I should be your Beta, not your Mate

21 - Achoo!

Defensively I raised my hands and fled out of the room. Escape, as long as I could still do it.

On my way up the stairs I met my father who flinched in shock and stared at me caught. In his hands was a chocolate bar to which he looked and then at me again.

»Don't tell your mother!« And then he disappeared in the bathroom and came back after a few minutes, I just stood there frozen. »I will pay you hush money.«

Did he just hide the only thing that could calm Mom down?

Frowning, I shook my head and went down the stairs again. Mom seemed to be the better option of confrontation. Just as I reached the last step the front door got thrown open again and a completely dirty Caleb came inside.

Where did he go again? His clothes had thousands of grass stains and his face had some scratches which were already about to heal.

Under his arm he had his football. He probably left it outside. Then that meant, he was already in this state beforehand. God.

»Mom, did you wash something now?!« he yelled and Mom answered with an edgy growl. »Look in the basement for yourself!« he barked. My little brother swallowed and then caught sight of me.

»Don't look at me like that. Football got a little wild,« he said and shrugged his shoulders with a happy grin. Amused, I snorted and shook my head.

»I don't need more details. And now change into something clean and take a shower, fast, if not she will kill you and every other person inside this house.«

He saluted and ran away.

Sighing I sat back down at the dining table and stared at the food.

I couldn't wait for Cassian to appear and to finally feel at ease. Of course, his closeness made me nervous but at the same time it calmed me down more than this hyperactive family that would meet another hyperactive family.

»Ky, does this look good?« Confused, I raised my head and caught sight of Elli in the doorframe.

Her blond hair was put up into a ponytail and she wore a dress. The top was black and had the form of a tank top. The skirt was black-white striped and went down to her knees.

»Looks quite nice.« My answer sounded half-hearted, but I meant it genuine, because the dress was pretty. She looked pretty in everything she wore and she knew that the best.

She sat down at her usual spot and after some time Dad and a now clean Caleb came too. Mom came into the room with a still sour expression and eyed us sharply before she nodded in satisfaction and sat down herself.

It seemed like everything went like she wanted it to go.

And then finally the bell sounded. Elli was the first to jump up and stormed off. »Hello!« she greeted May, Maxim and Naika happily, who she let into the room and led them to us.

Naika went around the table right away and sat down next to me. »Finally, you are here. I thought, without you, it would escalate at some point,« I whispered into her ear and she giggled.

I didn't take part in the big conversation often. I rather listened to the exchange my parents and abroad parents did. About old stories that were fine to be told, work or something else.

My health didn't get spoken off – they probably wanted to avoid it. It was better that way; I didn't want to disturb everyone and myself with that topic.

»Ky, did you and Cassian already talk about it when it will be officially announced that you're the Luna? After all, it couldn't be announced back then at Cassian's birthday.«