Talons

Chapter 119: The Dinner

Rhea’s POV

After changing, I feel a slight headache coming on. I don’t like to wear pink. In fact, it's among the list of colors I have blacklisted.

Colton attacked me when I was wearing a pink dress, and while he tried to spin it as if he was only trying to seduce me that night, it has left me with permanent fears of the color, and all colors close to it.

“Janet, are you sure this is the best combination?”

“Absolutely; you have a warm skin tone, so the paleness of the pink makes your tan pop.” At that moment, I am reminded of Raven who has said similar words to me.

"Maybe we can send the girls to her, and keep Tyson only?" I chuckle aloud at my wolf's very insensitive statement because I know she’s just joking.

“Sorry,” I say to Janet. “My wolf is a comedian today.” Janet makes a saddened face and I feel like I shouldn’t have mentioned my wolf, but I also don’t like that the girls are sensitive about being omegas.

I know that it isn’t an easy life, but I learned from my time in Puerto Rico that it can be a full one. I dreaded it because I was already disliked among my brother’s pack, but if I had stayed an omega, I would still be the successful woman I am today.

“When did your wolf appear to you?”

“When I was ten,” I reply, and Janet walks over to me brandishing Holly’s eyeliner. “Do you know how to do this?”

“I practice on Tyson all the time.” I shake my head as I think about the poor boy being forced to become a guinea pig for his sisters.

“Maybe you shouldn’t do that to him,”

“When he asks me to stop; I will.” My mouth hangs open when I realize that Janet is using makeup to torture her brother into speaking, but I know that won’t work.

“Listen Janet, that method won't help. Tyson is afraid of something, so tormenting him with lip gloss isn’t the best cure.”

“I don’t know what to do lu- I mean B. We need him to help us so Alpha Colt doesn’t have to pay our rent anymore, but he can’t get a job because he can’t communicate.”

“He is eight Janet, and you are twelve, none of you need jobs. In fact, I’ll hire him. I will need someone to help me in the garden anyway.”

“Really?” 

“Yes.” Janet smiles as she brings the eyeliner closer to my face and I instinctively close my eyes. She’s moving so slowly that I start to become concerned, especially when she starts giggling at my questions. “Your laughter isn’t exactly inspiring confidence.”

“She's slow, but she does a decent job,” Crystal replies, and I make a face that causes both girls to laugh.

“Lu-B, what was it like when you got your wolf?”

“It was anticlimactic to be honest. I was bullied for most of my life, so I was always lonely. I asked her to come forward and she did.”

“That simple?”

“Well, it wasn’t that simple. At the time, I really needed her, so my request was more of a demand, and she listened.”

“Do you think that could work with anyone?” Janet questions as she moves onto the other eye. 

“I’m not sure; back then, everyone thought I was lying until they realized that my scent changed.”

“I wish I had a wolf,” Crystal says, and Janet seconds the statement.

“All omegas have dormant wolves. There is just a weaker connection to them.”

“Can it be strengthened?” I can hear the hopefulness in Janet's tone, and without really thinking about what I’m doing, I rest my hand on the girl's forehead. Sylvia pushes forward, and I allow her to take control because I have no idea what’s going on. My wolf gives me back control, and both girls are looking at me expectantly. 

“Try talking to your wolf more; she won’t respond, but she’s listening.”

Colton’s POV

My mate is taking a while, so I go to my suite to make sure everything is okay with her. I can hear her talking with Crystal and Janet about something, and the extremely annoyed look on Tyson’s face tells me that he’s done with them. I don’t typically eat candy, but I do keep a chocolate stash for Carly, so I pull a few pieces out and give it to him.

“I won’t drag you into this next time,” I say, tousling his hair while I make my way into my room. I quickly change into something a little more stylish, but I’m not surprised that Rhea still isn’t done.

I remember Janet going into my closet and grouping outfits together so that I wouldn’t have to put too much ‘thought’ into getting dressed. The only reason she stopped doing it was because she made more money picking up kitchen shifts.

I decided to wait for my mate in the foyer of the Packhouse because I would like to walk to the dining area with her. It isn’t far but the short distance will give her time to get used to being alone with me before we sit down to eat.

After a few minutes, I’m absolutely blown away by how beautiful my mate looks, but she’s clearly uncomfortable.

“Pink suits you,” I say, but my mate doesn’t respond. I can see Janet smiling triumphantly at the top of the stairs and when I gesture for my mate to follow me, I give her a secret thumbs up.

Rhea is a gorgeous woman, so in my completely biased opinion, anything would look good on her. The pink shirt she’s wearing is fitted, so it shapes to her torso well, but not in a way that makes me feel like she needs to cover up. It's just enough for me to feel proud of who the goddess chose for me.

We get to the pack eatery and just like I requested, there is a two-seater table in the middle. I wasn’t exactly going for a romantic vibe, I just wanted us to be isolated while also being seen by pack members who walk in and out of the place.

I pulled out my mate’s chair and I swear she leaned her arms on it before sitting, as if I had sawed through its legs or was going to try pulling it from underneath her. I hate that her trust for me is so miniscule that she seriously thinks I would do that.

Choosing to ignore it, I take a seat across from her, and as expected, it doesn’t take long for people to start filing into the place, likely wanting to know who I’m with. My only hope is that Jessica doesn’t come ruining sh*t for me because while I don’t consider this a date, it kind of is.

“About the daycare; I don’t have access to the pack funds to improve it, but when I take over it can be one of the first things we do as alpha and luna.”

“I-I said I w-w-will do it.” I let out a sigh as I realize that my mate only stutters when she’s speaking to me in an intimate setting.

“Rhea, the truth is that I’m not rich, and we shouldn’t waste money.”

“I have c-connections. It w-won’t cost much.” I don’t know why, but I became jealous by my mate’s statement. What kind of connections does she have and with who?

I looked Mike up, so I know that her ex does a lot of charity work. He is a professional athlete, and he probably has enough money to replace the whole structure. Is she planning to ask him for help?

“What connections?” I can barely contain my annoyance, and the question came off more as a growl.

“I- w-was a t-tutor. I made f-friends with many teachers. T-they can help me f-find auctions.” I calm myself down with her words, and an omega brings me the meal I preordered for us. I don’t know what Rhea likes, but I vaguely remember her asking her mother for steak, so that's what I went for.

After agreeing to allow her to renovate the daycare, I start trying to get to know my mate, but she’s just either nodding or shaking her head when she isn’t giving me one-word answers. I get so annoyed by it, that I stop talking completely and it's then that I notice she isn’t eating.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

“I d-don’t have much of an a-appetite.” I chuckle self-deprecatingly as I slam my fork down on my plate.

“I bet you’d have an appetite if I were Mike.” Rhea’s eyes shoot up to my face, and I can tell she’s confused. “I saw the photos he tagged you in.”

Rhea’s POV

I'm not sure how to react or how to respond to Colton, but he’s clearly unhappy with me. I’m not lying to him; I really don’t have much of an appetite, one: because I’m being gawked at by people in an unfamiliar environment in which Colton is king, and two: because I’ve eaten enough.

I’m not like other she-wolves who can pack down a ton of food in one setting. I prefer to have several small meals over the course of the day. 

For Sylvia and I, eating until we are too full doesn’t bring back happy memories. We were constantly ridiculed for our weight by humans and wolves alike, even my so-called mate mocked me for it.

“I-I don’t have a sense of smell, so I have no sense of taste. I eat when I’m hungry, not for fun.”

“Are you going to keep throwing that in my face? I hurt you, and it caused serious and permanent damage; we both know that no amount of sorry will fix that, but I’m trying my best.”

“Alpha Co-” I don’t get to finish my sentence because Colton pushes his plate away from him and it clinks against other dishes and sends mine flying to the floor.

Within seconds, an omega has come to clean the mess Colton made, and I can’t stop glancing over at the girl who appears to be trying to make herself look small next to the table.

“What?” Colton asks, “Why do you look like that?”

“W-what is your problem?” I whisper. “L-look what you’ve done.” I glance back down at the woman who is now shaking in fear, and I can’t help myself. I attempt to help her, but Colton stops me.

“She gets paid to do that.”

“No, she gets paid to clean accidental spills and messes. You made that mess on purpose.”

“Are you suggesting I clean it?”

“Yes!” I reply. “Y-you should.”