Page 2 of My Possessive Alpha

But the longer I considered it, the more my stomach turned. The more I wanted to crawl out of my skin.

It felt like a betrayal to myself to accept something that was never for me in the first place, to force an interest that didn't exist. To push me towards the man who already unnerved me.

As I looked at myself in the mirror then, those tumultuous thoughts drifted to a better place—a safe comfort I often returned to whenever I needed to breathe again.

Sebastian had been an anchor for me from a young age, even if he didn't know it. Instead, he saw me as his kid sister's best friend.

Every time I went to Zoe's house, I'd freeze up whenever I saw him walking through the house, and the moment he acknowledged me with a simple greeting, I'd blush to my ears.

There was something so striking yet natural about his beauty. He didn't even have to try, which only frustrated me more.

Even then, those deep brown eyes and the casual sweep of his dark locks away from his perfectly sculpted face often lingered in my mind. I may not have seen him for years, but his image was easy enough to conjure in my head.

Thinking about him back then never failed to leave a tenderness in my heart, but the cold reality always set in quickly after.

Even if I had a crush on him as a young girl, I had to keep it in the past. He and his family weren't the people I thought they were, and I needed to focus on what was in front of me, like my future and how I might begin to stomach the thought of being with Jack.

Recalling my parents' stories about Sebastian after we defected from our old pack left a sour taste in my mouth and shattered the illusion I once had of him.

He wasn't the good guy I thought he was, and I needed to leave it at that.

Letting go of a sigh, I looked toward Mom for help, still at a loss for how I ended up in this position. My eyes filled withsilent pleading. "Why should I be the Luna? What do I have to offer, Jack?"

"What don't you have to offer?"

Gaze shifting to the open doorway, I caught as Dad stepped into the room with the same easy-going smile as Mom.

It took a moment for his words to sink in, and I didn't have an answer for him.

"I don't see how anyone else might be more deserving of being the pack's Luna," Dad began, leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed. "You're young and bright and more than capable of capturing the alpha's eyes. It would be foolish not to step up to opportunity."

As his words lingered in the air, my resistance started to falter. Glancing between the two of them, aware of their expectant expressions, I couldn't think of a reason not to accept Jack's advances other than my stomach sinking.

Swallowing against the dryness in my throat, I forced a slight smile for them and nodded. "Okay...I'll try."

Their grins stretched with almost imperceptible relief at my cooperation, and Mom continued brushing through my hair.

"That's good to hear, honey. I have no doubt you'll make us proud," Mom said, humming gently.

Despite their visual appeasement, my inner wolf tried to fight from within, causing my stomach to turn. But I could only push it back down and pretend I wasn't prepared to jump out of my skin.

"I knew you'd see things clearly," Dad murmured before slipping out of the room and leaving me with Mom.

"You'll need to get ready for tonight then, Lydia. Jack will likely come by to spend time with you," Mom advised me, letting my hair gently land against my shoulder. "If he decides to...get close to you, there's no need to resist him. Soon enough, you'llbe his mate and look back on this moment as a fond memory. He requested you personally, and I couldn’t be happier.”

I continued to press that subdued smile, more to stop the conversation than to bear that difficult reality.

I would do as they asked of me, even if I felt sick at the mere thought. Even if it made me feel faint to imagine being alone with him again.

***

A cool breeze swept by me as I closed the front door behind me. I was wearing a billowy white dress Mom said he would like. I didn’t like how it resembled a dress I used to wear when I was younger.

Dusk had already set in, and that darkness was fast approaching, leaving me to look down the road toward Jack's place.

My hands trembled as I willed my legs to move—to take those first steps and meet him as he’d requested. Mom was so excited when she received his message earlier in the day, reminding me everything would change for me.

But I could barely keep my dinner down.

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