Forced to marry the bad boy Alpha

~Chapter 3~

"Wait, I think we've lost you there, what...you lost a sibling...?"

The girl raises a hand to stop the sisters from asking any more questions, shaking her head vigorously.

"No, not now. I don't want to talk about it," she swipes at her eyes that Lucea notices are glistening with tears all of a sudden, then sighs. "How about I take you guys around the pack? You've got to be familiar with your new place, yeah?"

Lucea and Ruth glance at each other, then shrug.

"Right."

But Lucea's mind is stuck on Mia's family. She wonders how much longer she is going to wait before she can explode with impatience, as she is dying to know what circumstances led to the disappearance of her little sister. And what a mysterious wolf is.

Clearly, her parents haven't given them enough information about the pack.

But she has to pretend to have pushed everything to the back of her head, instead engaging in a debate with Ruth about whether they should explore the grounds or the pack house first.

Lucea insists that they start with the grounds as she is interested in seeing the training space after hearing Mia describe it. Also she wishes to join the warriors in the future, unlike her younger sister who is more interested in the pack house. To see the decor, the kind of appliances rich people use in their homes and stuff like that.

Ruth is attracted to every visible sign of success; the nice cars, the luxurious houses and the handsome rich kids.

"Let's ask Mia. Where do you want to take us first, Mia?" Ruth asks in a slightly annoyed voice.

Mia shrugs. "That's a difficult..."

"I knew you'd choose her! You knew me first but you take Lucea's side! Alright, suit yourselves, take your asses to the grounds. I will explore the Pack House by myself!" with a final glare, Ruth storms away to the house.

"Ruth!" Mia calls after her.

"Let's go. She will be fine." Lucea says. The two girls head to the grounds, pausing occasionally to watch as the pack warriors train.

When she asks to join the wolves on training, they ask her to come back another day for the basics, as she looks a bit too weak physically speaking. This offends Lucea and she smiles stiffly, urging Mia to take her back to the house. She can bet her father is responsible for her being turned down as he is also at the grounds.

On the way back, Lucea asks,

"Mia, when do we get our wolves? I don't like what that man told me."

Mia stops and frowns at her. "When? You mean you don't have your wolf yet? That's the reason I didn't sense her. I already have mine, look!"

Lucea watches in open-mouthed surprise as Mia shifts into a fat, grey wolf. The wolf watches her with eyes that remind her of the human Mia.

Lucea gives the wolf a pretty smile, waving awkwardly because she is unsure of what to do. After a moment of watching her, she says,

"Impressive. But how come I don't have my wolf yet? I mean, we are the same age, aren't we?"

Mia shifts back into her human form. She looks down at her now ruined clothes and grins before answering Lucea's question.

"I haven't the slightest idea why. You should have gotten your wolf the moment you turned sixteen. Look, there is your sister. She looks excited now."

They are almost at the door of the pack house when Ruth rushes towards them, her cheeks tinted with color and her eyes bright.

"Lucea!" She gasps, out of breath.

"What has gotten you this excited, love? I can swear you were upset with us less than half an hour ago." Lucea regards her younger sister, trying to figure out the reason for the change of mood.

"I went to get food in the kitchen and I met the most gorgeous guy sitting there alone, eating pickles. He winked at me and invited me to join him and I almost swooned. He is drop-dead gorgeous I tell you!"

Lucea and Mia glance at each other before Lucea rolls her eyes.

"She likes boys, my sister. Talks about them half the time."

"Which guy are you talking about?" Lucea notices the wary look on Mia's face as she asks this. "What does he look like?"

Ruth closes her eyes as she begins to describe the guy dreamily. "He has the most beautiful silver grey eyes and golden hair puffed up stylishly on his forehead. He is as big as dad, though he is young, and his facial features..."

"Oh, she is describing Roderic. You know, the Alpha." This time Lucea notices relief wash over Mia's face.

"Ruth, I hope that Roderic guy notices you and falls for you. You deserve to date the best guy in the world, even that silver eyed Alpha."

Silver eyes. Strange. It reminds her of the guy from that bad dream she keeps going back to.

"Pft, don't encourage her," Mia says. "Roderic is a playboy who chases every beautiful girl. And he never goes for chubby girls. He only wants the slimmest and perfectly shaped ones, no offense to you, sisters," Mia sweeps a look over Ruth's and Lucea's slightly chubby bodies.

"None taken," Ruth says cheerfully. "Guess I am going to go on a diet, then. I have to win that perfect piece of cake!"

"As if you'd even try anything," Lucea shakes her head at Ruth. She turns to Mia. "My sister is always talking about boys when she is alone with me but runs away when one of them approaches her. She is only good at talking."

"It will be an exception with that one. You will be surprised. I will make sure he is mine!"

Lucea shakes her head again, smiling slightly at her sister. Then she follows Mia inside the large house, listening to her explain about who occupies which part of the pack house, the ranks of the wolves and everything else there is to know. Mia goes to her room to take off the ruined clothes, putting on fresh ones.

After touring as much of the house as they can, the girls sit down in the entertainment room with glasses of lemon juice, deciding to watch a movie. Lucea doesn't admit that she is slightly disappointed because she wanted to see the guy her sister described with such love-stricken passion, that was the only reason she decided to take a detour of the house.

"Do you know something?" Mia says as she gets the remote control. "I don't blame your sister for having a crush on Roderic. He really is a looker, and once upon a time, I also had a crush on him. But he never took any notice of me."

This makes Lucea's wish to see the guy intensify.

"So you shifted your crush to Lucas?" Lucea asks casually, then laughs out loud at the reaction she gets from Mia. The remote control drops from Mia's hand. She stares at Lucea with a gaping mouth, and the expression is priceless.

"How...why do you say that? You don't even know Lucas! Who told you I have a crush on him?"

"There's no point denying it, looking at your reaction," Lucea gestures at the remote control on the carpet.

"I....I am not denying it. I am just wondering how you happen to know."

"I have watched your face as you mentioned his name and every time there were telltale signs."

Mia covers her face in embarrassment.

"My goodness, you make me feel worried now. Do I make it that obvious? Please promise not to tell anyone or I swear I will die."

Lucea's face turns somber. "I am your friend. You can count on me to keep all your secrets and listen to you whenever you want to talk about anything."

"Thank you," Mia smiles gratefully, watching Lucea for a moment before her eyes shift back to the TV. Now, what are we going to watch?"

"Nothing!" Ruth appears out of nowhere. "You both have to come and help with the preparations. Everyone is busy and mother has sent me to come to fetch the both of you to help," Ruth pauses and looks at the faces of her sister and Mia. "I am just a little disappointed that Roderic has left. I don't know where he is going but I wish he could have stayed."

"Did he go with his car? And was he alone?" Mia asks as she stands up from the couch.

"Yes and no. He left with a blonde-haired guy who is a little shorter than him and has freckles on his face. Spectacled."

Lucea now learns that Lucas is blond-haired and freckled, from reading the expression on her friend's face.

When Mia notices Lucea looking at her with a smirk on her face, she jabs hard at her ribs.

"Creeper," she pulls her hand. "Let's go prepare for your ceremony! I can't wait to see you become members of Bright Moon pack! Only then will you know about all the horrible stuff we hide from none members of the pack!"

Ruth glances at her with wide eyes, catching a playful wink on Mia's face.

"Kidding," she says, causing Ruth to sigh in relief as she follows the older girls out of the house.