The Mate's Curse

Chapter 10

(Cassie's POV)

“Oh, Cassie?” I turned and glared at the Alpha. “Welcome to the Black Stone Pack.” 

It took all the control I had not to tell him to go f**k himself, and to turn around and just leave, the smug bastard. I glanced at the Beta as I was turning and he looked like he was trying not to laugh. Well, he can go f**k himself too, everyone in this hateful place can go f**k themselves for all I care, first chance I got I was out of here! I slammed the door shut in anger and Amelia jumped and looked at me in surprise. I guess I must have looked as angry as I felt because when I involuntarily glared at her, she winced and quickly averted her eyes before turning around and walking down the hall. 

Ah crap, first potential friend and I’m being a b***h. I sighed and followed her. We were awkwardly silent as we walked down the stairs and out of the main pack house. “Wait,” I said as I closed the door behind me. 

She stopped and turned around cautiously. 

“I’m sorry,” I muttered. “It’s just been an emotional day, but that was no excuse to glare at you.” 

Her face brightened and she rushed and pulled me into a hug. “Oh my gosh, I can’t even imagine what you are going through,” she gushed while I stood there kinda awkward at the intrusion of my personal space. She pulled away and looked at me with a sympathetic look on her face. “Don’t worry, we’ll take great care of you here at Black Stone.” 

I tried to smile but I think it came out more of a grimace as she linked her arm around mine and started pulling me towards the building we had passed on the way up here. 

“We are in Opal Tower.” She pointed to the large building before pointing back at the other one. “And that one is Onyx Tower. Onyx is mostly warriors and then Opal is the rest of us unmated, mixed in with a few of the higher ranked warriors. The few high family that haven’t found their mates yet and the Beta and Gamma heir all have suites on the top floor.” 

She chattered away as we walked towards Opal Tower, and I stared in wonder. 

“The canteen is on the ground floor and it covers both Opal and Onyx, as is the rec centre, and then we have a full gym and leisure center in the basement. Both the first floor and second floor have their own common rooms, and we can use the first floor ones but the first floor needs someone from the second floor to invite them.” 

I frowned. “What's the difference between the two floors?” I asked. “I thought Mid family rank was all the same.”

“Oh yeah, technically we are, but second floor is more roomy, we have our own bathrooms and our rooms are bigger,” she explained. “We also have a bar in our common room.” 

She winked at that. It seemed like Amelia was a party girl. 

“But generally those of us on the second floor are either considered more valuable or in my case, my papa has a lot of influence,” she grinned. 

By this point we had reached the courtyard and were walking towards the main doors. The courtyard was full of people milling about or sitting around and I started to notice that a lot of eyes were turned my way, some of them sniffed the air as they watched. I was starting to feel like I was prey and they were ready for the hunt. 

Amelia noticed my unease and put a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t mind them, it’s not often we get a new unmated in the pack, you are quite the main event right now. I just bet there will be way more people at the party tonight.” 

I grimaced. I hated parties. On the plus side if there were more people, then maybe Alpha Black wouldn’t notice my absence. “I’m not sure I will even go, I’m super tired and honesty just want to crawl into bed and-” 

I stopped because she was looking at me like I had said something stupid.

“What, what did I say?” Oh look, there was that bad feeling again.

“Of course you are going, you have to go,” she bubbled. “You can’t miss your own party, silly!”

“Huh?” What was she talking about?

“The party, it’s your announcement and acceptance ceremony,” she gushed excitedly.

“Whoa what? I don’t want a party,” I exclaimed. I was horrified, the idea of such a public event made me feel sick.

She squinted at me again and then giggled. “We have the announcements all the time, when your wolf surfaces, join the pack or if you move up from Omega. Every quarter, every unmated female that qualifies has the announcement and then those that are new to the pack have the acceptance, and then all the older wolves and families leave and then it switches to the club DJ and we dance and drink and paaaaarty!” She raised her eyebrows in excitement. 

“Oh.” I felt relieved, for a moment I thought I was going to be paraded in front of everyone, plus I liked to dance so maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. “I guess I got here just in time for the next event then.” 

I chuckled with relief as we walked in through the doors. I looked around at the entrance, it was all light colours with hardwood floors, and looked like I thought a college dorm would, if I had ever been to one. Relaxed and neutral, with a notice board on one wall and stairs going up one side.

“Oh, no,” she said nonchalantly. “The last one was two weeks ago, this one is extra. The Alpha wants you announced as soon as possible.” She smiled again and grabbed my hand pulling me towards the stairs. “Come let me show you your room.” 

I was suddenly feeling very sick with nerves.

We got to the second floor with Amelia still dragging me and at the very top was a set of doors. Amelia pulled a card from, well, with what she was wearing I didn't know where, and swiped it over a censor and pushed a door open, pulling me along after her. Inside was a bustle of activity. There was a carpeted open space with a big TV on the wall at one side and a bar at the other end. There were three sets of sofas and a set of tables. The row of windows let in lots of light that bounced off the neutral walls. Amelia didn’t give me a chance to have a proper look around as she dragged me off down a corridor. 

She finally slowed at an open door. “We’re here,” she announced brightly before pulling me into the room. I looked around and the room was beautiful. Even though the walls were white, the flooring was a soft lilac carpet. The furniture was all a rich pine with a solid double bed on one wall, with a mid purple bedding set with cute butterflies on, flanked by a pair of bedside tables. On the opposite wall was a mid-size tv with a chest of drawers under it and a dressing table to the side of that. As Amelia picked up an white large envelope with my name on it from the drawers and handed it to me, I noticed my suitcase sitting to one side. Wow, I guess this really was my new home. 

“In there you will find your keycard.” Amelia pointed to the envelope. “It gives you access to the building, all the public areas, the first and second floors. And then there is a brochure that details the pack rules and important information such as dinner time.” 

She wiggled her eyebrows and I laughed. Typical werewolf that puts food at the top of the important list. 

“There's also your wifi password and details of your job role.” She turned back to the door and pointed to one side and then the other. “This is your bathroom, and this is your wardrobe. The laundry chute is just down the hall and your laundry bags are in the wardrobe.” 

I just looked around at the room and felt her looking at me. I looked up and she was smiling.

“I’m really glad that you are here, I think we are going to be really good friends.” 

I smiled back. “Thank you Amelia, I do hope so.” And I really did. 

“Ok, well, I am going to go have a shower and start getting ready for this evening, my door is two doors down so when you have freshened up then bring your dress and stuff down, me and a few girls will be getting ready together.” And with a wave, she was off.

I closed the door and walked to the bed and sat on it.I didn’t know whether I felt emotional or just tired. I pulled my suitcase onto the bed and pulled my phone out and dialed my mum's number. 

“Hey, honey.” Her voice was all I needed to hear before I burst into tears. “Oh Cassie, talk to me.”

Just like that, I launched into all the details of the meeting with the Alpha and the offer and his theory on my wolf. I sat talking to my mum and dad for about an hour. They told me how they have a smaller private acceptance ceremony tomorrow and normally omegas aren’t allowed to go to the events but the Alpha had invited them on this occasion being that it was my announcement. My dad got annoyed when I told him about the Alpha throwing me against the wall and the threat of the dungeons, but mum calmed him down before he did something stupid. 

“It’s just pack life, darling.” We were coming to the end of the call and my mum was trying to reassure me. “It’ll be an adjustment but I assure you that this is a good pack.” 

I shrugged even though I knew she couldn’t see me. 

“Oh no, Cassie!” my mum exclaimed, and I instantly started panicking.

“What, Mum? What’s wrong?”

“Tonight’s event.”

“Yeah?” I was getting anxious.

“It’s a formal event.”

“Yeah, ok.” I didn’t understand what the issue was, and then it hit me. I looked down at my suitcase. “Oh sh*t.” 

I packed on the belief that I would be an omega. So I brought plenty of hoodies and jeans and comfy clothes. Omegas couldn’t leave the territory and weren’t normally allowed to go to the pack functions, so I didn’t see the point of packing a lot of my clothes.

I had nothing to wear!