Page 2 of Alpha's Revenge Luna
My mother meets my eyes in the mirror, and I avert my gaze, kissing him on the cheek.“Go climb in bed before you get in trouble,” I whisper, knowing I can’t promise that.It’s unlikely I’ll be chosen given who our father is, but I won’t promise him, just on the off chance something goes awry.
Caleb rushes off, and I run my fingers through my hair.“Where is your father?We’re going to be late,” she hisses.
“I think he’s still in his office,” I tell her with a sigh.
My mother clicks her tongue, turning to face me, and her eyes widen.“Emery, get up.You’ll ruin your dress, oh, and fix your hair,” she scolds.She stomps over to me, grabs me by my arm, hauling me to the mirror by the door and flattening my dress.“Emery!”she hisses.
“Hurry, hurry, fix your hair.Your father hates waiting and is in one of his moods,” Mom scolds while I glare at my reflection in the mirror.I want to leave it down.Besides, aren’t we the ones waiting on him?But she’s right; something has irritated my father; he’s been on a warpath all day.
My father has always been impatient, and I can tell by the tone of my mother’s voice he is in a terrible mood.“Or we could just not go,” I tell her, fixing the few strands that escaped my braid.
“It’s tradition, and no one gets out of it.Not even the Alpha’s daughter,” Mom says, shooting me a look in the mirror.I pout and roll my eyes at her.This is so unfair.
Trinity, my older sister, attended last year.She found it rather exciting and hoped to be picked by an Alpha so she could escape our overbearing father.I don’t share that excitement one bit.
Unluckily for her, she wasn’t chosen.Dad made sure of that.No one would take his precious girls from him.However, she was killed during the last rogue attack, leaving the pack to me as the second oldest, assuming I’m not married off tonight.
I am three days out from my 19th birthday and from getting my wolf.I couldn’t wait because that meant Dad would start training me to take over the pack.My sister never wanted tobe Alpha while I longed for it, but at the same time, it saddened me because I knew I only received the position by default after she met her demise.
Unfortunately, werewolves are a dying species, and our numbers have slowly dwindled over the years because of hunters and vampires.It’s also what created these functions.On one hand, it addressed the alarmingly low number of females.On the other hand, it helped to keep the treaties in check, which is crucial for maintaining peace. It is a way for the Alphas to have their pick of the litter, so to speak.
“But why?Why are we sold off like livestock?Why not the men?I don’t see why they get to choose,” I snap, staring at myself in the mirror where she stood behind me.My green silk dress slides to the floor, and I glare at the silky fabric.
“It’s not so bad.Besides, it is how I met your father, and we are happy enough.”Mom shrugs.I raise an eyebrow.Who is she trying to convince, herself or me?Mom sighs at my expression before returning to fix my hair.I’m tempted to make an excuse to use the bathroom and quickly shave it off to make myself fugly enough to ensure rejection.
“You’ll be fine.Just keep your head down, and don’t draw attention to yourself.Blend in,” she tells me.Yeah, because my guardswould allow me not to stand out when Dad has them shadowing me everywhere, even in the damn bathroom.While people may look past me, giants beside and behind me cannot be overlooked.
“You never know.You might even have fun.”Mom nudges me.I roll my eyes.
“Yeah, as long as some Alpha asshole doesn’t pick me!”I grit my teeth, and Mom sighs loudly.She isn’t the one having to worry about being picked; she already did this.
I doubt anyone would pick me and risk their lives, anyway.However, there is only one Alpha I fear.Alpha Dion.He isn’t just a werewolf, either; he’s something else.Alpha Dion already has a mate and Luna, so I know he won’t.Still, it also isn’t unheard of for an Alpha to discard his chosen if they couldn’t carry an heir,and I know Alpha Dion’s Luna has failed miserably to provide one in the past.I pray she succeeds because no one wants to belong to that monster.
My father told me Alpha Dion lives west of our pack in the mountains and his men are more animal than human.The other Alpha, I know, likely won’t attend, given his age.I’d be surprised if his manhood even worked, though maybe he would be a suitable choice with one foot in the grave already.I could speed it up by giving him a slight push.I chuckle at my dark thoughts, earning a sharp look from my mother.
She glances at the gigantic clock on the wall, ticking the minutes by.
“And what about destined mates?I could have a mate somewhere, and you would deny them?”I ask, not that I wanted one of those, either.However, I am not interested in being paraded around while the Alphas get to decide which cattle are the juiciest, which has the best child-bearing hips, and which are worthy of carrying an heir.Me, I am one of the damn juiciest cattle on parade tonight.
“It’s the law, and there is no such thing as destined mates anymore, you know this.No one has found their mates in three centuries.It’s all myth and legend,” Mom chides before shucking me under the chin and forcing me to meet her hazel eyes.
It was the law that all females attend these functions the year of their nineteenth birthday.I will turn nineteen in three days, which, back when mates existed, meant I would finally be of age to recognize mine.
My mother says they’re long gone.But even if they exist, I will still be forced to attend.No matter their status, once you become of age, even being the Alpha’s daughter doesn’t allow me an exemption from it.
Mom pinches my cheek.“It’s your duty as the Alpha’s daughter to attend at least one of these functions.Then you get to come home and take over your father’s pack,” she says before her eyes scrutinize my lips.I nearly jump away from her when I see her lick her thumb, and it comes toward my face to fix mylipstick.
“Ew, Mom, I am not five, jeez.”
She chuckles.I grab a tissue from the coffee table to fix what she has been trying to do.The woman has eyes like a hawk.My lipstick looks acceptable to me.Not to her, though.
“You’ll always be my baby girl,” she laughs.
“A baby girl you’re sending off to parade in front of Alphas like a piece of meat for the slaughter!”I retort.She rolls her eyes at me.
“You’re being dramatic,” she says as I throw the tissue in the fire.
“Besides, you know these functions.You become lost in the sea of other women, just blending into the background.No one would dare go against your father.Look at Trinity; she got to come home after not even one Alpha dared try to take your father’s precious little girl from him.This year will be no different,” she tells me, and I sigh, praying she is right.
