Truly

Chapter 7

~Toni

Imagine the nervousness you feel when you are meeting your partner's parents for the first time. Now times those nerves by a million and you can imagine what I was going through that day. Waiting there, about to go in and tell Max's family we were mates, my hands wouldn't stop shaking. I was in jeans and a t-shirt, just casual stuff, so I worried they would think I was not right for the future Alpha. Max grabbed my hand and squeezed it reassuringly. 

"Everything is going to be fine." He told me.

Suddenly, time went into slow-mo. Max had pushed ope the door and I had to refrain myself from turning around and going straight back out again. Walking into the room, I saw Max's mum and three siblings. Lizzie looked nervous, I guessed she was nervous for us, knowing what we were about to do. I remembered about Alpha Thomas' illness and wondered if Max would tell him about us on his own. As we sat down, Luna Macy offered me some tea but I kindly declined. If I had some tea, I would hardly drink any because of my shaking hand.

"So, Max, what did you want to talk about?" His mother looked at her son, who glanced at me.

"Well, I wanted to tell you....that.....that...Toni and..... and, um......me.....are,um, well......here we go. Toni and I are mates." He finally got out. Everyone was silent. 

"Well, I think a congratulations is in order." Lizzie smiled. I smiled back at her.

"I...I....I am sorry." Luna Macy apologised. "That shocked me slightly. But this is great news. Toni, apart from the fighting, you are a lovely, sweet girl. Welcome to the family." She came and hugged me and while in the embrace, I looked at Max who shrugged and then laughed.

Jason got up and did a weird handshake which I found funny.

"Well done, bro. You got yourself a beauty there."

"Yeah, Jace. I got the beauty, no hitting on her."

I was happy that I had been accepted and leaned my head on Max's shoulder. That was when Ruby glared at me. Bringing my head up, I looked at her. Max noticed my movements and followed my gaze to his sister.

"Ruby, would you like to say something?" Max asked, looking serious.

"Yes, actually, I would. She is bad news. She is not good for my brother. She will not be a good Luna for the pack. Being from the Shadow Pack, all they do is hide. She'll buckle under the pressure, break your heart and run off to hide." While saying all of this, she was glaring at me. My breath caught in my throat and I didn't know what to think or say.

"Ruby, that is no way to speak to our guest." Her mother hissed.

"Mother, she is not as high up as us, she is a commoner. I bet from her life back home and all her fighting, she has had much worse said to her."

I couldn't sit there and listen to Ruby talk about me and my life back home like that. Quickly, I stood up and walked out of the room. Instead of waiting in the hall, I went straight outside, slowly feeling like I was suffocating. Surprisingly, it wasn't Max who came outside to see me, it was Lizzie.

"Where's Max?" I sniffed.

"He's currently arguing with Ruby and he asked me to come out and see you."

Lizzie pulled me in for a hug and held me there. 

"I don't know what was going on with Ruby there. In all the time I lived at home, I have never seen an outburst like that from her."

"Listen, tell Max goodbye from me, but I need to get out of here. Sorry."

"He'll understand. Go." Lizzie nodded and I left the grounds.

Walking into the cottage, I was faced with Roxy sat on the kitchen counter with Josh stood in front, kissing her. 

"Glad to see you two have made up. When I woke up yesterday and found out you had an argument, I thought it was the end of the world." I said over-dramatically.

"Oh shut up." Roxy said before throwing a dish towel at me.

"Why you chucking this at me?" I laughed.

"It was the closest thing to me. Well it wasn't. But it was either that or a knife."

"Thank you for not murdering me."

"Your welcome."

Roxy jumped down from the side and grabbed a coke, handing one to me also. We sat down on the sofa and Josh looked betrayed.

"I know where I stand now. I don't even get a coke now." He laughed. I chucked a cushion at him.

"This is just like the times when we hung out at school. Whatever stopped that?" Roxy asked.

"You two. I couldn't stand being in the same house as you two when you first got together."

"Yeah, but Toni. Rox and I aren't the only couple now. You and Max can hang with us."

"Yeah.......no. No we aren't. You'd scare him away." I laughed.

"Come on then, how did it go today?" Roxy looked at me eagerly.

I sighed, "Max announced it to his family and nobody knew what to say. Lizzie hugged me. Luna Macy was in shock but the accepted me into the family. Jason said that Max had got himself a beauty. Then Ruby said that I was bad news with all my fighting. Oh and without actually saying the words, said that the way I had been brought up, at home and in the pack, I wasn't worthy to be Max's mate."

"Wow." Both Roxy and Josh said. 

"Yeah, wow."

"You don't have to worry about Ruby, Toni." Roxy suddenly said.

"What do you mean?"

"Well you will be her Luna soon. Just order her around. You don't have to like her."

I shook my head and sighed. Roxy seemed to be intelligent, but sometimes she can be so dumb.