The Alpha Selection

♔ Chapter 11 ♔

She did a really good job considering how awful I looked before. Now I was more than presentable.

I looked good.

I walked Espen downstairs barefoot, before quickly coming back up to finish getting ready. The guests were starting to trickle in, and I knew it was only a matter of time before the party started.

Della was sitting on the edge of the bed putting on her heels when I walked back in. She looked up, and I saw uneasiness in her eyes.

"Nira, we haven't gotten a chance to really talk lately. I know you've more than doubled your efforts to really avoid everyone here but...we really need to talk."

I didn't like hearing "we need to talk." In my experience, it meant nothing but bad news.

I sat down in the chair in front of the vanity and began putting on my heels.

"I'm listening."

From my peripheral vision I saw her eyes widen before she cleared her throat.

"There's been something I've been wanting to tell you for a while now. I could never really find a good time, but now I can't let you get blindsided by what's about to happen."

I sit up straighter, suddenly feeling alarmed. I had that pang in my gut telling me that I wasn't going to like what she was about to say. As I looked at my sister, willing her to continue I saw her eyes water.

"Deianira I-"

There was a knock on the door that interrupted her.

"Della we need you downstairs now." My father said through the door.

"Okay Dad, I'll be down there in a minute."

"Della, I mean like right now. Are you dressed?"

"Yes dad. I'm coming." She stands up and exhales heavily.

"I'll try to pull you aside before dinner starts. Okay?"

"Sure." I shrugged.

She quickly walked out leaving me feeling worse than I had already felt.

I didn't need this right now. I had already been hit with one huge dose of terrible news.

I didn't need more.

Once I mustered up the strength, I walked downstairs and put on my mask. Not a literal mask that you'd wear at some ball or masquerade, the one I had learned to wear after my mother died. The one that hid the pain, the hurt, the anger, and the bitterness in my heart.

It was hard to mask my displeasure, and even harder to hold my tongue on things that got me worked up. Because of this I ended up embarrassing the family, and getting myself in a lot if trouble, but tonight I was determined to not let my mask slip.

I noticed that Brandon, my ex, was standing next to my sister greeting guests. I was hit by a wave of nausea, seeing the two together. They weren't holding hands or standing intimately close, but they still looked like they were really good friends.

Which pissed me off.

How could she be friends with the person who broke my heart? He was my first love, and as soon as I thought things in my life would turn out okay he dumps me out of nowhere with no good explanation.

I guess that was what she had wanted me to know, that they had started hanging out and became good friends.

I sat at dinner keeping my eyes low and my mouth shut. Della could sense my boiling anger. She kept shooting me nervous glances, before recovering her plastic smile and continuing to entertain the mass of guests.