Page 10 of The Alpha: Part One
A disgustingly condescending smile slides across his face. "Your time with your pack, sweetheart. The more time you spend working and taking care of other packs' babies, the less time you'll have for your own."
Mateo speaks up before I open my mouth to say something very rude. "Desir'ee is sure to join a pack that hold similar ideals and priorities as her own. We're all very proud of her."
"Yes," David says, practically sneering at Alpha Lopez. "That's a huge achievement. You should be proud. I hope you've celebrated your success."
I'm about to tell him that I've celebrated as much as I want to, but Alpha Lopez interrupts again. "Yes. I believe she was using the last event to celebrate. It is a big achievement, Desir'ee. Well done." Correction. Hearing him say my name is far more bothersome than anything else he's said.
"Thank you." He doesn't get even a hint of a smile, and he frowns a bit because he is definitely expecting one.
Then the cake I stupidly ordered arrives, along with Lucas's and Mateo's. Lucas dives into his, Mateo doesn't touch his, and I pick at mine, taking a couple gulps of the wine I probably shouldn’t have ordered, while I battle the urge to look for my boys. Mateo gives me a pointed look as he plucks my glass from my fingers and gives me his water, then takes over and guides the conversation from that point on, for which I will be eternally grateful. I'm too irritated, sad, and sick to actually carry a conversation, or even truly participate in one.
The young Mister Dawes pipes in occasionally, and David makes a true and genuine effort to speak to me directly and seems to be understanding of the energy I must be putting out. He notices it, they all do, but none of them are willing to leave the table and continue to speak at and around me. Alpha Lopez is the worst. After he realizes that I'm not responding to him the way he wants me to, he directs most of his attention to Mateo, speaking to him about everything he can to prolong the conversation. The alphas behind him are mostly quiet, but they're watching me so closely. They, as well as Mister Dawes, are particularly observant whenever I bring my fork to my lips, after a few bites I stop trying to eat it and put my efforts into dissecting it and moving the pieces around the pretty little plate.
Every minute drags on more wretchedly than the last. I want to find Benny and Michael and I want to drag them out of this restaurant to their car and then to their house. I want to nail the windows and doors shut and be left alone with them. I want to go home.
Chapter six
Michael
We've been here less than half an hour and it's been more than enough time to watch Desie be swarmed with attention. I don't know who that younger guy is, but David Walters isn't half bad. Not that I want him anywhere near Desie. He just isn't a piece of shit. Not like Elijah Lopez and his pack. Those guys are all bastards, and they're way too interested in Desie.
I've watched her go from anxious, to annoyed, to relieved, and right back to a level of anxiety that looks close to shutting her down. She was doing mostly fine until Lopez and his pack closed in on her. Thank fuck for Mateo. He's right there on top of it, Lucas, too. Every so often, one of the two of them makes eye contact with either me or Benny and I appreciate that so damn much. The look he shot me when Desie went from nibbling her cake to playing with it said plenty. Desie isn't doing well, and he needs to get her out of the situation she's in. That much is obvious without a glare from big brother. She needs an out that won't get her ostracized from getting invites, she's miserable, she hates the Flores pack, and every bit of it is our fault. All of that is perfectly clear. And she hasn't looked at me or Benny. Not once.
We make a slow circuit of the room, not coming too close to Desie's table, then we go to the bar. It's easy enough to put ourselves on the side of the bar that faces the entrance and also gives us a clear line of vision to keep an eye on Desie. We each order a milagro and scan the room again.
"Do you think Flores will show up tonight?" Benny asks, glancing again in the direction of Desie's table.
I shrug. "I don't know. Maybe, but I doubt it since Lopez and the rest are here. He probably sent them while he tends their other interests."
Benny nods and takes another look around the place. "I don't see anybody who looks East Coast. There are a bunch of young packs here, though. More than I expected. I was hoping there would be more unaffiliated alphas, or at least some partial packs like us. I hope all these things won't be like this. We'd have better luck with the assholes in Long Shop. Or even the station."
All I can do is agree with him. We are unexpectedly some of the oldest alphas here. Also interesting enough is the number of fully formed younger packs. We definitely should have been coming to these, now I'm afraid it might be too late. A growl is issued from the direction of Desie's table, and I look over to see Lucas snarling at Lopez.
Lopez isn't bothered, he's casually leaning against the back of his chair with half a smirk pulling at his face. I watch his lips form an apology directed at Desie, but she doesn't see it. Her eyes are glued to the table. And that pisses me right off. It pisses me off enough that I'm on my feet and stepping toward her but Benny hooks my arm and tells me to sit my ass back down.
"Lucas has it under control. Mateo is there. They know we're here if things take a turn. All we can do over there right now is make a claim we can't back up. Not yet. She's uncomfortable, but safe. She's probably just as pissed off as you are. We'll find out what he said later, and we can deal with it if we need to."
I drain my glass and wave the bartender over for another. This is bullshit. She shouldn't be over there alone, listening to whatever fucked up thing Lopez said. She should be at home with me and Benny, letting us take good care of her.
A wave of whispers and murmurs moves through the room then. I look toward the side entrance where everyone else is staring and watch Alpha Minos make a grand entrance with a huge grin and his omega on his arm. The rest of his pack follows behind them to their reserved table. Everyone whispers about what a sideways person Minos is, but I don't get it. Every encounter I've ever had with him has been nothing less than pleasant. He donates to the equipment fund every year without fail, he has a new playground built somewhere in the territory at least once a year, he makes sure our schools are well-funded, and he's incredibly jovial and polite. People say he's hiding all his back-handed activities with good deeds and a nice demeanor, but I don't know. He doesn't feelbad.
"Do you believe all the shit people say about him?"
Benny shrugs. "I've never seen him do anything to back up all the rumors. As far as I'm concerned, he's alright until he isn't. The only problem I have with him is his refusal to leave the omegas be. They shouldn't have to choose a pack if they don't want to. Remember when he put the rule in place?"
"Yeah. He said it was to protect them and make sure they were cared for. But it's caused more trouble than it's ever fixed. And the no less than three alphas rule is bullshit. I don't care about the reasoning."
Benny sighs. It's a worn and tired topic for us. "Three, in case of a disagreement. It's a solid rule, it just doesn't help us right now. Not that you and me would disagree to the point that we'd need a tie breaker."
"Yeah, yeah," I say. Then the front doors open, and the man who walks through them goes straight to the other side of the squared off bar. He's tall, taller than either me or my brother. And he's a ginger. With a fucking eye patch.
He scans the room with a strained expression that might be close to the one I'm wearing. His gaze lingers on Desie for a moment and his strained expression turns into a full-blown scowl. Then his bright blue eye settles on me and Benny, and I swear it feels like an electric shock.
Chapter seven
Seth
How do they not see how much she doesn't want them? Even from my vantage point at the bar, it is completely obvious that she is uncomfortable with the crowd of older alphas puffing out their chests at her. She doesn't care, she's too busy watching the twins at the other side of the bar. They're closer to her age, maybe a little older, and they are fucking livid. One of them is drinking something clear and the other is simply glaring across the room. Not at her. At the alpha who must be in his mid to late forties smirking at her. Why don't they just go over there? They're young and strong enough to stand in front of her. That's what I'd do. I don't mind causing a scene like that when it needs to happen. What are they waiting for?
