Three
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Having a phone call wake you up in the morning had to be even more annoying than an alarm especially when the call came before your alarm even had a chance to ring. It just screamed rude and unfeeling to me and this morning, my mom decided to be the rude and unfeeling one.
“Yes, Mom.” I groaned into the phone, my voice heavy with sleep.
“Bella! Don’t tell me you’re still asleep!” Mom called out, “The party s today, remember?”
“Gosh Mom, destroy my hearing, will you? The party doesn’t begin till evening anyway?”
Mom gasped, “And you plan to start getting ready then? I saw you yesterday and you need a spa day before you can show yourself at a party like that.”
I almost laughed. Almost. “Are you saying I look crusty?”
“Maybe.” She replied and I imagined her shrugging. “Look, either you get your crusty ass out of that apartment of yours or I come drag you out myself.”
“So extra.” I sighed before putting my phone on ‘do not disturb’, turning off my alarm, and going back to bed.
When I woke up again it was 10 am and I had completely slept in. Groaning, I pulled myself out of bed and went to take a much- needed soak in the bathtub, only hurrying a little because I heard the doorbell ring. It still took me a good thirty minutes to go and find out who it was though. Hoping, it wasn’t anyone I would regret meeting in nothing but a bathrobe, I opened the door, sighing when I saw who it was.
“Good morning Miss Rossi.” They greeted, “We’re–”
“I know who you guys are, come in,” I said, letting them in. Dez was one of her mom’s hairdressers and Priscy, one of her makeup
artists.
Dez looked at his watch, “So um, we have limited time.”
“It’s not a masquerade party.” I rolled my eyes. There was certainly enough time for me. “There’s no need to do too much, just something light and simple.”
“Anything beautiful takes time, Miss Rossi.” He simply said while Priscy the shyer of the pair just smiled quietly. Rolling my eyes again, I led them to my room and sat at the vanity, letting them begin their work.
It turned out there wasn’t enough time in the end as in the middle of my haircut, a nail tech and stylist had showed up, and at 2 pm, my face was underneath a mineral sheet mask and no single makeup had been applied.
Thankfully, they managed not to make me feel claustrophobic and did not pester me to engage more than I would want to and after hours of preparation, when I saw the final look, I didn’t look half like the peacock I expected to see staring back at me. My hair was beautiful, my makeup minimal and the dress was simply stunning. I looked beautiful but I still turned to the expectant crew and said,
“Satisfactory.” Hoping they didn’t notice my small smile.
Checking the time, I saw that I was thirty minutes late and shooed everyone out of my house so I could get a move on, knowing my mom would definitely have my head.
By the time I managed to drive down there and eventually walk in, another thirty minutes had passed and I could only be glad that I wasn’t least fashionably late, judging by all the eyes that fell on me
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immediately I walked into the pack house
Inhaling deeply, I let my nose lead me to where my parents were, knowing that they’ll be somewhere at the front of the ballroom with other elders and maybe even with the new Alpha himself.
I was sure I ought to know him. We had both grown up in this pack and due to my father being an elder, we should have crossed paths but for the life of me, I couldn’t seem to remember what he looked like.
As I began to go deeper into the crowd though, I caught a stronger familiar scent and my wolf instantly began to go crazy inside me. Almost the same feeling as when I needed to go for a run.
I wanted to yell at her to be quiet. I would hate to ruin the pretty dress I have on and shift so unceremoniously but I felt something pull at me, and looking up, I gasped at the person I saw looking at me and almost couldn’t shut my mouth again when I saw someone bow to him and say,
“Welcome back, Alpha.”
I took a step back and he looked away, turning back to focus on the conversation he had been having, looking calm and collected while I on the other hand looked like I just saw a ghost.
It was my one-night stand from yesterday and not only was he the new Alpha, but he was my mate as well. There was no doubt about it. Everyone had heard the stories of how it was when you meet your mate for the first time and that was exactly how I was feeling. His scent was intoxicating me and there was this pull I was feeling toward him. Not to talk about how restless my wolf was behaving right now.
“But…we met yesterday. How couldn’t I tell?” I whispered out loud.
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“I tried to tell you. You were too drunk.” My wolf hissed.
I had felt an attraction towards him yesterday, but I just thought I was h or ny. He wasn’t drunk though and that could only mean…he. knew! Feeling I might fall, I located my parents and looped my arm through my father’s. He turned to smile at me,
“Princess, you look stunning as always.”
I smiled back, “Thank you, Dad. You don’t look a day over thirty.”
Dad laughed and my mom narrowed her eyes, “Well it’s about time you arrived.”
“I would have been here a lot earlier if you didn’t send your team of b utche rs after me.” I clapped back, before turning my attention. back to the crowd of people, instantly locating him once again and unable to look away as he greeted people and engaged in conversation.
“You’ve met the Alpha?” I heard my mom ask. “Alpha Alexander?” She added.
“Alexander? That’s his name?” I asked and my mother’s eyes instantly narrowed. I felt my dad’s eyes turn to me as well but thankfully, before they could ask any questions, they were beckoned to by the Luna who was Alexander’s mother as well and they had to leave my side.
Yesterday, when I had yelled at Chloe, Mom had been confused, worried, and alarmed and Chloe had immediately mind-linked me begging me not to say anything and that she’ll leave.
I didn’t plan on saying a word to my parents about their deception anyways and only because I didn’t want to break their hearts. But the nerve of Chloe to even show up there after what she had done
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and while the wound was still fresh. I couldn’t care less about both of them now but my parents didn’t know that. To them, it looked like I was lusting after the handsome Alpha even while I had a boyfriend.
“Alexander,” I whispered, testing out the name on my tongue again.
“Isabella.”
I gasped. How didn’t I notice him coming? To be fair though, the room was already saturated with his scent to me and I supposed whether he was near or far, it would still be as intoxicating. I swiveled around.
“Alpha.” I found myself saying, accompanied by a little nod. I wondered how he learned my name but then they were all werewolves here, if you wanted to hear someone’s conversation all you needed to do was listen and I was sure my parents had addressed me by my name in the course of their discussion. “Uhm, welcome back?”
“You’re awfully quiet today.” He said, unsmiling and in that deep tone of his.
“I…”
He chuckled even though he didn’t look amused, “I wonder where the Isabella of yesterday has gone.” He said before stepping even closer, tilting down his head at my ear to whisper into it, “The Isabella that so desperately wanted me in her bed.”
I gulped, my face turning red in sheer embarrassment even as his breath on my skin caused goosebumps to sprout all over my arms.
He took a step back, his dark brown eyes piercing into mine, “How
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do you intend to pay off your debt, Isabella?”
My brows raised in confusion and a second later, I felt my heart sink in realization. He knew what we were, didn’t he? Why wasn’t he acknowledging it? Had I acted like that much of a wh ore yesterday that he wanted nothing to do with me? I thought back to last night. At how I flirted with those men and even him not knowing he was my mate. I even let a random guy grab my as s while I grinded on him and something told me he had been there the entire time.
I felt an emotion wash through me. Shame, I realized and it certainly wasn’t a nice feeling. I took a step back, “I will wr-write you a check.”
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