03 Dinner date

Ruby. 

I got ready for dinner and wore a turtlenecked knitted dress. I was so nervous I vomited twice. The restaurant I was to meet them at was not far from home, so I opted to walk there in heels. I did that a lot, my feet were used to it. I made sure I looked my best in the short dress so no one would ask me why it had a turtle neck. I packed my hair in a bun and doused myself with expensive perfume to cover the scent. Ruby was with me. She did not leave, so I lent her a dress to wear. Unlike me, she hated walking in heels, but the restaurant was too close to call a cab. She wasn't meant to be at the dinner, but I had a plan, and for it to work, she had to be there. 

The restaurant was empty when we arrived. It was typical of Randolph to clear the service and book the entire place for privacy. My brother Gamma Kevin Marlow was waiting for me along with Randolph. Randolph looked exceptionally handsome tonight in his black suit. They fitted his sexy body nicely, and his beard hair was nicely cut and carved. His dark eyes spoke volumes, and I wondered why I did not have the hots for this guy. I guess the breeding part was what put me off. Knowing that you were going into a joining simply because you had the capacity to birth strong pups was not romantic or sexy. My father was yet to arrive. 

Kevin was surprised to see Racheal, and I spoke up quickly. 

"I wasn't feeling too well, and she spent the entire day with me, so I asked her to come. She is more like family after all." I said, and he was silent. 

"Alpha Ran.." I said, trying to greet the man, but he cut me off sweetly. 

"Please call me Randolph. I wouldn't have my Luna addressing me by my title," he said, and my stomach churned. I doubt he would feel the same way when he finds out I have been claimed. 

"Good evening, Randolph," I managed, and he smiled, pulling out a seat so I could sit on it. He was a gentleman. I would give that to him. My brother did the same for Racheal, and I could tell she felt like the odd one out. 

"Woah, Ruby, what is with the perfume. It is assaulting our noses," Kevin said, and I apologised. 

"I wanted to spray a bit and ended up spraying a lot because I loved the scent. I am sorry," I said, and Randolph touched my hand gently on the table and stared at me lovingly. 

"You do not need perfume, love, your scent is perfect," he said, and I smiled at him. 

"When is daddy, coming?" I asked my brother, and he sighed. 

"He is on his way. The joining is important to him. " My brother said, and I smiled at him too. 

"Would you like a glass of wine?" Randolph asked me, and I was on red alert. I had quit drinking before I even knew it. 

"No, please, a glass of orange juice would do," I said, and my brother laughed. 

"Overdid it last night, didn't you? Racheal said you had a bad headache and had passed out," he said and Randolph laughed a bit. I honestly did not expect him to laugh, but he did. I guess he did not expect me to be perfect after all, that was my father's dream. 

They served us some small bites while we waited for my father. Randolph's dad and mine were best buddies, so he could stand our alpha up without consequence. We talked about little things, and I realised I had nothing in common with Randolph, he knew it too, but he tried to make an effort and I kind of thought it was cute. 

"If you spend the time you might fall in love," Kira said, and I tried to shut her up. I was mad at my wolf for allowing Jasper "nobody' to claim me. 

"It wasn't my fault Ruby, You had full control. Don't blame me," she hisses and retreated to the back. 

"Wolf matter?" Randolph asked me, and I frowned at him. How did he know? 

"Yes," I admitted, surprised, "How did you know?" 

"I can sense your wolf. Aleksei can sense her. They will be mates after all," he said, and I nodded. Every time he talked about our joining, my stomach would churn because I knew it wouldn't happen. It was an impossibility. 

My father finally arrived and apologised to Randolph. He claimed to be in a meeting with the former alpha, so his lateness was automatically excused. The moment he sat down, he scolded me about the perfume. Randolph had to help me out. 

"It's okay, Gamma Raymond, I love the scent," he said, and my father relaxed a bit. They ordered food, and I tried my best to act as if everything was normal. When the meal was done, Randolph asked me to take a walk with him in the garden. 

We excused them, and I signalled Racheal to ask my brother on my behalf if I could spend two days with her on an interior decoration project, they were working on. 

The garden was beautifully lit, and I knew it was intentional. Randolph held my hands as we walked, and I composed myself. The sitting area of the garden was also cleared. Randolph went all out for tonight. He bought the entire evening, both inside the restaurant and the garden. Under normal circumstances, I would have been impressed, but I couldn't be, with Jasper's mark on my neck. 

We got to a bench, and he asked me to sit. I sat down, keeping my legs together. He sat neck to me and drew me close. I was too rigid to relax, and he sensed it. 

"Dont worry, Ruby. I am willing to wait and move at your pace. Your father has told us you are a virgin. I do not mind getting to know you before we move to the next level," He said and I felt awful. 

I looked at him with fear and worry in my eyes, and he must have misinterpreted the look because he leaned in for a kiss. I could not pull back, so I let him Kiss me. His lips touched mine, and I felt something in me. His breath was sweet, and his warm tongue probed my mouth gently. Soon we began to kiss hungrily. If it weren't for the lies and what had happened, I would have allowed him to take me there. I now understood what being with an Alpha was like. Racheal's mother was right when she said their presence and touch was so overwhelming that it would make you give in to their whims and demands. I had no feeling for this guy. All I felt was lust. I could not allow myself to develop any feelings for him because of Jasper. I knew he would reject me and settle for Brianna from the Kappa family. If he doesn't take her he might have to get a mate from the Gamma or Delta family of Brooksbridge Pack, but no one liked Alpha Grigoriy Macsim and mating with someone from that pack would mean the packs will join together. No one wanted to join packs, so everyone just mated within their pack. I had really fucked things up.

"Would you like a private date?" he asked, and I did not know how to respond. I was already in too deep right now, and everything would have gone as planned if it weren't for Jasper. As for the virgin part, I would have easily blamed it on my non-existent vast collection of dildos. He wouldn't have minded, but that mark just doomed me. 

"When?" I asked against my better judgement. 

"Three days from now?" He asked, and I nodded. It was great. I would have either found Jasper by then or come clean to my family. Either way, it was a safe time for me. He tried to make out with me, but I avoided it and blamed it on headache and stomach upset. He was understanding about it, and we returned to the restaurant. To my surprise, my father agreed that I should spend two nights with Racheal. He had gone as far as calling her parents to make sure there was an interior decoration project to work on. We were not lying, but I did not need to sleep at her place to work on the project. Randolph thought it was exciting and told me I would decorate our home when we moved in together. His sweetness towards me did not fool me. I knew he was only that way because I was hot, and I was going to be his Luna. Randolph was ruthless to others and most people feared him. He didn't rank second for nothing. I wouldn't want to catch him on a bad day, which was why I dreaded my predicament.