2• THE SURPRISE

  

KATNISS 

  

"You're messing with my head, Eva and I hate it. Just go away. Leave me alone!" I yelled at her. I didn't know if it was the booze I'd swallowed, but a part of me didn't wanna look at her face much longer. 

  

How could she taunt me like this? How could she make a joke about Rex being here? She of all people knew how much of a sensitive issue this was to me.  

  

Bumping into a random man, I quickly backed away, muttering my apologies. When I straightened, I was staring at an over-familiar figure sitting at the bar. 

  

He wasn't looking in my direction, no, not a chance. He seemed lost in thought, fiddling with the glass in his hand. His hair was brown and tousled to the side of his face. Did he get a new haircut and tint? It was black the last time I saw him. 

  

Again, he wasn't looking at me and I was grateful for that. He would have caught me smitten at the sight of him – flushed at how hot and sexy he looked tonight. 

  

"Rex…" I mumbled weakly, as my heart constricted in pain. Why was he here? Did he come looking for me? Or did he have other plans? Plans that were more important than my birthday. 

  

"Kat," It was Eva again, standing behind me and I could feel her gaze on Rex too. "I told you he was here." 

  

Tears pricked my eyes, forcing me to blink rapidly. There were times I would have been over the moon to see him. Tonight wasn't one of those times. 

  

"What are you gonna do?" Eva asked, her voice laced with concern.  

  

Maybe, she was expecting me to be the good girl and hide from him, so he doesn't see me in this broken stare. But I wasn't gonna do that. 

  

He had to see what mess he made out of me. He had to see how broken I was from his callousness and his persistent stomping on my feelings. He had to see that I wasn't that much of a child and I could handle him. 

  

I gulped down the last of the drink and placed it on the counter. Eva tried to stop me but I yanked my arm away from her hold, ignored her calls, and walked up to him. 

  

I went unnoticed at first until I touched his shoulder and he turned around. His intense, blue eyes made me gasp. 

  

Didn't he always have grey eyes? 

  

Pushing away my thoughts, I took a deep breath and slowly forced myself between his thighs. He parted them, giving me more room to settle in. He looked confused but that didn't stop me. 

  

I wrapped my hand around his neck and lowered my face close to his. 

  

In the next second, I was kissing him. It was short and deep. When I pulled back, I was panting like I had just finished a marathon. 

  

His eyes danced around my face but he said no words. I couldn't read his expression so I wasn't sure what he was thinking. It made the moment feel more awkward and I knew I just messed up huge. I had to leave. 

  

"I'm sorry, Rex. I'm so sorry." I said in a rush, as I pulled away from him and ran for the exit.  

  

Eva came after me and we left the nightclub. I felt stupid and cheap and cried on my way home. That night, I knew I just ruined all chances of ever having a good bond with my crush. I just lost Rex Luciano, and I would never feel whole again. 

  

* 

TWO WEEKS LATER 

  

"Katniss Gina Rivera! Hurry the fuck up!" Mum yelled again, forcing me to increase my strides as I dragged my suitcase out of the house. 

  

I opened the door and walked outside, only to meet her frown. But then, she immediately had her face stretched out in a smile as she looked at my outfit. 

  

"What happened to your birthday resolution of only putting on skirts from hereon?" She asked, taking the suitcase from me and putting it in the trunk. 

  

"I trashed it. Not worth it." I replied, getting into the car. Dressed in a black knee-high boot, black pants, black crop top, and a red long-sleeved shirt tied around my waist, I felt more comfortable. Skirts weren't my thing, and yeah, I thought I could start getting comfortable in them. But it didn't work. 

  

"So soon?" She chuckled, as she got into the car and turned on the ignition. "Sweetie, you only tried it for two days. You might have gotten comfortable if you tried a bit longer." 

  

"Nah, Mum. Some things are not worth dragging on. We just got to accept our fate and live with it." I replied, but I wasn't talking about skirts anymore. I was referring to my unrequited love for Rex Luciano. 

  

"Alright sweetie, if you say so." Mum said, putting on her dark shades. 

  

The ride was silent and I just listened to the wind, thrashing through my hair. It got me relaxed, and I wasn't so moody anymore. 

  

"You don't look thrilled, sweetie. Haven't you always wanted to live in the same house as Rex?" Mum asked, breaking the silence. 

  

Right. She just had to remind me that we were heading to the Lucianos' residence.  

  

Mum has been dating Alpha Vicenzo, Rex's father, for months now. My father, her mate, died seven years ago, and she did grief his loss enough. He was the Beta of the Pack and the closest friend to Alpha Vicenzo. 

  

I wanted her to find happiness again, and you can't imagine how thrilled I was when she fell for Alpha Vicenzo. 

  

He didn't have a Luna either. She died years ago, after birthing Rex. That was the rumor. So when he fell for Mum, it was no surprise that she would be Luna soon. 

  

But I hadn't expected them to decide that we all live in the house, and so soon. They were yet to even have their official wedding ceremony, and we were already moving in. It was a bit weird, but I was thrilled. Staying close to Rex would make him notice me the way I wanted him to. 

  

But after the kiss that night at the nightclub, I wasn't so thrilled anymore to be in the same house as him. I was avoiding him, and not because I hated him. I was just fucking embarrassed by what I did. 

  

"All I want right now is to graduate high school, turn 18, pick up my stuff, and travel a million miles away from this pack. That's the only way I can be happy again."  

  

Mum laughed at my reply and gently caressed my hand. "Are you still mad at Rex for not coming to your birthday?"  

  

"No." I lied. 

  

"You sure about that? Then why have you been ignoring his calls?" 

  

I turned to her sharply. "How did you know that?" 

  

"He called me. Wanted to know if you were okay and the reason you've been ignoring his calls. He sounded worried." 

  

"Yeah, right." I muttered, looking out the window. It's a good thing he didn't mention the kiss to Mum. That would have complicated everything more.  

  

"C'mon, baby. You need to cheer up." She said, patting my back. "Don't worry, your uncle Vicenzo and I got a huge surprise for you. I'm sure it'll change your mood." 

  

"Really?" My gaze was back on her and I was smiling. "What's that?" 

  

"Like I said, sweetie, it's a surprise. Don't get too shocked, alright?" Mum beamed and winked at me through her lowered shade. 

  

I laughed softly, running a hand through my hair. Mum and Alpha Vicenzo were the sweetest pair. I've always wished to find a man who would adore me like he does to her. So far, I haven't been so lucky. 

  

The one guy I loved wouldn't be mine, 'cause he feels I'm too young. And now we're gonna be step-siblings, so that reduces our chances of working out to zero. I feel like shit right now. Can't help it. 

  

We finally arrived at the Packhouse and we stepped out of the car. The servants rushed over to get our bags, and while I was reluctant to hand over mine, Mum urged me to hand it over. Don't blame me, this new treatment was weird. 

  

The door opened and we walked in. Mum rushed into Alpha Vicenzo's open arms and he spun her around like they were kids. 

  

"Katniss!" A voice yelled and I looked up the stairs to see Rex, rushing down and heading to me. His hair was black again. Isn't that too soon? 

  

"Rex," I sounded way too awkward than I planned. He got to where I stood and forced me into a hug. 

  

"I've missed you." He said, rocking me in his arms. 

  

Yeah, in a sisterly way. 

  

"Me too." It was a half-hearted reply and I was already pulling away from the hug. He wanted to say something else but a voice interrupted the moment. 

  

"Hello." The deep, huskiness of the voice sent harsh goosebumps to my skin. I looked behind Rex and saw a guy jogging down the stairs and joining us. 

  

My mouth fell open at the strange resemblance he had with Rex. It wasn't just strange, it was mind-blowing. Like a clone. Except he had brown hair!! 

  

"Sweetie, this is the surprise I talked about." Mum said, putting her hand on my shoulder. 

  

"Yes, Katniss. I would like you to meet my oldest son, Max. Max Luciano." Alpha Vicenzo said. 

  

My jaw dropped. Oldest son?