Chapter 183

[ 1,103 words ]

Third-Person POV:

Chris had never imagined that the Moon Goddess would be so generous to him.

He was just a warrior in the Blackthorn pack. A damn good one, but still a warrior. He had fought beside his Alpha for years, defended their borders, and helped stop several attacks that could have cost the pack hundreds of lives.

He was proud of what he’d achieved, but he’d never expected anything extraordinary when it came to finding his mate. In fact, he’d already prepared himself for the possibility of being mated to an Omega. As long as she was his fated mate, he would accept her.

But Angela Westwood? The Alpha’s daughter? Chris could hardly believe his luck.

Not only was Angela one of the most beautiful women in the pack, but she was also the only surviving child of Alpha Cedric Westwood.

And everyone knew what that meant. Whoever married Angela would have a chance to become the next Alpha.

Chris had gone from expecting an ordinary life with his mate to possibly inheriting the entire pack. All in a single evening. He could barely contain his excitement.

Angela seemed equally pleased. Her cheeks had been pink ever since they’d discovered their bond, and she hadn’t stopped smiling at him.

“Come,” she said, taking his hand. “I want Father to meet you.”

Chris followed her through the packhouse, trying to decide what he should say to Alpha Cedric. He’d stood before the man countless times as a warrior, but this was different. Today, he wasn’t reporting for duty.

He was about to introduce himself as the mate of his only daughter. Angela knocked on the study door.

“Come in,” a deep voice answered. She opened it and led Chris inside.

Alpha Cedric was sitting behind his desk, going through some documents. He looked up when they entered, his attention moving from his daughter to the warrior standing beside her.

“Father!” Angela announced, unable to hide her excitement. “I found my fated mate!”

Cedric put down the document. “Is that so?”

“Yes!” She glanced at Chris, smiling shyly. “It’s Chris. The Moon Goddess chose him for me.”

Chris straightened immediately. “Alpha Cedric,” he greeted respectfully.

For a few seconds, the older man said nothing. Then he pushed his chair back and rose to his feet.

“All right, Angel,” he said, using the nickname he’d given his daughter when she was little. “Why don’t you go outside for a while? I’d like to speak to Chris alone.”

Angela looked between them. “Father…”

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I only want to have a little chat with him.” She nodded, although she seemed reluctant to leave so soon.

Before stepping out, she turned to Chris and gave him a nervous smile. Chris returned it, feeling ridiculously pleased with himself.

The door closed behind her, leaving the two men alone in the study.

***

Angela could barely contain her excitement as she hurried down the corridor in search of Vikki. She found her arranging fresh flowers in one of the sitting rooms.

“Vikki! There you are!” Vikki turned, surprised when Angela rushed over and caught both her hands.

“You won’t believe what just happened!” Angela exclaimed. “Father has accepted Chris as my mate! We’re getting married next week!”

“Next week?” Vikki repeated.

“Yes! Father wants the ceremony held as soon as possible. He’ll be there to bless our bond, along with the council elders. Oh, Goddess, Vikki! I’m getting married!”

Angela laughed, giving her hands another excited squeeze. Vikki immediately lowered her head.

“Congratulations, Miss Angela! This is wonderful news. You’re so lucky!”

“I know!” Angela released her hands and began pacing around the room, too excited to stand still. “There’s so much to arrange. My dress, the decorations, the invitations… I don’t even know where to begin!”

Vikki watched her for a moment before speaking. “Miss Angela, there’s something I think you should know. It’s about Rick.”

Angela stopped pacing. “Rick? What about him?”

Vikki hesitated.

Rick’s father was the current Beta, and everyone expected Rick to inherit his position eventually. He and Angela had known each other for years, and Vikki had seen enough to know his feelings for her went far beyond friendship.

“He didn’t take the news very well,” she explained. “I heard he was terribly upset when he found out about you and Chris. You know how much he cares about you.”

“Oh, Vikki.” Angela waved a hand dismissively. “Rick will be fine.”

“But Miss Angela…”

“He’s my friend, and I care about him, but Chris is my fated mate. I can’t spend my whole life worrying about whether Rick approves of my choices.” Vikki fell silent. Angela’s expression softened as she thought about Chris.

“And I think I’m already falling in love with my mate,” she admitted. “He’s been so wonderful to me. You should have seen how happy he was when Father gave us his blessing.”

She smiled to herself before continuing. “And … and I’m sure Rick will come around. He’ll find his own mate someday, someone who makes him just as happy. Besides, he’ll have enough on his plate to keep him busy once he takes over his father’s position as Beta.”

Vikki wanted to say more, but Angela’s phone began ringing. “Oh! It’s the dress designer!” She hurried to answer it.

“Yes, hello! I’m so glad you called. Actually, there’s been a change of plans. The wedding is next week, so I’ll need the dress much sooner than we discussed.”

Angela settled onto the sofa, already discussing fabrics, fittings, and whether the designer could arrange an appointment the following morning. Before that conversation had even ended, another call came through from the woman handling the decorations.

Vikki quietly returned to the flowers. Within a week, Angela would marry a handsome warrior who adored her, and soon afterward, she would become the Luna of the pack.

Everything seemed to come so easily to her. Vikki glanced down at her own plain dress, then at Angela’s expensive clothes and the beautiful engagement ring already sitting on her finger.

She’d spent years serving the Westwood family, watching Angela receive everything she could ever want. And now she was getting a perfect marriage, too.

“Vikki!” Angela called suddenly, covering the phone with one hand. “Do you think white roses would look better than pink ones?”

Vikki quickly managed a smile. “White roses, Miss Angela. They’ll look beautiful.” Angela beamed and returned to her conversation.

Vikki lowered her head and continued arranging the flowers, trying to ignore the unpleasant little feeling growing inside her.

Jealousy. That was what it was.

If you find any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.