1. Mates with him
RAVEN
I didn't need father to tell me again. If he did, that meant trouble. If he did, it meant a few days without any food or water. And if I were lucky, I would at least be given the freedom to be out and about like everyone else. Maybe that way I could find something to eat.
My body moved like clockwork. I didn’t care that today was my birthday; no one cared either.
Not since I was adopted. Not today. And I bet not in the days to come either.
"Raven!" Father called and I stopped in my tracks. My mind already in a whirlwind of thoughts questioning what I did wrong. If he called for me, it was always something I did. Or like most days, he just wanted to vent.
I spun, clutching tightly the saucepan in my hand. My heart was in my throat, I swallowed, it didn't move.
"Remember, for this dinner tonight, you're going to be eating with us..." I was? I almost spoke out of turn. Almost. But I didn't thankfully. Father hated it. "...but under no circumstance should you speak. Make yourself invisible if possible, I don't care. Got it?"
I nodded before he finished. And I kept doing so even after.
Be quiet. Be invisible. Got it.
Father walked off, and I released a breath I was well aware I had held too scared to release in his presence.
I got back to work, my moves were in a circle. The kitchen, to the dining area where my mother was giving out instructions and then back to the kitchen.
Then to my room when given the word. "Ten minutes, Raven. That's all you have to get ready..." Luna barked and I sprinted as fast as I could to the attic that was my room.
I didn't hate the place, in fact I appreciated it. Despite not being their daughter, I had a roof over my head and I was grateful for that.
Alpha Rowan, father, as he liked to be addressed when there were outsiders, adopted me when I was twelve years old. Orphaned at that age, he was forced to take me in, something about showing the world that he was far from what they thought him to be. Which was ruthless, wicked and unforgiving.
Except he was all of those. To me.
His wolfless adopted daughter. What he didn't know however was that I wasn't entirely wolfless. My wolf just chose when I could sense her and when not. This however wasn't something I wanted him or anyone to find out. They would only probe me to satisfy their curiosities about why I was a freak. No thank you.
But even though Alpha Rowan scared the s**t out of me, he was far less scary than his brother, Kael, Beta of the Dark Moon Pack. He preceded his reputation. He embraced his name unlike father.
"Are you almost done in there? You've been gone a full five minutes!" Luna asked from the other side of the door. My heart lurched to my throat. I was gone just a minute. How had it been five already?
But who was I to tell her that? "Yes, Luna. I'm almost done..." I answered back, voice trembling.
Fear gripped my chest. She had never been to my room. Not since the day I was brought home. But it didn't matter. Anytime I was needed, I had to show up regardless of what was waiting for me outside the door.
Stop shaking, Raven. Be quiet, be invisible. That's all you have to do. I chanted internally to myself as I got dressed.
As I walked down the flight of stairs I had spent endless hours cleaning up this morning, a new wave of fear washed over me. And it wasn’t about the dinner.
This was something else. I could feel the way it seeped into my bones.
Just get through dinner and you'll be fine. This birthday should be like the others. I was wolfless like they said, right? But why did it feel like something was going to happen?
I tried to push past it, but that feeling never left. Something in me stirred, something I didn't recognize.
When I got to the living room, I felt a pull. To someone. But no one. Whoever it was, wasn't in the room at all. This couldn’t be my wolf, she didn't feel like this. What was this feeling? Was it fear?
Mate is close... that small voice rang in my head and I could swear it was my imagination.
"Don't just keep standing there, you pathetic fool!" Alpha Rowan roared, causing the ground to shake along with what was left of my heart.
I brisked into the living room area just in time for him to walk in and take a seat.
I didn't know nor understand how it was possible to smell him without my wolf's senses, but I did. He was seated on the couch with one leg crossed over the other, wearing an expression that was even scarier than his brother's.
Beta Kael.
The further I went into the room, the more his scent assaulted my nostrils, drawing a part of me that should not be awake. Pinewood, mint and musk. All manly. All him.
We stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. He was saying something to me without moving his lips, but the only thing I could read about this expression was the fact that he wanted me nowhere near him.
"He's mate. Mate!" Her voice was louder than I had ever heard. The certainty of it didn't scare me as much as the realization that this was my father's brother, my uncle. How was he my mate? Does he know? He had to have known, right?
He was seven years older than I was. He had his wolf all this time. f**k, he knew. That was what the look was for!
"They're here..." this time he spoke audibly, standing on his feet and drawing his gorgeous blue eyes from me.
The butler swung the front door open, letting the guests into the house.
Stay hidden, stay quiet. I remembered those words. I turned to the man who said them to me and found him already glaring me down, as if to remind me of his warning. I did as I was told that evening. Even though most of the time my attention fell on him without looking. My mate.
As they spoke, ate and laughed, I remained silent making sure my face stayed buried in my plate. I had the hunger of a thousand people but I could not bring myself to eat the food.
Stay quiet, Raven.
But maybe it wasn't just the threats that got to me. But the fact that my uncle was my mate and he didn't seem to want me. I understand why he hates me now.
"You haven't told us who this is, Alpha Rowan. And she's been awfully quiet..." No, no, no...please don't...
I didn't know who spoke, but did I dare to look up? Absolutely not!
"Oh, forgive my forgetfulness. This is my daughter, Raven. She's extremely shy. Right, sweetheart?" Anyone with ears should have been able to pick up the disdain dripping in his voice. Alpha Rowan was anything but nice.
I looked up then, forcing a smile. My eyes fell on a pair of unfamiliar ones, one of the guests. "Yes, father." The stranger flashed me a smile.
Only after I had lifted my head did I notice that we wear seated in a partition. The guests facing us, with both Alphas at either ends of the table.
Kael was seated beside me. Goddess. Did he feel this too? The pull?
"Right, now that we've had dinner. I think its time to make the announcement official..." Alpha Rowan spoke with pride in his voice. Kael pushed his chair and stood tall and on the other side of the table, a woman I had no paid any attention to, stood up as well. "Congratulations on your engagement, Kael and Kathryn..."
Wait, what? He's getting engaged?
