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Chapter 2: The meeting

Penelope

Many years had passed since the exile. My grandmother had passed away. and I was now living alone in her small house. It was a simple life, saving up for college by working in the only restaurant in this small town as a waitress.

“Penelope, thank goodness I found you! The restaurant is booked this week for a very important meeting with businessmen and CEOs from nearby towns, and I need everyone to be at their best!” That was my boss, Jack. He's a very kind man who considered me a part of his family.

“You’ll all be getting new uniforms and there’s a list of tasks for you to distribute to the other waitresses. You know I trust you. You’re the best, so I’ll leave you in charge,” he said, winking at me.

“Of course, Jack,” I said glad, to be of help.

“Did you hear, Penny? Some CEOs are coming to town! Such wonderful news!” said Marianne, my fellow waitress, and best friend.

“I hope they’re hot, young, and rich! And I hope our new uniforms will show off my best attributes. You know I need a boyfriend!” she said happily.

My friend was short and thin, with curly hair that fell down her back. Her round glasses made her look innocent and nerdy. She was also the best girl in the world.

“I just hope they come in plus sizes... and not miniskirts,” I said.

“What are you talking about, girl? I wish I had your curves, Penny!” she said, bumping her hips into mine, and I laughed.

I hadn't changed much over time. I still was the curvy girl, now with even more curves. But now I didn't feel too bad about it… or at least I was trying to.

When I got home, I looked in the mirror and thought about that important event in town. My quiet life was much better since I had left the pack.

My long dark blonde hair, my broad chest, my hips, my wide legs… here, no one was laughing at me. I was just Penny the waitress, the girl who lived alone near the woods.

Suddenly I heard a noise. When I opened the door, I saw two boys I knew very well standing in the doorway, wearing only tiny shorts.

“Thing One and Thing Two! What are you doing here? And why are you wearing such tiny shorts?” I asked my brothers, laughing and giving them a big hug. The twins had grown quite a bit; to me, they looked like giants.

“Of course, we came to visit you!” Luther said.

“It's your fault for leaving those shorts on your porch! They don't fit us anymore, we've grown, sister!” said Luke, almost insulted. I looked past him to my dad, who was getting out of the car.

“It's so good to see you, Dad...” I said as we hugged.

Of course, they came to see me whenever they could. We were a family on weekends, holidays, and any other day. I loved them so much; they were my boys.

“My little pumpkin! As you can imagine, the boys wanted to come in their wolf form. They wanted to come and see you for days, but they were training,” Dad explained.

“Come on, let's have dinner.”

We had a happy dinner as a family. While my brothers prepared to sleep over in my house, my father spoke to me alone.

“I just wanted to tell you, Penny... I heard there is going to be an Alpha meeting here at Belle Springs.”

“Alphas? Ohhh, the CEOs are Alphas...” Thinking about it, it made sense. This town was pretty much the closest neutral spot to many packs. A simple, stupid human town.

“I thought it’d be better to warn you... you know... just be careful and don't let anyone bother you, okay?” he said worriedly, kissing me on the cheek and leaving me to my thoughts.

“It's just an Alpha meeting... most werewolves won't even remember me,” I repeated to myself as I tried to sleep.

“Moon Goddess! Are you going to eat all my food?” I yelled in the morning as my brothers wolfed down the breakfast I had prepared for them. They were now attacking my fridge.

“We have to grow up, sister! Besides, you cook delicious food,” they say with their mouths full. I kissed them goodbye to go to the preparations for the big meeting of the Alphas, called businessmen for humans.

“Stay here, behave yourselves. If there are Alphas around, be careful, and leave some food outside for the wolves.” Wolves and other animals sometimes came to visit me. I didn't like going deep into the forest, but I liked being near them.

That day, I worked hard to make everything perfect. I was already nervous, and everyone in town had great expectations of the rich CEOs coming to this small town.

Everything was ready by the time we started seeing big and expensive cars and vans arriving at the restaurant. The men and women getting out all had one thing in common: they looked unnaturally strong and attractive. I knew the reason, of course, but the others did not.

“Hell, where did these CEOs come from?! They look like gods who came down from Mount Olympus!” Marianne told me excitedly.

“Maybe celebrities... good Lord...” another waitress stared with her mouth wide open.

“Come on girls, we have a lot of work to do,” I replied, arranging the tables.

“I'm serious, Penny! I mean… have you seen them? Those men are huge, and their muscles are works of art... and those tattoos... good God....” she said breathlessly, starting to sweat. Suddenly, Jack appeared quite nervous.

“Penny... we've been arranging the tables, but could you stand at the entrance and welcome them?” Jack asked me.

I didn't like the idea. My goal was to stay in the kitchen and behind the bar as long as possible so no one would see me, but he was counting on me. I couldn't let him down.

Suddenly I found myself as the hostess at the entrance of the restaurant, while these magnificent beings watched me as if I were a dead fly, sizing me up. I was just in my old waitress uniform, worn and ugly.

One by one, I started calling out the names of the Alphas I had on a list, indicating their seats and tables. But my heart stopped when I came to a name I hadn't expected to see.

“Nathaniel Connor?” I asked in a shaky voice, as the rest of the Alphas stepped aside for him to pass.

And that's when I saw him, the son of the Alpha, in all his magnificence.

Nate had grown even more majestic, and —contrary to my case — had become even more attractive. He had gorgeous dark hair, and his blue eyes practically sparkled.

He looked tanned and ridiculously muscular. His shirt struggled to contain him, and I could see tattoos along his neck and chest. He was much taller than the rest, and he walked knowing he was an important, strong, and attractive man.

He was so hot that I could hear the women sigh just looking at him.

Of course, this had to happen. I should have known. If all the packs in the region were coming... Moonstone had to come. But I thought maybe it would be his father and not him, though I had to assume that he was old enough to become the Alpha.

As soon as he laid his eyes on me, I saw his confused face. He certainly hadn't expected me to be here... and the look on his face was one of annoyance and even disgust.

I felt myself shaking, and when he came closer, I took several steps back in fear. Pictures of him dragging me out of the territory and leaving me in the middle of the night in the woods kept popping up in my mind.

“You... here...” he said as if he saw his worst enemy.

Nate didn't say anything else, but he looked me up and down. I could see his eyes darkening, it seemed like he was avoiding breathing, so he wouldn't smell my human scent. He only seemed to react when his beta, Roger, spoke to him.

“Thank you, we will go to our post,” his beta said. As I watched them leave, Nate tensed and kept looking at me.

I called the other Alphas. Of course, Crimson Fangs. Karl's son, Alpha Marco showed up. He was easy to recognize with his blond hair.

“Ohh, but what do we have here? The chubby human? the liar…” he whispered to me with an evil grin. I didn't answer but stood there dejected and trembling.

When I went to the bathroom, I felt desperate and couldn't stop crying. My nightmare was back and in the worst way, I couldn't believe my bad luck!

“Come on Penny! They have nothing to do with you, and they have no way of hurting you again. They will have their meeting and leave like nothing happened, and you will never see them again,” I kept telling myself.

On my way out I bumped into Jack who seemed to be looking for me.

“Are you okay honey?” He looked worried.

“Yeah, yeah, I'm fine... Did you need anything?”

“Yes, the new uniforms arrived a little late, but they’re here... the only problem is that this is the largest size,” he said, handing me an outfit, and I was already afraid that it wouldn't fit.

“I just...”

“Please, just try it on. All the girls are already dressed, and now the CEOs are asking us to help them with a few things. I promise I'll give you a great bonus, Penny,” he said. Like a fool, I gave in again.

From the moment I put the outfit on, I knew it wasn't going to work, the skirt was too tight and short, too short.

The shirt barely closed, and my chest was sticking out. How was I supposed to go out in front of everyone like this? Nate was already giving me hateful looks, and I could almost swear the rest of the Alphas were laughing at the fact that I was once part of his pack.

But honestly... why should I care? He's nothing to me, and I'm nothing to them. They probably don't even remember me. Yeah, that's what I had to think.

“Go to hell, Nathaniel Connor!” I said aloud as I straightened myself as best I could and fixed my hair. When I suddenly bent down, I heard a noise. When I looked in the mirror... my shirt was torn.

“What the hell!” I yelled.

The bathroom door abruptly opened. I thought it might be Jack or maybe Marianne... but I was face to face with none other than Nate staring at me, looking at my clothes, breathing heavily.

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