Chapter 6: Familiar Stranger 02

“Alpha.” she calls, and with that my stomach sinks.

It's him, it's alpha Knox Winslow. My mate, my deceased daughters father, my villain, my hero and right beside him Ryan, his beta. I swallow the huge lump that forms in my throat when his eyes meet mine, glaring with the same animosity as the day I lost our daughter. Fighting hard to not recall every insult, taunt and atrocity he's uttered to me since four years ago I gulp once again.

“Knox, this is Rose.” Cassidy's gaze shifts to me. “Rose, Alpha Knox, the best man.”

Knox glares at me throughout Cassidy's introduction. I take my time to eye him, to appreciate the way he's visibly grown now. The moon goddess has favorites and trust me, Knox Winslow is number one through five on that list. The man is flawless, perfect even with his tremendous ego.

Knox takes one step forward and out of habit, I take one back. “Run, Thalia.”

“What?” Cassidy snorts.

Ryan tugs at Knox's arm, his gaze pitiful when he looks at me. “Knox, not here.”

Cassidy sighs, the excitement I've seen on her all night nowhere is sight. I did this, I ruined her happiness. It's very typical of me to act this way, I ruin everything. “Am I missing something here, Victor?” her gaze shifts over my shoulder to where I didn't notice it scent him.

“She's Thalia, the one we don't talk about.”

“Oh, so I'm still an unspoken topic around his parts, nice.” I nod, thinking back to when he made the decree. I don't understand how a man that claimed to love me would ice me out from not just his but everyone's lives.

Cassidy shifts over to me and drapes her arm around me. “I don't care about history, it's past for a reason and besides, Rose is my friend so..”

“You have horrid taste in friends, Cassidy.” Knox interupts her statement.

“I do.” Cassidy giggles. “But I made the right choice with Rose Laurel.”

Victor nods, going over to his friend. “She's right, I won't let you bad mouth Rose, she's the reason Cassidy agreed to marry me.” my head tilts to look at him of course I never met him while I was with Knox but I do see why they're friends. He fits every criteria of his friends, they're all hot, rich with a possessive ego attached to them.

“I used to think the same, that she was different.” Knox glares once again, pure disdain in his gaze. “I defended her until she deluded me. I can't stand to even look at this little demon, if I spend five more seconds with her, I'll paint the floors red with her blood. I'll just leave.”

His threat does nothing to me, perhaps it's because of the alcohol but I too can't stand to be in his sights. I hate the way he looks at me, it hurts me to read every sentence behind those angry eyes.

“No. It's fine, I'll go.” I turn to Cassidy, flashing her a smile. “I'm the bigger person and he's a petty bitch.”

Ryan chuckles, holding Knox back. “Easy, she's drunk.”

“I'm not drunk, Thalia Ross Laurel.” I snort, laugh at my own joke a little bit harder than intended.

Cassidy joins in, making me laugh harder. “You are.” Cassidy giggles. “So nobody is leaving. You're both staying until the night is over then you can kill each other or whatever you want.”

“Knox?” Victor urges, nudging his arm. “Do it for my beautiful bride.”

“I'm not making promises.”

“Snob.” I roll my eyes, defiance twisting within me. I think I like Drunk Thalia, she feels no pain of the past and she stands up to everyone like the big girl she is. Seriously at almost 22, I see no reason to fear the man that scared me at 17 and 18.

“Rose, promise?” Cassidy holds out her pinky pouting.

“I promise, I'll be nice.” I grin, latching our pinky fingers.

“Great, everyone is going to get along.” Ryan sighs, walking away. Knox and Victor follow with Sarang now hanging on to Knox's arm. Cassidy and I follow, and the moment we reach everyone Ryan drums the table with his hands. “Shots!!!” he announces.

“Shots!!” I echo Ryan. “Wait wait... I trail off, my gaze falling on a pissed Knox.

“Rose?”

“Right.” I look away from Knox's glare. “Hear me out, how about beer bong?”

Sarang groans her disapproval. “But with shots.” I giggle, clapping when Cassidy does.

“See, this is why you should have been my maid of honor, you so get me”.

“Can I partner with you sweets?” one of the groomsmen offer, smirking at me. I gag at the tone of his offer, Keir would kill him and drunk Thalia will enjoy the sight of that smirk fading to nothingness, a feeling I crave.

“Rose is on my team.” Victor smirks. “Take your pick Cassidy.”

Cassidy frowns, “okay. Umm Adrien come here brother in law.”

“Rose, pick our next teammate.”

I look around, my eyes landing on Ryan. “Ryan.” I whisper, dismissing the glare I get from Knox, if anything it gives me a kick. I didn't know I was the petty kind of ex until today. I've known nothing of his life for four years and the first time I saw him, he pushed me down a flight of stairs because I wouldn't run when he ordered me to.

The second time was the same except I ran, and the last time too, I ran before he saw me but I could tell by the way he looked around that his wolf could sense me. That was all in the first year of us meeting, after that I moved my mother and I to a new town where we started over and made a new life for ourselves. Everything was fine, I stayed out of any and every place Knox would be in until now. I'm afraid of what will happen at the end of the night, my heels aren't made for running and what's worse is I don't want to run, I want him to hurt me.

KNOX

I can't believe Thalia, she's got some nerve that's for sure. I can't believe she has the audacity to show her face after I told her to stay away.

When Victor invited me to the bachelor party I hesitated because his wedding would be in Flame Valley but he talked me into it and I gave in only to be met by the most awful woman I've ever met. Thalia nearly ruined my life, if the pack laws didn't demand I renounce myself as Alpha the moment I reject my mate then I would have long rejected her, consequences be dammned.

I've never been more furious than I am right now, I want to snap her pretty little neck for living so happily after tainting my past, our past. Seeing her tonight opened up old wounds, it reminded me about the way she abandoned my daughter and I when we needed her most.

However, I've downed enough alcohol that her presence doesn't bother me until I think hard about everything she's done to ruin what we had.

“Ryan, get him!” she cheers, making a fool of herself. She's a sloppy drunk she should never drink this much, regardless of how adorable she gets.

Ryan shakes his head, he's not half as drunk as Thalia or even me but he's had his share of liquor, enough to haze parts of tonight. “No, no. I'll sit this one out. I've got to be sober when my girl calls.”

“Ugh, you're no fun. Victor?” She frowns, looking back to see Victor and Cassidy sucking each other faces.

Adrien smiles at her. “Rose, you've been hiding behind Ryan and Victor how about you give it a go?”

Thalia gasps, like he's not wrong. “I haven't been hiding, cheap shot.”

Sarang giggles next to me, rubbing on my arm. “Come on, defend your bragging rights Thalia.”

“Rose, Rose! Rose!.” Clayton starts the chant, practically throwing himself at her like he has not so subtly been doing all night.

Clayton and I have gotten along fine until now, it might be the alcohol but now I just want to punch him until he sees nothing but red, like the red flag Thalia is

Okay.

“I'll do it, square up Adrien.” She glares, a twinkle in her eyes. Even drunk, she remains a competitive psychopath.

Adrien laughs, “Oh dear Rose. It's not I but Knox's turn.”

I see her flinch at the mention of my name but when her gaze meets mine she shrugs. The false bravdo she's displaying is cute, but I know damn well she's not this act she's putting up.

I watch as she takes off her jacket, leaving her in that short skirt and a top that barely covers her tits and leaves her stomach out. “I can take him.”

Cassidy's twin Brianna laughs from somewhere else behind me. “Sure you can Rose, and so can I.”

I take my shot, she takes hers. We go on, an unwavering battle she refuses to lose. So Stubborn. Thalia has always been very stubborn and I see nothing has changed her, she changed what name she goes by but forgot to change herself.

Thalia bends over the table and throws her head over her shoulder to where Victor stands. “I'm getting bored.”

Victor smirks at her. “You can lose..”

“Nope.” She sighs, taking another shot without making a single face at the taste. “I win!” She giggles when I smash my shot glass on the ground, pissed at how perfectly happy she seems right now, like she didn't ruin my life. Like she never ruined us, I hate her, I should have broken our mate bond rather than let her be tied to me, my wolf.

Needing space from Thalia and her taunting smiles, I go to the bar. If I'm getting through her night without killing someoneI think I might need something heavier.

“You let her win.” Ryan settles beside me, downing whats left of my drink.

“Yeah.” I admit, swallowing past the bitter taste of my relinquished defeat. “Couldn't look at her face any longer.”

Ryan laughs, “But you gave it a good five minute look huh?” I dismiss him, he never did get over her leaving me. “So, can I speak on her now that she's here?”

“Go and talk to her instead of talking about her.” I snap, “My rule still stands, I never want to hear about her.”

“Knox..” His lips stretch into a grin, am I amusing him? “I would talk to her but she seems busy.” He trails off, looking over my shoulder. I mirror his gaze to where Thalia is, laid up on the table with I shot glass on her tits.

I don't reckon why or when I leave the bar, getting stopped by Victor, just in time before I flip the damn table Thalia is on. “Umm, Knox this means a lot. I know how you feel about the topic of her so Thanks for not killing her, man.”

“Don't thank me yet.” I grunt, watching Thalia take a shot off Cassidy's tits. A familiar feeling becomes me, one only she is capable of nurturing. By now half the bridal party has left, many left when Thalia and I were battling with ourselves, risking our liver.

Like she senses it, the minx grins her charmed gaze trapping me. “Alpha of Flame Valley, you can't kill me tonight.”

I match her stare. “There's always tomorrow little demon, and given how good I chase? If I were you, I would start running now.”

“I will, but not until Cassidy has had the best bachelorette party.” she grins, affectionately looking down at Cassidy like she should have our daughter.

Cassidy turns to me, “Do you want a shot, knox?”

“Or some happiness powder, he can use some since he's such a grouch.” Thalia snorts, switching places with Cassidy so now she's laying on the table. Cassidy puts a shot glass on her belly and drops cocaine power on her tits.

“I'm not grouchy.” I instantly protest.

Sarang leans over but Cassidy stops her. “Prove it.” she tests, nodding at Thalia with a smile.

“