Mate
Emery POV
“Have you decided on your orders, ma?” The young waitress gave a tight smile that barely hid her irritation.
I have been sitting down alone for over an hour, waiting for my fiancé, Asher. Today was our date night, and I'm hoping he shows up even though he wasn't answering my calls or replying to my text.
A part of me felt like he was on his way, while another part felt a pain I wasn't ready to accept yet; I have been stood up.
This is an expensive restaurant, one of the best in the Blue Moon pack. It was hard to get a reservation even though I was the alpha daughter.
The only reason I haven't been forced out of the table I'm occupying in this busy establishment is because I'm the alpha daughter. Alpha Richard.
My dad loves me even though I'm an omega, wolfless. My father's love is the only thing saving me from discrimination in this pack. He is the only parent I have; my mom died long before I got to the age of 14. Now I'm 23, and each time I look at myself in the mirror, I see a part of my mother's features, except that while hers were refined and beautiful, mine are ugly.
I gave a nervous chuckle to the waitress staring down at me and took a sip of water that threatened to spill on the beautiful new green dress I brought for this date.
The dress was lovely, covered in beautiful diamond stones. I can't say it looks good on me because I'm unfortunately one of those girls clothes doesn't ever look good on.
I'm too tall; my body was neither fat nor slim. I wasn't petite and beautiful like my best friend, Anna. I also didn't have the hourglass figure that men were crazy for.
In my harsh description of myself, I'm shapeless. No one says it to my face because of who I am, but I see it in their eyes whenever they look at me. The distaste.
The only reason I'm engaged to Asher, a handsome man who's too good for me, is because of my father. Asher is a beta in training, and if he gets married to me, he can become the next alpha.
I tried not to think about what Asher gains from choosing to accept my father's proposal and delude myself that he's attracted to me; after all, we were friends before getting engaged. But on days like this when he ignores me and the plans we made, the emptiness in my heart becomes more noticeable.
“Ma!” The waitress called out, more annoyed this time. Her brows crease.
I dropped my glass of water and almost made the mistake of apologizing. A word my father warns me not to say to others, yet I have said it to Asher countless times.
I cleared my throat, about to ask for more time to wait for my fiancé, but stopped when I noticed two couples from my peripheral vision; they glared at me.
They wanted a seat, and mine was basically free. Just because my date night was ruined doesn't mean that others' should get ruined as well.
I sighed. Stared at my phone one last time before choosing to stand up. Asher isn't going to show up.
My phone rang as I stood outside the restaurant, waiting for a cab. Dad was calling.
“Where are you?” Dad's voice was harsh, stressed, and commanding. “Why aren't you home?”
Before I could speak, I heard Asher's voice in the background. He's at the pack house with my father.
“I'm at the front of a restaurant; I was supposed to have a date with Asher today.” My voice was bitter and sad. It is wrong of me to report Asher like this to Dad, because if I wanted a real relationship with him, I needed to learn how to solve the problem between us without being a spoiled daddy's girl.
There was a silence on the line, and I knew that my dad was glaring at my fiancé for failing at his responsibility towards me. The only reason Dad made the offer he did to him was because he knew I had a crush on Asher.
“I'm sorry. I forgot about our date night; I have been very busy today.” Asher spoke through the phone.
Too busy to check your damn phone? Tears gathered at my eyes, but I refused to let them spill down my cheek.
“You two can sort it out yourselves tomorrow. We are having an important guest; I want you home now, Emery!” Dad cut off the call, and I knew he was probably scolding Asher, and he didn't want me to listen in on what he had to say.
It didn't matter. At the end, I'm going to have to apologize to Asher again for bringing my father into our relationship.
In the cab, on the way home, I checked out my favorite celebrity on my social media account. She was a tall model; her name is Paisley, and she's the very woman I wish I became every night I went to bed.
Unlike me, she is beautiful and curvy, and her life is perfect.
I stared at her last post; it was a picture of her husband, Xavier. Although he wasn't mine, he was my secret sin.
Xavier is a man far older than me. He was 36 years old, yet whenever I saw his picture, I couldn't stop myself from having this strange pull towards him. It was an attraction I couldn't control for a man I have never met.
I most times went to Paisley's page just for the sole purpose of admiring her husband, knowing that I will never have a man like him. Dreaming of what a man like him would feel like by my side always dulls the ache Asher created in my heart.
A picture of Xavier disappeared from Paisley's page. Before I could blink my eyes, more pictures of him disappeared, and only pictures of Paisley remained.
I was confused as my heart rose with an uneasy feeling, wondering if Paisley knew that I was stalking her, mostly for a sneak peek of her husband.
Before I could think further about the sudden disappearance. The cab stops and drops me off at the front of the packhouse.
The first person I met after stepping into the pack house was Asher. He was dressed up and filled me in on the guest my father was expecting tonight. It was my uncle. I wanted Asher to compliment my dress and speak about us, but he was on beta mode tonight. He wasn't going to be my fiancé unless he had to.
Dad barely spoke about his stepbrother because they both have a strained relationship.
Just when Asher was about to remind me of my uncle's name. The doorbell rang, and the sound filled the packhouse. We were all sure that it was him.
Dad chose to open the door himself while dismissing the housekeeper who had prepared tonight's meal.
I stood next to Asher and heard an unfamiliar male voice exchanging pleasantries with Dad.
The smile on my face faltered when my eyes locked onto the blue eyes of a man who's apparently my uncle.
His muscular build and tall height made me tilt my head upwards as I stared at him. He was beyond any pictures I have ever seen. His sharp jawline and handsome facial features had me in a trance, and I couldn't pull my eyes away from him.
It's him. Xavier. He looks much younger than his age in person. My heartbeat increased as an addictive scent filled my nose and made my mind feel hazy.
Something stirs within me, stronger than the attraction I felt for this man in
photos. Although I had no wolf, I felt the truth in my heart, wide and clear, mate!
