Who the hell is this?
I watch as they pull away from each other. Gianna has a huge smile on her face, while Alaric looks awkwardly down at the ground with a blush.
I turn to look at the girls and their all looking at the scene the same way as me.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who saw that. I thought I was seeing things.
"Markus! Good to see you. How long has it been since we've met up?" Arsenio goes to greet the guy that I believed was the father. They do that thing guys do when they shake hands and half hug.
"Pleasure seeing you again, but I'm sure it's only been a couple of months. You mind introducing us to everyone else?" Arsenio gives the Markus guy a quick nod and we all gather for introductions.
"Every one, this is Sir Markus Zevo, You might of heard the name. He's on the higher court."
Interesting. I didn't know the pack had such deep connections. Wouldn't that have been good to know earlier in the mission?
"This is his son Giovanni and his daughter Gianna, the Zevo twins." The description I gave before did no justice to Giovanni when he stepped closer. I could see all of his features now and only could conclude that there was no way that he was anything other than a figment of my imagination because there's no way someone so attractive can be real.
Are those freckles on his cheeks?
They start going around and meeting the rest of us. When they get to me, Giovanni gently grabs my hand and places a soft kiss on it.
Whaaa?!?!
"What's your name, beautiful," he asks. I was caught off guard with his greeting, but I keep my face in a polite smile.
"Anne."
"So, your the girl my fiance keeps talking about," Gianna says when she comes to greet me, a fat smile on her face that never falters. My eyebrows draw in from confusion.
"What are you talking about," Hanna jumps in. All the girls were just as confused as me. Everyone else seemed to know what was going on.
"Well, we were going to wait until we started the meeting, but might as well tell everyone now. Who wants to do the honors," Arsenio asks. Gianna happily giggles.
"Alaric and I are engaged."
"Anne." I look up from the table I'm sitting at in the conference room and meet all the eyes staring at me.
After the big announcements we all moved into the conference room to go over the terms of what would change once Alaric and Gianna got married. I've been sitting here quiet for the pass hour, not listening to anything they're saying.
I didn't have any reaction when Gianna announced that they were engaged. I just stared into the distance, not allowing myself to actually process anything that they said. Before anyone could ask me if I was ok, I said congratulations and went into the conference room. I found out that the other guy with us was Don's dad, the beta.
"Did you hear what Sir Markus said," Arsenio asks. He has a knowing smirk on his face that I wasn't paying attention and I just want to torch it off his face.
"No, I didn't. Can you please repeat what you said? My apologies."
"No problem at all. I was just saying that we asked your father and he said that you'd be a good fit, as long as your ok with it," Sir Markus says.
"Ok with what," I ask softly. I really didn't feel like being here right now to be honest.
"Once our armies are combined, we won't have enough trainers for our youth. We wanted to know if you would be interested in becoming one of our trainers. From what I've heard, your good at combat and you helped Alaric. Of course, you wouldn't be doing it by yourself. You'll be partnered with Giovanni. "
"Won't we be gone by then," I ask my dad. I'm hoping he says yes. There's no point in me staying here. Who knows what else I'll find out by staying here.
"We're staying in New Orleans after the mission," my dad answers me. I send a cold glare at the table.
"Sure. I'll do it. Excuse me for a moment. I'll be right back." When I look back up, I put on a mask of happiness.
I get up from my seat and walk out of the conference room. I take my carving knife out of the boots I was wearing today and walked out of the back door of the pack house.
I pick up a big piece of wood from the forest floor and start carving into it, not letting myself feel anything.
"Anne." I turn around to the person that called my name and come face to face with Alaric. He was a couple of feet away.
"Did you need something," I ask him with a cold tone, continuing to carve into the wood.
"Why are you acting like that? You said you didn't like him," I hear another voice say. I look around, but there's no one else here.
"I'm sorry, Anne. I didn't mean for this to happen."
I start carving faster, feeling a burning sensation in my eyes.
"Aww, is Anney baby going to cry over a boy? Did he break your already blackened heart?" Another voice joins the other one, but I shake my head to try and get them out.
"Anne, please talk to me. You have to believe this wasn't my choice."
I try to keep ignoring him and carve faster, but I accidentally stab myself and I feel a tear fall out of my eye. I try to wipe it away, but more start to fall and I can't stop them.
Why can't I stop them?
"Jeez, this girl is weak." All the voices start laughing at me.
I feel arms wrap around me and Alaric lifts my head to look at him. I swat his arm off of me.
"I don't need an explanation. I'm just a girl you lost your virginity to. I'm just a friend. I get it, but you could have given me the decency of telling me that you have a fiancée. It's embarrassing to blush about the night we had to my friends and then find out that you have a fiancée the next minute and everyone's looking at me with pity. I feel dumb."
Alaric stares at me as I pour my eyes out, making me feel even dumber than before.
I chuckle at my ridiculous crying and move to walk past him, but he pulls me back to him for a kiss.
"I don't care about the engagement, Anne."
I take all my force and slap him across the face.
"I'm not a fucking mistress. I'm not a side piece. Don't fuck with my feelings. You can't just have another girl kiss you and blush like an idiot and then come kiss me like it's ok. You know you like her. Stop lying to me."
I stab my knife through the heart I carved out of wood and throw it at the ground.
I run back into the pack house and I see Arsenio smirking at me.
"I told you it was in your best interest to stay away from my son. Are you ready to give up now?"
A chill runs down my spine once I find out everything that has happened today was intentional. It was all set up by Arsenio to hurt me.
"No." I feel something push me against the wall.
"Well, I suggest you back off because I may have smelt you on him today, but from now on, if I do, you will wish you were dead." I stare into the icy eyes of Gianna and chuckle.
"Shiver me timbers."
This schizophrenic brain of mines has me on an emotional rollercoaster.