Beta Lodge

04

how do you know when you're in love?
***

I followed them to the study but the door was slammed in my face.

How rude.

I stumbled back, while looking down, into a hard chest. I think the Goddess made me look down so I could feel the burn of embarrassment. This was karma for not getting the door soon enough because while looking down I saw my feet, clad in lilac purple socks, step on shiny black dress shoes.

What's even worse is that the person who owned those shoes was still wearing them as I stepped on them. So not only did I step on his shoes but also his feet.

Lilly's father had those same dress shoes, but in brown, and I knew they were expensive so I quickly stumbled forward again and turned around to apologize.

Beta Lodge looked at me, annoyed, as I apologized but he nodded his head when I was done.

I looked back at the room that Lilly was in and after not hearing any screaming or crying or yelling I decided it would be okay if I made coffee. I had a feeling they would be in there for a while and I was powerless in the situation.

And tired. I was running on the left over candy in my stomach from the night before and who knows when we fell asleep. After watching Princess and the Frog, Beauty and the Beast, and then Mulan one and two we drifted off.

I poured myself a cup and then looked over to man across the counter.

"Beta Lodge," I summoned a very large portion of my courage.

His face snapped towards mines and I took a step back, even though he was on the other side of the kitchen island. His face was still stern and unyielding, just like his Alpha's.

"Would you like some coffee?" I offered.

If the stories were true like Lilly's father said, I am going to try and stay on their good sides. However, because of what happened earlier, I'm not sure if it was a fruitful effort.

"Yes."

His baritone voice almost made me drop the mug. I wasn't expecting him to actually say anything. I just thought he would nod. I poured him a mug and handed it to him. Before I could even hand him the creamer or sugar he began to sip it.

I slowly backed away with the creamer and watched him with narrowed eyes as he sipped his coffee black and scrolled through his phone, the case of which was black.

Maybe he really likes the color black? I mean what is not to like. It was practically the only color I wore besides some splashes of color here and there.

Ever since my seventh grade emo phase I mainly wore dark colors. People who couldn't handle all black anything were weak, but I didn't make the rules.

The hair on top of his head was black as well, as was his suit. Alpha Donnelly's suit was the classic MIB suit: white button down, black tie, black suit jacket, and black pants.

But Beta Lodge's suit was all black. Except for the tie. He didn't wear one and so his top button was undone, revealing the outer edge of what I assumed was a large tattoo. Oh shiitake, he seems like one of those people who don't even blink when they have a bunch of tiny needles stabbing your body with ink.

His gaze quickly met mine and my eyes widened while his narrowed, but only a fraction.

"Who are you?" he asked lowly.

"Adelaide Greyson,"

"How old are you?"

"Eighteen,"

He looked me up and down slowly with an unsympathetic gaze and narrowed eyes, "You and Luna are close, but you did not go to the Mating Ceremony yesterday. Why?" he growled.

Why is he growling?

Did he see me as a threat? Or something? Why was he growling? I was 5'5, nothing compared to his 6'2 tallness. Not to mention he was obviously built and my arms resembled spaghetti noodles in the right lighting.

I felt like I was being interrogated in a crime show in one of those dreadful rooms with terrible lighting yet I was in my kitchen, in black sweatpants, a gray hoodie with the word 'yikes!' imprinted on the front, and fuzzy lilac socks.

These men really need to just calm down. I remember when 'take a chill pill was a saying' but then everyone got addicted to xanax.

I had never tried drugs and neither had Lilly but everyone was wild when they were on them.

"I wasn't eighteen yesterday but turn eighteen today, Beta Lodge," I looked down at the floor in submission.

He didn't say anything but went back to drinking his coffee.

You know what, 'yikes!' is right.

Oh, he's not even gonna try and wish me a happy birthday? I see how it is Lodge, I see how it is.

Ugh I knew it. He hates me. They both hate me and they're going to kill me when Alpha Donnelly is done talking to Lilly.

At just that moment, the door opened and Beta Lodge put his phone away and the mug down. Lilliana stepped out first, looking a lot calmer than I expected her to be, but she still looked a little sad. Alpha Donnelly followed, his rage gone.

Lilly walked over to me, "Will you help me pack?"

I nodded with a sad smile and the four of us made walked next door to her house.

***
he offered to buy me Vietnamese food and I got really happy