Getting out of the car, I make a show of hurrying around it before Martin can open the door for Rosea. “Sorry, Alpha,” he blurts out. “I was just trying to—"
“Be polite, I know,” I reassure him. “But I want to be the first one to welcome my future luna to the pack.”
I make sure to speak loud enough for the people close by to hear us, and soon whispers are filling the air. I tune them out and open the door, taking Rosea’s hand and helping her out of the car.
“Welcome to the pack, Rose,” I say.
Rosea shows me a warm smile before looking around. She is exactly like I expected her to be. Now that we are in front of everyone’s eyes, her aura is even stronger; her stance is dignified and elegant. She stands tall next to me, very unusual for female shifters and an obvious sign that she comes from an alpha bloodline.
“I know you haven’t seen much yet, but I hope you like it,” I say.
“It’s a very beautiful place,” she says. “You told me it would be green, and you were right. It’s a place full of nature. It’s wonderful.”
I put an arm around her, pulling her closer. Rosea immediately plays along, wrapping her arm around my waist and kissing my cheek. Then she pretends to only now notice the people around us, letting go of her hug and instead taking my hand. “I apologize,” she says to the pack. “I hope I didn’t make anyone uncomfortable.”
Some of the pack members immediately scoot closer. “Luna,” one woman mutters.
“You are Alpha Forest’s mate!” a warrior exclaims.
“Allow me to introduce her,” I say. “This is Rose. We literally bumped into each other today, and obviously, I immediately kidnapped her.”
Rosea chuckles softly. “You did. Although you were kind enough to treat me to lunch first, like a real gentleman.”
“Anything, for my luna,” I say in what I hope is a smooth tone.
Meanwhile, Martin has unloaded the car, and two of our male servants hurry towards us. “Where should I take the luggage, Alpha?”
“To my place, please,” I tell them.
Rosea smiles at them. “Thank you for your help. That’s very kind.”
Eye to eye with her, the two men blush slightly. Not that I can blame them. She is quite the appearance. Then they hurry off, while I can hear a little more commotion coming from the packhouse. My eye catches my parents. So, there they are!
I can feel Rosea’s grip around my hand tightening, squeezing it slightly.
Here it goes. The show begins.
I can do it.
I have to do it.
Don’t hesitate now,Darien warns me, and before I can reply, he shows me a montage of what we heard and experienced yesterday. It’s not like I needed any more resolve, but it’s certainly good that he reminded me of my anger.
“Here you are!” I make a show to wave at my parents. “Come, Mom, Dad. You need to meet my mate,” I laugh. “And here you were worried I’d never find her.”
Rosea entwines our fingers. “It’s my fault,” she chuckles. “I was traveling too much. Had I known my handsome mate was so close, I would have come here sooner.”
The pack might not like me much, but me having found my mate is major news. Finding our mates is a huge thing, even more so if it concerns the alpha family. There are voices all around us, a lot of people congratulating me. Meanwhile, my parents have come closer; the look of shock on their faces is priceless.
I wonder what they are thinking. They surely wonder what the fuck I am doing here, and who this woman is. Maybe they believe she is a fraud, maybe they think I am trying to pull something over them, or maybe they might even believe that they killed the wrong girl.
It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that they know they have a huge problem now.
And with the pack surrounding us and being witness to the scene, they can only play along. Mom comes closer and reaches out her arms. “What a lovely surprise,” she says.
However, her lips tremble slightly when she hugs Rosea. Dad reaches out his hand towards her. “Welcome to the pack, Rose,” he pauses. “I am Harry.”
Mom awkwardly hugs her. “I am Donna.”
