Page 71 of Awakened
“Sorry to interrupt. I wanted to apologize for my previous outburst. I stand by my decision to withhold Amazon support, but I should have remained professional. We can all agree this isn’t a usual meeting of leaders.” I smiled, looking between the father and son. “I never meant to cause so much turmoil in your household.”
Seth raised his hand and opened his mouth to interrupt.
“No, Seth, I’ve caused yet another issue. I’ll be leaving after dinner. I’m sure Alpha Peterson wouldn’t mind me shacking upthere for another night.” Seth growled at the mention of the alpha, so I gave him a soft smile.
“Don’t worry. Brandon will probably stay for a few more days. The Gathering is right up Aiden’s alley. My last piece of business here is to convince you to go to Aiden and Whitney’s wedding. Oh, and to tell you to call Grandma Rose more often.”
Seth let out a strained laugh, his eyes swimming in unshed tears. “Going to the wedding is the least I can do for you after today, and I’ll get back to my weekly calls with Grandma.” He closed the distance between us and grabbed my hand. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”
Kiss me. Kiss me hard.
Take all your clothes off, and let me lick you from head to toe.
Take me upstairs and tie me to your bed. Don’t stop until we are both too exhausted to move.
Tell me you still love me, and this is all a terrible joke.
“Make sure my steak is rare at dinner, and I think we’re good.”
He frowned like he had heard my inner thoughts and was disappointed with what I actually said.
“Of course. Anything for you.”
If only that were true.
FIFTEEN
Clink. Clink. Clink.
Seth kept his word. My steak was a perfect rare. Over chewing each bite, I kept my eyes locked on my plate. When we were being served, I made the mistake of glancing at Seth. I caught him staring at me while, to his right, Becca glared at him, looking constipated as hell.
I should have left before dinner.
The silence clearly drove Kennedy bonkers. His knee bounced away, and he had already cleaned his plate. “I understand you stayed with Alpha Peterson last night. How’s he doing?” Kennedy’s voice startled the room, and I couldn’t answer because my mouth was full of meat.
Why do people ask questions right when you shove a forkful of food in your gob?
I covered my mouth and tried to speed chew. The result was me swallowing a nearly whole piece of steak. “I only just met him.” Looking Becca in the eye, I added, “But he seems to be going through something. But like I said, I just met him.” Becca had the decency to look ashamed, her gaze dropping to her plate. I shifted my focus to Seth, who had also found a new interest in hisasparagus. It might have been petty, but I was glad I could cause them some discomfort.
“My nephew is a perfect example of the necessity for the packs to gather. When Brian meets his mate, his feelings for all other females will fade away.”
“Wait.” I tore my attention away from Alpha Collins and grimaced at Seth. “Brian’s your cousin? Unbelievable,” I scoffed. The whole situation kept getting more and more twisted. She had been engaged to her mate’s cousin.
Sweet Moon Goddess.
Seth glared at his father, and Becca was on the verge of tears.
“Dad, this isn’t the time to discuss this. Beta Spencer has already expressed her position on The Gathering and mates. Perhaps we should move onto a more neutral topic.”
“Seth, I think it’s good for Beta Spencer to see the power of mates. You and Becca are a wonderful example. You both fought fate and look at all the problems it caused. Your string of indiscretions—” Alpha Collins dipped his chin. “And Rebecca’s ill-advised engagement only put off the inevitable. You can’t tell me now that you’re together, that the love you share isn’t deeper and more real than those passing fancies.” He shook his head, his smile dripping in condescension. “That wasn’t love. This is. Your mate is a gift, plain and simple, and blessings come when we embrace the fate the Goddess has given us.”
Sitting back in his chair, the alpha seemed pretty pleased with himself, which pissed me off like no other. Where the fuck did this guy get off belittling anyone’s love? Also, since when was dinner the right time for a sermon on the Goddess?
Unable to keep myself in check, I snorted. “Oh, come on! Meeting your mate doesn’t magically make you fall out of love or keep you from falling for someone else. A few of us at this table have first-hand experience with that. I can assure you my ex-fiancé wasn’t thinking of his mate the night I left Kirksville.” I narrowed my eyes at Becca. “And how long was Becca with her ex? Brianloved that girl, whether she deserved it or not—” My gaze darted to Seth, the venom spewing from me. “Way more than Seth ever will.”
Becca gasped, and Seth growled.
“They stayed apart for six years. If this mate shit is so powerful, how did that happen? Worshiping mates as fate is positively archaic. Next, you’re going to tell me women shouldn’t hold rank in a pack, and birth control is the devil.” The broken-hearted bitch in me was out for blood and gave zero fucks who my words hurt. Too bad the victim was my ex-best friend.
