. Birds sang, oblivious to the knot twisting in my gut. "You misplaced your shoes again?" Liam, my twin, laughed, slinging an arm around my shoulders.
"Shoes are overrated," I retorted, reaching our backyard.
"Alana!" Mom’s voice was bright as she came to kiss my cheek.
"You saw me two hours ago," I laughed, hugging her back.
"What am I? A ghost?" Liam said sarcastically before giving our mom a kiss and heading inside. We followed suit soon after.
"You lost your shoes again?" Dad asked, exasperated. I nodded, a cheeky smile playing on my lips. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We have to be at the Alpha's house in an hour."
"Why?" Liam asked, leaning against the wall.
"An Alpha is visiting." I didn't bother asking *which* Alpha. They always seemed to be visiting. I headed upstairs to my room. Sweat prickled my skin. It was gross. I peeled my sweaty sports bra and shorts from my sticky body – literally peeled them off.
Ten minutes later, Isla was banging on the door. "Hurry the *fuck* up!" she yelled through the locked door. I rolled my eyes and hurried up.
I wrapped a towel around my body before opening the door. "Calm your tiny boobs," I teased before heading into my closet.
"Bitch, don't talk about my boobs like that!" she exclaimed, following me. She sat on the grey sofa in the middle of the room—a big one.
"It's not my fault you've got the chest of a ten-year-old boy," I joked, sifting through the rails of clothes.
"Wear this!" Isla tossed a dress at me. I examined it. Casual, but not *too* casual. This Alpha visit demanded something better. It was perfect. A high-necked satin dress with balloon sleeves. Pretty.
I turned away from Isla as she rummaged through my shoe stacks. I dropped my towel and grabbed matching bra and panties. Dressed, I grabbed jewelry and heels Isla had given me. She handed me a clutch, stuffing my phone inside. My hair was mostly dry, so I left it down, letting the rest air-dry. Makeup was pointless. Isla never bothered asking.
We walked downstairs just as it was time to leave. The Gamma family was coming too, so Isla was tagging along. "Come on! Get in the car. Let's go!" Dad boomed, sounding like a coach. I swear I was going deaf.
"Alright. Alright," Liam muttered, annoyed, walking out the front door. Minutes later, we were in the car, almost at the pack house.
"Hi," I greeted Isla's parents once we got to the pack house. Isla came with us since she was already at my house.
"Hello, dear," her sophisticated mother replied. Her mom was ice. I wouldn’t want to cross her. I gave a small smile before walking towards my family. I stood side-by-side with Liam, who was looking gloomy.
"What crawled up your ass and died?" I asked, gently nudging his shoulder.
"Alana!" Dad scolded. "Watch your language."
"Dad, I'm nineteen. I'm not a child," I shrugged. He sighed, launching into a lecture on manners and respect. I zoned out until a pair of expensive, beautiful sports cars pulled up. "Woah!" I breathed, staring. They were stunning. Even Liam was gobsmacked.
The owners got out, walking towards us according to rank. The Alpha walked first, his entourage trailing behind him. I looked up, and damn. *Hot*. Muscles bulged as his arms moved, his shirt straining against his bulk.
My breath hitched. It was like the world narrowed to just us. I felt a stupid, cringey heat bloom in my chest. "Mate," Dawn, my wolf, yipped happily in my head. He glanced at my parents, Liam, then acted like I didn’t exist, moving towards the Gamma family.
Why ignore me? It felt like a piece of my heart cracked. I knew my wolf would have done the same thing as his. I swallowed, forcing down the watery eyes. *Don't show weakness.*
I looked up again as we all walked inside. Liam and Isla stared at me, confused. I shrugged helplessly, wondering why he’d blanked me completely.
I could live with dinner with this guy as long as I’m as far away from him as possible. We all sat at the classy dining table, aimless chatter filling the room. "He's hot," Isla whispered into my ear, making sure no one else heard. We’re all werewolves here with super hearing.
I clenched my teeth. Why was I jealous? I pushed the feeling down. "Maybe," I shrugged, feigning carelessness. "I haven't really noticed."
His eyes flickered towards me, and nausea coiled in my gut. It was nerve-wracking. "Dad?" I asked. He looked at me with a raised eyebrow, silently hoping I would use the manners I'd been taught. "I don't feel well. May I be excused?" I knew my dad thought his lecture had made a difference. Ha! If only he knew.
"Yeah, okay. Ask Damon to drop you off at home," he suggested. I nodded, standing up.
I went into the foyer and called Damon, Isla's older brother. He was training the wolves for his dad, so he had an excuse to skip the Alpha visit.
"Hey. What's up?" he asked, knowing I rarely called.
"Hey, are you done with training?"
"Yeah, just about to get in my car. Want me to come pick you up?"
"Yeah, please," I sighed.
"Alright. I'll be there in five." He hung up.
I sat on the stairs as I waited for him to pick me up. He honked the horn, letting me know he was waiting. I rushed outside and got into the warmth of his car, staring out the window, forcing myself not to dwell. He dropped me off ten minutes later. I mumbled a ‘thanks’ and rushed inside.
I kicked off my heels, changed into my pajamas, and got ready for bed. The thought of my mate being so close, yet so distant, made my heart ache.
He’s a stranger, someone I’ve never met, yet I feel like I can’t live without him. It's strange.
I stared at myself in the mirror as anger bubbled up. There were only two ways this could end, and everyone ended up with one of those two endings.
Either madly in love, or with a broken heart and a broken soul.