"You have a lot of explaining to do, Richard! What am I hearing about a new girl?" An angry female voice snarled. It was coming from the hallway, and she was making her way towards us very fast.
Before long, the door opened with a bang, and a mature woman emitting a lot of power and anger walked in, her eyes scanning the room, looking for her target.
There was no doubt that it was Richard's mother. He got his brown hair from her, and the delicate features too. Although she was on the shorter side, just reaching Richard's shoulders. She seemed a force to reckon with.
"Mom! What are you doing here? How did you get here?"
"What did you think my legs were for? Just because I am old doesn't mean I am an invalid. And don't you dare try to change the topic."
I decided to introduce myself to try and take the heat off him. "Good evening, ma." I curtsied, just like we do back at home when we greet someone older than us.
She looked at me strangely, not at all pleased at the intrusion, "good evening, and who might you be?" Her voice still held a hint of anger as she regarded me. Her face twisted into a frown as the scent of her son on my skin reached her.
"Mom, meet my mate, Isabella." He came closer to me to introduce me. I could see from the corner of my eyes that the twins had inched towards the door, ready to run in case of any sign of trouble.
I mustered the best smile I could and flashed it towards her. I was suddenly grateful that I took great care to dress well and arrange my hair. My fingers reached down to smoothen the creases in my dress as I waited for her to acknowledge my presence.
"Isabella?" she asked, eyeing me with distrust. I could tell from the get-go that this wasn't going to be a pleasant meeting. "I don't think I have ever heard of her before." Her lips pressed together as she regarded me. "She doesn't look like she is from here. I'm shocked that her kind understands English."
"Mother!"
"I am just stating the obvious, Richard. No need to shout." She crinkled her nose in disgust, dismissing me with her eyes. "If this is your mate, then I think I like Sophia more." She muttered under her breath, but in a room full of werewolves, we could all hear her.
Well, there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. Werewolves can also be racists, especially those of higher standing. They don't like people polluting their blood.
I tried to ignore the jab. Trust me, I tried. But the Alpha blood in me wouldn't tolerate any disrespect from anyone, even if it was my mate's mother. If it were back home, this wouldn't go unpunished.
I cleared my throat as I prepared to say something without sounding too rude. I strutted towards her, my head held high. "I am from Ravenwood Pack in Abuja, Nigeria. And English is our first and official language. Only fools wouldn't know that."
Gasps echoed across the room as I finished my statement. His mother's face was flushed in embarrassment. She had been the Luna before, and she wasn't used to people talking back to her. But I am of a different breed. Her eyebrows furrowed as her face twisted into a tight-lipped smile. She began to twist the ring on her fingers, looking elsewhere except at my face.
"Humph!" She tried to look for something to do to save face. "What are you both still doing here?" She queried the twins, who were looking for an opening to go out.
"We were just going. Goodnight, mom." With that, Jesse dragged his twin out of the room.
It was just the three of us in the room, and it was getting awkward as we were just staring at each other.
"I will talk to you tomorrow morning, mom." Richard leaned in to give her a goodnight kiss and opened the door to usher her out.
I heaved a sigh of relief as she left, feeling almost guilty that I was happy about that fact. Great! What a way to charm the in-laws. I just dug a hole for myself.
"I am going to bed." I announced as I dumped my body unceremoniously onto the bed. I was too stressed to go take a shower or even go get my things from the other room.
"Isabel-"
"Just save it. Richard! I really don't want to hear anything today because I am tired of everyone calling me a whore. I have been called a whore here more than I have ever been called in my life. And that should say a lot. I would just like a good night's rest if you would please." I got to the farthest side of the bed and closed my eyes facing the wall.
It has only been the first day since I got here, but it has been eventful. I wonder what tomorrow will bring. I need to make plans on how to win my mate's mother. I decided not to bother myself too much with the details. But as of tomorrow, Operation Win My Mate's Mother will be set. And with these thoughts plaguing my mind, I fell into a deep, meaningless sleep.
I woke up to see that I was being strangled by a warm body. Big hands were wrapped around my waist and one was under my neck. I could feel the heat of his breath on my neck and it was sending pleasurable shivers down my spine. Richard has snuck into the bed during the night to cuddle with me. And truth be told, I wasn't complaining.
I moved closer to my warmth, wriggling my butt as I snuggled deeper into that comforting heat. "Be careful, mate; you don't want to agitate the beast." I instantly froze when I heard that husky, sleep-laced voice. I could very well feel the beast. He was slowly rising from his slumber...and gosh, he was a beast indeed.
Indeed, an Alpha isn't only by title.
"Good morning," he whispered as he pressed kisses on my neck. "How was your night?"
An unladyly yawn came out of my mouth as I stretched my body like a cheshire cat. I feel a lot better than yesterday. I turned to face him, the bed squeaking in protest. I nodded to show that it was fine. I couldn't risk opening my mouth, or else I'd scare him with my bad breath.
"So wha-" A call rudely interrupted what he was trying to say. He untangled himself from me as he got up to pick up the phone. As my source of heat was no longer available, I felt the cold hit me hard. I pulled the covers over me and watched him as he paced around the room, talking in low tones.
I watched his every move with hawk eyes. The goddess has truly blessed me. Richard was a fine specimen of a man. His body was as if it had been sculpted by the gods. His well-toned abs glistened in the sunlight that penetrated through the small opening. My eyes dipped down to his shorts, hanging so dangerously low that I was afraid they would fall. Not that I wouldn't like that.
He gave a low rumble as the scent of my arousal began to permeate the air. His eye narrowed at me in warning. Feeling dejected, I threw the sheet off my body and shuffled toward the bathroom. I came out after some minutes, and saw that Richard was sitting on the chair, typing furiously on his tab.
"Hey," he called out after I came out of the bathroom, his eyes raking over my figure. "I am sorry, but I won't be able to stay with you today. Something just came up."
Of course, I already knew he wouldn't be able to stay all day with me. "I will send someone up to bring you food and your clothes. And please, just try and stay inside today. I don't want what happened yesterday to repeat itself. The pack doesn't know you yet, and I want it to be so for a while."
I rolled my eyes at his words. Yes, go on, blame everything on me. "I have heard you."
"Good." I climbed back to the bed, and lay on the firm foam, as I watched him get ready for the day. He wore a dress shirt and a pair of black trousers, styled his hair, and left to go do whatever Alpha does.
He was so focused on his job that he forgot to give me a goodbye kiss. Does he even care about his mate? He is ashamed of me, because why wouldn't he want to introduce me to his pack? I guess I wasn't his type. Hell, he didn't even plan on meeting me there, so he probably took me in as an obligation. He already had someone he loved, and sadly, I wasn't the one.
Well, I wasn't going to stay here, trying to listen to the words of someone who doesn't regard me. I was going to do the exact opposite of what he said. But first, I need to go get my things. In fact, I wouldn't be staying in his room again; he had already given me a room far away from where he was staying. And if that didn't send a clear message, I don't know what will.
It is better I return to the confines of my room. With great difficulty, I picked myself up from the bed. I moved towards the door and peered outside, making sure the hallway was clear.
Satisfied that it was safe to come out, I shut the door and started making my way towards the stairs. Until I got to a sharp corner, where I staggered due to an unknown force.
A body collided into mine.