"I can't believe my mom let you have an off day, Brie! Especially with the Ball in just a few days I'd think she'd be working you to the bone at this point," I comment whilst Brie and I get ready for morning training.
It had been a few days since the "Dates" disasters, and Brie and I had hardly spent time together. While she was with Luna Nash, doing Beta duties, I was playing perfect host to Scarlet and Monroe, the only two dates that agreed to stay until the ball. To be fair, they were the only two dates invited to stay.
I'd been getting to know both of them and found that I actually really liked them. Monroe and I made very good friends, and to the chagrin of the Alphas of both our packs, we refused to be mated. It felt wrong, and in the short space of time, he had become so familiar that I've actually started to see him as more of a brother and to be mated to him would be sick.
Scarlet, on the other hand, I liked. We got along quite well, and Dr D really liked her and insisted that I choose her. He is bias however, since he only wants her because she spends most of her time at the Pack Hospital, fine tuning her skills as a doctor. I've seen her in action and honesty, it's made me like her more. I wish I could say it's her compassion or her brilliance, but in reality, it's how hot she looks in scrubs. Like? Who even looks hot in scrubs?
I've been playing the good little host and going to training and trying to avoid Alpha Nash who is now prone to lectures about duties and obligations just because I won't pick a mate. The only saving grace is my mother who insists that I wait until the Ball which then leads the two arguing about it, allowing my escape. If I didn't know any better, I'd say they had money riding on who I pick.
It's nice to finally spend time with Brie. She'd become concerningly clingy over the last few days. Like I get it she misses me, I miss her too, but she has taken things too far. She's been sleeping in my bed, sniffing me, and overall being very needy. My mom has said she'd been a little short and irritable at the event planning, so I wonder what incident granted her a day off.
"Yeah, she didn't let me have a day off in as much as she commanded me to fuck off for a bit so my parents don't kill me," Brie responds as we make our way out the house and down to training.
"What did you do this time?" I ask, dreading the answer.
"Well," Brie takes pause, and locks the door behind us, "I may or may not have told my parents, you know, the Gammas, in a conversation about me sleeping at home since its 'closer to the pack Hall', that I'd rather eat a jean jacket than be under the same roof as them."
"That's not so bad," I respond, shocked that this is the straw that broke the camel's back.
"Well, then they insisted to your mother, and I told them there wouldn't be enough room for me anyway since they reside up Luna Nash's ass."
"Oh no," is all I can master before she continues.
"I then pulled rank, and told them to only speak to their Beta when spoken to. And when the said they pray to Moon Goddess that I develop some sense, I jumped back and looked surprised, then told them I was sure they'd burst into flames by calling on the name of our Goddess because devils don't tend to mix with the divine."
"Brianna Reid!" I express my shock and horror.
"Funny, that's exactly what Luna Nash said before she commanded my parents to put their claws away, you know how they get with their claws."
Images of deep cuts on the stomach and back of a young Brie run through my mind. Thank the Goddess for all that therapy and all that distance, or they'd be dead.
"Anyway," she continues, "Luna Nash said she thinks I'm a little 'Amari sick', and would benefit from some quality time. She dismissed me before I dug a deeper hole for myself and now, I get to come to training."
She said that last part jovially.
"You do know you might have to apologise to the Gammas yeah?" I say slowly, out of an honour to duty as opposed to a genuine belief in what I'm saying.
"I've noted your concerns Alpha, I will apologise when they do," she intones.
And that was the end of that. I wasn't going to try and convince her. She didn't owe them anything and, to put it as eloquently as my friend here, I'd rather eat a jean jacket before I made her pay any decency to parents that claw up their only child in the name of 'discipline'.
We arrive at the training grounds early, as per usual. This gives me enough time to train some early arrivals before Tim gets her and puts an end to "all these shenanigans". I internally role my eyes, but I comfort myself in knowing that it won't be long until I'm the official Alpha and can exert my influence with no real resistance.
"Do you smell that?" Brie says as she perks up, sniffing the air.
"No, what?" I ask, equally alert. If there was a rogue I would have smelt it from miles off, even if they were cloaked, so I'm justifiably on edge
"Really? It smells like... like.. fucking magnolias", she asserts, now looking around rather frantically. I take pause.
"Magnolias? Magnolias? Like the flowers that are nowhere near here?" I ask, relaxing a little knowing that there is no threat.
"Oh, my Goddess! The smell, it's heavenly! Ames," she moves to sniff me, "It's what you've been smelling like the last few days, how can you not smell it?"
I raise an eyebrow to her. Until I realise what could be happening. Before I react, my suspicions are confirmed when I hear a voice from behind me.
"Mate!" Monroe.
"Mate?" Brie is in disbelief for only a moment before she snaps her head in his direction and basically jumps Monroe. He catches her by the waist and spins her around whilst letting out a sort of crying laugh.
"There you are. I've waited my whole life for you," he whispers out as she wipes his tears.
"Here I am, in the hands of the hottest fucking being I've ever beheld," very classy this Brianna of mine.
They embrace and Brie wraps her legs around his waist. I know how this usually goes, and I'm one hundred percent certain they will be of no use to us at training today. I dismiss them, well kind off, because they were already on their way out before I said anything.
I can't hold in my joy. I'm sure I look insane with this huge ass smile on my face, but I don't care. My best friend finally found her mate. She'd sacrificed doing so, just to be of use to me, and because of these stupid dates my dad is arranging to find me a mate, she gets to find hers. Finally, I could be of service to her. This also explains why shed been so clingy and moody. I'd been sparring with Monroe every day. She could smell him on me, and on my clothes. I knew she didn't miss me. Regina must have been on edge, I'm surprised she didn't do worse than simply yelling at her parents.
I make my way to Tim's office to tell him the news. His fave guest will become a permanent resident of the pack and have rank as the mate of the future beta of this pack. Hopefully this will get him to at least be nice to me today, not just the strict professional I tend to get.
When I near his office I hear my name and I stop in my tracks. Eris comes through to enhance my hearing even more so I don't have to walk closer and risk being heard, or smelt.
"Tim, you need to stop this, she is your alpha," I hear Charles' plea.
"I am trying Charlie, I am. It just doesn't sit well with me. I am the head warrior of this pack. I train people to be willing to die for this pack because I am willing to die for this pack. Most future alphas spend the years from 18 to 25 in service to the pack, fighting for it, healing it, growing it. But she left. She abandoned the pack. I can't pretend like she didn't." Tim makes his point and I have to hold in a sigh. I hate to be the source of conflict between Charles and his partner. He's done too much for me, so I mentally prepare myself for what I have to do.
"She didn't abandon it!" Charles defends, as I quietly walk towards the office.
"Then what?" Tim demands.
"I... I can't say," Charles hesitates.
"Can't or won't? I am your mate Charlie, you can't shut me out!"
"My duty is to my Alpha, both present and future," Charles asserts.
"Then leave me be. I will continue as I have been. Don't make any appeals to me Charles, it won't change my mind. If you won't tell me anything the..."
"Then I will," I interrupt, walking into his office uninvited.