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Chapter 28

“Alec, what’s wrong? You have had that serious look on your face all morning.” I frowned at him. He signaled to enter my street. He wasn’t one to keep things to himself. I thought over the last few days and it seemed our new relationship was going well.

Sure we hadn’t taken the next step, but when I told him firmly I wouldn’t be ready for that for a while, he seemed to have taken it fine. I stole a quick glance in his direction. He looked seriously worried.

“Alec, what’s wrong?” I asked again, since he was suddenly deaf. Last night he went for a run, and he came back like this, serious. I let it go last night, but then he woke up the same this morning.

I was wracking my brain trying to think of something that I had done wrong, but there was nothing. Everything was fine, well, until he went for that run.

“We’re here.” Alec pulled to a stop outside my house and undid his seat belt. I reached over placing my hand on his, stopping from getting out of the car.

“So you aren’t going to tell me what’s wrong then?”

“Just leave it, Chloe. I’m fine.” He pushed my hand off his and got out of the car quickly. I was left stunned for a few moments.

What the heck was going on with my boyfriend?

I slammed his car door and eyed him up and down as he stood with his hands in his pockets, waiting for me at the front door.

“Really, you waited for me? Wasn’t expecting that,” I scoffed, opening the front door. I had barely made it inside before my mom came running at me from the living room.

“Darling! I was beginning to think I would never see you again!” She pulled me in for a tight embrace, squeezing the air from my lungs.

“Mom, it’s been a few days,” I choked.

“Your dad wants to see you.” She let go of me, and I had to recover my breathing.

“Yeah, he called. That’s why I’m here.”

Mom had a dreamy look on her face as she looked at Alec and me. I knew our parents were thrilled with the match, and I could imagine the daydreams that would be flashing through my mom’s mind in this moment. I think most would involve me with a swollen stomach.

“Oh, Alec, I am so happy for you two.” She grinned, still not able to stop looking between us. Clearly, she hadn’t picked up on the fact we were standing apart from each other and Alec was mirroring a lawyer’s expression.

“Um, Dad wanted to see me?” I quickly walked around Mom and headed to the living room. With Alec’s weird mood it was hard to know what was going on with him and it was feeling more awkward by the second. Had he changed his mind?

“Dad.” I shot a quick smile in his direction before slumping onto the couch. “You wanted to chat with me?”

Alec walked in behind me, and I was half expecting him to stay standing, but he didn’t. He sat next to me, and it gave me hope that his current mood was disappearing.

“Nice to see you too, Chloe.” Dad chuckled. “Alec.” He nodded his head acknowledging Alec.

“So what’s up?” I said, bringing up the matter at hand. I wanted to get out of here so I could find what was wrong with Alec and then fix it. I hated him like this. It wasn’t my Alec. Seriousness didn’t suit him.

“There is a pack meeting tonight.” Dad clearly picked up on the fact I wanted to get whatever it was out of the way.

“So?” I arched both eyebrows. There is a pack meeting every month.

“This one we are welcoming new members.” Dad’s eyes were studying my reaction, but I didn’t know what I was meant to be reacting to. It isn’t unusual for new members to be introduced to the pack. In fact, it was common.

“Maddison I am guessing.” I nodded my head. Dan would be nervous. It was a big thing, the first time everyone would meet her. “I will make sure to be at her side tonight and make it easier on her. Was that all?”

“No, Chloe, it’s not.” Dad moved in his seat, placing his coffee cup on the coffee table. “I think it is best if you didn’t come to this pack meeting.”

I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t count how many times I had tried to get out of pack meetings. But I was always dragged to the boring things.

“Really? Why?” I frowned. Was I missing something? Dad was actually willingly letting me off the pack meeting tonight? What was the catch?

“Well, Maddison isn’t the only new member.” Dad looked me in the eye, as if there was something I was missing. But I had no idea what it was. “Emily will be attending too.”