Page 67 of Awakened
“Please come down to the alpha’s office once you have had a chance to clean up. It’s downstairs, second door on the left.” And with that, the little ball of energy bounced out of the room.
Brandon followed and shut the door. Turning around, he shook his head. “What’s wrong with that guy?”
I laughed and shrugged. “I don’t know. But I appreciate his enthusiasm.”
“Then you can sit with him at dinner.”
“You monster!” I threw a hand over my heart. “I’m your only sister!”
Brandon smirked, “Every wolf for themself. I get the first shower!” He darted into the ensuite bathroom and slammed the door. Instead of listening to my brother’s rendition of “Unbreak My Heart,” I decided to explore the house a little before meeting with the alpha.
The second floor appeared to be all bedrooms, so I ventured downstairs. Toward the back of the cabin, I found the kitchen and took a large bottle of water out of the fridge. I sat on the window seat, staring out at the forest until the familiar scent of cigarettes and linen invaded my nose. My hand immediately went to the rat’s nest on top of my head.
Shit.
I jumped down to hide behind the kitchen island. There was no way I wanted my first face-to-face with Seth to be when I looked a hot damn mess.
“Um, are you okay?” a sweet voice asked.
Slowly, I lifted my head until my eyes peered over the counter. There stood a woman who could be mistaken for my sister. She had long, dirty blond hair, pale skin, high cheekbones, large pink lips, and wide eyes. We even had the same broad, thick build. The only difference was that her eyes were decidedly blue, while mine were a muddled blue-green.
“I’m fine!” I squeaked out as I tried to casually stand back up. “I, uh, dropped something.”
“Oh, okay. I thought you were hiding, but that didn’t make sense.”
As she moved toward the fridge and closer to me, her scent hit me harder, and I thought I was going to be sick. Cigarettes, linen,and fruity shampoo. Damn. I awkwardly laughed and moved toward the doorway. I couldn’t handle being around one of Seth’s conquests. My doppelgänger caught my nose scrunching up and took a quick whiff of the air.
“Oh, sorry. I don’t smoke myself, but I can’t seem to talk Seth out of his daily cigarette. Better than the pack a day he used to smoke, I guess.” She chuckled and took a swig of her Coke. My brain melted, and my heart fell out of my ass.
This is his girlfriend, isn’t it?
What booty call has health talks? My only hope was she was a cousin or something. It was delusional, but I prayed she was a relative.
“No worries, my nose is a little sensitive today. I think it’s the new environment. It was nice meeting you—” I paused, waiting for the name of the woman I couldn’t escape fast enough.
“Rebecca.”
“Rebecca. I need to shower before meeting with the alpha.”
I was two steps from the exit when she said, “I’ll see you at dinner then.”
“Mm-hmm.”
As I reached the stairs, the smell of linen and cigarettes grew more potent, and I heard his voice.
“Who were you talking to, babe?” His deep voice held more than vague curiosity.
“I didn’t catch her name, but she’ll be at dinner tonight.” There was a rustle of clothing, and in a low whisper, she continued, “Speaking of which, I need to go shower. Wanna join me?”
Without waiting to hear Seth’s response, I sprinted to my room, slammed the door, and locked it.
Oh fuck. Oh fuck. Seth has a girlfriend, and he’s showering with her right now.
The worst part was that I had no right to be upset. I wished my brain could explain that to my stomach, which was eating itself, and to my heart, which was beating out of my chest.
How am I supposed to get through dinner?
They’re serious enough for her to be at the alpha’s dinner. I wondered if he knew I was here. He had to, right? His dad was alpha, so Seth was in line to take the title. Had he agreed to take it? He had always told me he would never be an alpha. Had that much changed in a year?
