Page 44 of Her Arranged Alpha
"So, the dads pissed? Okay, but how is that connected to everything?"
Tara frowned. "Yeah, that's it…"
I felt like my mind was blown. "Wow," I said, shocked. "That's…. that's a lot."
Hope nodded. "It is, and it's on the downlow. They aren't sharing this yet until they know more."
I looked over my shoulder towards where Maddox had been standing, and I found he wasn't there. I sat up a little more, searching for him. I spotted him near the food, now talking with a woman. She was stunning looking with long legs and a golden tan. I could tell she was a shifter.
She had long black hair that looked silky under the light. She laughed as she spoke with Maddox, who smiled at her in return. They looked comfortable, and she reached out, placing her hand on his chest as she laughed.
Something tugged in my chest, and I bit my cheek. I watched her hand grab at his tie. She said something, and he laughed.
My stomach flipped, and I looked away.
"Jillian."
I jumped and looked to my right as Joshua was walking towards me with a woman in his arms. I couldn't help but smile as I pulled myself out of my chair. "And you must be his wife."
The lady smiled, nodding her head. She extended her hand towards me. "Rachel. I've heard so much about you."
"Likewise," I said with a chuckle. "I didn't know you would be coming."
Joshua nodded. "Maddox said it was a big party for you, and I thought what better time than to have you meet Rachel now."
"Where's your son?" I asked.
"We left him with my mom," Rachel said. "He has a lot of energy, so she said she was going to take him out to the park while we were here."
"Looks like a lot of people showed up," Joshua said, looking around. "My birthday party wasn't even half of this."
Rachel snorted. "She's married to the Alpha, sweetie. There are going to be a lot of people."
I watched the way they looked at each other, and I couldn't help but feel jealous. Joshua had found someone who loved him, and I could tell she loved her.
"You guys are cute together."
Rachel blushed. "Thank you. He's my other half."
I looked over my shoulder at Maddox. I found him still with that woman. They were still talking, and it angered me. Would I ever have that? Would someone consider me their other half? Look at me like I was the light in their world?
"There's lots of food," I said, side-stepping them. "Do eat. If you excuse me."
I turned, making my way out of the party. I headed inside the hotel, needing space to breathe. I stepped inside, thinking I was alone, when I felt someone grab my hand as I headed towards a hallway.
"Where are you going?"
I looked over, seeing it was Maddox. He looked at me with a frustrated expression.
"I'm going to the bathroom."
He frowned. "I can tell from your eyes that's not true."
I pulled my hand free and took a step away from him. "Jesus, are you counting how many times I'm going to the bathroom or something?"
He crossed his arms. "No, but I can see in your face that something is wrong."
"Nothing is wrong," I said instantly, knowing I said it too sharply.
