Chapter 4

"No, I am not going." I protested vehemently.

My mother looked at me like I had grown two heads. "What do you mean, young lady?"

I stated that I would not be attending. I won’t be going to a strange place with someone I have barely known for a day. "I don’t care if he is my mate and the moon goddess has ordained it. I need to at least get to know him and fall in love with him before I go to be with him."

"Don’t worry, I understand that everything is coming at once and it can be quite overwhelming, but you will soon get used to it." My mother tried to reassure me.

"No!" I screamed out, my voice echoing through the halls. I am probably sure that the whole hall heard me, but I do not care. There is no way in hell I am going to agree to that.

"You will lower your voice this minute, young lady, or else..." My mum trails off, leaving her sentence unfinished for me to imagine what she would do if I didn’t comply. "The Alphas are still in a meeting, and I am pretty sure they can hear you from here."

“I don’t give a fuck if the Alphas or the fucking pack can hear me. I am not going with him." I protested vehemently.

My mother gave me a glance and a sigh. She must be tired already and have given up. "I will leave this to your father and mate to decide, but you already know you will have to go with your mate when the time comes." She tried to make me see reason with her.

Well, of course I was going to go with my mate, but I was expecting him to be in another city or at least state, not another FUCKING CONTINENT!!!

I barely know him; he could be a serial killer or a crazed Alpha for all I know. I am not suddenly going to leave all my life here and go to be with someone just because he is my "mate." Call me old-fashioned or whatever, but where is the romance? Where is the courting?

All these thoughts continued to plague my mind. I kept on moving with heavy steps, only stopping in front of the kitchen. I closed my eyes as I took a deep breath, turned on my charming smile, and entered inside.

I soon forgot all about my troubles as I got engrossed in the latest pack gossip. Apparently, the old widower who lives by the supermarket has been seeing someone. According to the report, a friend of a friend heard them getting it on one evening when she happened to pass by. Normally it would be frowned upon, but considering that they had both lost their mates, it is accepted.

The kitchen was filled with laughter and a shout of exclamation as the latest event was broken down. I also got to know that eleven of the Alphas who came here have found their mate and will be leaving with them soon. It almost felt as if I was the bad egg for wanting to get to know him first before leaving with him.

Seconds turned into minutes, minutes turned into hours, and before long, it was dusk and the meeting officially closed. We all heaved a collective sigh of relief. From tomorrow, they will be leaving, and things could go back to how they were. But, I have yet to see my mate after our last encounter.

I woke up the next day to the sweet sound of the bird’s chirping, sweetening my ears. The sunlight was shining in my face. I had forgotten to close the curtains before I went to sleep yesterday. I got up and let out a yawn as I stretched like a cat. Nothing is as satisfying as a full morning stretch.

A smile lit my face as I remembered that they would be leaving today. Although on one hand, I wasn’t happy. Richard hasn’t called or looked for me since yesterday, and I was afraid he would leave without sorting out things with me.

The pack was a beehive of activity as the Alphas were seen moving out. I learnt that some left yesterday immediately after the closure as they couldn’t wait to be with their families anymore.

Others left as early as 4 am and some are still leaving. A lot of omegas were on the ground trying to help them move and transport it to the airport.

I checked the time on my phone, and it read 10:15. Shit! I was late. I was hoping to go for a morning run today because Kiayra has been bugging me about it and I feel a bit guilty. I have been so busy with things.

I slowly dragged my feet with my bonnet, sleepy face, and all to the kitchen to get a bottle of water. I kept getting stares from the pack members as I passed by. Is something on my face? I know everyone doesn’t look that good when they wake up, but I am sure my face isn’t that bad enough to warrant such stares.

"Excuse me, is something wrong?" I asked the girl closest to me, who was munching on an apple. She took one look at me and froze up. I mean, come on, guys; I am not that scary. With a frightened hand, she pointed gingerly in the direction of the sitting room and immediately scampered away. With a questioning eye, I turned to the rest of the people in the kitchen, and they all pretended that the space was so amazing to see.

"What is going on here?" I thundered in a loud voice. I heard a few whimpers around me, but I was already getting pissed off and I could care less. Before I could start another round of questioning.

"Miss Isabelle," a lady called my attention. I turned to her with angry eyes, and she shook slightly in fear. "The Alpha would like to see you in his office."

Good, because someone has to tell me what the hell is going on here. I marched menacingly to the office.

As I was drawing near to the office, I began to smell a mixture of scents. Yeah, it seems like all my family members are there, but one scent stood out to me. CITRUS. My mate was here, right next to my family. My God! I didn’t know how to feel or even behave, and I was still in a bonnet! Of all the times to look like a hob, you chose today, Isabelle. I facepalm loudly.

I was still going through my internal crisis when I heard my dad’s voice, "I know you are there, Belle. We can smell you already. Just enter inside." Shit! I got busted. I took out my phone and opened the camera to check if I was present.

After a few touches here and there, I was able to look less homeless. With a deep breath, I held the door knob and opened it.

And lord, I wasn’t prepared for the array of smells I would encounter. It was like walking into a room of fine fragrances and they just hit you all at once. Gosh! This man is fine with a capital F. All my senses were just focused on him. I couldn’t see or even feel anyone else but him. Only him. Is this what the bond feels like? I wondered.

My searching eyes moved around the room, observing the room. My dad was sitting in his chair, with my mom occupying the seat close to him. She was giving me a sly look and a little nod of approval. I saw her lips move to mouth the words, "he is fine, I approve."

A little smile graced my face at her remarks; one down, two to go. I turned my head to the other side of the room, and I saw my brother was perched on the desk, his long legs swinging energetically around. He took one look at my face, and his expression changed, as if he was laughing at me. "Don't you dare," I said through the mind link, before he would say something inappropriate.

"Take a seat, Bella, we have a lot to discuss here. I would have asked if you know this young man here, but from your reaction, it is obvious you know him and you know why he is here. But for the sake of formality, I will ask, "Do you know him?"

"Yes, I do. He is my mate." My butterflies erupted in my tummy, doing their happy dance as my brain registered that word, "mate."

"Alright, you know him. He is the alpha of a pack in Europe, and he came here to ask for our permission." What permission? Creases formed around my forehead as I wondered.

"He has something to say to you."

"I have talked to your parents and your brother and they have all agreed." He started.

"I have come to take you home."