A/N: Hello lovelies! Thank you for being so patient while I combat my writer's block. As a treat, this chapter is extra long! Hopefully it will make up for all the waiting you have been doing ;) and please see the photo above of what I feel mostly closely resembles the Matthews family home!
Enjoy!
Xoxo, Undaunted
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Holly
Two days have passed since our questioning of the Striker.
In the whirlwind of the inner circle pack meetings organizing a scouting mission to Half-Moon, the funeral arrangements for Lucas Peterson, and helping Kathleen at the day-care (now more than ever, she needs it) I find myself staring at racks of clothing in a store of a nearby outlet mall. Trying and failing to decide what to wear to the formal introductory dinner with River's family tonight.
Desiree was nice enough to come with me, although she needed no convincing once the word 'shopping' was mentioned. She all but dragged me into her Jeep to drive here, a grin plastered on her face as she told me it has been literal months since she had anyone willing to go shopping with her—aside from David, her mate.
"How about this?" Desiree approaches me with a dark green bodycon dress, a plunging neckline dipping very far down.
"Gorgeous, but too sexy for meeting the parents." I say and she considers this, nodding.
"Shame, you would be a force in this dress." She sighs sadly, placing it back on the rack. "Are you nervous?" she asks me as I leaf through more garments.
"I...Yeah, I am. Terribly." I admit with a self-deprecating laugh. "River says I met his grandma Rosa already but just didn't know it at the time. She's the super sweet lady who makes all the pastries and things." I say as Desiree nods along. "That leaves his mom and sister., since I've met Clark already as well." I stop my rhythmic shuffling of hangers to pause on a cream coloured dress: simple, with a delicate scooped neckline and long enough to be appropriate but short enough to still be cute.
I pull it from the rack, holding it up for Desiree to see. Her eyes land on it and her eyebrows rise up in anticipation.
"That is one to try on, definitely." She answers without my asking what she thinks. I fold it over my arm and continue my search. "I wouldn't worry about Renee and Samantha. They're both great. Sam loves getting under River's skin, as little sisters do, and Renee is really bubbly and talkative. I think you'll hit it off." She assures me, and this eases my nerves slightly.
"It's hard picturing River having an annoying little sister...I wouldn't imagine him having enough patience to put up with it." I say with a chuckle and Desiree grins.
"I think Sam is the only one in the whole pack who could poke and prod him as much as she does and still come away unscathed. She is very much an exception to the rule." Desiree smiles. "She once put itching powder in all his clothes, and he didn't catch on for a whole week."
I giggle, picturing River scratching madly, unable to find the source, wriggling around like a cartoon character of some kind.
"Oh my god," I shake my head, still laughing. "Never a dull moment with them?" I ask and Desiree nods as she holds up a navy blue number which I like quite a lot.
"Never," she replies. "I take it this is another try-on?" she asks as I nod in agreement. "Oh, how I have missed this." She sighs wistfully while moving on to another rack of clothing.
YOU ARE READING
The Shadow Alpha
Hombres Lobo"River, I...I didn't realize..." I say, and before I can form the rest of my sentence, he strides towards me. I immediately step back and feel the rough bark of one of the nearby trees press into my back. One of his hands comes up to grip my jaw, hi...
