••• Isabella’s POV •••
I spun around so swiftly that if the dishes were still in my hands, I would have dropped and broken them.
When I saw who the voice belonged to, I scowled.
“What do you want now?” I asked with undisguised impatience and irritation. “Going to offer me another disgusting job? Maybe this time as a s*x worker instead of a stripper?”
His brows furrowed like he didn’t know what I was talking about. I snorted and then noticed that he looked somehow different.
Ahh… He had changed his clothes and hairstyle. I looked him up and down, and had to admit he looked way hotter now in a three-piece suit molded perfectly for his body.
His hair was also still gelled, but it was now parted sideways, and the gel wasn’t as hard as the previous one he used, since his hair could still move.
“So you have other jobs than being a bar owner and offering women to be strippers?”
Yeah, I was still salty about it, so I would keep rubbing the word into his face.
His brows dipped even closer together, and he opened his mouth to say something, but I held up my hand.
“You know what? I don’t even want to hear what you want to say. I’m sure whatever it is, it won’t be anything I like. Maybe you should be the one learning about manners.”
With that, I left the kitchen and him behind, although I could still feel his burning gaze on my back until I rounded the corner and he couldn’t see me anymore.
I returned to my room, threw myself on the bed, snuggled the many pillows, and sighed contentedly. This might be the best thing in the pack.
The bed was so big and felt like I was sleeping in the clouds, unlike my single bed with a wooden frame that creaked and felt like it might come apart any moment.
My bedroom door suddenly opened, and I jerked upright on the bed, only to see my mom entering.
“Can’t you knock?” I scowled at her.
Instead of answering me, she moved closer and sat on the bed. “Isabella, I know this is not an ideal situation. Ever since you were a child, you have never liked to listen to people telling you what to do. But this is not our pack, so please try to rein in your anger.”
“Why are you acting like an Omega when you used to be the Luna of the pack?” I asked with exasperation, ignoring the words she spoke.
She sighed. “Because I’m not the Luna anymore and my mate is not the Alpha anymore.”
“Still…”
“I just want everyone to get along well. Please understand it.”
Once again, I ignored her. Knowing I wouldn’t say anything, she sighed again. “We’ll have dinner as a family today, so please think about my words because the Alphas will be here,” she informed before leaving and closing the door behind her.
I knew I was different, and sometimes my words were harsh, but unlike what my mom thought, I didn’t have anger issues.
I just hated Alphas. It was as simple as that. They were too arrogant for my liking, and Alpha Raiden was a prime example.
I could be nice to others. I was nice to my coworkers. I was nice to Beta Dylan as well.
As for my mom… She abandoned me, and I was treated like an Omega at the Grey Dusk Pack, although only at my father’s house. But I was a descendant of an Alpha. I shouldn’t be treated as such.
I was still angry at Mom because she basically didn’t fight for custody rights.
If I had to be harsh to defend myself, then so be it. As I had stated before, I wouldn’t let others trample all over me. I wanted to be independent, I wanted to be strong.
I didn’t think slapping someone who disrespected me was wrong, Alpha or not.
Oh well, I didn’t want to overthink any of it. I looked at my watch and saw that there was still plenty of time until dinner. I'd better buy a new phone, then.
I took my wallet and asked the guard where the nearest phone store was. They had become more respectful towards me since they knew I was really the former Luna’s daughter.
They even offered another guard to drive me to the store because they had many guards and unused cars.
But I politely declined because I wanted to enjoy the scenery of the new city.
It turned out the nearest phone store was not as near as I thought. Thankfully, as a werewolf, my stamina is great. The store clerk was very helpful and patient, or I would be lost, not knowing which type of phone I should buy.
After buying the phone, I walked around some more before deciding to return to the pack to familiarize myself with my new phone.
I went straight to my room, and it turned out I had been missing a lot. Having the internet was great. I was already able to search for jobs.
As I was setting up a social media account - just for fun - I heard the sound of a piano. At first, I thought it came from a TV somewhere in the pack house, but the more I listened, the more sure I was that someone was actually playing an actual piano.
I had never seen a real performance before, so I got off the bed, exited my bedroom, and followed the sound.
It led me to a light-colored room with wall-to-ceiling windows as a wall, and those windows were open. A man wearing an off-white linen shirt and beige cargo pants was playing the piano, his body moving with each note he played.
He was so immersed in playing the piece he didn’t realize I was watching him.
The breeze from the open window blew across the man, and I noticed his linen shirt was unbuttoned, showing his six-pack. I moved to get a better angle and realized that Alpha Raiden was the one playing!
He looked really different in this setting. He looked…serene. His hair wasn't gelled at all, and although the wind swept through it, he looked good with his hair not styled perfectly like the last two times I saw him.
His side profile showed how handsome he was. His eyes were closed, and a slight smile played on his lips.
I had never heard the song, so I concluded it must be his creation because he opened his mouth and started to sing, and I was mesmerized by the sight, momentarily forgetting what he had said to me earlier.
Unlike his speaking voice, his singing voice was soft and alluring. It was a love song, a happy one, not those songs about heartbreak.
I was so captivated by his performance and everything else that I didn’t realize he had finished singing and playing until he turned to see me.
At first, he frowned, but then a soft and gentle smile grazed his lips, making my heart pound until I remembered that this was the man who offered an underage girl a job as a stripper.
I scoffed and quickly fled to my bedroom. Once in the bedroom, I willed my heart to calm down. I shouldn’t feel anything for him just because he could play the piano or show his gentle side.
But then, when I thought about it, he seemed very different every time I met him. The first time he was playful, kinda flamboyant, and I bet he was also a playboy. The second time I met him, he was more put together. And the last he was…soft.
And it wasn’t only because of his attire or hairstyles, but his aura. Did he actually have three different personalities?
Since I had a new phone, I tried to do some research about multiple personality disorder, which was now known as Dissociative Identity Disorder.
He seemed to fit into the category as they felt like three different people. Not that I would judge, but if he did have it, maybe I could be more understanding.
I would ask my mom about it later on.
Around five o’clock, my door was knocked on, and when I opened it, I saw an Omega wearing a uniform. “Miss Isabella, former Luna Liliana, sent me here to let you know dinner would be served at six o’clock.”
“Okay.” I nodded.
“Please dress appropriately. The former Luna had purchased some clothes for you, and they are in the walk-in wardrobe,” she informed before giving me a slight bow and leaving.
I blinked. Dressed appropriately? What did it even mean?
Well, I'd better take a shower while thinking about it. After showering, I went to the walk-in wardrobe and was shocked to see a few different types of clothes, from casual wear to formal gowns.
I tried to remember what my mom said about the dinner. The Alphas would be present.
So, the former Alpha and Alpha Raiden would be there. Since the dinner was held in the pack house, surely I didn’t need to wear formal gowns.
I chose a white summer dress, let my long, dark hair hang loose, and dabbed lip gloss on my lips.
Checking my appearance in the full-length mirror, I was pretty satisfied with the result. I didn’t know how to do my own makeup, so this would have to do.
I went to the dining room, but the scene that greeted me made me blink… then blink again.
And again.