I had just finished getting dressed and was about to leave the house when I overheard my dad talking to my mom. I quickly tiptoed back inside and hid behind the door.
"Did you inform Maria about the Blue Moon?" My dad asked.
"Not yet... But Jackson, when are you going to tell her the truth?" My mom replied, looking serious.
I watched them both, standing next to the car, staring at each other with concern.
"Soon, Catherine!" He answered quietly, still looking at her.
"Blue Moon?" I muttered to myself, confused. "Are they talking about our pack?" I thought.
"Maria!! We're getting late, let's go!" My dad called out in his deep voice.
I quickly composed myself and stepped outside. By the time I got there, they were already in the car, waiting for me. I got into the back seat, and my dad drove off.
It was almost 8 pm when we finally arrived at our destination. The drive from the packhouse to Bernard's place took almost an hour, which felt exhausting.
Most of the pack members live at the packhouse, but the Gilbert family is different. They choose to live separately, and no one has ever explained why.
When we arrived at the house, my dad rang the doorbell. A few seconds later, Bernard's mom came to greet us.
"Alpha Jackson, good evening..." She bowed her head to show respect to my dad and then turned to my mom. "Luna Catherine."
After my parents greeted her, she looked at me, standing behind them.
"Maria," she said sharply, forcing a smile. From her expression, it was clear she didn't want me there.
If it weren't for what was going to happen to my dad in the pack, I probably wouldn't have been here, dealing with all these awkward moments.
I nodded at her respectfully but couldn't shake off the discomfort. I'd heard her tell Bernard twice to stay away from me. But he refused, insisting on being my friend.
I wondered how she could have agreed to this engagement, but I was sure it was her husband, Beta Gilbert, who had convinced her.
"Come on in!" She smiled at my dad and led us to the living room. Beta Gilbert was sitting on the couch, but Bernard was nowhere to be seen.
Beta Gilbert immediately stood up and gave my dad a tight hug, as if they hadn't seen each other in ages.
After exchanging pleasantries, he greeted my mom and then turned to me. The peach-colored strappy dress I wore, which hugged my fair skin, made me feel special.
My long brown hair was tied up in a bun, and I had no makeup on. I looked natural but still beautiful.
"You look beautiful, Maria. Welcome to the family, dear!" He smiled warmly and gave me a side hug.
"Thank you, sir," I said, stepping out of his embrace.
I could see the genuine love in his eyes, unlike his wife, Luna Victoria. Yes, she was a luna, but still of a lower rank compared to my mom.
"Everything is set. Let's head to the dining hall!" Luna Victoria interrupted the moment with her fake smile.
"Where's Bernard?" My dad asked, noticing his absence.
"He's handling something important but will join us soon!" Luna Victoria replied while glaring at me.
What could be more important than our engagement tonight? Why was he acting like I was the one pushing this whole thing?
I was annoyed but tried to stay calm as we all sat down. Why weren't my parents noticing these details? Why did this engagement have to happen?
"Maria, pass the wine in front of you," Luna Victoria said, raising an eyebrow. I picked up the bottle and handed it to her.
Throughout dinner, I kept my eyes on the door, waiting for Bernard to arrive. I only took a bite of the food since I wasn't hungry. I just wanted this night to end.
It was already past 10 pm, and Bernard still hadn't shown up. What was going on? Was I getting engaged to myself?
Why wasn't anyone else bothered by Bernard's absence? Why was I the only one hoping he would show up? I was completely confused.
After dinner, we all moved to the living room to discuss my engagement. My dad and Beta Gilbert started with business topics before finally addressing why we were there.
"These are the engagement papers that need to be signed tonight," Beta Gilbert said, handing my dad some papers.
"Okay," my dad replied as he began going through them. My mom stayed silent, not intervening in anything. Luna Victoria did the same.
It was always my dad and Beta Gilbert who were close, which is why Bernard and I became friends.
"It looks good to me!" My dad smiled after reading through the papers.
"Shall we begin signing?" Beta Gilbert seemed impatient.
"Sure, let's do it!" My dad said, pulling out a pen from his suit pocket and handing it to me. "Here, Maria, sign the documents."
Sign? How could they expect me to sign these papers when Bernard wasn't even here? I wasn't going to do it.
"How am I supposed to sign them when Bernard isn't here?" I said, my voice tinged with anger.
"Don't worry. Bernard will sign once he arrives," Luna Victoria replied nonchalantly.
I glared at her. She seemed to be holding back her anger ever since we arrived.
"I need to see Bernard before I sign anything!" I said, slamming the pen down on the table. "Excuse me!"
I stood up and walked outside. I could hear my dad pleading with them, which only made me angrier. How could he not see that this wasn't right?
He wasn't fit to be Alpha. He lacked the commanding presence that an Alpha should have, and that frustrated me.
I stayed outside for a few minutes when my mom came out and tapped me on the back. I kept a stern expression, refusing to look at her.
"I thought we talked about this before we left home, sweetie," her soft voice melted my heart, but I wasn't ready to give in yet.
"Yeah, we talked, and I agreed to your terms. But no one told me my supposed mate wouldn't be here for our engagement... That's ridiculous, Mom!"
"I understand, dear, but Bernard's presence isn't what's important. As long as he signs later, it's fine."
"It's not fine with me! Why are you and Dad so weak for the titles you hold? You need others to fear you, not the other way around!" I couldn't hold my anger anymore, and the words spilled out.
Even as I yelled, she just smiled back at me. "We're not weak, Maria. You don't understand why we act this way with others."
"Then make me understand, Mom! I'm tired of living in everyone's shadows when I'm the Alpha's daughter!"
"Alright, dear. I'll explain everything after tonight's engagement. I promise!" she said with sincerity.
Her words calmed my mood a bit, and I sighed in relief. Finally, I would get the answers I'd been waiting for.
After some persuasion, I agreed to go back inside and sign the papers. I apologized for my outburst as we returned to the living room.
Beta Gilbert smiled and asked me to sit down. Luna Victoria wasn't happy to see me back, but I ignored her and picked up the pen.
I signed the papers and handed them back to my dad. He and my mom signed as well, before passing the papers to Beta Gilbert. He and Luna Victoria signed too.
"Everything's settled now, right?" my dad asked.
"Yes. Once Bernard signs when he returns, I'll send a copy to you tomorrow morning," Beta Gilbert assured us.
"Thanks for hosting us and putting up with my spoiled daughter's attitude. I appreciate it," my dad said with a handshake.
When I heard him say that, I couldn't help but scoff. Shouldn't they be grateful that their son was marrying the Alpha's daughter? Why were we the ones thanking them?
I would get answers after we left. I just needed to stay calm and go home.
After we said our goodbyes and stepped outside, I suddenly smelled something strange.
I didn't know if I should be happy or worried, but this was the first time I'd smelled anything other than food.
I stopped and looked around, but I didn't see anyone. I had this feeling someone was watching us, but I couldn't tell who.
"What's wrong, Maria? Why did you stop walking?" my mom asked when she saw me frozen.
"Can you smell anything?" I asked, curious.
They exchanged looks and replied together, "No, we don't!"
I stared at them in disbelief as the scent grew stronger.
"You're imagining things, dear," my dad chuckled, continuing to walk.
How could they not smell it? What was going on? I kept wondering as I followed them to the car.
We got in, and the drive back to the packhouse began. The scent lingered on my nose, making me uneasy. Something didn't feel right.
We were almost home when a large truck appeared in front of us. My dad slammed on the brakes, but it felt like they weren't working.
"What's going on? Why aren't the brakes working?" he yelled, trying to steer away from the truck.
"Dad, what's happening?" I screamed from the backseat as the car jerked.
"Honey, what's going on?" My mom shouted.
"No!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
That was the last thing I heard before everything went black...