Taming the Ruthless Alpha

Chapter 2

We met my Dad and brothers in the hallway. My oldest brother, Greg, was fidgeting with his tie. I was surprised to see his usually unkept hair slicked back. It looked like he'd shaved, too. James, on the other hand, wore his tie loose with his jacket unbuttoned and his dark hair ruffled. He seemed completely at ease. Like the two of them, Dad also wore a suit that matched his black hair and nicely trimmed goatee. The three of them looked so much alike- dark hair, brown eyes and averaging six feet tall with muscles to boot. Compared to them, Mom and I were small and looked overly feminine with our small statures and delicate curves.

As we approached, smiles lit their three faces.

"Hey, sis," James greeted me with a side hug. "You look good."

"Thanks."

"You could look a little more decent," Mom sniffed, eyeing him disapprovingly.

"I put on the suit, didn't I? Besides, Alex likes my look."

Mom rolled her eyes. It wasn't that she didn't like James' mate. She loved her as much as the rest of us, but like the rest of us, she was getting used to her. Six months ago, James and his friends took a two week vacation to Australia. Nobody expected him to come home with a mate. Alex was eccentric and outspoken and a little wild. The type of sister I'd always wanted. As if she heard she heard her name, the cute blond appeared, wrapping her arms around my brother.

"Hey everyone. Wow, Belle! You look awesome!"

"So do you," I said with a smile. She looked like a bombshell in a red dress with white lacey trim along the slit, accentuating her long legs. "I love the snowflake earrings. Very Christmasy."

Alex grinned. "A gift from my man here." She nudged James, who blushed adorably.

"Well, now that we're all here, shall we?" Dad took Moms' hand, leading the way. I fell behind as the rest of them started chatting. Greg slowed his pace to walk beside me.

"Don't worry about anything tonight," he said lowly. "And remember we're all here for you."

"I know. I'm okay."

"I'm serious, Belle."

I gave him a reassuring smile. "I already talked to Mom," I said. Then I changed the subject. "Do you think maybe tonight you'll meet her?"

He grimaced. "Only the Goddess knows."

I patted his arm. Being the oldest, and now twenty-six, we all expected Greg to have a mate and maybe even a pup on the way. Neither had happened yet. It wasn't easy for him watching his little sister find her mate, and then his younger brother, too. We all assured him it would happen. After all, our own parents hadn't met until they were around his age. 'Love takes time' as Dad always said.

"Alpha Ryder invited packs from all over the country," I reminded him. "There's a lot of people you have never met."

Greg nodded, but he didn't look hopeful. As we began to descend to the main floor, I noticed for the first time how lavishly the packhouse was decorated. Wreaths of holly with berries hung on every door. Miniature Christmas trees sat in the corners of the four landings between floors with tiny ornaments and lights. The banister was wrapped with green garland with white and red bows.

When we reached the main floor, my heart began beating a little harder. My eyes cast down, I followed in the shadow of my family, focusing on breathing evenly in and out. Suddenly I was surrounded by lots of people, glasses tinking together and laughter. Slowly, I glanced up, hardly noticing the rest of the splendor; poinsettias arranged in crystal vases adorning every table, the white silk tableclothes, or the myriad of lights strung from every possible place they could hang. It was impossible to miss the giant tree in the center of the room. It had to be at least twenty feet tall, hung with thousands of lights, garland, ornaments, candy canes, and a dazzling gold star on top. People mingled around its bottom with admiring expressions.

Alex nudged me gently. "You alright?"

"Fine," I lied. She saw through me in an instant; the bravado I'd been feeling mere moments ago was gone, replaced with a gut-twisting anxiety. Mom came to squeeze my shoulder. It did nothing to reassure me this time. Someone, probably James, thrust a glass of the expensive red wine into my hand- I took a sip without tasting it. My eyes were scanning the crowd, flying over the mirage of colourful dresses. I knew which dress to look for. After all, I'd helped her pick it out. . . I zeroed in on a flash of gold cloth to my left.

The modest A-line dress Justine had picked out in the store had been altered. Now the neck line plunged down to her bellybutton while barely covering her breasts. Around her neck hung a gold chain with what appeared to be diamonds, matching the shimmering hoops on her ears. Her white blonde hair was tucked into a neat crown on top of her head with a few wisps carefully framing her face. The entire look was topped off with white heels encrusted with even more diamonds. When she turned to talk, I saw she'd also ordered the dress to be backless.

The sound I made was somewhere between a gasp and choking. In my head, my wolf was whining.

"He left us for that?"

I cut my gaze unwillingly to my ex-mate. Jack stood tall with a broad grin, laughing with another guy. His arm was wrapped casually around Justine's waist, his fingers occasionally grazing over the exposed skin there. His bronze hair was shorter, sticking up at the top and fading at the bottom. For once, his face was clean-shaven. It made him look younger than his twenty-three years, almost like a teenager again. For a second, I wondered why on earth he would agree to that. He knew as well as I did that he didn't look good without some sort of facial hair. And he had no issue growing it. Was he that eager to please Justine?

Beside me, my family were sharing my shocked expression. They weren't the only ones. People all around us were casting disapproving looks at the pair of them. A few were looking between them and me with knowing eyes. I withered under the scrutiny, uncomfortable and angry that Jack would showcase our separation this way- and I was angry that he didn't look in any way upset. Or worried, or anxious or any of the other things I was feeling. As if he hadn't destroyed two years of my life.

"You're not jealous, are you?" Kida asked in surprise.

"I can't help it," I replied sourly.

"Your human emotions are odd to me sometimes."

"You really don't care at all?"

"I don't. If he really loved us or respected us, he wouldn't have done what he did. The same goes for his wolf. They don't want us, so why should we want them?"

Her blunt statement sent a sharp pain through my chest. Yet I knew she was right. Still, not feeling anything was easier said than done.

"I think it's a disgrace and disrespectful. Some people have no class."

Greg's voice carried across the room. Conversations around us quieted at his words. It was obvious who he was talking about, though he was looking at Dad and not at them. Several people standing around us murmured in agreement. In the conversation lull, Jack turned his head in our direction, instantly catching and holding my gaze. A thousand memories swam in front of my eyes. When I blinked, I was surprised to feel that my lashes were wet. He broke the connection, frowning at my brother for only a second before composing his expression into that carefree smile.

Taking Justine's hand, they made their way over to us. At the same time, my entire family moved in around me. Jack stopped in front of Dad, extending his hand.

"Steven, I didn't know you'd arrived yet."

Dad's voice was low and careful. "It's Beta Samuels to you."

Jack dropped his hand. "Fair enough. Well, I'm glad you're here." He glanced at me and away again. "As Beta, you should have been one of the first to meet my mate."

I heard the words like they were puzzle pieces. When they eventually clicked together, the world started spinning and then went black.