Human

Ch. 3 - Adrian

He was exhausted. He didn't want to get up from his bed or even attempt to tidy up his new room, much less attend the party that his dad and Alpha Joel planned. But did he really have the choice?

"Adrian, are you ready?" his mom called from the living room. "We have to get going."

"Yeah." He shuffled out of his room and saw his mom fixing her hair for the nth time.

"Let's get going then," his dad said and swung the car keys around with a finger.

The drive to Alpha Joel's land was far. It probably took twenty or twenty-five minutes to get there. The area was more suburban if anything, but definitely toward the outskirts of the city.

Judging by the conglomeration of cars parked within the area, Adrian could tell that they'd arrived.

The house wasn't small by any means, and as they walked through the doors, he couldn't help but admire how everything was so nicely decorated—modern, sleek, but with a hint of warmth that made the interior look stylish yet comfortable.

As per usual, they were one of the last to arrive from his pack. According to his mom, it was called being "fashionably late," but according to his dad, it was hardly punctual.

Maybe it was the old grandma in him, but Adrian was more inclined to agree with his dad. In fact, he was a little anxious about being a little too late.

They were immediately greeted by Alpha Joel and his family in the hallway. He was an older man with traces of age evident in his hair. His daughter, Carmen, was the heiress of the pack. She seemed to be quite hospitable, which Adrian silently thanked the gods for.

Other than the fact that his family had just moved to avoid danger, Adrian couldn't help but worry about their new allies. Would they be allies under paper, or would they actually be able to become friends?

He wasn't sure, but from what it seemed like thus far, he was hoping for the second option.

"So, I hear you're going to Rosewood?"

Adrian was left to converse with the heiress. "Uh . . . yeah."

"Hmmm, it's a good school. A lot of good programs and sports and stuff."

"Did you go there?"

"I did," Carmen said with a hint of pride. "Salutatorian in 2015."

"Wow, that's amazing."

"Yeah, I guess, but really it's more of a pain to be honest. A lot of stress and work and pack stuff all at once. Ten out of ten, I don't recommend."

"I'll take note of that."

"Anyway, things have probably changed since I went, but Mira can probably update you on what's up," Carmen explained. "She's also a senior this year."

Adrian nodded in agreement. "That'd be nice."

"I think I saw her earlier by the food. Let's go."

Carmen led the way like a natural-born leader. She must have said "let's go" out of common courtesy because he would've followed her either way. Maybe it was the fact that her alpha tone was too dominant for him to ignore, or maybe it was the fact that she had more training than he did.

For a moment, Adrian wondered if by some chance Carmen also didn't want to be an alpha like her dad. Did she also have her own dreams and aspirations, or did she just want to follow the destiny that was laid out for her?

Was he the only ungrateful one?

His thoughts immediately came to a stop as they weaved through the crowd to find Mira. Several familiar faces mingled with new ones, and from what he could tell, things were going well thus far. No one seemed to be showing any signs of hostility, and instead, it was like meeting a new relative for the first time—awkward and tentative but in a good way.