“But…” I pause, not sure how to answer. Does she want me to compliment her? And if so, why? “You do look stunning,” I tell her. “I just don’t want to make things awkward.”
She bumps her shoulder against me and chuckles. “Forest, you could never make things awkward. It’s just me, good ol’ Lissa.”
“Right,” I say, although I am still not feeling comfortable. Somehow, our conversation makes me recall what my wolf said only an hour ago. She is not our mate. I can’t deny that I want my mate, that I want to find her and know who she is. It’s unusual for an alpha-to-be of my age not to have found their mate yet, so maybe this is another thing wrong with me.
But I do wish I’d meet her.
My parents, however, are a different issue. Do they want me to choose Lissa as my mate? We don’t even know if this is whatshe wants. Lissa might be waiting for her own mate; as of now, she is just accompanying me as a friend and because I am bad at socializing.
“Forest, you are here!”
I turn my head to meet Tristan’s eyes, surprised to see him here. He and I went to the same alpha preparation training and are of similar age. He is from a small pack and took over last year after having found his luna. “Hey, I didn’t expect you to come.”
“You know me,” Tristan grins. “This is not me, but sometimes I have to show my ass.”
He doesn’t even lower his voice as he talks, despite poking fun at the event. I’ve always envied him for his confidence.
Lissa casts Tristan a glance and just smiles briefly. Neither she nor my parents deem him worthy of their time, I know that. It’s mainly because he isn’t really influential. “I’ll go ahead and greet Alpha Jordan,” she tells me.
I nod, waiting for her to have left before turning towards Tristan again. Tristan moves me aside a bit. “Did you take her as your chosen mate?”
“No, why do you ask?”
“Don’t know, people are talking,” he says, looking up and frowning. I turn my head to see what he is looking at. It’s Lissa who is greeting Alpha Jordan. The latter is a handsome man, strong and with obvious charisma, but I don’t like him. Something rubs me the wrong way whenever we talk.
It’s his eyes.
There is something in his eyes.
I have voiced my concerns to my parents once, but obviously,his eyeswere not reason enough for them to even consider my worries. They have a point, though; why should I judge someone for the way they look at me, especially when they aren’t impolite?
“What are they talking about?” I ask while Jordan gives Lissa a hug. His hand lingers on the small of her back a little longer than would be considered appropriate for an alpha or any wolf with a mate.
“That she is in the running for the position of your luna,” Tristan tells me. “Dude, if you like her, I won’t say anything, but years ago you told me you wanted your mate.”
I told him something like that when I was still in my late teens. Funny, I completely forgot about it.
“Time’s ticking,” I admit.
“Says who?” he blinks.
I shrug. “You know, I can only take over the pack when I have a luna.”
“But you are still young,” he points out. “You still have time to find her. And Lissa…“ he pauses.
“What’s with her?”
Tristan sighs. “It’s just rumors,” he admits.
“I still want to hear them.”
“Some of my warriors claimed that they saw her with Jordan,” he tells me. “Not just at an event. In private.”
“She is trying to strike a business deal with his pack,” I tell him.
“In a hotel?” he asks.
I raise my gaze in surprise.
