Scorned Alpha - Burgov Series IV

2. Ellie

Mascara, a delicate touch of lip gloss and a high ponytail. Yes, that should be easy enough to fix in the car, once we're out of our parents' scrutinizing stares.

I threw a mini eyeshadow kit and my currant lipstick into the inside pocket of my leather jacket. The jacket was a gift from my Dad on my sixteenth birthday, but the hidden pocket was my idea. I love this jacket more than anything. It's an exact replica of the one Dad wears on a bike and I adore how it makes even the most girly floral blouse look edgy.

I turned from the mirror when the knocking spread through the room and Sean's head with eyes shut closed poked inside.

"Tell me you have everything covered and it's safe to come in?"

"Yes." - I said with a giggle, turning his way.

"We should get going soon, and there is still quite a crowd of people who want to wish you happy birthday." - he said, looking tense. Sean and I had a perfect understanding. We knew that it's okay to be a wild kid at times, if you're smart about it, and do it behind closed doors. Unlike my brothers and Orson, who believed you either party loud or not at all.

"Relax, Cuz. Ten minutes tops and we're out of the door." - I said, standing up, and taking a duffel bag from my bed, and handing it to Sean, at which he just arched one brow. - "What, you aren't going to help a birthday girl?" - I asked challengingly.

Sean sighed, took the bag and went for the door, to open it with a deep bow. Maslow can be so dramatic at times.

We entered the family room and a loud collective Happy Birthday came out of all my Aunts, Uncles and Cousins.

"Oh, you guys." - I waved them off, utterly overwhelmed. In times like this, I know exactly how blessed I am. A big loving family is a treasure above everything else. You can't buy happiness even with all the money in the world. That's why I cherish so much what the previous generation built here and I want to follow in their footsteps, helping Harvest Moon thrive throughout the years to come.

And there was so much love in this room. Not only my parents and siblings, but my Uncle Vanya and the entire Alpha's family. And Uncle Grisha with Aunt Chelsea. Uncle Norvin with Cassie. The VanWoerts. Even Sean's father and his mate made it here just to send me off to a party. And people who don't care wouldn't make all that effort, so it's a true Goddesssent to be surrounded with so much love. I'm a lucky one, who has everything, and I'm smart enough to know that.

One by one, all my uncles and aunts were squeezing me tight with their best wishes and handing me gifts I didn't even have the time to open now.

"Okay people, let the Snippy get to his little girl, or he might cry." - Uncle Grisha announced gaining glares from my mother and all the aunts, but a soft, muffled chuckle from the Uncles.

"One more vasectomy joke and I'm booking one for you." - Chelsea announced.

"Babe, what for? You're on the pill." - Grisha asked defensively with a slightly heightened voice.

"Let's just say I like watching your discomfort." - she said smugly, and I heard Boris groaning. Yup, I know his pain perfectly. There isn't a more nauseating moment than your parents talking about their genitals.

"Okay, okay, stop that." - my Mom ordered before turning back to me. - "I know you're on the clock, but at least open our gifts. This one is from me." - she said, handing me a red velvet box. - "And that one is from your father."

Dad's box was so light and flat that it made me frown and open it first out of pure curiosity.

I lifted up the lid and inside was just a Polaroid photo turned upside down so I couldn't quite see what was on it.

"I wanted to bring it up here, but your mother said absolutely not." - Dad explained and that spiked my interest even more.

I flipped the picture and gasped seeing a photo of a new shiny red bike in what I knew was Dad's garage barn.

"Daddy!"

"Happy birthday, baby girl. I'll teach you everything." - I jumped and squeezed his neck. Like I said, my Dad was the coolest!

I released my Dad and he snickered at Mom.

"I told you she would love it."

"Yes, yes you did." - she rolled her eyes. - "This one is actually a family heirloom. Granny Elizabeth gave it to my Mother and now, she is giving it to you."

Inside was a platinum brooch with a Stonewall crest, with a wolf howling at the mountain, made out of necre with a few small diamonds arranged in the letter E.

"This really belonged to Granny?" - I asked, feeling the tears pooling into my eyes.

"It did. She got it from her mate and always wanted to pass it down to her daughter that she never had, and that's how it ended up with Granny Libby." - Mom confirmed with a sad smile. - "But she specifically told my Mom she wants you to get it on your eighteenth birthday."

It was very much like Granny Ellie to demand something from beyond her grave, and it both made me want to smile and cry.

"I wish she was here." - I whispered.

"Oh, I believe she is." - my Dad said confidently, coming to me, wiping my unshed tears, and taking the brooch from the box and pinning it to my top. - "Not even the Devil himself would be able to stop that woman. She will always be with us."

I nodded and suddenly got aware of the crowd watching our moment, so I put on a brave smile.

"Thank you guys, those are the best gifts ever, but…"

"But you have to go get hammered." - Dad finished for me.

"Ilia!" - Mom shrieked, making everyone laugh.

"What? It's true." - Dad winked at me. - "Be glad she has Uliana and Sean by her side, I wasn't that privileged and I made a few bad choices on my eighteen."

Mom's cheeks were getting pink. I wasn't sure if it was from embarrassment or anger, but either way, that was a good moment to go.

"Okay, we have to go." - I said, and my drinking companions started gathering by the elevator.

"Don't let Orson decide about anything." - My Dad yelled after us.

"Hey!" - Orson whined in return.

"Save it kid, we know all about your stunts." - Dad quieted him down and Orson didn't dare to say another word. He knew that they were right.

The boys, Liana and I piled into the elevator and as soon as the door closed we all grinned.

"Okay, so there's eight of us." - Orson pointed out - "Do we take two cars or a single van?"

"Two, I'm not driving that monstrosity." - Liana said immediately.

"I agree." - chimed in David, my one-year-younger brother. - "Besides, Mickey is already waiting in the parking lot."

"How did he even sneak out?" - Nicky asked, impressed.

"He knew all eyes would be on our dear sister so he took a chance." - David shrugged.

"Wasn't he supposed to stay behind so that Anya wouldn't feel left out?" - Liana asked.

"And play Scrabble on a Saturday night?" - David's brows shot up - "He would rather feign a heart attack."

"You boys are horrible." - Liana said disapprovingly, but at the same time, the elevator stopped at the -1 level and we got out.

Just like David said, Mickey was standing nonchalantly by one of the Pack's SUVs with a smirk that looked straight up stolen from Dad.

"Okay, Orson and I will take the rugrats." - Sean announced, getting a collective Hey from my brothers. The truth was they weren't that much younger than Dean or Boris. David was actually the same age, only born in December with Mickey, not even a year after him. Yeah, our parents rushed to have us back to back. That's probably why, after the third pregnancy in the row Mom had finally had enough. - "And Nicky, Dean and Boris will go with the girls." - Sean ended, not even sparing my brothers a glance.

He and Orson were the oldest among us, but somehow it was Sean who always had the better outcome in putting us back in our places. Orson simply didn't have that grown-up vibe around him yet, despite his twenty-five years, he was still acting more like a teenager. Even Nicky, the middle VanWoert, seemed more reliable than his older brother.

We jumped into the cars and Nicky, seeing his sister's distress, offered to drive us to the venue, to which Liana quickly agreed, climbing up to the back, and strangely taking a spot right next to Boris. Coincidence? I don't think so.

As soon as we started driving, I lowered the passenger mirror and started redoing my makeup and untangling my hair from the lame ponytail.

"Hoping for a hot hookup, Cuz?" - Nicky snickered, watching me.

"No, I'm putting on war paint."

He chuckled and turned on the music, but it didn't muffle the conversation from the back seat, where Boris was unsuccessfully trying to breach Liana's shyness. So I decided to give a young Beta a hand here.

I opened the gloves compartment and took four mini bottles of vodka and passed it to the back, leaving one for myself.

"Ellie, you know I can't. I will have to drive us back to the house Sean rented." - Uliana immediately objected.

"But that would be after the fights and a couple of drinks. You have at least four hours."

"She isn't wrong." - Nicky singsonged.

Liana slowly unscrewed the bottle, with Dean and Boris quickly joining her.

"To Ellie!" - Dean shouted, downing the bottle. Liana scrunched her nose to the strong scent of alcohol, squeezed her eyes and followed his lead as if she was taking the world's worst medicine. But at least it worked, because the deal with Uliana is that she doesn't need to be drunk to let loose. Even one beer is enough for my Cousin to turn from goody two shoes to a chatty, giggly, party animal, so I'm basically doing her a favor.

By the time we got to the venue, Liana was so engrossed in laughing with Boris that she didn't even notice the car stopped.

But I did. And the sight made me squeal. It was a very unassuming, dimly lit side street with just one bar, whose neon sign was crooked and missing a few letters. I would never have guessed this was the place where all the fights, that in the eyes of the Supernatural League are highly illegal, take place.

But when I followed Sean and Orson and noticed how they shared a friendly man hug with the bulkiest bouncer I've ever seen - probably a bear shifter - I knew we'd come to the right place.

The bar was just that, a bar. Not very impressive, if I may add. With an old, sticky counter, with a few patrons that looked as if they had become a part of the decor, mismatched chairs, and well-worn tables. But for me it was perfect.

Sean led us deeper into the room, towards the bathrooms, where behind a curtain was a set of heavy doors to the basement. The doors were probably soundproofed so that none of the noise coming from the basement could be heard upstairs.

We descended at least two flights of stairs before we came into a huge concrete room with rows and rows of chairs, where the only source of light was a single lamp hanging above the decagon cage.

"Should we even be here?" - Liana asked, unsure, clearly losing her alcoholic bravado.

"Relax, Sis. You're with us." - Orson said with a grin, throwing his arm around her neck.

"That's what worries me the most." - Liana deadpanned, but Orson just laughed it off, walking us to the last row where, as he claimed, were the best places for virgins like us.

The fights were amazing. I always found it compelling when people were using their fists. I had my Dad teaching me how to fight, but other than being really fast, my strength was decent at best. I could never understand how Liana, with her Alpha genes, never pursued her physical strength, but focused on academics. She was exactly like Aunt Sasha in this matter. But maybe that's what women do when they aren't about to inherit a rank.

The first in the ring were two werewolves. They were equally strong, and it made the fight so much more exciting, because I couldn't guess who would win it. I didn't mind the smell of sweat and blood, but focused on remembering their best moves. Who knows when they could come in handy?

Next were fighting two brear-shifters and with each time their fists collided it felt like something exploded from the force of the blows. It was sure those guys weren't f*****g around or holding back, which probably made me look like a groupie of at least one of them.

The third and the last fight was between a bear and two werewolves. All three of them in their animal forms, but even that made it impossible for wolves to win. Goddess, how I would love to get a werebear to teach me how to fight.

I was mesmerized by the show until the final gong. And only then did I notice Uliana was hiding her face in Boris's arms. Good for him!

"How did you like it?" - Sean asked and I granted him the biggest grin I could have mustered.

"I loved it!"

"That's what I thought." - he nodded with a lopsided smile. - "At some point I started thinking you were going to jump into the cage."

"Well, I would be lying if I said I didn't want to participate in that bear fight." - I admitted with a cheeky grin.

"You know you would have died? And with you, probably everyone of us, because your Dad would have killed us." - Sean said with all his seriousness, and he had a lot to share around.

"Look at you. Grown-ass Alpha, afraid of a middle-aged Gamma, that's why my rank is better." - The sly smirk on my lips was just as inevitable as the booming laughter that escaped Sean.

"Come on, kiddo. I have a feeling the bartender upstairs wouldn't mind that you kids aren't twenty-one yet." - he said, hanging his arms over my neck and steering me towards the stairs.

The abandoned bar that seemed to be forgotten by all deities after the fight turned into a lively IT place, full of excited shifters drinking away the adrenaline rush from the show. It was perfect for my birthday celebration.

We took a place at the end of the bar, even though Liana looked disgusted to her limits, grimacing at the sticky counter and inspecting the stool, as if her eyes had just got a black light and she could name each stain on it. I swear, if she gets the wet wipes out, she'll be banned back to the car.

I busied myself with a short drink card, that was more of a blackboard with five items on it, but it was a tough call between shots and scotch. But Orson resolved my problem for me, showing up with a tray full of flaming brownish shots.

"What kind of birthday would it be without making a wish?" - he said with a mischievous grin. - "But instead of eating cake you will drink that."

"All of it?" - I asked, doing a quick math and discovering there were exactly eighteen shot glasses.

"Yup." - Orson confirmed. - "And I know the good girl in you will try to fight it, so we're gonna raise a toast for you. This way you can't bail on even a single one." - my brothers and cousins all backed him up with approving nods. - "I'll start. To Ellie!" - he boomed much louder, probably allowing the entire bar to hear us. - "The best camouflaged bad girl I know."

"Seriously?" - I raised my eyebrows at him.

"You know the rules, Burgov. Drink." - he said, shoving one of the burning shots under my nose. The smell of strong booze was irritating my senses and I looked at the glass skeptically for just a while before downing it. It was strong, but my inner fear of burning my tongue turned out to be baseless, as the flame managed to make the drink slightly mild.

"To Ellie! The best big sister, who never ratted me out!" - David shouted next, giving me another glass, and at that point other patrons started joining us in toasting with me.

"To Ellie, who always keeps the parents occupied, allowing me to sneak out." - said Mickey.

"To Ellie! The only one who could pull off being annoying and adorable at the same time." - Sean said, handing me another glass.

"To Ellie! The master of inappropriate gifts. FYI, last Christmas gift was spot on." - said Uliana, handing me another glass.

"What did you get her?" - Orson asked with interest.

"No, no, no…" - Liana tried to object to revealing that secret, but she brought it up on her own.

"A vibrator." - I said with a grin and Liana's cheeks burnt with dark crimson, while Boris started staring at her so hard that he probably could have unhooked her bra with his eyes only.

"To Ellie and her matchmaking skills!" - toasted Nicky, sending me a wink. Oh, so he noticed where I was heading with his sister.

"To Ellie and her nose that could always track the marshmallow stack at the family's camp." - Dean said.

"To Ellie, the best team player of all." - toasted Boris, with his green eyes smiling back at me.

They went another round of even more inappropriate toasts, and then two additional from my younger brothers. By the time I downed the last shot, I was feeling like the queen of the world, with a slight buzz in her head. If my family was aiming to get me good and drunk they were halfway there.

I flipped the last glass back on the tray, and the entire bar cheered for me. That was amazing. And I didn't care my first drinks as an adult were in a place that any health inspector would probably shut down, if not ordered a demolition. What mattered were my eight best friends by my side.

"For everyone who wishes all the best to my dear Cousin, I'm buying!" - Orson yelled, and the entire bar went crazy.

I glanced around at all the people trying to get closer and collect their free drink from the future Alpha with a definitely too big credit card limit, when my eyes landed on the other end of the bar. More accurately, a guy standing there, and raising his drink at me.

I don't know how I missed it before. Maybe it was because of all the stale smell surrounding me, or probably my nose went numb from the burning alcohol I inhaled in the last couple of minutes, but when our eyes locked I was sure, the handsome blonde on the other side was my Mate.

He was gorgeous. Messy mop of light brown hair, broad shoulders, sexy smile and his eyes… damn, he has a fine set of eyes. A little gray, and a little blue, but not deep, cobalt blue my Mom has, but icy blue, so light that they seemed to almost glow. Not too bad, Ellie, not bad at all.

Well, what can I say? Some people are just lucky, like that.