Miranda's POV
My new mate confuses me. It seems to me as if he has a switch installed inside his mind that flips between hot and cold emotions. He was warm and loving some minutes earlier when he embraced and called me his mate. Suddenly, he flips and becomes cold, his body shrouded by some kind of aura that I find very unsettling
I didn't say this to Pinky before, she isn't the only one scared shitless of him, I am also but can't let her know. She would only drill me with ceaseless questions that I'm not in the mood for.
"What suddenly made him change toward me? Could the magic be wearing off already? I'm thinking to myself when his gaze returns to me. His green eyes appeared to be drilling holes into mine, making me very nervous. It took everything in me to stay put and not shrink into myself with fear.
"Alpha"
A female voice calls out to him behind me and I finally allow myself to breathe. Finally, someone takes his attention away from me. I look at the she-wolf and my eyes can't help but widen with admiration.
'Is she the Ella he called for just now? Is she also a member of this pack? What is her rank? What kind of relationship do they have between them?' My thoughts ran haywire in my head. I am jealous and can't help but develop hateful feelings toward her.
Why?... Because she's alluring and I hate, hate staying in the company of women that stand out and compels me to the background, like my mom did all of my life, and then that freak, Ash, that made me feel inferior even in her smelly rags
It's not fair. Black always makes me feel dowdy but she looks sinfully good in black as if she's just stepping out of an action movie. Except for her white T-shirt. Everything else about her is dark and mysterious.
From her braided, raven-dark hair, her skinny leather pants that showed her rounded hips, and her obviously expensive dark leather boots. For her to be able to dress so stylishly, then she must be Thor's kept woman. He must be the reason she can afford such an expensive lifestyle.
"Those who are in charge of getting the Alpha's mansion ready should almost be done by now." Thor's voice penetrates my thoughts.
"If they're not then make sure to hurry them up. It must be ready before we get back. You're in charge, so I don't need to tell you what to do. Just go and take my mate with you. Show her to her room please."
"Yes, Alpha" She replies and turns to leave but I remain in my seat.
I just get my confirmation that he is surely fucking her. She is definitely his kept woman. Otherwise, why the hell would he put her in charge of the home affairs instead of me, his mate? Why?
I'm trying to catch his eyes so I can ask him why she's placed in charge of the mansion instead of me, the Luna but he doesn't look in my direction again. He's now snapping at another person...
"And where the fuck is Eric?..."
"I don't know General, he was here a few minutes ago and..."
"How can you tell me you don't know!? Why is everyone acting so strangely today!?..." He carries on with his conversation and I have no other choice than to follow behind Ella, toward the car park.
It's not difficult to tell that Ella likes me as much as I like her. Her disrespectful attitude toward me speaks volumes about the way she feels towards me. I mean, I am her Alpha's mate! Her Luna, which is equivalent to her Queen if we were humans, and yet she has the audacity to walk ahead of me! Treat me like I am invisible! So fucking unbelievable!
In a pack's order of precedence, after the Alpha, comes the Luna. No shifter outranks the Luna and no shifter walks in front of her, not even the Beta. I am her Luna and she is not supposed to walk ahead of me. She is supposed to walk behind me
It's not even about politeness. It's the essential rule of royal etiquette, and it all comes down to one very simple explanation: HIERARCHY. Even if she's fucking my mate, I am still above her and she is beneath me and that is why she has to accord me that respect.
Whether anyone agrees with me or not and whether they like me or not, in a pack's order of hierarchy, higher rank means you get bowed to, and it also means you get to walk first! period! I'll make sure to discuss that fact with Thor tonight since it seems he's been lagging in the department of teaching etiquette and enforcing respect for his people
We arrive at the car pack and she bangs on the hood of a car to rudely wake the driver that had fallen asleep behind the wheel.
"Wake up, Thomas! Duty calls!" She shouts, startling the driver awake and making me cringe in disgust. So unladylike.
The one she called Thomas hurries out of the car, grinning from ear to ear.
"I heard the General won the duel?"
"Were you worried he wouldn't win before?" She asks seriously with a raised eyebrow before her face breaks into a huge grin.
"He beat the son of a bitch without breaking a sweat..." They talk on and on while I stand awkwardly by myself.
"...and that's that." She finally finishes discussing whatever rubbish they were talking about and looks towards where I'm standing like she just remembered she was supposed to take me to the Alpha's mansion.
"Oh yeah, Thomas. You take her along with you to Alpha's mansion. I'll follow you on my bike." she says and turn to leave
I've had enough of her uncultured attitude. I just can't take it anymore. The way she pointed at me was so demeaning, I'm bursting with anger.
"Are you always this uncouth?..." I ask in a manner she will realize I was raised far better than her. She stops in her tracks and turns back to me.
But instead of her getting angry like I thought she would, she smiles mockingly and starts to walk toward where I'm standing.
"Yes actually, and many more synonyms you could ever think about... " She replies. "Uhmm, let's see; I am loutish. I am uncultured and barbaric and rude and ill-bred and vulgar..." She counts on her fingers as she lists every word with a smile.
"What impudence! How dare you stand before me and talk to me with such disrespect! I am your Alpha's mate! Your Luna!?" I scream in frustration. "I deserve some respect even if you're fucking your Alpha! I still deserve some respect from you, bitch!"
"Wait, what!?" Thomas says in shock and Ella just bursts out laughing. Like, am I a joke to her?
"She's the General's mate now?" He asks, looking from Ella's face to mine, confusion written all over his face. "What happened to Luna Ash!?"
I recoiled in shock. Do they know about Ash already!?
"No Thomas, she's not the General's mate. She's an identity thief. A usurper." Ella spits out angrily.
Immediately, my body became awash with cold sweat.
'Oh my god, they knew!? But how? How could they have known what I did? Was Thor also aware of what I did? Was that why he suddenly started acting strangely?' I thought in alarm.
I don't need to look in the mirror to realize my beautifully tanned skin would have turned white out of shock.
Even though I want to run so badly, I manage to stand my ground as she takes another step closer to me
"Where I come from, if a Luna is being a bitch then an Omega like me can challenge her to a duel. If I win then she gets demoted to an Omega and if she wins then I would be sent out of the pack for such blatant disrespect. So what do you think, Luna? I'm challenging you to a duel."