As Mrs. Osborne had said, the breakfast was ready and everyone was waiting on the dining table for Evelyn and thankfully Mr. Osborne as well. That was assuring but the sight that troubled her was that her entire family was there at the breakfast. Her uncle Albert and his wife and their children, the beta family. Her uncle Robert, the gamma, alpha's left hand and his nuclear family was there too.
Nevertheless of the shock, she dawdled closer to the dining table in her long fawn pink maxi without meeting anyone's gaze. Oscar's seat was beside William's as the next possible alpha and on his left side all the uncles' had taken their place. However, the biggest chair, one with an invisible 'the head of the family' tag on was empty.
Evelyn's place was across that particular chair so she'd always be face to face with William. She made sure to take her seat indistinctly and slowly without much unnecessary noise. Drawing their attention was the last thing she'd desired. On her both sides her cousins had taken their place―she never got along with them as well. They're fonder of Oscar's company, the future alpha.
As she sat there and took in the cheerful environment she couldn't help but notice an extra mint of joy blooming in the air. Something big was planned for today and she couldn't help but feel appalled by it. She detested events like these. William's brothers were wired akin to him. They shared the same thoughts, same sickening rules and regulations. They weren't the minister of their houses; no they're the wardens of her and her family's cells.
It was enough pain for her to bear William though when his brothers were with him, he was unstoppable and unconquerable both in battlefield and at home. William would give them lectures almost every day at dining, 'Family makes you strong' and to some point Evelyn agreed with him until he'd rebuke her for behaving 'unladylike.'
She was pulled out of her trance when the chair for the head of the family member pulled back and he sat there in all his alpha glory. Evelyn slightly stiffened at his presence, she didn't like him and there was more than a history behind that hatred.
Mrs. Osborne and her aunts began to serve their family.
Evelyn wasn't fond of that either that her mother and aunts always had to eat in the end, after all Mrs. Osborne was a luna and held authority alongside her husband and it pained Evelyn to see that he never treated her as his equal. She decided to shun that thought away and focus on her breakfast; it wasn't as if she could actually do something about it, so why bother stressing over it?
She was getting curious about a question roaming inside her brain for a while now but judging by the wretched mood of those dominative males, she decided to keep it to herself. But before much moment could pass by her, her father began speaking,
"When are you graduating?" She couldn't believe her ears at first when she heard her father asking that and waiting patiently on her for a response. She peeked at him from under her long lashes to confirm her doubt and by the look on his emotionless face she knew he'd asked her that.
"At the end of the month." She straightened her back and lifted her face, lowering her eyes before she spoke. She had to make sure that she looked enough 'ladylike' to speak even though the matter was completely putting her in a state of bafflement.
William nodded as a reply. "I've been talking with alpha Asher and his son, as you know is soon to take after his father and become the alpha of The Knighthood pack." He paused taking his voice smooth and slowly to the topic.
She couldn't understand why he was telling her this. Usually he'd discuss about the pack with Oscar. The confusion had made her bound to consider if the sun had risen from west this morning.
The name Knighthood sounded familiar to her and as she crinkled her brows and thought long and hard, it rang in her mind. Alpha Asher was one of her father's closest allies and was the alpha of one of the seven cursed packs.
She couldn't seriously think of a reason to be dragged into this topic and the suspense was killing her but William was going to speak in his pace which was slow, monotonous and time consuming! She sought to ask but held back from causing any sort of interruption that might change his mind about letting her in on this matter.
"In order for a Knighthood man to become an alpha he must be mated with a luna of royal blood and after much thought we've decided to make a family out of our eighteen years of successful friendship." Poor Evelyn nearly choked on her food as he finished his sentence. She silently hoped and begged for this to not be happening.
She glanced at Oscar for a warning and he looked back at her with shock swimming in his eyes. She couldn't help it and searched for her mother who looked both happy and worried at once. Evelyn felt a pool of tears forming in her eyes and seconds away from making their presence perceptible. The next few minutes were the most important ones of her life.
"Which one among us have you chosen?" She asked desperately keeping her tone light, gesturing towards her sisters who looked more pleased than trouble at the thought of an arranged mating. After all being a luna was fun but not for Evelyn, she dreaded that more than anything and it'd just get in her way of escaping this hell.
William seemed to be in disbelief for once as he registered her words. "You're my daughter Evelyn, an alpha's daughter. You have royal blood in your veins and it's your responsibility to mate with an alpha and become a luna just like your mother."
That was when she lost it and her eyes watered with her overflowing emotions. They're all over the place and if it wasn't for her uncles and father sitting right in front of her and looking at her intently, she'd have burst out into a series of sobs and cries and she almost had or at least her voice sounded like so.
"What's wrong Eve?" His voice softened but she knew better than to fall for this fake concern. She didn't realize a drop already streaming down her cheek until she felt the salty taste as it entered her mouth. She shook her head realizing she still had a question to answer. She couldn't tell him the truth so she just had to find a more fitting lie for this situation.
"I just . . . I didn't think it'd be this soon. I don't want to . . . I'm just nervous." It sounded convincing enough to her but she wasn't much sure about him and the others.
The next moment they all just let out a group chuckle and honestly she didn't mind being embarrassed right now, it was better than facing William's wrath.
"Nonsense! You're eighteen and old enough to handle mating and becoming a luna." William's voice was void of anger, just laced with innocence.
She had the urge to tell him that she wasn't ready, neither she nor her wolf—this brought a crazy idea in her head.
'My wolf! She could get me out of this trouble!' She thought.
"But father my wolf hasn't come out yet." She confessed glancing down at her plate, unable to meet their eyes. She knew it was a shame to bring up that topic but what choice did she have?
There was a momentary silence after that confession where she got the feeble opportunity to peek at their reactions and there were none, especially on William's face. He was blank.
He had tried many things to get her familiarize with her wolf but nothing worked and then he gave up on her. It was after a long time that he'd spared her a glance of his day and only to tell her it was time for her to be mated with a complete stranger.
Mating. It was why she never let her wolf come out on the surface. She'd sensed that the day she let her wolf take over her life would be ruined. She thought shutting her out would buy Evelyn some time and it bought her six years but perhaps it was her time now and she didn't want to admit it but she was horrified at the thought of spending her entire life with a complete possessive stranger—if he was an alpha he was going to be possessive, especially about his mate and she dreaded that the most.
"Alpha Asher thinks that's just what the Moon Goddess has planned for you and he nor his son mind you being their luna, despite your condition." William spat out the last part like she was in some way physically impaired. "You should be happy that they're accepting you."
She felt her heart clench at the moment. That was how it was with him. He didn't want her, he never did and he made sure to make her feel like she was an outcast. He hated her with all he possessed, all he had. He didn't say it but it was clear in his tone that she was damaged goods for him, something he didn't have any use of.
'You should be happy that they're accepting you.' The words kept echoing in her ears.