Angry, Oblivious, Alpha

28 Water Resistant

17 years old, Damien

"How dare you attack one of your pack members for no reason!" my father raged. "I'm disappointed in you, absolutely disappointed."
I kept my eyes down on my feet and tried to look as indifferent as possible.
But my hands, which were convulsively crossed, betrayed me. Shame burned hot on my cheeks and my stomach clenched painfully.
"It's your job to protect the pack members," my father continued angrily.
"She pushed me over the railing," I managed to defend myself, but my voice was much too quiet. "I could have broken my neck."

"Damien, look at me," my father demanded in a cutting voice.
I gritted my teeth and looked into his face; his expression was like a stone mask.
"You are her alpha. You have to be in control in every situation." His darkened eyes flashed at me. "Whether she provoked you or not is of no interest to me. I only care whether you can keep the upper hand over your beast."
I swallowed hard and nodded.
My father snorted through his nose in exasperation. "Get out."
I obediently walked to the door and stepped out into the living area.

My mother looked up from the kitchen counter, where she was mixing the ingredients for a cake. She smiled at me sympathetically, but I just looked annoyed at the ceiling.
A stabbing pain pulsed in my face where Cass' fist had hit me. She had a lot of strength for such a small person.
"Oho!" Kira grinned crookedly, grabbed a piece of chocolate from the counter and put it in her mouth. "Who gave you the black eye? Congratulations!"
Our mother gave her a reproachful look, which my sister vehemently ignored.
"Clarisia," I grumbled quietly.
Just saying her name made anger rise like acid in my stomach."Oh, she's in my dance class. Quick-witted girl." She looked at my swollen face. "Literally."

"Shut your dirty mou..." My gaze wandered over to our mother, who raised her eyebrows warningly and I fell silent.
"Wait a minute!" Kira's face brightened. "Isn't that the same girl who beat you up before? When you were little?"
I let out a threatening growl, but my sister just giggled maliciously. As I walked toward the exit, I bumped into her with my shoulder, making her stagger.
"Damien," my mother called after me. "In an hour we'll all eat cake together, okay?"
"And then everything will be forgotten, like always," I murmured quietly and slammed the door behind me.

Clarisia

"Cass." My friend's voice sounded through the wood. "Can I come in?"
My gaze was fixed on the white blanket. I lay on my bed with my arms outstretched, my chest rising calmly.
The sheets smelled of Damien's skin and salty tears. But the sobs had stopped and a cool emptiness remained.
With a soft click, the door opened. "Cass?"
I turned my head away so she couldn't see my tear-stained face. I could hear Lorelie coming towards me with hesitant steps and sitting on the edge of the bed. She put a hand on my forearm. Her fingers felt warm and made me realize that I was cold.

"Jayce said that you yelled at each other last night," she said in a soft voice. "You and Damien."
I shrugged weakly, my gaze fixed on the window frame.
Lorelie sighed softly. "I'm so sorry, Cass."
She stroked my forearm comfortingly.
"He'll reject the imprint," I whispered, turning my face to Lorelie.
She twisted her mouth as her gaze flicked over my face.
"Are you sure? Maybe he'll change his mind," she suggested, smiling encouragingly.
I shook my head wearily. "He doesn't want me, and then I told him to reject me."
My voice was croaky from the many sobs that had left a raw feeling in my throat. We were silent for a while.

"You don't deserve this," Lorelie finally said.
She grabbed my hands and pulled me into a sitting position.
"The Silver Moon Pack is arriving soon," she continued. "And as the young Luna, you might want to..."
She stopped and pointed to my face with a sympathetic expression.
"I'm not the young Luna," I replied, examining my puffy eyes and swollen face in the mirror.
"You still are, and you'll be at the front of the welcoming ceremony." Lorelie was already digging out brushes and powder from my dressing table.
With a resigned sigh, I pulled myself to my feet. As my friend began to paint my face, she started chatting.

She told me about her last date with Jonah, when my brother dropped ice cream all over himself, and about Ann dying her hair darker early that morning.
"It suits her," she concluded the detailed story and I nodded, incredibly grateful to be able to keep quiet.
Lorelie spread bronze eye shadow over my eyes, then handed me the mascara.
"Waterproof?" I asked, leaning close to the mirror.
My friend winked at me. "Of course."
After pinning my hair up with a clip, I hugged her.
"Thank you," I whispered in her ear.
Lorelie returned my hug. "That's for what we have each other."

At that moment, loud knocks rang out. "Clarisia, are you ready?"
Ilsa, our Luna, stuck her head in.
"Yes." My voice sounded thin.
Damien's mother came into the room and looked at me briefly. Then she nodded contentedly.
"Good." Ilsa was wearing a cotton dress, the cool white of the fabric made her amber eyes shine.
She had tied her light hair into a tight bun. She laid a white dress on my bed and turned to me with a slight smile. "Please, put this on. I'll wait outside." Ilsa left the room and I reached for the dress, under Lorelie's watchful eye.
The cotton material felt cool between my fingers, soft and firm at the same time.
I slipped the dress on and ran my fingers over my hair. As I followed Ilsa to the door, I cast a helpless look over my shoulder at Lorelie.
"You can do it!" she mouthed silently.