Ebony Rose

Chapter 3: Girl’s Day

Shopping with them was a lot of fun. Fae and Mae wanted to go to the Pink store, so we went there and then to Clare’s for them. They bartered with their mother until they had everything they wanted. Steph chose Target next where she loaded up on graphic tees and cute dresses balancing out the tomboy side of Alex and feminine side of her sister Emily. Em insisted on Younkers where I indulged and spent a third of my budget on new dress clothes before we went to Ulta and I spent the rest of my budget to restart my makeup collection. Alex insisted if they were going to dictate her wardrobe it was at least going to be in her style so we went to Buckle next. All the other girls willingly went wild pulling things off the shelves to try on while the rest of us gave our opinions. Alex on the other hand only picked out one shirt while everyone else was grabbing clothing for her to try on. When it came time for her model show she did so with so little enthusiasm. I explored picking out a few more items for myself as her family showered her with praise and she turned bright red at the attention and fit of the clothes. As I tried on a few more things I couldn’t help but flaunt it, doing a dramatic runway walk and twirling and her family gave me the same praise and encouragement, so I ended up spending over my budget. We then went to Maurices where the mom’s put on a fashion show, and got to be embarrassed by their kids. This was the first time Alex became excited during the whole ordeal as she picked clothes and brought them to her mother. I remembered that Alex had thought her mother was dead and this was the first shopping trip they had together since Alex had thought she never would have another one. Her mother came out shy like her daughter to show off the outfits and Alex became the perfect hype girl, grabbing accessories off of the shelves like a gremlin fashion guru. By the time we were back in the food court it was decided we would put all our bags in the vehicle before having dinner at Ruby Tuesday, which apparently is a Rose woman shopping spree tradition. 

In the restaurant I was going to get the soup and salad bar but Alex stopped me, “Is that what you really want?” She asked. 

I gave the menu a second look before answering, “No. I want a bacon cheeseburger.” The waitress wrote that down as Alex smiled at me. “How do you eat like you do and maintain your weight?” I asked her. 

“Training.” she answered, “The more you train, and work out the better your metabolism functions.” 

“Do you want to train when we get home?” I asked her. 

“You can train with me.” Fae offered. 

“Yeah, Alex is grounded from training.” Mae added. 

“What?” I asked in complete shock. 

“Yeah. She isn’t allowed to train anymore until her leg heals.” Steph explained. Alex groaned. 

“I’m sorry.” I said as I realized that I was the one who re-injured it, which added to the healing time. 

“It’s no big deal.” Alex said, “I’m fine. I’m not even limping anymore. They’re just overbearing.” She motioned to the older women. 

“Oh yes, such a wretched mother I am wanting my daughter to heal from her injuries.” Alles said in a mocking tone. Brittany and Crystal laughed, Alles turned her fork on them, “You just wait, soon yours are going to be that age.” 

“Yeah, but we aren’t alphas, so we won’t be nearly as stubborn.” Fae said, as Mae nodded in agreement. 

“Plus by the time they are sixteen they will be living in the pack house for Alex to deal with.” Crystal smiled. 

“Goddess help me.” Alex groaned as she looked at the younger girls. They smiled back feigning innocence and I laughed, until I heard a familiar voice. 

“Yes, well I’m sure that the business will do fine without us there. No. No. No. Camryn we left our daughter there. Come on Camryn, Jessica is sixteen it’s not like we abandoned a child.” Chills creeped up my spine as my mother’s voice carried from the entrance to the restaurant. “Jessica is more than adequate to help you manage that branch of the store, I told you we are expanding and have to get the Midland branch started. No Camryn, we will not be back after opening the Midland store. Yes? No, Jessica is fine. She is practically an adult and she can take care of herself. No I don’t know where she’s staying, but I’m sure if you call her you guys can figure out the store together.” At the third mention of my name Alex finally noticed. Every muscle in her body went rigid and rage filled her eyes turning them black. 

“Don’t. Please don’t.” I whispered. Thinking how pissed my mom would be if we caused a scene. Alles grabbed her daughter’s arm and I nodded my thanks. Em casually scooted closer to Alex effectively blocking her into the booth. 

“Camrynn, I’m about to have dinner with some very important people. Call Jessica, she can explain everything. I’m sure she’s not dead in a ditch somewhere, stop overreacting. Oh? Go ahead, call CPS. They won’t do anything. God, can you believe her?” My mother asked whoever she was with, “I can’t believe my employee is trying to tell me how to raise my child.” My mother laughed then, I never realized how nasally, tinny, and forced the sound was. My phone vibrated in my pocket bringing me out of my own mind. 

“Hello?” I answered. 

“Jessica? It’s really you?” Camrynn’s voice sounded concerned on the other end. 

“Yeah, Camrynn it’s me, what do you need?” 

“Well no one from the family showed up to the shop today when I came to open it, and when I called your mother she said they moved, and she still expected me to manage the shop.”

“Yup. That sounds about right.” I answered. 

“But they said that you would help me, because you didn’t move with them?” 

“Nope, they left without me.” I said, forcing the pain deep down inside. 

“But, how could they-”

“Camryn,” I cut her off, “Is there something you need? I’m having lunch with some friends.” 

“Uh, well, no I just wanted to check on you. You’re okay? You have somewhere to stay?” 

“Yes Camryn, I have somewhere to stay, thank you for your concern, I’ll come see you at the shop tomorrow.” 

“Okay miss.” Camryn hung up the phone sounding shocked. I noticed my mother’s voice had stopped and could practically see smoke coming from Hadyn’s ears. The sound of heels clicking across the floor towards me made me turn my head. 

“Ah, Jessica darling, I thought I heard your sweet voice. Come with me dear, I have something I absolutely must discuss with you. You don’t mind if I borrow my daughter for a little bit do you?” She asked the Roses. 

“Not at all. You have some catching up to do.” Alles said with a forced smile, her fangs slightly bared. “Jessica dear, meet us at the food court doors in two hours so we can go home alright?” 

“Yes, Alles, I’m sure it won’t take that long. I have Alex’s number if anything pops up.” I answered as my mother led me out of the restaurant. I followed her malnourished figure wrapped in a tight pink dress with matching heels towards Target. Her bleach blonde hair bouncing with every step as it hoped to break free from it’s hairspray prison. 

“Let me see your phone.” She said as we reached the counter of the electronics department. 

“No, Hi, sweetie how are you doing?” I asked her, venom dripping from every word as I handed her my phone. 

“Psh, there’s no point in pleasantries.” She shushed me. “Hi, sir, I was wondering if I could get this phone switched over from Verizon to Straight Talk, and keep the same number?” She asked with a smile. 

“Yeah, that won’t be too hard to do.” the guy smiled and took the phone. “Do you want to pay for the first month of service now?” 

“Yes,” my mother said, grabbing out her wallet. “Oh and here’s all the information for my Verizon account.” 

“Thank you ma’am. Do you want to switch any of these other lines over?” 

“No thank you.” My mother said. 

“I thought for sure you would have moved out of state.” I said, glaring at her. 

“Why would we do that when we had already found our back up plan here?” My mother forced her smile, “and you’re going to help us.” 

“And how am I going to do that?” I asked, “When you left me, without even a goodbye.” 

“Oh don’t get emotional on me now.” My mother made a shooing motion with her hand, as if she could swat my emotions out of the very air “You know how it exhausts me. I didn’t know at the time you would be beneficial to our plans otherwise your father and I would have asked you to join us.” The smell hit me then of lemongrass and sandalwood. “Oh there you are dear!” My mother turned her fake personality back on, “You simply must meet my daughter Jessica, the one I told you about.” She grabbed Carter by the wrist and pulled him towards me, my wolf wanted to rip off her hand for touching my mate. 

“Good to see you again.” I smiled up at Carter, growing warier by the second he was in the presence of my mother.

“I for sure didn’t expect it to be this soon.” He smiled, “but when I told Samantha that I had met my mate and she was part of the Ebony pack, well she insisted it had to be her daughter who was spending the weekend back home with her friend from the Rose Pack.” 

“Oh, she did, did she?” I eyed my mother finally catching on. “So I take it you’re the son of the Alpha and Luna of the Smith pack?” I smiled at him. 

“How did you know?” He asked. 

“Let’s just say, I’m a good guesser.” I played it off. I see what you’re up to now. You were going to marry dad’s sister to him, until he found his mate. Now I’m just your pawn again? I questioned my mother in her mind. 

“Yes, it was so unfortunate when he told me the tale of how the Rose pack screwed his family over. It seems your friend Alex’s mom was quite the little heartbreaker. Not only did she end a marriage contract with the Winter Alpha but she left the Smith Alpha as well, taking something very important with her.” Realization set in as I noticed his curly black hair and blue eyes, the same eyes as Alex’s. “Spitting image of his father.” She clucked her tongue as she let the truth sink in. “But who would have thought you would be the same age and the mate to such a prominent figure.” my mother kept going as my world spun. Because there was no doubt her little jabs indicated that standing before me, my mate, was none other than Alex’s half brother. That Alex not only belongs to the Rose pack, but the Smith pack as well, if not more so. The mere fact that Alex’s last name is Rose is nothing more than a smack in the face for the Smith pack. “How fortunate that shortly after Alex’s mother’s betrayal the Smith alpha was able to find his mate.” My mother crooned. I wished she would just shut up already. 

“So what? Now you want me to move down here with you to secure this marriage contract?” I bit out at her. 

“Heavens no child.” She scoffed at the very idea, “I, we, need you to stay right where you are.” She emphasized herself and Carter. “Right in the Rose den, so you can help poor Camryn who is so overwhelmed run the shop, plus I couldn’t dream of separating you from your lifelong friends and schoolmates-”

“Cut the shit.” I interrupted her, “What do you want?” I growled, ready to rip her throat out in the middle of the Target if only it would stop her incessant babbling. Instead Carter took my hands in his, my wolf immediately relaxed at his touch. 

“My sister belongs with her true pack. You know a wolf belongs to her father’s pack.” He said looking in my eyes. “Her mother would never allow our father to see her. Endangered her by marrying a hunter, we just want Alex to be safe with us.” 

“It’s too late.” I said, “She’s the alpha of the Rose pack and marrying into the Winter pack.” I explained, willing him to understand. 

“So we’ve been told, but with you as a close friend of hers you could help my pack get into the territory, arrange a meeting to end all this bad blood.” He pushed. 

“That would be a bloodbath and you know it. You want me to help you manipulate Alex into starting a war.” I pulled my hands out of his. Why did Alex have to ruin everything good in my life? I growled in frustration. “I need to go.” 

“Please at least think about it.” Carter pleaded with me, placing a kiss on my cheek. 

“I’ll think about it.” I said, as I took my phone from the counter and headed back towards the food court. 

The Rose women sat at a table by the exit eating what appeared to be frozen yogurt. I willed myself to relax and pretend I hadn’t just heard any of my mother or Carter’s plotting. Sinking down in a chair next to Alex she slid the rest of her frozen yogurt towards me with a new spoon. 

“You look like you could use this more than me.” She said. 

“Thanks.” I tried to smile at her, but couldn’t bring myself to do it. The more I looked at her the more similarities I saw between her and Carter. My heart ached for my mate, but I knew I could never betray Alex. As angry as I was that she stole Theo from me, I knew that the mating bond left her no choice as I would kill another female who challenged me for Carter. I could blame her for my family abandoning me, but that wasn’t true either. They could have stayed or taken me with them, it was their choice to leave without me. Alex had nothing to do with it. As for Carter? That’s also not Alex’s fault either. She doesn’t even know he exists. If anything, Alles is the one who started this chain of events, but not even she’s aware of that, and I struggled to be mad at a family that was so kind to me. Kinder than my own family had ever been. All my emotions and conflicting thoughts made my soul feel heavy with a tiredness that I knew a nap wouldn’t fix. Logically speaking I should reject Carter as my mate and renounce my pack, pledge my loyalty to the new Winter Rose alphas, and move on, but I can’t seem to bring myself to do that either. 

“So what did your mother have to say?” Alles asked. I glanced up from stirring the frozen yogurt in the cup. 

“Oh. She just wanted to switch my phone over to Straight Talk so she no longer has to pay for it.” I muttered, it was a half truth, but I couldn’t bring myself to come clean about my mother’s plotting. 

“That bitch.” Alex growled. 

“It’s fine. I’m used to it.” I said, not even bothering to glance up at her. 

“No, you’re her daughter for Goddess’s sake! You shouldn’t be used to being treated like that by your own family.” Alex was livid. 

“Really Alex, it’s not a big deal.” I said, finally looking at her and trying to calm her down. “Not everyone has a loving family like you.” I shrugged, “I realized a long time ago that my family would never be what I saw on TV and in movies. Honestly, until I met you guys I thought families like that were just fiction.” 

“Well, when you are ready you are more than welcome to join our family.” Alex said, grabbing my hand in a way to offer me comfort. But that only made my gut twist with guilt. 

“Thank you.” I said, looking back down to the mess I had made with the Froyo. 

“No pressure.” Alex assured me, as she mistook my silence for hesitation. “I know that even though they’re assholes they’re still your family, and it will be hard to let go of that blood attachment.” I only nodded my head in response. 

“Alright guys let’s go.” Alles said as she gathered up the Froyo cups and moved to throw them away. Alex’s head shot up suddenly and she took a deep breath in as she looked around. It didn’t take long for Carter’s scent to hit me as my wolf started to go crazy. Alles tensed as she saw where her daughter looked. Carter was walking to the exit of the mall with a man a head taller than him, with a similar lean, muscular build, the same dark hair short on the sides with longer curls on top, both sets of blue eyes focused solely on our table. The taller man looked at Alex first, then to Alles giving her a devious smile. Carter looked from Alex to me, a look of shame on his face as we locked eyes. 

“Mom, who are they?” Alex asked, as they nodded at us in acknowledgement before leaving the building. 

“Oh, just the Smith alpha and I’m assuming his son.” Alles said, hurrying to throw out the trash. 

“Why do they smell familiar?” Alex pressed as her eyes stayed focused on the door. Her entire body was tense as if she was fighting off the urge to run after them. 

“That’s normal dear.” Alles waved her hand dismissively. “Probably, just your wolf recognizing theirs.” 

“But I-” Fae started to say. 

“Here you go dear, let’s put on your coat.” Crystal interrupted her daughter, getting the silent hint from Alles or possibly responding to some silent communication from her. 

I smelled my mother’s scent as she hurried out the doors shortly after the Smiths, but with enough time delay to make it seem almost natural. 

“Sure are a lot of wolves here today.” Alex observed as my mother left. 

“Yeah, almost like we are on neutral ground or something.” Alles remarked, as she ushered us towards the exit. Once outside the smell of Carter mingled with sweet smoke as his father stood outside the building puffing on a cigar. Alles paled. 

“Les, good to see you.” The man smiled, “Been a while.” 

“Vincent.” Alles nodded in response to him. 

“Been what, seventeen years?” He asked Alles as he glanced at Alex. “This is my son Carter.” He said nudging Carter forward. He shook Alles hand, and then Alex’s. 

“This is my daughter Alex.” Alles said positioning herself in between Alex and the Smith males just enough to prevent physical contact. Alex looked confused at her mother’s behavior, and Alles gave a small shake of her head as if warding off her daughter’s mental communication. Alex huffed. 

“Mom, why do I look like them?” She asked, very loudly. Vincent smiled and opened his mouth to answer. 

“Because, there’s only so many genetic codes that determine physical appearance, and your biological father also had black curly hair which is genetic, but you got my blue eyes.” Alles explained, clearly exasperated with her daughter and her ex. “Now go to the car.” She said handing Brittany the keys. I made to follow the family as well, but Alles grabbed my arm stopping me. Once they were out of earshot Alles motioned to me, “What do you have to do with the Ebony pack?” Alles questioned Vincent. “I’m not as stupid as I once was, I know her mother was meeting with you at the restaurant.” 

“It seems that the young girl is my son’s natural mate. We were just discussing the terms of a union between the lovebirds.” Vincent said playing innocent. We had no idea you were going to be here. 

“Bullshit.” Alles said, “If you didn’t know we were going to be here how did you know they were mates?” 

“Ah, what I’m telling you is true. The Ebony pack relocated down here, and we were originally meeting to discuss a union between my son and another young lady in their pack. That discussion was derailed by my son bumping into his natural mate. When we discovered she was still part of the Ebony pack, the discussion adjusted itself.” He shrugged. “Like I said, completely innocent.” 

Alles was hesitant, “Well you should know the Ebony pack abandoned Jessica here, and she is currently staying with us. If she wishes to court Carter, was it? We won’t interfere, but you are to stay away from my daughter she growled. And you,” she pointed to Carter, “are not to say a word about any of this to Alex do you understand?” 

“She has a right to know who her father is.” Vincent stated. 

“Yes, she does, but you chose not to be a part of her life.” Alles growled. “You can’t come walking in now to claim her as if you hadn’t made that choice. I’m guessing the only reason you’re trying to claim her is to weasel into the alliance with the Winter pack and I will not have my daughter used.” Her eyes were black and her fangs were bared as she stabbed a clawed fingertip into his chest. 

“Surely, you don’t think so little of me Les?” Vincent asked, in mock shock. “I was young and heartbroken when you left, and my mate, Goddess bless her soul, didn’t want me nurturing a bond with Alex over our son. I made a mistake, I just want to fix it and have a relationship with my daughter, let her know her sibling.” 

“You’re a sniveling snake and will not step foot near my daughter.” Alles pushed, “As for Jessica it is up to her if she wants to pursue the bond with your son, and if so she can make her own arrangements, but as I said none of this will be shared with Alex, as it has nothing to do with her.” Alles grabbed my arm again and led me towards the vehicle. 

“I am not telling you to reject your mate.” Alles whispered to me, “I’m just trying to protect Alex. I don’t know Carter, he may be a good person, but his father is not. I meant what I said it’s up to you if you want to pursue that relationship and I will help you, just whatever you do don’t tell Alex Carter is her brother and don’t let him tell her either.” 

“Yes ma’am.” I said, “I don’t want to do anything to ruin my position with your pack.” 

“Good. Now I know Alex said no pressure, but the sooner you forsake your pack and join ours the better.” Alles said, before we got in earshot of the rest of them. I nodded in response. During the car ride back I pretended to be asleep as I took time to mentally process everything I had learned.