Page 47 of Rise of the Alpha

I came up to my room around two in the afternoon. Now looking at the clock sitting on my nightstand, I see it’s getting close to five, dinnertime, and my father hasn’t been up once. I have a nagging feeling in my gut that this isn’t the blessing it should seem to be. It feels more like the calm before the storm, and lightning is about to strike me hard. The only question is, will I survive it?

Lying on my stomach across the bed, I let my legs sway back and forth in the air while I read my Supernatural History book. I’m so engrossed in learning about ferrets that I’m caught off guard when my door flies open and my three intended mates step inside. I jump up, sitting back on my haunches as my book drops to the floor.

“How the hell did you get in here?” It doesn’t dawn on me until the words are out of my mouth, and I see the angry look on Max’s face that I realize what I said.

“If I were you, I’d mind your place. That is not how you speak to your intended mates or your future Alpha. In fact, that’s not the response to be given to any male in this pack by a bitch.”

“I don’t know, Maxie, I kind of like the fire in her. I especially like seeing her ass up in the air like that, giving me the space to move in behind her and fuck her like I would in wolf form.” His tongue snakes out of his mouth, licking across his lips, a hint of metal in his mouth flickering in the light.Fucking hypocrites.

My eyes jump back over to the last of the three, Jeremiah, who’s leaning against the door frame. He just stares at me, his eyes seeming to be fighting a battle. “You guys are crazy. She’s a virgin; the fun will be in taking it from her.” The other two howl in laughter as they all move inside the room.

Reid moves over to my dresser, opens it, and begins to run his fingers through my underwear. Pulling out a pair of my lacier ones, he brings them to his nose, sniffing them before licking the crotch.I’m going to be sick!My eyes immediately flip to my discarded clothing from last night, my used underwear lying on top. Reid moves quicker than me, snatching them up in his hand, and sticks both pairs into his jeans pocket. “These will serve me well, little bitch.”

My wolf growls, pissed at the way they are talking to me, for being in my space, and at me for allowing it to happen. She needs to be patient. We just need to get through this weekend and make it until the day we can break free from this heinous pack. My mother may want to live a life of misery, but I don’t. I won’t.

“Sorry for my choice of words.” Goddess, it makes me sick, to feign niceness and say those words. “You just caught me off guard, being in my room alone with me. I’m surprised my father allowed it, as well as shocked as to why you are here.” I move to sit on the edge of the bed, swinging my legs off so that my bare feet rest on the floor. I make sure to keep my eyes downcast as a proper female wolf should.

“Oh, didn’t your father tell you? Of course not, you’re just a bitch. You don’t need to know shit, but we’re here for dinner. Call it a chance for us all to get to know each other better, seeing how we will be mates soon. Now, get presentable and meet us downstairs. I wouldn’t dawdle either. My father is already pissed with you and rethinking allowing you to go back to school,” Max declares before turning and heading out of the room. Reid tosses me a flirtatious wink as he brings his fingers up to his mouth with his pointer and middle finger spread and waggles his tongue between them.Ugh, gross!

Jeremiah is the last to turn and leave, staring at me long and hard before finally saying, “I’d hurry if I were you.” He turns quickly, racing from the room, I assume to catch up with the others.

I bend over and pick up my book from the floor, letting my hands rub across the cover. There is no way I’m doing anything to make them keep me here. I will play the dutiful future mate of the Alpha heir and his Betas during dinner, then I’ll make sure when I leave tomorrow that I never come back here again.

I place the book on my bed and stand up, straighten out my clothes, run my fingers through my hair, making sure it appears to be brushed, and head down the stairs. I can hear the loud, obnoxious voices of both Alpha Johnson and my father as I near the bottom step. Plastering a smile on my face, I step into the dining room.

“There she is. You’ve kept us waiting long enough, Magnolia. Come take a seat between Max and Reid,” my father announces as he gestures towards the only empty seat at the table.

“Sorry, Father,” I meekly say, moving towards the empty seat.

“I’ll have to teach her to be more punctual once we are mated. I think I’m going to have my work cut out with her. Father, what do you think? Maybe she should spend more weekends at home so we can work on the skills of being a mate she is lacking.” Max sneers at me as he speaks, placing his hand on my leg under the table and squeezing tightly. He’s using so much force, I know there will be a bruise there.

I try to tune them out, keeping my head down and only speaking when spoken to as the dinner drags on. The men carry on a conversation, going on about this pack and the other. My ears perk a little when they mention how disgusting the Stoneridge pack is by letting in non-wolf members. I try to keep my face neutral, not wanting to show that I have any interest in what they’re saying, but to me, a pack that is accepting of all species sounds amazing.

Dinner finally draws to an end, and my mother places coffee down on the table for my father and the Alpha. “So, Magnolia, your father informs me your return flight to school is tomorrow. One of your mates will be taking you back to the airport. What time is your flight?” Alpha Johnson questions me.

“It’s at three, Sir,” I respond, making sure to keep my tone even and eyes down.

“You will need to change your ticket. The boys have training at that time, and your father has a meeting with me.”

“Sir, I can just take an Uber to the airport if my future mates are busy. I wouldn’t want to impose.” See, I can be sweet because I sure as hell don’t want to be alone with them, especially Reid, that fucker creeps me out.

I hear a throat clear across the table from me. “Alpha Johnson, I can take her. I’m not in the training as I’m finishing up the hard drive update to our security systems. I can take time from it to run her over to the airport to ensure she gets there and remind her what will happen if she doesn’t clean up her act,” Jeremiah announces, not even glancing my way.

“Good, we have that taken care of, then. It’s time we head home. Samuel, I urge you to keep your daughter in line. We’d hate to have to announce my son’s renouncement of her as his mate, before the official announcement in two weeks’ time.” My eyes shoot back to Alpha Johnson, confused by his comment about an official announcement in two weeks, the same time my father would expect me to be back here.

“Yes, Sir. Magnolia, excuse yourself and head upstairs. Make sure you are packed. We do not want to keep Jeremiah waiting tomorrow when he comes to collect you.”

Pushing back my chair, I stand up. “Yes, Father. It was a pleasure seeing you tonight, Alpha and Luna Johnson. Max, Reid, Jeremiah, it was a pleasure to see you as well.” I’m going to need to clean my mouth with soap to clear out all the shit I just spoke.

Leaving the room as quickly as I can without seeming to be running, I rush up the stairs to my room, closing the door behind me as I let out a deep breath. Sliding down the door, I land on my butt, stretching my legs out in front of me, and pray for an escape from this pack.

Waking up this morning, I only leave my room long enough to get something to eat, then escape back to it. I made sure to pack my bags last night, so all I’ve been doing is twiddling my thumbs when not messaging back and forth with one of the guys or Wylla. Each of them told me how excited they are to have me home.

The biggest question I had was for Wylla, wanting to know what she found out from her grandmother, but all she would say is we would talk about it in person when I get back to our room. The fucking wait is going to kill me. Looking at the clock, I see it’s one thirty, and I pick up my suitcase and head downstairs. Jeremiah informed me by text message this morning he would be here around one forty-five to pick me up. How he got my number still has me puzzled, unless my father gave it to him.

I place my suitcase by the door and go in search of my mother, finding her once again on her hands and knees on the floor, scrubbing it with a sponge. It’s my father’s favorite way to punish her when he feels she’s been disobedient. I wonder what she could have done.

“Momma, I just wanted to say goodbye and I love you.” She turns her head up to look at me, and I can see how red and puffy her eyes are, telling me she’s been crying for a while.

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