We arrived before a grand building, most likely their packhouse, which was much larger than ours. There was a group of guards waiting by the front doors and three women who were standing on the grass, two of them smiling wildly at me, one glaring.
I suddenly became nervous and looked at my father, but he had already left the car. He was unloading my bags from the car, setting them carelessly on the ground. He was no comfort.
The doors to the packhouse opened, and my mate stepped out from them. He walked with excitement, smiling as soon as he saw me. I smiled back apprehensively and reached for the knapsack near my feet in the car.
The Alpha was at my door, opening it for me before I even looked up. I slid my feet out and stepped out of the car. I slung my bag over my shoulder stepped away so that he could close the door.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” the Alpha said quietly, grabbing my hand firmly and pulled me forward. He seemed less tense than our previous meeting, which gave me hope that he wasn’t going to be a callous mate.
“What about my-” my voice dissipated quickly, looking back at my father, who was being helped by two large men.
“I’ve got it.” The Alpha didn’t look down at me and kept leading me towards the women standing on the grass. “Mom, this is my mate, Sloane Calder.”
My face paled at the mention of his mother. I hadn’t imagined that I would be meeting his family so soon after arriving, nor did I imagine that his family would be so cold to me.
His mother looked pristine with a white collared shirt tucked into tan, tailored pants. She nodded as she looked at me. I self-consciously reached up to fix my hair under her harsh gaze.
“What is your rank?” her cold voice snapped.
I stuttered momentarily before forming intelligible words. “My father.” I motioned to him. “He’s the Beta of my pack.”
“I didn’t ask for your father’s rank, I asked for yours,” she corrected.
“Beta,” I said uneasily, warningly. Her tone was unsettling; it wasn’t the maternal protectiveness I was prepared for, it was something much more condescending.
“Good,” she acknowledged and turned to speak to the woman standing next to her.
I looked up at the Alpha, whose lips were pursed and unhappy. He noticed my attention and smiled quickly. “Come on,” he told me, the fake smile still masking his discontent.
“But my father,” I began to say, looking back to him. He stood by the passenger side of the door, speaking on the phone.
“Go and say your goodbyes.” He allowed me to go, releasing my hand.
I walked over to him swiftly and waited for him, tapping his foot, to hang up his call. He pressed the end button and slipped it into his pocket. “The Alpha wants me to say goodbye,” I said awkwardly.
He nodded and looked down. “I’ll tell your mother you said goodbye,” he said and turned to get in the car.
“Dad,” I blurted out, confused. He turned. “You aren’t even going to hug me? Tell me, goodbye?”
“You’re a grown woman now, Sloane,” he said coldly. “Go to your mate.”
He climbed into the car and reversed. The tires were only inches from my feet. I felt the Alpha’s presence behind me as I watched the car disappear behind the trees.
“Sloane,” he whispered. I wiped the tear that fell from my eye and turned to him.
“Let’s go,” I told him, harsher than I intended.
“Sloane,” he repeated softer, trying to gain my attention.
“Show me the damn packhouse,” I growled through clenched teeth. He hesitated and then walked forward, not bothering to grab my hand this time. I followed him, weakly trying to keep myself from crying.
We walked through only one wing of the house, although there looked to be four of them altogether. He pointed out the kitchen and main ballroom as we walked. We came to a grand set of stairs that led up to his personal wing.
“This is my room,” he pointed to a thick, black door. He paused and looked at me strangely before he opened the door.
It was a large room; thick gold accents hung on the walls and ceiling. The room was practically coated in luxury. A four-poster bed took up one wall and, on the opposite, a stone fireplace burned with a warm orange glow.
The Alpha stood behind me, and I could feel his eyes on my back. I turned around and slowly lowered my bag off my shoulder. He reached his hand and took it from me, placing it on a table near the door.
“Where is my room?” I bit out.
“You’re standing in it,” he replied dryly.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I chuckled incredulously. His expression didn’t change. “I’m not sleeping in here with you.”
“You are,” he demanded. “I’m not joking, little wolf.”
“Yeah, I can see that,” I shot back bitterly, my lip curling in distaste.
“Have I done something to offend you?” he asked, with a kind tone, but I knew it was only covering his annoyance.
“No, it’s fine.”
He stopped himself from rolling his eyes and opened the door to his bedroom again. “I’ll be back, stay here,” he barked as he left. His footsteps disappeared from the hall, and I kicked the door shut with my foot and locked it.
“‘Stay here,’” I said mockingly, face crunching up and eyes rolling in my head. “Asshole.”
Sparks Ignited
The Alpha didn’t return as quickly as I thought he would. I paced the room, bored, and began pretending I was walking on a tightrope to amuse myself.
My sister and I had a small tightrope in our backyard when we were little, just above a trampoline that caught us when we fell. Isla was the only one to ever make it all the way across. I nearly laughed at the memory until the door clicked open.
The Alpha stood in
