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Chapter 5

Evangeline POV

I had a weird feeling. I should be on cloud nine right now; instead, I’m looking for my mate. Who is nowhere to be found. I opened the kitchen door and peered into the night. The garden was silent. So, Jackson could not be out there. In my frustration I slammed the kitchen door; hard.

‘Eva, whats wrong, precious?’ I heard my mother enquire. I walked back into the dining room and plopped myself down, on one of the dining room chairs.

‘I can’t find Jackson, mom.’ I said, sulkily. I had this expression perfected before I was ten years old. Losing my father, also helped, with getting-away-with-murder, as I learnt quickly enough, that if you cry and say, “I miss my dad.” People will pretty much do what you ask of them. At least, in my pack. College had been a huge shock to my system. I had no one there to boss around, as my friends had not gone to college. In fact, most of the girls found their mates, as soon as we graduated from high school.

But not me. I didn’t want a fated mate. What if he was some loser omega. Or worse, a human! No thank you. I had ambitions in life. I wanted to be in the upper echelons of the pack hierarchy. And I was prepared to work for it. The only problem I had, was my scent would change when I turned eighteen. When I receive my wolf, I will only have a certain amount of control over my own body. I was not about to let that happen.

So, I did the only thing I could do. I found a mage.

It took me a long time to find the wretched creature. But the outcome of our meeting was exactly what I had wanted. I remain in full control. I will choose my mate.

And what a mate I have!

When I realised that Jackson Forester would be in the same college as me. Well; I set in motion my plan to capture his heart and make him my mate. All the plotting and lying had been so worth it, I mean; my wedding ceremony date, is already booked for next week.

On that thought, I got excited again. I hushed my mom, as she was still prattling on about the cost of something. I had no interest in that. ‘Mom, do you want to see what I am wearing for the wedding?’

I saw mom’s eyes light up at the mention of my dress. ‘Of course I do, precious. Go and try it on for me.’

She suggested, slurring the words out. Huh! I don’t think so. Mom would be all over me, with her hands. Flattening and straightening. I could not cope with that. But I did want to show it off. I walked over to the foot of the stairs and shouted up to my sister. ‘Julia? Julia, darling? Could you go into my bedroom and get the garment bag, off of the wardrobe. It’s got my wedding dress in it. Bring it down, please.’ I added on. Julia had always nagged me about being polite. In some cases, she was right. But I honestly didn’t like using it. Why should I?

I waited for a response. Nothing. I called up again. Again, no response! Urgh, Julia was getting on my nerves now. She had been distracted at dinner. And had payed little or no attention when Jackson had started to explain the reason for this visit. Mom, of course, was thrilled. But I barely had a smile out of Julia.

The hug Julia gave me felt perfunctory, as if she had switched on autopilot. And now, she was ignoring me.

‘Mom, tell Julia to bring my dress down for me!’ I said in my whiney voice. Another thing I had perfected at an early age.

‘Julia Mason. Do as your sister want’s!’ When that didn’t get a response either, I started to get annoyed. I marched up the stairs and pushed open her bedroom door. Ready to yell at her for ignoring me. But, Julia’s bedroom was empty. She was nowhere to be seen.

Infuriated now, I stomped into my bedroom, I made a grab for the garment bag. In my temper, I snatched it off the cupboard, and felt my stomach drop as I heard a tear. ‘Mom.’ I yelled, panic flooding my voice. I could hear my mom running up the stairs at my frantic scream.

‘What? What is it? Whats wrong?’

I had already prepared the tears. I turned around as she entered my room. Mom took one look at my face, full of tears; and her panic and irritation at being called upstairs, vanished.

‘Baby, what is wrong? Why are you crying?’ Mom asked me softly.

I let a few tears fall, for effect, then said, ‘Julia made me tear my dress. She has ruined it! Mom, what do I do now?’

I loved seeing the look of anger on my mom’s face when I lied about Julia. Telling her about some fictitious thing Julia had done to me. I didn’t do it all the time. I chose my moments well. Never anything profoundly serious, just silly little sister things. I always had my way, however. Mom always saw to that.

I buried my face in the torn dress, so the grin on my face didn’t show. I knew what mom was going to say next, it had been part of my plan. The dress I held in my hands was pretty enough, I supposed. The thing is, I don’t want pretty. I want WOW!

And now, Julia will have to pay for a new dress. Pushing out fresh tears, I lifted my face and looked at my mom. A truly pathetic look on my face.

‘Don’t you worry about that. Julia can buy you a new one. If this was her fault, then she will have to fix it.

I don’t know how much pay she gets, as I’ve never seen a penny of it. But it must be enough to buy you a new dress.’ My mom looked pensive for a moment, then carried on speaking.

‘Thank’s be to the Goddess, that we have such a generous Alpha and Luna. The fund they have made available, to help the families of warriors that have fallen in battle, was the only thing that saved us when your father died.’

I reached out and clasped my mom’s hand, before saying, ‘when I mate with Jackson, and when we become the new Alpha and luna of the Moons Wane Pack; I will make sure you are taken care of. You will move out of this pokey little house and move into the pack house. Not on the top floor, of course. But I will make sure you will have a lovely little room.’ I gushed out. I saw tears fall from her face as she smiled at me.

‘I knew you would always look after me Eva, not like that wastrel of a sister you have. I do not even get rent or housekeeping money from her, you know. It has been terribly hard since your father has gone.’

I smiled sadly, as my mom mentioned my father again. I swallowed the retort of impatience I felt, I would need to nip this mood of hers in the bud, else she will prattle on about her dead husband. Mom had made an art out of only seeing my father’s death from her perspective, and never from that of his children.

“Maybe I will put her to bed” I thought to myself. I was feeling irritated. I couldn’t find Julia, nor Jackson. And my mom was drunk. I chose to put the drunkard to bed, that way I could go and look for my mate-to-be.

I couldn’t let him get away, not when I was so close to getting everything I had ever wanted.

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