I did not know what to say. Did not know what to do. I considered myself a relatively intelligent she-wolf, omega or not. I had always studied hard. Listened to what I was told. I was an expert in manners. But in that moment, I had lost all control over my senses. I was stuck. Nova was telling me that this man was our mate... an upcoming Alpha... there had to be some mistake. Yet all the signs were there.
I could see him looking me up and down. A confused expression upon his face. His eyes had seemingly drifted to my scar for all of a moment, or perhaps that was my own paranoia? But now... now his eyes were focused upon my own eyes. His head tilted slightly, enhancing his strong jawline as he did so. He was taking me in, and I think I liked it...
"You..." He muttered, as if he too was stunned by the whole situation. I imagined, as an upcoming Alpha he expected his fated mate to be someone so much more than a maid. And the simple black dress and the weak wolf he could likely sense would be enough to tell the man I was barely worthy to be in his presence, let alone be his mate.
I swallowed heavily. Blinking nervously as I found my feet seeming to work of their own accord as I stepped a little closer to him. Nova seeming to make the most peculiar of noises as she seemed to purr at his closeness. I may not be worthy of him. But we were fated mates. The Moon Goddess had put us together for a reason, right? I tried desperately to reason with myself. I just had to hope he was doing the same...
My eyes fell to the floor, but I could not bear for them to be away from the deep chocolatey hues of brown that his eyes were. Eyes that had still not left my own. "Who are you?" He demanded. Suddenly seeming to find his voice.
My eyes drifted anxiously around the room. There was nobody else here. I had expected Alpha Alexander and Luna Leila to be here waiting... I swallowed heavily. "Erm..." I stuttered. "I am Wren..." I began, offering the upcoming Alpha an awkward smile.
Maybe it was for the best that Grace had sent me ahead of her, I pondered. It had given the Alpha and I a chance to meet... a chance to realise what we were to one another... a flicker of hope sparked within me. Maybe he would decide to call off his bridal screening. He had found his fated mate after all...
'I fucking hate you.' Grace's voice spat through the mindlink, unexpectedly, suddenly distracting me. 'I was meant to be meeting Jake. You did something, didn't you? You told them...' Her voice was a near snarl I had no clue what she was talking about. She was due to meet the Alpha, not her fated.
I had only just learned of her fated mate, so who she believed I had told I was unsure. I was out here running her errands for her like i always did. 'No.'
'Do not fucking lie to me.' She snapped, and my eyes drifted awkwardly to the upcoming Alpha, Kael, as he stood watching me, his arms now crossed in a clearly irritated stance. As much as I wished to talk to him... to have a chance to convince him I was worthy of him, I knew I needed to placate Grace first, or all hell would break loose.
'They did not know. Now they do, and he is gone, Wren... Gone! He did not even wait to say goodbye...' I could hear the pain in Grace's tone. My mind tried to grasp an understanding of the situation. Gone? As in he had not waited to meet her? Or gone as in left the pack? The mention of no goodbye did not bode well in my opinion.
'I had nothing to do with it, I swear.' I explained, hoping Grace would hear my sympathy. She would be in pain, and I did not want to bear the brunt of that. I knew Alpha Alexander had his daughter and her movements monitored closely and could not help but wonder if he had learned of her fated mate through other avenues.
"You are not who I was going to meet..." Kael said looking to me, with a little uncertainty. I nodded, my head beginning to feel like I was spinning as I tried to decide how to hold a three-way conversation. I offered the young Alpha an uncomfortable smile. "But I think perhaps we should talk." He added, barely acknowledging my smile.
A flicker of anticipation shot through me. He knew. He recognised who I was and he wanted to talk! That had to be a good thing, right? That was a sign... My mind spun with possibilities, while I smiled in response, motioning to the sofa on the opposite side of the room to where he currently stood.
'Oh, you swear do you? Like last time?' Grace snapped angrily through the mindlink, bringing me back down to earth with a sharp bump. 'You are going to pay.' She hissed.
My heart fell, as I followed the upcoming Alpha toward one of the seating areas in the large lounge. The last time Grace was referring to was she when she was planning to run away and I was genuinely concerned for her. So, perhaps, stupidly, I made Althea, the omega who had raised me aware of the situation, hoping she could offer me advice on what to do. From there, she notified Alpha Alexander. Grace had been furious with me. Hence the delightful scar upon my face...
The sound of heels sounded by the doorway, just as the young Alpha sat down opposite me, a look of intrigue upon his face. Angry stomps, and a familiar scent hit me. Grace...
"There you are!" Grace snapped as she stalked into the room giving me a dark glare. "I do apologise, Alpha Kael."
The upcoming Alpha's brows furrowed as his gaze darted between Grace and I as he clearly attempted to decide what was going on. I think I may need his help to determine that to be fair...
"Erm..." Alpha Kael began.
"Wren, I have told you before you do not have the freedom to wander around the packhouse like you own the place." Grace interrupted the Alpha as she spoke down to me like I was some power-hungry omega. Colour tinted my cheeks as shame washed over me. The young Alpha glanced at me with uncertainty, while Grace only smirked. "What did you think, that by telling me the meeting was cancelled that I would not know? Did you think that you could get down here first and try to charm the Alpha?" She shook her head, and a look of disgust took over the face of the man I had learned only moments earlier was the man selected for me by the moon goddess. A man who now looked even more horrified by the very idea.
Grace had so clearly set me up now her plan to meet her fated mate had failed. I had been trying to help her in giving her a moment, and this is how she treated me. I should have expected no better of her. Yet, I still could not help but wonder how I found myself in such a situation, or how I was going to get myself out of it...