The Alpha’s Temptation

CHAPTER 8

MIA

"Hey, um, so, like, when are we, you know, planning to visit your father?" I queried Nix as he casually strolled out of the shower, water droplets glistening on his skin. "Perhaps, like, he could, you know, join us for dinner or something?"

"Uh, well, my father, he's not really, like, into dining with people he's not, you know, super close to," he responded, nonchalantly making his way into the closet.

His remark hit a nerve, causing me to swiftly roll off the cozy bed and hastily follow him into the closet. "Seriously?" I exclaimed, feeling a surge of frustration. "He should totally, like, know me better by now, right? I mean, come on, I'm your girlfriend, for crying out loud!"

Ignoring me, he picked up a shirt from the hanger. “Are you making a statement or reminding me that you are my girlfriend.” He buttoned up his shirt and approached me. “I chose you over my mate Mia, you don’t need to remind me of your status in my life.”

Circling my hand round his waist, I placed a featherlight kiss on his lips. “Just one dinner or lunch with him.” I persisted, “it is my birthday next week, let this be my birthday gift.”

“He won’t have dinner with you.” Nix insisted. “Amira was the only woman in my life my father had dinner with.”

A furrow creased my brow. "What's so extraordinary about her? If he shared a meal with her, why won't he do the same with me?" I lamented, the mounting pressure of my father's incessant talks about marriage starting to grate on my nerves.

Nix let out a weary sigh. "I suppose he tolerated her because she was my mate, and he harbored the thought that we'd get married some day," he explained, leaning in to plant a comforting kiss on my cheek. "I'll have a chat with him about it, although I can already anticipate his response."

"Thank you," I murmured gratefully, allowing him some space to finish dressing. Perching myself on the vanity seat, I observed as he slipped into his pants. My gaze wandered around the room, landing on his packed duffel bag. "Are you going on a trip?"

He nodded. “I am traveling to my father’s.” he replied, walking over to grab the bag. “I am out of cash and I haven’t been able to reach him on the day for a while.”

I want to go with him, but I know that will be a lost argument. “Sure. My regards to your father if he cares to listen.”

After he left, I had no reason to stay at his place as I would be bored out of my mind, so I decided to head back to my place.

Late that evening, I went over to my parents for dinner. The moment I walked in, my mother pulled me into a hug. “The future Luna.” She praised with a wide smile. “I had always known there was something special about you the moment I gave birth to you.”

Right. If I didn’t play a fast one on Amira, probably she wouldn’t have seen that special whatever she is seeing right now. "Where is Dad?" I inquired, my tone curt as I brushed off her attempts at flattery.

"He's in his study, on a business call," she responded, her hand reaching out in an attempt to guide me towards the dining table. I recoiled instinctively, pulling away from her touch. "I'm hungry. Did the staff prepare anything edible?" I interjected, my appetite outweighing any desire for social niceties.

"June is in the kitchen cooking," Mum informed me, a note of casualness in her tone.

I arched an eyebrow, confusion flickering across my features. "June?" I echoed incredulously. What is my brother's mate doing here? The presence of my brother's mate in our household kitchen was certainly unexpected.

Mum shrugged nonchalantly. "She came for a visit, so I thought she might as well lend a hand with dinner," she explained casually, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Mum can be surprisingly cruel when she chooses to be, and her decision to have June, her guest, cooking in our kitchen instead of relying on our hired staff felt like a deliberate jab.

Walking past Mum, I made my way to the kitchen. June looked up from the vegetables she was cutting, and I ignored her, heading straight for the fridge. I grabbed an apple and turned to leave, intent on avoiding any unnecessary interaction.

"Since you're here, can you at least help me wash the vegetables?" June's request cut through the air, her voice filled with a hint of exasperation.

Scoffing at the audacity of her request, I halted in my tracks, turning to face her with disbelief and disdain. "I heard that your father was a farmer before you met my brother and this whole mating bullshit happened," I retorted, the bitterness seeping into my words. I took a defiant bite of the apple before continuing. "I'm sure you still remember how to wash your vegetables."

"Well, I haven't done it in a while!" June deadpanned, her tone laced with sarcasm. "Yet here I am, doing it because I don't want to be rude to your mother."

I tilted my head sideways, a frown creasing my brow. "And who told you not to?" I shot back, my voice edged with frustration. "Nobody told you to play the nice one in this house."

"Not everyone wants to be the crazy b***h like you, who has no regard for anyone or their emotions," June continued, her words cutting through the air like a knife. "Tell me, why did you snatch your sister's mate and gladly watch her go through rejection?"

A surge of anger coursed through me, my irritation morphing into full-blown fury. I took hastened steps towards her, stopping abruptly in front of the kitchen island. "Since when did you start being on Amira's side?" I demanded, my voice dripping with venom.

Jane rolled her eyes dismissively. "I'm not on her side, nor on yours, nor that of your parents. I'm only on my husband's side."

I scoffed derisively, unable to hide my contempt. "That's cute," I mocked, my voice dripping with disdain as I adopted a baby-like tone. "Count yourself lucky that he's my brother, or I would have snatched him from you just to shatter your silly fairytale and watch you writhe in agony."

Her jaw dropped in shock, her expression one of stupefaction as she blinked slowly at me. "You're evil," she finally managed to utter, her voice barely above a whisper.

I shrugged indifferently, refusing to be fazed by her accusation. "Everyone in this house is evil," I stated matter-of-factly, driving home the point. "I have a mother who had an affair with her mate's brother, became pregnant with his child, and then pinned the baby on her mate. She watched him nurture and attempt to show love to a child that isn't even his."

June continued to stare at me unblinkingly, her expression unreadable as I unleashed the harsh truths that lives in my family.

"I have a father who pushed his own brother off the balcony to his death," I reveled with a psycho smile. "All because of an affair with his wife and mate."

Amira remained oblivious to the truth, the only member of our family unaware that our dear father was responsible for the death of her real father.

"His death was falsely labeled as suicide due to his bipolar disorder," I continued, "And I have a brother who deliberately pushed me into a pool when we were teenagers, fully aware that I couldn't swim. A brother who callously stood at the edge of the pool and watched me drown because he believed our father favored me over him."

Her eyes narrowed with a mix of disbelief and dawning realization, as if my revelations had shattered the illusion of innocence she had carefully maintained.

"I have a mother who turned a blind eye to all this madness," I continued, my voice heavy with resentment, "watching silently as her husband mistreated a girl she brought into this world. But she wouldn't care, as long as she remained his mate and enjoyed the comforts of his wealth."

With a sudden burst of frustration, I slammed both hands onto the kitchen island and leaned forward, my gaze locked onto hers. "You probably think you're the untainted one in this family," I challenged, my tone dripping with sarcasm, "but would you remain so innocent and sweet if I decided to vie for the position of CEO alongside Logan?" As her eyes hardened with apprehension, I couldn't help but smirk in triumph. "Let's call a spade a spade, Jane. My brother feels threatened by me. He knows Amira doesn't care about the company and won't change her mind about it, but he knows I'm the one who doesn't care about the company right now, yet might wake up tomorrow wanting it. He sees me as a threat because he knows I possess just as much qualification as he does."

As she opened her mouth to respond, I moved swiftly, reaching across the table to snatch her cheek in a tight grip, forcing her to meet my gaze. "We're all tainted by the darkness of this family," I declared, my voice low and intense. "I've simply chosen to embrace the lesser evil."

With a firm shove, I released her cheek, allowing her to recoil slightly. "Amira isn't as evil as they rest of you.”

I couldn't help but chuckle at the notion. "No, she's just as capable of darkness as the rest of us," I remarked, continuing to eat my apples with a sense of nonchalance. "She's actively trying to sabotage my wedding, willing to stoop to any means necessary to ensure it doesn't happen. That doesn't sound very innocent, does it?"