Tied to the Alpha

Family Dinner

The drive to the pack house was a long and boring one. I stared out the window watching the scenery change from busy people to lush green fields; closer and closer to the dreaded dinner. The car pulled up to the front gate as they opened slowly, the driver making their way to the front steps of the house. I get out of the car and look up in time to see my parents standing in the doorway with large smiles plastered to their faces.

"Oh my baby girl welcome home!" Cried my mother as she ran down the steps and threw her arms around me. I inhaled her scent, fresh flowers and blueberries.

"Glad you can make it Celeste, your mother has been looking forward to this for quite a while now." My father says to me not looking in our direction. I cant even begin to say how much this man infuriates me.

"Maybe we shall discuss you taking over the pack this weekend after your graduation finally finishes." Spoke my father, my head turned so fast to look at him. You're kidding, right? I do NOT want to have this discussion right now, especially seeing how i plan on turning him down anyway so i can leave this area. I look at my father and give him a tight smile.

"Whatever you say Alpha." Turning we begin walking into the pack house when i spot my best friend Damien in the doorway giving me a goofy grin. Walking up to him i give him a shoulder check and push him into the door frame slightly bending it.

"Celeste, you're too cold to me." Damien exclaims clutching his shoulder limping along as if he was actually hurt.

"Come on, i know you're a bigger man than that." I playfully tease as we make our way into the dinning room. Truth be told i am so

glad that he is here with me for dinner, I didnt want to tell my parents the news on my own.

"So Celeste, Damien; How excited are you both for the end of school? Graduation is almost here!" My mother exclaimed as we take our seats at the table.

"Oh I'm very excited Luna, I can't wait for the summer to start." Damien said as he pulled my chair out. I gave him a tight smile and took a seat next to my mother. My father sat across from her, Damien sitting next to him. Thankful that he's been answering the questions I just stared down at my plate hoping that they would leave me out of this conversation and delay the inevitable.

"Isn't that right honey?" My mother said placing her hand on my arm to get my attention. I turned and gave her a look and she directed towards my father.

"About your Alpha ceremony after you graduate! You have a lot to learn once youre made the Alpha so we have to get started as soon as possible!" She gave me her winning smile and I glanced at my father. He was nodding his head as my mother spoke and I could feel the knot in my stomach.

"About that.." I began to say as Damien started coughing. Everyone turned to look at him as he squared his shoulders back and looked directly at my father.

"Alpha, if I may. Celeste here only has a few days left so why not wait to tell the pack she is taking over? Let her enjoy her birthday and graduation and have the ceremony a few days later." Damien spoke to my father with respect as I held my breath waiting. He closed his eyes and placed his head on his folded hands. The silence was deafening.

"You do have a point Damien. She will have plenty of time to be the Alpha and train, but she only has one graduation and one birthday."

"Thank you so much Alpha." I said to him with the most emotion I could manage. Tears threatened to spill from my eyes. Damien helped me achieve the time I needed so I could pack and get ready to leave before they could make me the alpha. I looked over at him and smiled hard; he returned the gesture by raising his drink. The rest of dinner went smoothly as we talked about the big party we would have after graduation and for my birthday on Friday. We decided on the lights, music, food and just about everything up to how i would dress and style my hair.

"Well my girl has such beautiful hair!" My mother said as she began running her hands through my hair.

"Although we will have to do something about this "style" you kids are doing nowadays, really; white?" She shook her head as she played with the white strip of my hair. I wanted to tell her that i woke up with it and to tell them that I've been having these weird dreams when i got slammed in the gut with such force that i winced a bit. My mother dropped my hair and looked in my eyes.

"Oh god honey i didnt know i was pulling on it! Must have got caught on my ring, im so sorry!" She fluttered her hands around my face and hair trying to smooth it down. After the feeling had gone i looked at her and gave her a wry smile.

"Its okay mom, you didnt mean it, don't worry ill take care of it before long." I know better than to argue with her, i mean they are letting me live on my own for now. I do feel terrible about the whole leaving the pack thing but i know that Damien would be a great leader. Damien Frost, the current betas son and my ultimate best friend, what would I do without him? You'd be an Alpha running a pack you don't want to be apart of if it weren't for him. I say to myself as everyone went about eating dinner.

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As usual once dinner was over my parents packed up a few containers for me to take home and put in my freezer; something about home cooked meals are better for you and blah blah. I was thankful to Damien who offered to drive me back to my little studio so i didnt have to suffer another long quiet car ride with the driver. My parents were obviously pleased, I knew that secretly they had always hoped that Damien and i would be Mates but we knew already that wasn't the case for us or he would have felt the bond towards me when he turned 18 a few months ago. He opened the car door for me and then went around and got in himself. I waved at my parents standing on the steps as the car drove off.

"Do you know how much i love you?"

"Obviously a lot. I'm the best!" He laughed at me as we made the drive back towards my place. It became silent for a few moments until he spoke again.

"So what's the plan? I know you, and i know you don't plan on staying around after the graduation. How are you going to tell them?" Sighing deeply, I looked out the window.

"Honestly, i don't really plan on telling them personally." I confided in him.

"I'm going to write them a letter, explain to them about how i didnt want to run the pack, how i hate what we have become as a family; furthermore, I'm going to tell them that i give my full blessing for you to take my place as the Alpha." I rubbed my temples, staring back out the window it seemed like time stood still.

Slowly as the car drove past one of the shops in town i saw him. Our eyes connected and i could see his mouth moving, i knew what he was saying. Mate. Then as quick as i had seen him he was gone as the car turned down the street to my house. Damien must have been talking to me as the car slowed down and stopped because he kind of nudged me.

"Hey are you okay? You kind of spaced out on me." I turned and looked at his face. Nodding i got out of the car, we only do all the polite stuff around my parents so there is no need to do them here.

"Either way, you know i fully support you in what you decide to do, hell i will even deliver it to your parents the next day after the party, give you a full 24 hours to leave the pack house." He smiled at me and i felt the tears threaten to spill. I moved closer to him and gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you Damien, you're the best friend i could ever ask for. You know I'm going to miss you dearly right?"

"And ill miss you too, who else am i supposed to get my daily beatings from?" We both laughed and hugged each other tight. Once we stepped apart he ruffled my hair and got back into his car.

"Oh by the way, keep the white. It looks good!" Rolling the window up he sped away as i waved after his car. Making my way into the apartment i went over to the mirror and looked at myself once more. Damien is right, i do make this look good. Wouldn't be too bad if it was all white, my eyes more than make up for the lack of color.