Chapter Seventeen

I thought today couldn’t get any worse. I had left school, which I knew would come back and bite me in the butt tomorrow. Zane’s relationship with Ebony went from friends to kissing friends. Taylor was treating me like an invisible post. Mom had already yelled at me before school and then when I came home early.

So, as I was laying on my bed, wishing I could fast forward the next few weeks, I really didn’t think the day could get any worse and then in walked my mother.

“Allie, why aren’t you ready.” Her arms were crossed with that usual pissed off look on her face. “I told you the pack meeting was at seven, and it is now a quarter till, and you aren’t even dressed ready to leave.”

“Pack meeting?” I bolted straight up. “You are kidding, right?”

“Just because you embarrassed yourself and brought shame to this family does not mean you get to skip pack meetings from now on. If you ask me, I think the shame you are going to feel tonight is a just punishment.”

I began to grind my teeth. Wasn’t she meant to be all supporting and forgiving? Why did I get the harsh mother?

“I don’t want to go.”

“I don’t care what you want, you have five minutes.” Her short black hair flung over her shoulders as she stormed out of my room.

I really didn’t think today could get any worse, but heck, wasn’t I wrong. At school, the snide remarks, the looks, and the judgmental attitudes were enough to cause me to leave. Now I had to face a whole room full of not just teenagers but their stupid parents as well?

I pulled my phone out and messaged Blake. I was not facing this alone, and he better be dragging his butt to this.

Mom may have dragged me to this meeting, but even she didn’t want to be seen with me. In fact, she took off so quickly out of sight, I was stunned.

So, I had to walk into the hall by myself, and I hated it.

I was behind a group walking in, and I thought maybe I would make it in without being noticed, and that went out the window when a flyer was shoved in my face.

I looked up at Sandy Lee, Zane’s cousin. “Here is a flyer on tonight’s meeting.” Her lips formed a tight line. “I included an extra self-help flyer in yours; it’s called lies and the trouble they cause.”

I snatched it from her grasp. “Thanks.” I forced a smile. “Really, Sandy, I don’t know how I would manage without your helpful flyer.”

She rolled her eyes then started shoving flyers into other people’s faces.

Rude, snobby bitch - she should go back to college.

I scanned the room looking for Blake or Chase. They both said they were coming, but I had yet to spot their faces in the crowd. The foyer was filled with people, and they were slowly moving into the hall. I took this as an opportunity to escape possible conversations, so I went straight to the hall.

Blake would show, he promised me, but Blake never ran on time, and I guess if he rocked up before it ended I should be grateful.

“Allie.”

My head snapped up, and Alpha Harris was standing there with a small smile.

“Alpha Harris.”

“I just saw your mother, and she asked if I could speak to you after the meeting, would you be able to hang around?” He seemed nicer tonight then he was the other night.

“Seeing as she is my ride, I don’t see why I can’t stay around.” What was mom up to?

“Good. Enjoy the meeting.”

That was very unlikely, but I nodded my head and moved around him, heading to the back row.

Now I had to sit through the whole darn meeting and hang around afterward. Fan-fucking-tastic.

The hall filled quickly and when the clock hit seven everyone was seated. My eyes traveled to the stage, and, like always, Zane was sitting next to his mom and this time…I swallowed sharply… Ebony. On the other side of flipping Zane was EBONY!

“What’s up, buttercup?” Blake slumped into the plastic chair next to me. “Ok, what is with the face?”

I ripped my eyes from them and looked at Blake. “You showed up.”

“I told you I would.” He flicked his phone on silent. “So, who you killing with your eyes?”

I crossed my arms. “No one.”

He looked up at the stage. “So, there is the reason.” His eyes locked on Zane. “You really need to tell me what is up with that.” He slowly turned to look at me. “You’re always moody around him, and fuck, Allie…” He lowered his voice. “Are you in love with him or something?”

I narrowed my eyes at him and felt my blood pressure rise. “Don’t be stupid, Blake, but sure, I’ll tell you what’s going on, but later.”

I had no shame in telling Blake the truth because maybe he could help me overcome it, but I know for a fact Blake knew about mates and more importantly the rejection which can happen.

“Ok, let’s kick this meeting off. Welcome all tonight.” Alpha Harris started the meeting off, and I already wanted it to be over.

Blake moved his head closer to mine. “I’m holding you to that.”

***

“So, let me get this straight, you are kicking me out,” I repeated what I thought I heard, with this completely dumbfounded look on my face. I looked between Alpha Harris and mom.

The meeting had dragged on like always and then, as soon as it ended, Alpha Harris and mom had whisked me away into the kitchen, to ‘talk.’ This talk was all about mom throwing me out!

“You are kidding, right?” I looked at her. Her eyes were locked on the ground.

“Allie, your mom has come to me with this issue, and she feels, considering recent events, that it would be better if you moved out for a little while,” Alpha Harris explained slowly and calmly.

“And you’re expecting me to move in here? At the pack house?” I questioned him. “After what I did you are actually going to let me move in here?” This whole thing didn’t make sense.

“Wouldn’t Alpha Harris be madder about what happened then, Mom?”

“Because I told them the truth.”

The door closed, and I spun around seeing Taylor standing there, looking guilty.

“I told them it was more my fault than yours.” Taylor shoved his hands in his jeans pockets. “I couldn’t even look you in the eye today, Allie. I had to tell them the truth.”

He hadn’t acknowledged me today because he felt bad?

I wondered if Taylor had been hanging around the door waiting to enter or if he had just been eavesdropping.

“So, you’re kicking me out.” I looked at mom, then to Alpha Harris. “And you're expecting me to move in here.” Then I twisted to look at Taylor. “And you ignored me because you felt bad. So, did one of you ever think about what I might want?”

I didn’t want to move into the pack house. I didn’t want to be thrown out of my home, and I really didn’t like being treated like an invisible blob by Taylor.

“Allie, I can’t have you staying with me anymore. What you did has embarrassed me within the pack and affected my friendships. I need you to move out.” Mom finally met my eye.

“So, you aren’t just throwing me out of home, you are also disowning me?”

“It isn’t like that,” Alpha Harris spoke up. “Allie, it will give your mom and you a break, not to mention everyone loves living at the pack house.” He smiled kindly.

“Well, I’m not everyone, am I?” I crossed my arms and swung around. They could say what they wanted, but the real reason I didn’t want to move into the pack house was because the thought of living with Zane literally killed me inside.

“Allie, before you walk out that door, I am going to tell you nicely, you can either move in here willingly, or I will have to order you to.”

My grip on the doorknob tightened, and I wished I was of age already and could leave this pack and all the people behind.

“Well, then I guess I don’t have a choice.” I pulled the door open, and I knew it was immature, but I slammed the door behind me anyway.

Just be polite, Allie. I gritted my teeth, and no matter how many times I repeated it to myself, I still was struggling not to say something smart ass back at Alpha Harris as he showed me around the pack house.

It wasn’t like I hadn’t been here before, but he was taking it upon himself to bore me with every little detail of the house.

“So, any questions?” he asked as we came to a stop outside my new room.

“No, thank you.” I politely smiled and twisted the doorknob to my new prison cell.

“I’ll see you tonight then at the dinner.” He shot me a smile before walking away.

Alpha Harris was a nice guy, and I knew there was only one real reason I couldn’t like him, and that was because he reminded me too much of Zane.

Speaking of Zane, I hadn’t seen or stumbled across him yet. Thank God for that.

Moving in here was embarrassing enough, let alone Zane watching me do it. I didn’t know what he would think about me now living in the same house as him. Maybe he would think I was stalking him or something.

The last thing I needed was Zane thinking I was following him around. I closed my bedroom door and began to unpack.

I can’t believe mom threw me out, or as she says, ‘asked me to leave.' How could she do that to her own daughter?

Opening a box, the first thing I pulled out was a picture of dad and me. Immediately, my heart filled with sadness. If dad was here, this wouldn’t be happening. The tears started to roll down my cheeks, and once they started, they didn’t want to stop.

Hours passed and, instead of unpacking or doing anything productive, I just laid on my bed feeling hollow. I never really got upset, but today I was just a wreck. My heart had been frozen, bitten by all the memories that passed through my mind.

All those memories floating around dad.

There was a knock on my door, and before I could sit up and wipe my eyes, the door flung open.

“I thought you were here,” Zane’s voice cut through the air.

“What the hell are you doing in here?” The words tumbled out all jumbled together.

“I live here.” He flicked on the lights, and I automatically shielded my eyes. “The real question is why the fuck are you here depressing up my house?”

“Depressing?”

“I’ve felt sad for no reason all afternoon, and for some darn reason, this depression wouldn’t go away. It wasn’t until I walked past the door and picked up on your scent that all my questions were answered.”

“So, you’ve come in here to yell at me for making you sad?” I scoffed and sat up. “You really are cold-hearted.”

Zane’s eyes ran across my face, and I could feel a shift in his attitude. “You really are upset?”

“No, I’m crying because I enjoy it.” I wiped my eyes. “What do you want, Zane?”

He went to say something, then stopped himself. The door was still open, and he looked over his shoulder. Frowning, he closed the door.

“Sorry, Allie. I didn’t know you were really upset.”

“Yeah well, you don’t know shit.”

“Look tea has just been served and, well, did you want to come down for something to eat?” Zane was trying to be nice. I knew that because, well, Zane wasn’t a nice person.

“I’m not hungry.” I crossed my eyes.

His eyes twinkled with amusement, and he slowly raised his eyebrows not buying it at all. “Come on, Allie. I promise I won’t say anything mean. Heck, I won’t even speak one word.”

I chewed my bottom lip. I was hungry, but I really wasn’t keen on dining with him.

“Come on, Allie,” he groaned. “Dad will be disappointed if you don’t come down.”

He just had to throw in the guilt card, didn’t he? “Fine, I’ll come but don’t expect me to speak to you.”

“Fine by me.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Ebony and I are heading out anyway.”

“So, you are inviting me down to tea, but you aren’t hanging around.” Was he really that dumb? Did he really just do that? No, he couldn’t, he hadn’t, had he?

“So?” He frowned. “You didn’t actually think I was hanging around for tea, did you?” He looked genuinely surprised.

I shook my head and walked across the room and grabbed the door handle. “No, Zane, I didn’t.” I walked out past him.

I had a choice - stay in the room and deal with Zane the dipstick or go downstairs and eat with a bunch of strangers. Well, as I walked down the stairs, I think I made the right decision.