The Alpha's Lost Mate

Chapter 14: Uninvited Guests

Uninvited Guests

The heavy thud-thud-thud of the knock vibrated through the apartment, rattling Aunt Lena more than it should have. Her heart lurched. Frank wasn't due home for hours, and Josie usually texted before arriving. Who could it be? She dabbed her hands on her apron, a knot forming in her stomach as she walked toward the door. The moment she peered through the peephole, her carefully constructed calm shattered. Standing on her doorstep, side by side, were Emily and Matt.

A gasp caught in Lena's throat. No. Not now. Not like this. She recognized the grim set of Matt's jaw, the unsettling intensity in his eyes, even through the distorting glass. Emily looked equally serious, her usual bright demeanor subdued. Lena’s mind raced, a frantic flurry of denial and dread. She took a quick, frantic inhale, praying the rich aroma of roasted chicken was enough to mask any lingering sweetness, any trace of Josie's unique scent that might betray her. Josie could arrive at any minute. Lena needed to think fast, to make this visit short and as outwardly normal as possible, without raising suspicion. There was no escaping this. She had to act. Fast.

With a deep breath, Lena pulled the door open, a wide, almost theatrical smile already plastered on her face. Her voice, however, was a little too bright, a little too loud. "Oh, Emily! You're here!" She stepped forward, pulling her niece into a swift, tight hug, using the embrace to momentarily obscure Matt from her view, to buy herself a precious second. Every second they were here was a risk. She needed them gone, now, before the unthinkable happened. When she finally released Emily, she turned to Matt, her smile softening, forcing warmth into her eyes. "Hello Matt, lovely to see you too. What a surprise! Come in, come in both of you! Dinner's just about ready."

She gestured them inside, her gaze flicking between their faces. Matt's expression was unreadable, a stony mask over something turbulent. Emily, however, was less skilled at concealment; her eyes darted nervously between Matt and Lena, a clear mark of uncertainty. The usual easy comfort of Lena's home felt charged, the air thick with unspoken questions. Lena's carefully constructed world, built on years of silence and well-meaning deception, suddenly felt as fragile as spun sugar. She forced herself not to react, to betray no hint of the panic tightening her throat. They couldn't possibly know. Her scent, after all, was similar to Josie’s, and surely the heavy dinner smells would cover any faint lingering trace of her daughter. Matt was an Alpha, yes, but not even an Alpha could discern such subtle nuances from a human, especially not without prior suspicion.

The aroma of roasted chicken now seemed to choke Lena, thick and cloying in the suddenly too-small apartment. "Please, sit! Make yourselves comfortable," she chirped, her hands fluttering towards the living room couch, then immediately pulling away to smooth her apron. Her gaze darted to the large grandfather clock in the hall. Only a few more hours until Josie is home. "Can I get you something to drink? Water? Tea? I just put on a fresh pot."

Matt remained standing just inside the doorway, his presence a silent, immovable force. His eyes swept the room, taking in every detail – the framed photos, the comfortable, lived-in furniture, the subtle scent of lily and spice that was definitely lingering, mixed with the dinner smells. It wasn't just Lena's usual background scent; it was stronger here, fresher, hinting at recent presence. His wolf, Luther, hummed deep within him, a low thrumming of recognition and simmering demand. He watched Lena's hands, how they trembled slightly as she fidgeted with the apron strings.

Emily, sensing Matt's silent command, moved gracefully to the couch, though she didn't fully settle. "We're fine, Aunt Lena, thank you," she said, her voice gentle but firm, cutting through Lena's nervous prattling. She observed her aunt, the forced cheer in her eyes, the way she avoided direct eye contact for more than a second. "Actually, we came here for a specific reason. Something quite important."

Lena's forced smile tightened, a barely perceptible tremor running through her. "Oh? What could be so important to bring you all the way from Iowa, dear?" She laughed, a brittle sound that grated on Matt's ears. She took a step back, subconsciously creating distance, her eyes flickering nervously towards the hallway leading to the bedrooms. What if Josie came home early?

Then, a flicker of feigned remembrance, a desperate attempt to divert the conversation. "Oh, that's right, your father's hearing was today! Please tell me that awful man is going to be staying in for a lot longer?"

"Yes, Aunt Lena," Emily responded, her tone not one of excitement but one of something further needing to be said. "My father's parole was denied on the grounds that he still attempts to reach out to Mom. The courts don't figure he would respect a protective order. Luckily he still is unaware of which pack we are with, so small wins." Emily paused, her gaze holding Lena's. "How are you, Aunt Lena? It's been a few months since we've seen you."

Lena's forced smile finally faltered, slipping entirely. Her eyes, wide and suddenly fearful, flickered between Emily's calm, unwavering gaze and Matt's silent, predatory stillness. The comforting aroma of roasted chicken now seemed to mock her, trapping her in its warmth. She suddenly felt dizzy, the carefully orchestrated normalcy of her apartment suffocating.

"I... I'm well, dear," Lena stammered, her voice thin, a visible bead of sweat forming on her temple. She wrung her apron in her hands, the fabric twisting into a tight knot. Her gaze darted to the clock again, then to the front door, then to the closed door leading to the hallway. Any minute. Please, not now. She needed a new angle, anything to keep them from saying it. "It's just been a busy week, you know? With... with Frank's cases and... and Josie, of course. So much going on with her college applications. It's just a lot, you see? All very good, but a lot." She started to babble, pulling herself towards the kitchen counter, her movements jerky as she fumbled with a teacup she didn't need. "Are you sure you don't want any tea? It's freshly brewed. I can just get you a cup. Or maybe some of that chicken I made, it's really quite tender."

Matt's patience, thin as stretched silk, snapped. His voice was low, resonating with Alpha authority, cutting through Lena's nervous chatter like a knife. "Aunt Lena."

The single word, spoken with quiet force, made Lena jump, dropping the teacup with a clatter. It didn't break, but the sound echoed loudly in the sudden silence. Her eyes, wide with terror, finally locked on Matt's. The carefully constructed facade, years in the making, was about to shatter.

The sudden, jarring sound of the front door opening abruptly tore through the tense quiet. Lena's eyes widened, a soundless scream caught in her throat. Her face, already pale, drained of all remaining color as her shoulders slumped in defeat. She was powerless to stop it now.

A bright, cheerful voice echoed from the small entryway, completely oblivious to the coiled tension filling the living room. "Mom! I'm home! Dinner smells amazing, I'm starving!"

A figure stepped into the archway leading from the hall, vibrant and unsuspecting, a backpack slung over one shoulder, a sweet, unmistakable scent of lily and spice preceding her. Matt's breath hitched, his eyes locking onto the young woman. Ten years. Ten long years, and here she was. Right in front of him.