~Chapter 2~
1073 Words
"He became the Alpha at six years old?" Lucea asks incredulously.
"Yes." Mia explains. "Though he will start all the office work and stuff after his eighteenth birthday, which is soon now. The pack is currently run by Alpha Sydney's Beta, Alex, until then."
Beatrice nods her head. "I know Beta Alex. He must be really old by now."
"A little old, yes. Like the Alpha, he couldn't have children for many years. He only has one son, Lucas, who is going to be Beta on the day of Roderic's Alpha ceremony."
Lucea notices, with pleasure, that Mia is getting more and more comfortable with them. She is no longer trying to hide in her shell. However, she also noticed a slight blush on her face when she mentioned Lucas' name, whoever he is. Curious, Lucea wonders if Lucas is Mia's boyfriend. She will ask her about it later, when they are not in her mother's presence.
"Thank you so much, Mia. I have to go and see how things are going downstairs." Beatrice leaves.
"She is a pleasant woman, your mother." Mia says with a sigh after Beatrice has gone. "Unlike mine...." She proceeds in a barely audible voice.
"What about your mother? Is she unpleasant?" Lucea is suddenly alert.
"Oh, nothing. I shouldn't have said that," Mia says quickly. Lucea shakes her head slightly as she looks at her profile, so perfectly defined. Mia must be living with unloving people who destroyed her self esteem almost beyond repair.
But Lucea is going to fix it. The girl deserves happiness. She studies her profile for a moment, then decides to drop the subject for now.
"Mia, lets go and join the others. Find something to eat. I am so hungry I could eat a horse."
"A horse? I am not sure if that's edible!"
The two girls laugh as they leave the room.
Lucea is surprised to see all their belongings unpacked and put away in their new house. How did they manage to do it so quickly?
When she sees her father, she goes up to him.
"Dad, how come I slept through the entire journey? I am not that heavy a sleeper, you must have done something to me," she says to him in an accusing voice.
James chuckles. "What makes you think that?" He asks her.
"Because I remember jokingly complaining about the long journey, and then you handed a cup of coffee to me, and after drinking it I fell asleep. You must have added sleeping pills in that coffee or something, yes, that's what you did. Admit it! And how effective were those pills to last two days?"
"I did add sleeping pills to your coffee, but you did not sleep for two days. I lied to you about the journey lasting for that long." He smiles at her expression.
"Thank God." She pats her stomach. "I need some food. Has anyone cooked anything?" She asks.
"There was no time. You can go to the kitchen and prepare the food. We've all been working while you were in your room having your beauty sleep."
"Beauty sleep?" She asks in mock outrage. "You talk like it was my fault!" Lucea grabs her new friend's hand, then turns back to her father. "Where is the kitchen, Dad?"
"I know the way!" Mia says before James can respond. "I will help you with the cooking. I love cooking."
"Then I see we are going to be good friends. We have something in common." Lucea grins.
As the girls cook, joined by Ruth, they share more things about their lives.
Lucea learns that Mia is the oldest child in a family of five children. She is seventeen years old and goes to St Ann's High, the school where all the young wolves in the pack go to.
Lucea and Ruth tell Mia about their lives in the world of humans, something that interests Mia very much. She asks question after question until the food is ready. They serve the food on the table and call Beatrice and James. When the couple enter the dining room, the girls are surprised to see them followed by a small group of people, all carrying various dishes of food to the table. The group consists mainly of women and girls, all bearing pleasant smiles on their faces. They must be the same people that helped clean the house and unpack their things so quickly.
"Of course, there's going to be a feast held at night in celebration of your homecoming." One old woman laughs as she pulls out a chair and sits on it. "But we wanted a pre party for you before night. I was there that sad day when you were thrown out of the pack, and always hoped you'd come back some day. Before I kicked up my toes!"
"Thank you, Brenda. We really appreciate everything you've done for us." James says sincerely.
Lucea is glad of a wide variety of food on the table when she is so hungry. The table is big and everyone eats and drinks, chatting merrily and laughing away.
The only bad thing about the extra company is that Mia looks uncomfortable once more. She barely eats anything, sitting quietly and hiding her face with her long hair.
"Mia, eat up." Lucea urges her. "You look like you are not enjoying yourself over there."
Mia smiles and nods her head. "I am eating." She says in a very low voice, like she doesn't want people to hear her.
After the meal, everyone goes out except Lucea, Mia and Ruth.
They quickly clean the table and wash the dishes.
"Mia, why were you so quiet at the table?" Lucea can't help asking after the dishes are done.
"Because my mother was also at the table. She gets irritated when I talk around people. Says I try to seek attention."
"Jeez, is she your biological mother?" Ruth frowns.
"Yes," she looks around as though making sure no one is around to eavesdrop, then lowers her voice an octave, "I guess she blames me for what happened last time the mysterious wolf was here...my kid sister was in my company when we lost her. She will never forgive me for that. As if I didn't feel guilty enough as it is."
The sisters stare at Mira with identical narrowed eyes, having the same questions in their minds.
The mysterious wolf?
- Writer
