The rest of the dinner went the same. Matt not talking, Renee thinking I’d lost my mind in agreeing o marry this man, and myself trying to figure out in my mind what t do about this. It would ruin everything if we just came clean and told the truth, but I didn’t even want to know what it would be like for Renee if she couldn’t be with her mate. Or Matt.
The dinner dragged on, none of us able to speak much, although Renee did try to start conversation.
Our food was brought out to us, and for the first time Matt looked up. “Wow, I’m starving. You wouldn’t think I’d be, but I am, and now I can eat…” he must have realized then that he was rambling and clamped his jaw shut, then apologized. “So now I’m going to shut up and eat.”
Which he did, by cramming a fork load of food into his mouth and chewing quickly.
Matt was nervous? I never thought I’d see the day. He was always so calm and smooth. Like silk. And right now, you would think I broke him out of a mental institution.
“Matt, close your mouth,” I pleaded when I realized how disgusting it was that he was chewing with his mouth open.
“Oh, right! Sorry.”
“No worries.”
When it was finally over, Matt paid, and I stood up to hug Renee, and whispered “I’m so sorry! He’s usually never like this. Something just came up and…”
“I get it,” she said as she pulled away. She looked at me and smiled.
“Bye,” I called as Matt and I headed to the doors, and she stayed for a moment, grabbing her white leather purse.
When we were in his car, I finally snapped. “What is wrong with you?”
“Oh please! You’re telling me you haven’t guessed already? I just so happened to mess everything up in one night.”
“No, you didn’t. The universe did.”
“Well then, screw the universe,” He yelled.
“Matt, calm down.” I was starting to worry that he was becoming hysterical.
“Stephanie, I can’t calm down!”
“Why not?”
“Because, now, I have to drive away from here, and go to a pack meeting, and pretend that I’m in love with you, when I’m fighting a very strong urge to run back inside and kiss that other girl!”
“Sh,” I sighed. He was starting to yell, and I was getting a headache. “Matt, we’ll figure this all out. Don’t worry. But we just have to make it through tonight. And then, we can go to my old pack next week, and then… I don’t know, we’ll figure something out, though.”
“Stephanie, what is there to figure out? I can’t become Alpha now.”
“Yes you can.”
“No, I can’t. If they find out…”
“They won’t find out,” I interjected.
“But if they do…”
“Then we’re screwed. But we’ve known that from the start, Matt. This doesn’t change things.”
“Not for you. But it changes everything for me.”
“Matt, calm down. Take a few deep breaths and drive. We don’t have to be back there until midnight anyway. We’ve got two hours. You just need to get it all together now.”
YOU ARE READING
The Mate Deal
Teen FictionMatthew Parker is a soon-to-be alpha, meant to become the leader of the pack on his twentieth birthday. Little does he know he can't ascend to power until he's found his mate. Stephanie Haynes is a college student, recently disowned by her parents...
