Chapter 3: A Surprise Visitor

Saturday is my day of beauty rest, but apparently, everyone else missed the memo!

“CELESTE! GET UP!” I hear my mother shout.

“NO!!!” I shout back.

“YOU HAVE COMPANY!” She shouts back as I hear her stomping up the stairs.

“And any company worth entertaining knows better than to disturb my beauty sleep on Saturday!” I rebuke.

With that remark, she flings my bedroom door open and low and behold, Alpha Callen is standing in my doorway. How did I not pick up his scent halfway up the stairs?

“Hey little one,” He smirks, crossing his arms as he leans against my door frame.

“ALPHA CALLEN!” I immediately grab my covers and completely cover myself up, “MOM!”

I hear her finally peer around him, “Who am I to refuse an Alpha from seeing my daughter?” She chides me innocently. I growl from under the sheets.

“I’m indecent! Can you…um…wait downstairs? I’ll be down in a minute. Just..uhh…give me five minutes to get decent please?” I pull the covers from my head and bring them down to my nose.

“Of course, little one. I’ll be downstairs.” Alpha Callen smiles before leaving the doorway. I see my mom eyeing him as he leaves and then she turns to me, her eyes bulging and she mouths ‘OH MY GODDESS! ISN’T HE GORGEOUS!’ I roll my eyes at my mom. 

The morning was very mundane. Apparently, Alpha Callen came over to get to know my parents and I better. He didn’t stay long, but enjoyed breakfast with us before excusing himself back to the packhouse to discuss some business with Alpha Xander.

“I take it last night went better than well?” My mom implores, fishing for juicy details.

I roll my eyes, “Nothing special mom. Honestly, I am shocked as hell that he stopped by. I got drunk and he had to drive me home earlier than I would have normally been out.”

“Getting drunk around unmated wolves, Celeste? Is that really a good idea?” My dad questions my intentions.

“It was a GREAT idea last night!” I blurt out sarcastically before thinking as I sip on my second cup of coffee in hopes that it will wake me up since I was so rudely awakened before my usual Saturday morning time. 

My dad just glares at me, not understanding why I felt it was a great idea. Little did he know, I was purposefully trying to get drunk enough to force the alpha and beta to call it a night early enough that they wouldn’t get any bright ideas involving my virtue. By the end of the night, Bree was thankful that I faked how drunk I really was to get home sooner.

“So tell us more about this Alpha Callen,” Mom interrupts sensing the awkward tension building, “Is he nice? Does he come from a wealthy pack? He is obviously good enough on the eyes!”

Again, mom with juicy gossip-worthy details. That and she wants to know enough to start bragging that her daughter is dating a rich alpha. I love her, but she is such a typical ‘suzy-homemaker’ type that sickens me. I mentally tell Bree to kill us if I ever turn into a Step-ford wife, suzy-homemaker she-wolf.

‘My pleasure!’ She chimes in and I roll my eyes just as quickly in response to her comment.

“I know about as much as anyone else. We didn’t do much ‘get to know you’ type activities. You know Marci and Callie ditched me again as usual, and then I met up with Joan, Terry, and Emily at the Howler’s Hub with Alpha Callen and Beta Nate. We danced, had a few drinks and then he took me home.”

My dad deadpans, “And you didn’t talk to him about who he is somewhere in there with all that time?”

“Nooooope,” I say, popping the ‘P’ and sipping another swig of coffee.

“How are we supposed to know how to treat him if he comes back? You did little when it comes to being considerate of your family with this Celeste!” Mom whines clearly frustrated.

“C`mon mom! If ya’ll really want to know about him and his pack then G****E HIS ASS! He’s the Alpha of Silver Fang out in California! Ring any bells - DAD?” I glare at him, knowing good and well, he knows about this pack.

“You know about his pack Dave?” My mom turns to my dad and glares at him.

Dad looks a little shocked that I called him out like that, but they’re giving me a hard time so I’m not going to make it easy for him to shame me, “I am aware of their reputation, Mary, but I don’t know much. Alpha Callen became Alpha at seventeen. He has one of the largest packs in the nation and he is a very powerful wolf. You obviously felt his power when you met him.”

“Annnd that’s about what I know. G****e him,” I say as I hop off my bar stool with my coffee and head back upstairs to my room.

“Where are you going?!” Shouts my mom.

“To shower and go out shopping with Joan, Emily and Terry!”

After successfully deflecting my parents, showering, and escaping the house, I went and picked up my friends before heading to the mall.

“So what are we shopping for today?” Terry asked all the girls.

“I just needed to escape my house. I’m just the chauffeur today!” I smile as I walk towards our first store.

“I need a dress for tonight!” Emily declares quickly.

“Where are we all going tonight?” Joan asks Emily.

“Back out! I could have sworn I smelled my mate last night! I want to go back and see if I can find him!”

“Oooo…get after it girl!” Terry encourages Emily.

“I’m game! I’ll go for a new skirt and shirt too,” Joan agrees to the plans.

“What about you Celeste? Does Dark, Handsome and Brooding have plans to sweep you off your feet tonight?” Emily asks me.

“Not that I’m aware of! I’m game for another night at the club!” I smile.

“I know what you need!” Joan and Terry both look like they just got an amazing idea and I immediately know this can’t be anything good.

I look up and see that they are glaring at the ‘Victoria’s Secret’ sign like they just saw the toy store or candy shop, “Ohhhh no! No, no, no, no…NO!” I quickly shout.

“OH YES YES YES!” They both smile a shit-eating grin at me and shove me into the store.

“You need to have something sexy under your dress tonight! I have a feeling…my wolfie senses are tingling! Tonight’s the night Celeste! Alpha Charming won’t be able to resist! I know it!” Joan smirks as she drags me to the lingerie section.

“I don’t want Alpha Charming to NOT be able to resist! Didn’t you guys hear me the first time when I told you he makes me and Bree nervous? Bree is legit TERRIFIED of his wolf…and we haven’t even actually MET his wolf technically!”

“What do you mean ‘technically’?” Emily asks curiously.

“I mean, last night, his wolf came forward at the club for a quick minute. I could see in his eyes, but he never shifted or anything. He’s super intimidating guys. No joking aside!” I tried to reason with them, but apparently, they enjoyed living vicariously through me so what I said, they weren’t hearing. UGH!

“Eh…you’re just nervous! Besides - you said yourself you wanted to have fun and sow your wild oats girl! So…we’re simply helping facilitate the sowing of oats! SOW THOSE WILD OATS!” Boasts Terry cheerfully trying to encourage me, but only embarrassing the crap out of me in the middle of Victoria’s Secret. I place my hands on my face in hopes of hiding how red I am turning.

“Here! Try this little diddy on,” Joan hands me a sexy garter belt number with rhinestones all over it.

“And this one!” Emily hands me a black lacy garter belt number complete with stockings.

“Oh ya’ll are going to make me look like a grade A whore!” I complain.

“GIRL! Shut up and try the stuff on! You’re too sexy to NOT flaunt what you got!” Terry glares.

“UGH!” I sigh, conceding to their demands, heading to the dressing rooms to try on the two outfits.

After a few minutes, Joan and Emily come back and peek in my fitting room.

“OH EM GEE! That’s the one! You look STUNNING! If you don’t get that, I’m buying it and making you wear it!” Joan declares.

“I AGREE!” Emily says referring to the black lace stocking number she had selected for me.

“FINE,” I agree, check out and leave the store, bags of lingerie I’ll never wear after tonight, in hand.

“Where to next? Do I get to pick out your outfits since you strong-armed me into this number UNDER my clothes?” I tease them.

“Suggestions are always accepted, they just may not be taken,” Terry chuckles as he sips on a drink he picked up at the food court.

I shove him playfully as we walk into another store. The rest of the afternoon went much like the first part of the shopping experience. We found a cute number for both Joan and Emily and Terry just bought himself a new pair of slacks. 

I took them all home and we agreed to meet back out at Howler’s Hub when the club opens around nine at night. 

When I got home, I started getting ready by showering and doing my hair until it was absolutely perfect. Then I started working on my make up. I don’t usually put much make up on, but since these three knuckle head friends of mine are making me dress so provocative tonight, I better make sure I look hot as fuck to back up the look! 

“Honey, it’s only six. Isn’t it a little early to be getting ready to go out tonight?” My mom inquires, sounding somewhat concerned.

“I’m bored. Nothing better to do, so might as well, right?” I shrug, continuing to apply my foundation.

Just as I say this, my brother Dalton comes in the room, “Hey sis! Whoa…where you going tonight?” He instantly inquires seeing how made up I am starting to look.

“Out with the triplets,” I roll my eyes.

“To the clown show downtown?” He jokes, chuckling as he sips his beer he wasn’t quite finished with from dinner.

“Ugh - you’re such a turd sometimes you know that Dalton?” I dart daggers with my eyes at him through the mirror I am using to apply my makeup.

“Leave her alone honey! She’s trying to look perfect for her Alpha!” Mom tries to defend me but fails miserably.

“Mooooommm…he’s NOT MY alpha! He’s just the latest Alpha to show interest. Nothing is going to come from it. I’m not even going out with him tonight!” I growl out.

“Ooo…well… your father must have forgotten to tell you…Alpha Callen stopped by while you were out shopping to ask you out tonight. Your father and I accepted his invitation on your behalf!”

“MOM! I ALREADY MADE PLANS!”

“You know your plans don’t trump Alpha Xander’s grand plans Celeste,” Dalton finally decides to throw his two unwanted cents into the conversation.

“Oh! GEE! THANKS DALTON! What wonderful information that NEVER occurred to me!” I eyeball him angrily. I want to strangle him.

“No problem sis!” He smirks and swigs his beer some more as he pushes off the door frame and walks back downstairs. 

I turn to my mom, looking mad as hell and very frustrated, “MOM. Really? Did you not g****e him? I TOLD YOU TO G****E HIM!”

“He’s an Alpha, Celeste! He will protect you to the death! What more could you EVER hope or ask for?” My mom tries reasoning with me.

“Oh I don’t know…maybe someone that actually LOVES me for a change?! I was actually hoping for THAT!” I snarl out as I continue applying my makeup.

“Honey…you know that not even the Moon Goddess can control love. Whether you find your fated or you take a chosen mate, love grows from mutual respect and understanding; boundaries you both put in place…so you see…it doesn’t matter whether you take a chosen mate or your fated mate darling,” My mom is trying really hard to reason with me about all the reasons why I should keep my options open and just accept the first alpha that presents any kind of mate proposal my way since with her logic…fated or chosen doesn’t matter, but to me, it’s EVERYTHING that matters!

“Mom…we’ve already gone round and round about this. You know how I feel. I want to find my fated mate and I want to go to college before I start looking for him,” I grumble rolling my eyes.

“What if you get to college and meet your fated?”

“Then we go through college together!”

“Let me clarify better…what if you get to college and meet your fated who is NOT in college and is ready to start your lives together?”

“Well…we can live together but I’m NOT quitting college regardless! My life, MY CHOICE!”

Mom just smiles and sighs, “Oh to be young again…” She trails off as she leaves my room.

“Alpha Callen will be here at eight to pick you up!” She shouts at the bottom of the stairs.

UGH! There is no escaping this wolf - SERIOUSLY!