Page 19 of A Female Alpha for the Lycan Prince

I merge into the background instantly, avoiding any attention coming my way, and let Dante reach the group first. Thankfully, distraction comes in the form of Harmony and Annie’s father waiting for all of us.

“Liam, son!” Brian beams when we enter. He pauses. “Where is my baby?”

“Annie’s not here,” Liam explains patiently. “She went to a luna meeting with my mother.”

I swear, for a second, it looks like Brian is going to cry. “Rosalee made her favorite casserole.”

“We eat casserole too,” Aryanna intervenes with a bright smile. “I happen to love it.”

“Really?”

She nods.

“Good,” he lets out a sigh. “Still, I was so looking forward to seeing my little girl.” When Annie’s brother Steve enters the room, he turns to look at him. “Sorry Steve, Annie’s not here.”

Steve’s face falls a bit. “Well,” he sighs. “I guess it’s just Liam and them, then.”

Liam can barely hide his amusement while Aryanna openly laughs. “Nice to see you too, Steve.”

“At least you were mentioned by name,” Dante tells Liam with a chuckle.

“Dad, Steve, get a grip, will you?” Harmony steps forward. “Liam can take some of the casserole home for Annie. Also, we’re all going over there next week.”

Brian and Steve sigh slightly. It’s unbelievable that Brian is one of their head warriors with his weird antics. And Steve is the epitome of power and strength, why does he act like this in front of others? And why am I the only one bothered by it?

“Oh, Liam,” Rosalee appears in the living room, hugging Liam before she greets all of us. She smiles and radiates so much warmth, just like Annie. They really do resemble each other… there is the same sense of kindness to them. “Come on, all of you. My insufferable mate will fix you all some drinks.”

Brian sneaks up and tackles her in his huge arms playfully. “Who are you calling insufferable, Rosy?”

“Ugh,” Steve grimaces. “Stop flirting.”

Harmony chuckles. “Dad, focus. The drinks!”

“Right, the drinks!” He turns around, pointing at Celine’s father, who just arrived. “Cedric, be prepared for the best gin ever.”

Cedric smiles. “You got something new, Brian?”

“Only the best for the best,” Brian jokes.

The two men chat over their drinks, with Liam soon joining them. Harmony, meanwhile, catches up with Dante and Aryanna. I take this opportunity to slip away for a bit and head into the garden for some fresh air.

What I didn’t expect was to be hit by the all-consuming scent of roses, lemon, and that hint of the ocean breeze. Shit. Out of all the places she could be, it would have to be here. She’s standing in front of a little flower bed, staring up at the night sky. She looks so beautiful in the moonlight, so ethereal. She has such beautiful long blonde hair which she tends to tie back when working. Her whole appearance and demeanor scream elegance. She would never dress skimpy or reveal too much; her style is more reserved, yet elegant and modern.

The mate bond is a traitorous thing. It keeps pulling at me, forcing me to seek her out whenever she is in close proximity. When we met for the first time, it was Celine who approached me, and I pushed her away. She tried for weeks to talk to me and reach out to me, then eventually, she stopped. But the fucking mate bond keeps pulling me towards her. Can’t the Moon Goddess catch a fucking hint!?

Celine’s head turns slightly when she notices my presence. “Are you here to talk, or is this just a coincidence?” she asks in a matter-of-fact tone.

I shrug, willing my confusing feelings for her to go down. “Coincidence.” I pause. “You know I don’t want you.”

“Oh,” she chuckles bitterly. “I know. You’ve made that clear on several occasions.”

“So what?” I huff. “You don’t own me.”

“You’re right. I don’t.” She turns around fully now, her eyes scanning me from head to toe. She lingers on my face for a moment. “Tell me why?”

“Well, I like my girls cute and small. So, I guess you’re just not my type,” I say. It’s not even true, but I want to hurt her. I want to hurt her so badly. But, at the same time, the guilt is eating me up inside, making my head spin. I’m not supposed to feel guilty. I don’t want her. I never wanted a mate; I’m not supposed to have one.

If my words hurt her, she doesn’t show it. She never shows any emotions. “If you want to talk about your usual affairs or ex-girlfriends, do so with your friends,” she states in a calm tone. “I just want to know why you hate me so much?”