5: Dinner for Two

Dina’s POV

I unpacked some of my stuff and caught up on some of my homework. Or at least that’s how I intended on spending my day when I realized that I had to get to campus, or else I wouldn’t be able to finish my project. Since I was broke, I was dependent on the supplies they provided for us on campus.

I got downstairs and although it felt weird as shit, I picked up one of the car keys hanging in the kitchen. I even stood swaying back and forth, debating whether or not I should go upstairs to tell Alpha Stone that I was leaving, but decided against it.

As I walked by the plastered wall, I made a mental note to bring home some charcoal pencils. I already had a general idea of what I wanted to do with the patches and grinned. Well, if Alpha Stone didn’t like it, then maybe it would motivate him to buy some paint…

Luckily, I didn’t need a GPS, because I had a good sense of direction, even if this was my first time driving to campus. I guess that’s a natural thing with all werewolves, but it used to make my brother jealous. Actually, a lot of things made him jealous of my wolf. Mine was bigger, stronger and her senses were twice as strong as any of my family members. I didn’t think much of it when I first shifted – my mother was the same, with a wolf almost a full foot taller than my dad’s. My mother said that my wolf was special and, as a reminder, she gave me a tattoo on my back that could only be seen in the moonlight. Pretty cool, although I have no idea how she did it. She always said she’d tell me when I got older, but…

She wasn’t there when I got older…

I stopped shifting after my parents died. At least in front of Dylan, because he didn’t want people to know that his little sister’s wolf was bigger than his. And when something bugged him, he made sure, I knew about it. And so I stopped shifting in front of anybody so I would get left alone. But that didn’t change the fact that I loved my sandy brown wolf just as much as any she-wolf around. We’d take long walks in the moonlight, just the two of us. I let her roam free, hunt, and do as she pleased, before darting through the woods as if our lives depended upon it. She was really amazing, and I couldn’t have wished for a better companion in life.

The day was, as usual, pretty uneventful. I finished up my project and managed to get back just before 5. I felt like patting myself on the back and was actually looking forward to making dinner. Perhaps if I found something easy to make, he wouldn’t notice I actually sucked.

But because apparently the Moon Goddess hates me – or has a sick sense of humor – things didn’t go as I planned…

I opened every single cabinet this house had, and not a single one of them contained actual food! Snacks, cookies, cereal, and oatmeal. The freezer was empty, and the fridge was no better. There was a single carton of milk and a box of eggs. I prayed to the gods above and luckily there was flour and sugar in the pantry, but nothing else.

“At least I can make pancakes in the morning,” I muttered, although that didn’t help me much in my current situation. “ OK! Think fast! What do I do…?”

I had an idea. It was kinda cheating, but this was my ass on the line! I quickly ruffled through some drawers and--- Bingo! Take-out menus! I picked out one that looked decent and within my price range. I called the number and ordered whatever looked to be meat for my boss and a Hawaii pizza for myself.

Yeah, I’m that kind of girl!

Sue me!

I hung up and watched the clock. 17.15. The man said it would be 40 minutes. I nervously paced back and forth in front of the front door. But that didn’t magically conjure the deliveryman, so I went back to the kitchen and paced there. In the meantime, my thoughts ran wild: Was Alpha Stone going to fire me? Was he going to punish me? Damn, why hadn’t I checked the kitchen BEFORE I left? If he fired me, could I go back? To my parents’ house? I guess I could! I mean, we owned it after our parents…

I gasped, as a sudden thought hit me: what if that’s why Dylan suddenly kicked us out? He sold the house?! No! No, that-that couldn’t be it, could it? No! I remember that somewhere it said that we both had to be of age before we would be able to sell it…

“What are you doing?!”

I shrieked when the deep voice suddenly sounded behind me. I jumped around, watching Alpha Stone's tall figure leaning against the door frame, towering over me way more than necessary. His face was void of any emotion and his deep voice didn’t give anything away either.

“A-Alpha!” I gulped and almost choked on my own spit. My mouth was dry as sand and my heart had long since said its farewell. “I-I---”

He didn’t say anything; he just crossed his arms over his chest, flexing his muscles in the process, and gazed up at the clock on the wall. Subconsciously, I followed his line of sight. 18.01. My eyes widened and I felt a knot forming in my stomach.

FUCK!

Was he mad? Was he going to kick me out? Would Rita take me in at such short notice? And damn--- Why didn’t I notice those biceps before? I mean--- woof!

He looked like he was about to say something when the doorbell finally rang.

“Just on time!” I sighed in relief and let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. I grabbed my wallet and practically ran to the door, almost shoving Alpha Stone out of the way.

But with my grace, I slipped on the doormat and ran my head into the door.

“Fuck!” I snapped before ripping the door open, meeting a rather stunned delivery man. “Keep the change!” I said, trying to smile, and giving him what he asked. Quickly, I took the food and turned to the alpha, who hadn’t moved from the doorway.

I quickly ran to the kitchen – again, almost running Alpha Stone over. But he didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he was observing me, without me knowing it. And noticed everything I did while setting the table. Had I looked closely, I would even have noticed that my actions somewhat humored him…

“Dinner’s ready!” I beamed at him but was met with a still unimpressed expression.

“That’s not dinner,” he said and pointed at the food on the table. “That’s a dry steak with overcooked noodles and fake Italian food.”

So, he didn’t seem pissed, but I was not about to take any chances with this guy…

“I’m so sorry, alpha,” I quickly apologized, trying to find the right words to explain this. I wasn’t exactly thrilled about the situation, but considering the alternative – having to quit school so I could work to pay for my own place…

“But there was no food in the kitchen and I kinda forgot to check before I left, and I kinda panicked, so this is kinda an emergency Plan B, but I promise tomorrow I’ll make it up to you!”

He blinked a couple of times when my rambling was done. The only hint of emotion was his eyebrow, which was slightly shot up above the other.

“You ‘kinda’ a lot of things, ha?” he more than stated than asked.

“Kinda,” I muttered and pouted; a nervous habit of mine. “Sorry.”

“Come on,” he sighed and pushed himself off the doorframe, taking a seat across from me. “Let’s eat.”

“Are you going to punish me?” I asked nervously, sitting down across from him.

“I guess I could take it off your pay,” he shrugged, clearly not giving a damn, and cut into the steak.

“That won’t be necessary,” I said, feeling a bit proud. At least I wasn’t one of those people who took advantage of other people’s money… “I paid for it with my own money.”

“What?!” Alpha suddenly growled and my pride quickly died. Well, at least now I knew what he was feeling: he was angry! He mumbled something under his breath that I didn’t catch when I didn’t answer immediately.

“How much?” he scowled, fishing out his phone.

“Y-you don’t have to…”, but before I finished, my phone bibbed, notifying me that I had just received a money transfer.

“I’m a man and I’ll be damned before I let a woman pay for a meal,” he growled, angrily digging into his steak again. “Especially in my own house!”

I tried to find something to say, but words didn’t seem right, right now. Especially since the man in question looked like a volcano ready to explode…

“I’m sorry, Alpha,” I said, feeling my cheek glow red. Why I was embarrassed was beyond me, but the second he glanced at me, I felt small and ashamed. I really was a lousy maid… “I should have checked the pantry before I left.”

I gulped, waiting for his verdict. He looked away as if trying to clear his mind. He took a deep breath and had just opened his mouth to answer me when something suddenly caught his eye.

“Pineapple?!” he exclaimed and frowned in disgust. I followed his gaze, and true enough, it was my favorite pizza that had his pants in a twist…

“It’s how I like my pizza,” I found myself scoffing and without taking my eyes off him, took a huge bite; almost challenging him to say something. “Sue me!”

“I should,” he muttered, scrunching his nose. “That’s a sin against Italian food.”

“I live boldly,” I smirked back, taking another bite out of the delicious slice of heaven.

“Women,” he grumbled and shook his head before digging back into his steak.

“To be fair, I am one of a kind,” I grinned, earning another glance from the alpha. “My dad was a pack Tracker and later he became an Elite, so he lived every day like it could be his last.”

“Elite Shaw,” the alpha muttered and nodded to my surprise. “I remember him. Dylan used to brag about his dad all the time. I also met him a couple of years ago. He was a good man. I’m sorry for your loss.”

I nodded. I didn’t really know how to reply to that, but I did feel my heart swell with pride, knowing that he knew my father. Even my wolf puffed out her chest at the mention of our dad. I wasn’t a particular daddy’s girl, but I fondly remembered the times when he returned home. He would spend every minute of every day telling us how much he loved us. He kissed mom at every opportunity and could spend hours listening to our "life or death" teenage problems. Things that now didn't really seem like such a big deal after all...

I really missed him!

I missed them all…

“How do you know my brother?” I asked, so I didn’t start to cry in front of Alpha Stone.

“I hung out with a lot of the wrong crowd---,” he started, but was cut off, when the door swung open and the scent of a powerful wolf entered the hallway.

“LEVI!!!” a deep, velvet-smooth voice bellowed and heavy footsteps could be heard stomping toward the kitchen. “Levi, come on! You know it’s Sunday and Mom’s going to kill you, if---”

Suddenly, a tall, slender man appeared in the doorway. Or at least slender compared to Alpha Stone, but for a werewolf, he was of average build. His hair was pitch black and his eyes were an electric baby blue color, that could easily sweep any girl off her feet. Including yours truly once upon a time…!

He stopped dead in his tracks before eyeing me and the alpha at the table. Shock was written all over his face.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I---” he stuttered before he finally recognized me, and his eyes widened in shock. “Dina?!”

I grinned.

“Michael,” I greeted him back and enjoyed the puzzled look on my ex-boyfriend’s face.