His Luna or His Mate

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Paige's Point of view

Going to see my ‘family’ was never an easy thing for me to do. I wasn’t my stepmother or my stepsister's biggest fan, and they, in return, positively loathed me. They tried not to let it show in front of my father, but if a situation was heated he always took their side over mine.

Well not today! I knew that Lydia and Kimberly would insist that Jacob and I stayed married. They both had expensive taste and received a generous allowance from my husband’s bank account each week. But my Dad was a reasonable man. He wouldn’t want his eldest daughter locked in a loveless marriage, whilst being forced to watch another she-wolf take her place. Because that was what was going to happen if I didn’t get a divorce.

I squared my shoulders and marched towards the front door.

It took almost a minute for someone to answer. My father liked to keep unexpected guests waiting. It was a little power trick of his. The window to my father's office was open, so there was no question he could smell my scent. But that wouldn’t hurry him along.

Instead, to my utter displeasure, my step-sister opened the door.

She answered the door with bright eyes and an easy smile. But when she saw who was standing on the other side, her face was about as pleasant as soured milk.

“Well, isn’t this a lovely surprise.” She said, voice saccharine. “My elder sister has come to visit.”

“Hi Kimberly,” I replied with fake enthusiasm. Today was not about how much we despised each other. It was about me and my father.

“Who is it, Kimmy?” Lydia screeched from inside the house.

“No one of any importance, Mommy. It’s just Paige.”

“Oh. Well, I guess she’d better come in.”

‘Wow, these two are charm personified.’ Maddie grumbled. ‘And what’s with the Kimmy/Mommy vibe? They’re both grown women for Christ's sake’

I coughed to stifle a laugh. No matter what was happening, Maddie’s sense of humor was always bang on.

Kimberly opened the door a fraction wider, which meant I had to squeeze myself through a gap between the door and the wall.

Lydia joined us in the narrow hallway.

“Gosh, I hope you’re not putting on too much weight,” she commented. “Nobody wants a fat Luna darling.”

I hadn’t put on a pound. I was as lean as I had always been. But Lydia attempted to belittle me at every opportunity that she got.

“I don’t think the scales have moved in five years,” I said through gritted teeth. “But I do appreciate you looking out for me.”

My stepmother placed her hands on the top of my arms and air-kissed me on each side of my cheeks. Kimberly made no such effort.

“I’m actually glad you’re here,” Lydia said, sounding surprised. As if she herself couldn’t possibly believe that she wanted me in the family home.

‘Oh Goddess, I know what’s coming next. Cringe!’

‘Me too Madz, me too.’

“Your sister needs a husband. It’s time for her to contribute to the family.”

And by ‘the family’, she meant her specifically.

“Now the obvious choice was for her to marry the Alpha, but sadly, that position has already fallen to you.”

Not for long. I thought. I’m on my way about.

I took the opportunity to interrupt. “Actually, that’s why I’m here. To talk about my marriage contract. Is Dad around?”

“What a terrible way to refer to your husband,” Kimberly said, batting her fake eyelashes. “Good Goddess only knows why he chose you for Luna. You don’t sound in the least bit grateful.”

I glared at Kimberly but said nothing. I was always made to feel like a spoiled child in this house, at the hands of the two most spoiled wolves I know.

“Well, Kimmy, we can only assume he had a lapse in judgment. Either that or Paige here drugged him.” She laughed at her own joke and Kimberly joined her.

I waited for the chortling to die down before I tried again. “So, where is Dad?”

“Why is it you never want to spend any time with us?” Kimberly’s whole demeanor changed. Her eyes took on a puppy dog look and her bottom lip wobbled. You only ever come here to see Daddy and you never ask how me and mommy are.”

A deep voice spoke from behind me. “Paige, you’ve been in my house for three minutes and you’ve already upset your sister. Why are you so cruel to her?”

Of course. The show was for our father. She must have seen him approach and decided to stir up some trouble.

“Sorry, Kim.” I said, in my least un-sorry voice. And I called her Kim, which she hated.

I turned and looked at my Dad. He was still in the prime of his life, having not yet turned sixty. But I could see that he was a little tired, which I always put down to the women he lived with. Two high-maintenance females underneath your roof was enough to try anyone's patience.

“Hi Dad,” I said. I got up on my tiptoes and placed a kiss on his cheek. He wasn’t a fan of affection, but I refused to just shake his hand as he had once suggested.

“Paige. I know why you’re here.”

“You do?”

“Of course he does,” Lydia chimed in. “Did you honestly think we wouldn’t find out you’d let another she-wolf into your marriage?”

“I didn’t give her permission, Lydia.” I snapped.

“Don’t talk to your mother like that.” I fought the urge to tell him she had never been, nor would she ever be, my mother.

“What’s done is done,” he continued. “You clearly don’t have the skills to stop the Alpha’s attention from wandering.”

“Skills?” I was horrified. Whilst my step-sibling giggled in the background.

My father ignored me. “Therefore, I see no other option but for you to have an open marriage. It’s not where I stand from a religious point of view. But after speaking to the Alpha-”

“You’ve spoken to Jacob about this?” My voice shot up three octaves in surprise, and I squeaked out the word in the style of Mini Mouse.

“Don’t interrupt me when I’m talking,” my father hushed. “As I was saying, it’s not the way of the Moon Goddess, but it’s the right thing to do. She’s certainly not the right person to lead this pack,” he snorted loudly.

“Dad, I am not going to stand around whilst Jacob Walker makes a fool of me.”

The kitchen went silent. My father was a Beta, second only to Jacob’s father, and he did not like to be questioned.

“You think you’ll seem less foolish if you leave?” he asked dangerously quiet. “Do you have any idea what that would do to my reputation? What that would do to your Mother and Kimberly?”

On point, Kimberly burst into a flood of fake tears. “Mommy, how will I ever marry a ranked wolf if Paige tarnishes our good name?”

“There, there, baby,” Lydia cooed, rushing to hug her biological daughter. “How can you be so evil to your baby sister? She looks up to you, and you don’t even seem to care.” Even Lydia had made it sound like she was on the verge of tears.

She put her arm around Kimberly and led her from the room. She looked back at me with sad eyes. “I know you’ll do what’s right for our family, Paige.”

‘Oh please. She doesn’t know what’s right for this family. She's a born narcissist,’ Maddie huffed. ‘Why the f**k do we even come here, Paige?'

“Dad, please,” I reasoned. “You don’t really expect me to live in an adulterous marriage, do you? It would make me so miserable. Surely you want better for me?”

“It’s not adulterous if you give your permission.” My father said stiffly. Deep down he knew this wasn’t right.

“Well, I don’t give my permission,” I said, putting my metaphorical foot down. “I refuse to be the ‘other woman’ in my own relationship. I will not work by Jacob’s side all day to do what’s best for the pack whilst he is wearing the scent of another wolf. I will not raise their children for them. I am going to get a divorce. End of story.”

My father moved so quickly I didn’t have time to dodge his massive backhand blow as it crashed into the right-hand side of my face. My head hit the tiled kitchen wall behind me and everything went dark.