I woke up with a dull pain in my head. I lazily massaged my temples, feeling a little bump there. Something is wrong. I can just feel it. I raised my nose in the air, taking a big whiff of the air. The air is heavy and damp, pressing against my skin like a clammy shroud. Where am I? Most importantly, whose bed am I lying on?
The velvety sheet that was pressed against my skin felt like heaven. I could just lie here forever. I, with much displeasure, peel my eyes open, rubbing away the sleep fogging my vision with my fingers. The scent of freshly baked pastries filled my nostrils. I could hear faint whispers around me.
I looked towards the windows, which were covered by flowery drapes. This should be the pack house, but is this Richard’s room? I raised my nose to the air again, sniffing. It isn’t Richard. The citrus scent Richard has is so faint that it is almost non-existent.
The soft chime from the grandfather clock interrupted my thoughts. 9 a.m. Wait, what? 9 a.m?? A gasp made its way out of my mouth, my eyes bulging from their sockets. What a great way to spend the day in a foreign place! Now where is that Richard? He is definitely going to get a piece of my mind and probably my fist.
I jumped out of bed with so much energy that my legs almost gave way. I slipped my legs into a pair of flipflops that were beside the bed. They were on the bigger side, but I could care less. Having made my way to the door, I opened it with such force that it shook from the hinges. I made a mental note. I need to be more careful. Sometimes I forget my own strength.
I marched towards the corridor like a hungry lion pursing its prey. The strange looks I was getting made me stop in my tracks. Looking around, I took a deep breath. What do I even think I am doing? I barely know my way around and it is barely my first day here. After the little prep talk, I felt much more clearheaded.
Dragging my feet, I lumbered back to the room I woke up in. I found a bathroom attached to the room, so I went in and refreshed myself, making sure to wash my face thoroughly. I also gargled toothpaste to get rid of any odor.
After I was satisfied with the business of cleaning myself, I busied myself in the room, trying to familiarize myself with the strange place. The room had an antique feel with a rocking chair beside the bed, and a portrait of a scary-looking man, who I assume should have been the Alpha many, many years ago.
I opened the window to let in the rays of sunlight, and almost immediately, I was blinded by its harsh golden rays. After I had had my fill of sightseeing, I sat back on the bed. I wonder where Richard is? Isn’t it time for him to get me? I clutched my stomach as I began to feel the pangs of hunger. Unable to keep sitting down idle, I got up and made for the door when the door opened, almost hitting me, to reveal Richard in all his glory.
A gasp came out of my mouth. I was so ready to lash out at him, but one look from him was all it took to melt all the protest away. "Where have you been?" I found myself asking in a meek voice. This is uncharacteristic of you, Bella. He came closer to me and held me.
"I am so sorry babe; I was held up in a meeting." Mwah, I felt a wet kiss on my forehead. "Welcome to our pack, love. For the meantime, this will be your room. Feel free to make yourself at home. Someone will be here with your food. Your things are inside the closet."
"What of-"
"I will leave you to it now." Bang!
Uhm, oh-k, that was rude. He didn’t even give me the chance to say anything. Hissing like a bittered cat, I stride towards the closet, and there were my bags sitting pretty beside the shoe rack. I picked a nice red dress from the bag. Today I’m going all out. It is time to impress the in-laws. Changing into a towel I found inside the closet, I made my way to the showers.
After about 30 minutes, I came out of the shower with freshly scrubbed skin feeling very alive and much more refreshed. There was a weird ass buffet tray sitting on my bed. Alright, that is so creepy. Why would someone enter my room? when I was taking my bath? I hurried to lock the door to prevent further mishaps.
After I had finished dressing up, I opened the plate and the smell of a full English breakfast hit me. It consisted of bacon, fried eggs, sausage, mushrooms, baked beans, toast, and grilled tomatoes. There was a cup of tea on the side. I rubbed my hands as I savored the food, clearing the plate in no time, except the mushrooms and tomatoes. They were my least favorite.
I pushed the tray to the side and brought out my phone from my bag. I opened it and was immediately hit with barrages of text. The notifications kept popping up. The family group chat was filled with messages. They have all been trying to reach me. I opened it and began to read through it.
Dad: Hey kiddo, how was your flight?
Annoying bro: Have you gotten there yet? How is the pack?
Mom: Call me when you get home, baby. How was your flight?
And so, it continues, an endless litany. Lying on the bed, with my legs eagled spread on it, I hit the call button, my hand nervously tapping my thighs as I waited for them to pick me up. I was already dreading their response.
"Where the hell have you been? We've all been trying to reach you, and you haven’t been answering. Have you gotten there yet?"
"I am fine, thanks for asking."
"Don’t give me that bullshit. We have been worried sick about you. Dad was about to call your mate."
"Please give him the phone."
"I can’t do that now. They are both in a meeting, but I will get them to call you immediately after it is over."
"Alright." I spent some time reassuring him that I was fine before he eased up. That went surprisingly well. I wiped away the invisible sweat that had gathered. Unable to sit still any longer, I kicked my legs out from under me and jumped to the floor. I can’t stay here cooped up all day in this place. I could go crazy. I guess it is up to me to show myself around.
Closing the door firmly behind me, I made my way through the corridor with light steps and a racing heart, in fear of being caught. The eyes that followed me didn’t help, but I did my best to ignore them. I couldn’t blame them; It was probably the first time they had seen a beautiful black lady.
Squaring my shoulders, I made my way down the hall in bold strides. I was almost rounding a corner when...
"Who are you?" My blood runs cold as a deep booming voice stops me in my tracks. My throat dries up in fear. I gingerly swallowed a ball of saliva. My brain began to plot various means of escape, but each one led to a dead end. I muttered a short prayer to the moon goddess.
I mechanically rotated my neck first before my body followed suit. And I wasn’t prepared for the sight I was going to face. Sweet Jesus! This man is beautiful. I mean, he could compete with my mate, although I doubt, he would win.
Why are you comparing him to our mate? This mere mortal can’t light a candle to him.
I rolled my eyes at the intruder. Trust her to show up in his defense. Just go back to sleep Kiayra. I shooed her back to her corner.
Now back to Mr. Handsome. "Are you deaf or something?" Rude. Whatever happened to the magic words?
"Who are you? and what are you doing here?" He bellowed in his deep voice, his veins pulsating from his neck.
I was only going to tolerate his tone because he was fine. "My name is Isabella; I am new here."
"Isabelle?" My name rolled out of his lips like a bad omen. "I don’t think I have ever heard of you; how did you get here?"
"Well, my mate belongs to this pack, so I came to be with him."
He squinted his eyes as he regarded me, trying to tell if I was lying. He must have sensed I wasn’t because he shrugged his shoulders. "Alright Isabella, welcome to the pack."
Deciding not to let go of this golden opportunity, "do you mind showing me around the pack?"
"I think your mate would be more suited for that."
"Yes, I know, but he has been swamped with a lot of work, and I wouldn’t want to disturb him, so please." I clasped my hands together and gave him my best impression of a puppy face.
He was quite taken aback by that face, because he staggered, his hands to his chest, "I will gladly take you if you will please stop giving me that look. You look constipated."
My mood immediately turned sour, my forehead creased into a frown; Ouch, way to break a girl's heart, but whatever, I still got my way.
My chest tightened. In a bit to remind me that I may be doing the wrong thing, Kiayra flashed through my mind briefly. I halted my steps. I mean, it isn’t like he is taking me out on a date or anything; it is just a harmless stroll. Besides, he knows I have a mate, so it is considered cheating.
"Aren’t you coming for the tour again or are you getting cold feet?" he called out to me after he noticed I wasn’t following.
"I am. Wait up." With a determined look, I hastened my step to meet him, and we continued together out of the door into the compound.
"This," he gestured to the three-story building we were standing besides, "is the pack house. The Alpha and the beta stay here. Other pack members are also welcome here. But he/she must contribute to the maintenance of the place." "I see." "The training center and the gym are just behind the pack house. I don’t know if you noticed, but the pack’s school is the first building you will see as you enter the pack. The pack hospital is also located at the entrance of the pack. The buildings you see scattered around are houses belonging to pack members. And that is all." He said, scanning the environment. I looked up at him in disbelief. What the hell? "What sort of half-assed tour is this? I said 'a tour,' and that means actually walking around the pack showing me places PHYSICALLY, not just saying it." A light chuckle escaped his mouth at my little rant, "There is really nothing to see here, just bunches of-" "I don’t care," I interjected rudely, "I would still like to go. And if you
"Why the fuck are you here?" He furiously mouthed the words at me. His light brown eyes were so dark now that they seemed black. Rolling my eyes, I continued digging into my food, making sure to chew each morsel thoroughly. I could still feel his eyes drilling into me. If looks could kill, I would be six feet under now. A devious plan came to my mind and I smiled as the wheels in my mind began to turn. Let us see how he will ignore me now. Taking a forkful of the pudding, I immediately began to hatch my plans. Looking at his face, I cut a piece of the sausage and stabbed it with the fork. And, without breaking eye contact... "A-ah," I let out a soft moan as I carefully transferred the sausage to my mouth. The meal was really kicking in now. The flavor burst into my mouth as I chewed the bacon-wrapped sausage. His light-brown eyes flashed gold almost immediately, in response to my moans. He licked his lips as his eyes followed my throat as I swallowed, hungrily taking me in. "What a
I didn’t register what was going on until I felt his lips on me. He was kissing me! Richard was kissing me! I was having my first kiss! My mind was on overdrive; the fact that Richard was kissing me was making all my senses go haywire. The kiss wasn’t like what I usually read; it wasn’t forceful or harsh. No, his mouth glided over mine like butter melting. The feeling of his mouth on mine made me close my eyes as I started getting into the kiss. He squeezed my ass again, although much harder than before, and I let out a gasp. He used that opportunity to thrust his tongue into my open mouth, tasting all of me. My hands moved to rest on his neck, gripping him tightly. His tongue dove into mine, clashing with mine, trying to fight for dominance, but I had nothing but submission to give. I was a piece of putty in his hands, merely a mouse to this piper. What started soft and tender began to get heated as our tongues clashed against each other, our hands exploring each other in a frantic
Already getting tired of being cooped up all day in his room, I made for the door, shutting it with a click. I came out, making sure to look both ways in case of a passerby. I wouldn’t want to start a controversy even before I was introduced to the pack. I made my way to the stairs, taking them two at a time. I was just basically going anywhere my steps led me, and if I was lucky, I was hoping to bump into Harry. I got to the first floor and decided to take a look, but immediately I looked inside the corridor, I had a change of heart. The hall was filled with people, mostly teenagers and young people roaming about. It was loud, with music blasting from one room, a complete contrast to the Alpha’s wing. I wasn’t going to risk it, so I moved on. On getting to the ground floor, I made my way to the refrigerator to get a drink, feeling energized as I gulped the cold liquid. Following the scent of chicken to the kitchen (get it, chicken, kitchen), I got to where they were preparing food.
"...so, who is she? I heard you got a new plaything." A deep, husky voice that I hadn't heard of rang from the hallway. It was a male, probably around my age. His voice was low-pitched, like he was talking in small letters, but it still had that authoritative ring. I heard a tired voice sigh. CITRUS. It was Richard. I hurried to the door to unbolt it from its lock. "What will become of Sophia now? I actually kind of like her—she was the only reasonable one among your exes." I yank the door from the hinges, my anger taking hold of me for the moment. It was just at the surface, and it was looking for any opportunity to burst out. If I hear anything about that damn Sophia again, I will scream bloody murder. I glared at the man whore in flesh, not caring about the reaction of the other person. Richard has a lot of groveling to do. At least he had the decency to turn his face to the other side when he saw that my face was anything but pleasant. But how bad is his dating history that peo
"You have a lot of explaining to do, Richard! What am I hearing about a new girl?" An angry female voice snarled. It was coming from the hallway, and she was making her way towards us very fast. Before long, the door opened with a bang, and a mature woman emitting a lot of power and anger walked in, her eyes scanning the room, looking for her target. There was no doubt that it was Richard's mother. He got his brown hair from her, and the delicate features too. Although she was on the shorter side, just reaching Richard's shoulders. She seemed like a force to reckon with. "Mom! What are you doing here? How did you get here?" "What did you think my legs were for? Just because I am old doesn't mean I am an invalid. And don't you dare try to change the topic." I decided to introduce myself to try and take the heat off him. "Good evening, ma'am." I curtsied, just like we do back at home when we greet people older than us. She looked at me strangely, not at all pleased at the intrusion
I held the wall to steady myself, ready to lash out at the person who was obviously blind to see that I was coming. I got the shock of my life when I looked up, and it was that red-haired bitch, Sophia. Her very presence irritated me. I couldn't even hide my scowl, as my lips curled in disgust. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Are you blind?" I barked furiously at her, my voice leaking with power as my wolf came out momentarily. "I am so sorry, Luna. I was lost in thought and I didn't notice anyone there." She bowed her head as she replied in a calm voice, her sentences heavily accented. I almost felt bad for her. She hadn't done anything wrong to me, and here I was, terrorizing her. "What do you want? Richard isn't here". I crossed my arms, trying to appear intimidating. "I know that Richard isn't here, but I actually came to talk to you." What?! I froze in place as I tried to process what she had just said. "Excuse me? What do you mean by you want to talk to me?" My voice did
I entered the hall and noticed that the dining room was already filled with people; hungry people, all seated patiently waiting for food. "Bella!" A loud voice called out in my direction. It was Jessica, and she was waving at me in such a crazy way that I was afraid it would fall. I felt my face flush as several heads turned towards me. "I saved a seat for you." She continued in a loud voice, patting the chair beside her. I marched to the chair she patted, trying to prevent further attention. But it was too late. Numerous eyes were following my every move. Everyone was curious about the fresh meat who had made friends with the Alpha's sister. I got to the chair and threw myself on it, wishing I could vanish. The attention was taken away from me when the food arrived. This is strange. No one waited for the Alpha before they started eating. I kept glancing at his seat in between bites, wondering where he could be by this time that he couldn't come for breakfast. Sophia was sitting w