Page 4 of My Forbidden Alpha

Even today, those rooms remain locked. Sometimes I’ve beencurious to see what’s inside, to see what she was like, but I never managed to even get a peep. Even the curtains remain drawn.

Because of that, there were only three other rooms spare. Mine, the one he has now with the adjoining bathroom between us and a slightly larger one, which was originally his. But as we got older, Indigo and I began to drift apart. We clashed a lot. The shared bathroom wasn’t working, and so Dad had made it clear to Elijah that either he give his room up to one of us or let me have his Mama’s old library room. Elijah had then given up his own room and, because it was larger, Indigo had jumped to claim it, and being the spoilt little brat she is, she got it.

And here I am stuck sharing with him. He’s been gone for five years aside from the summer holidays, and I’ve enjoyed having the space to myself.

I step out of the bathroom, enjoying the feel of the plush carpet beneath my feet only to stop, seeing Mama sitting on the bed, her legs crossed. She’s tall and slender, her build is more like Indigo’s, right down to her black hair and blue eyes, and me… I look like my father.

My stomach churns at the thought of that monster, and I push those thoughts away to a deep corner where they belong, right at the back of my mind. Tightly bolted away in the darkest corner where I don’t dare venture. They’ll return some nights but that’s something I have no control over, but I sure as hell can stop thinking about them during the day.

“Scarlett,” Mama says, placing the book she was flipping through down.

Her eyes are full of concern, and she tucks a strand of her straight black hair behind her ear, and I cock a brow.

“What is it?” I ask, going over to my wardrobe and pulling out an oversized hoodie and pulling it on before I grab some panties and put them on. I glance at Mama when she doesn’t say anything and raise an eyebrow.

“I know you and Elijah clash, but you need to respect him. He is soon to be the Alpha. Your Alpha.”

I glance at her in the mirror, seeing the sadness in her eyes. Despite being the Luna of this pack, I know Mama isn’t fully acknowledged by the pack members. It has been years since we joined this pack – eight years to be precise, and near seven since she’s become the Luna.

When Elijah’s mom, Luna Ella, was killed in a rogue attack, it had left the pack and the Alpha devastated. He was a broken man and when Mama stepped into his life, the pack had mixed emotions.

Some were glad that their Alpha would not go insane after the loss of his Luna, knowing without an alpha the pack would suffer. On the other hand, many were uncertain whether anyone could replace their Alpha’s mate, finding Mama entering his life a disrespect to their previous Luna, who truly was loved. Elijah had only been twelve when his mother died.

I roll my eyes. “And I care why?” I question, as I sit down and begin applying some moisturiser to my face. “Scarlett… please,” Mama pleads quietly.

I know why she’s asking me, because she doesn’t want to upset anyone, but in the process, it seems she’s ok if it means I have to tolerate crap.

Like always.

“Are we a family or not, Mama? Because if we are then why can’t I simply be myself? Just because he’s the rightful Alpha he’s prioritised?” I ask. I’m eighteen now. How long is she going to try to mould me into the same obedient little woman that she is?

“Of course we are family. Why would you bring that up?” She sounds hurt by my comment. “But Scarlett, your behaviour when he just passed his exam was uncalled for. Since hearing about his return, you’re behaving awfully rude.”

Yeah, because he messes with my mind. I hate his cerulean eyes that remind me of a dazzling picture-perfect ocean, that angled jaw and those lush curls... I close my eyes, feeling my stomach flutter.

This is why I hate him. He’s a dick. Cocky, annoying, and completely sexy.

But the reality is, he’s the son of my stepfather, the man I call Dad. He’s the future Alpha of this Pack. Although I haven’t seen him for two years, I’m scared those feelings will return. That my stupid crush on the biggest fuckboy of our pack hasn’t gone away…

“No promises, but I’ll try,” I respond, wanting her gone. My eyes are defiant when I turn back to her when she doesn’t leave.

“Scarlett.” There’s disappointment in her eyes, and I shake my head.

“Mama, leave,” I say quietly. I don’t want to upset her, I know how even shouting can trigger her.

“Please, honey-”

“You said what you wanted to say. Your son is returning, save the concern for him,” I say, running a comb through my hair roughly.

A light knock on the door makes us both look up to see Dad standing there. “Everything ok, ladies?” he asks, he’s holding two mugs of coffee for himself and Mama.

A silence falls, but neither of us answers. If I do, Mama will just get pissed off, anyway. She now stands up and walks over to him. His cerulean eyes are full of concern. They’re similar to Elijah’s, but not as vibrant. His brown hair is several shades darker than his son’s too. He towers over six feet tall, and Mama looks good beside him, at five foot seven.

The thing is they may be in a relationship, but neither can mark one another as they aren’t fated mates. Because Luna Ella was his fated mate her mark remains on Dad’s neck. IfMama wasn’t marked by her fated mate, Dad would have been able to mark her and then she could have marked him back. Unfortunately, she too wears the mark of her fated mate. And the power of those marks remains.

They may be mated by marriage… but their bond was never truly completed. Sometimes I see the sadness in Dad’s eyes, but despite it, he loves Mama dearly and she him.

“What were you ladies discussing?” he pushes.

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