1 - It's non-negotiable

I stared at the large mansion that Charlotte’s limo stopped in front of. A man rushed over and opened the door for us. “Come, children,” Charlotte said, getting out of the car.

Tyler followed her and whistled loudly as he looked up at the house. “Is dad rich?” He asked, practically drooling as he continued to gawk at the house.

“Move,” I snapped, pushing him a little so I could get out.

“We are better than rich,” Charlotte replied. “We’re alphas.”

“Right, because that explains everything,” I said flatly, still angry this old bat treated Mom the way she did.

She gave me an unimpressed look. “There is no need for the attitude, young woman.”

“I shall have to agree to disagree,” I said, offering her a sickly sweet smile.

Charlotte shook her head and told us to follow her inside. “She’s right, Emma,” Tyler said as we walked inside. “There’s no need to be hostile.”

“Serious? Dude, did you see how she treated mom?”

“We don’t know the whole story.”

“The whole… I know enough,” I told him as we went inside. My grip on my duffle bag tightened as I looked around the opulent foyer. I guess that’s what it’s called. Never have I felt more out of place in my life.

A woman walked up to us, ducking her head as she greeted Charlotte. The older woman waved at the servant. “Take their things to their rooms. Where is my son?”

“Right here, mother,” a deep, rumbling voice answered.

I looked towards a massive staircase where a small group of five people were walking down towards us. There was an older man and woman, followed by three others who looked about our age. The man was tall with a massive build. He had well-kept dark hair and beard, with patches of gray sprinkled through them, and there was no mistaking it. He was our dad.

“Whoa, it’s like looking in a mirror,” Tyler said with a laugh when the man and woman stopped in front of us. “Hey dad.”

I shot Tyler with an irritated glare. He didn’t need to sound so eager. We didn’t know any of these people.

“That has yet to be proven,” the woman by dad’s side said, her voice cool and full of obvious disdain. The woman looked at both of us like we were some disgusting bug that crawled into her home.

“Actually, it has,” Charlotte said, giving the woman the same cool look. “Their scent reveals it. Do you think I would’ve brought them here otherwise?”

The woman’s eyes widened for a bit before she went back to her cold, impersonal mask. “Of course not, mother-”

“Don’t call me that,” Charlotte snapped. Oh, such a big happy family. Got it.

The woman looked like she wanted to say more, but with a booming voice the man demanded, “enough!” A wave of something washed over me, making the hairs on my arm standstill, and I didn’t dare breathe a single word.

The man’s gaze fell on Tyler and me. “What are your names?” he asked. It didn’t sound like a question as much as a demand.

“I’m Tyler and this is Emma,” Tyler said, then grinned down at me. “I’m the oldest and she’s the youngest.” With a glare his way, I sighed. Tyler always had to bring up the fact that he was older than me, even if it was only like five minutes. “You know it’s true.”

The man nodded, looking at each one of us. I tried not to squirm under his intense gaze. It felt like he was judging if we were worthy or something. I hated being judged. “Emma and Tyler,” he said, as if he was testing the names. “I’m Alpha Darrin, and this is my mate, Misty. We’d like to welcome you home.”

“Thanks,” Tyler said.

At the same time, I said, “This isn’t our home.”

“Ems,” Tyler whispered, giving me a look.

“What? You want me to lie?” I asked with a shrug. I had one objective, and that was to learn whatever they had to teach, then go back to my actual home.

“Well,” the woman, Misty, said with a scoff. “It seems Lisa forgot to teach them manners.”

What the hell did she just say? I opened my mouth to defend my mom when a growl echoed through the room. It was Alpha Darrin. “Enough, I said!” he glared at her. I couldn’t help but enjoy the look of surprise on the woman’s face. She mumbled an apology and looked down at her feet.

My enjoyment died when the alpha’s gaze fell on me. “You’re right, but I hope you can consider it one day your home, too. I want to get to know both of you, but to the point. You’ve come here to learn. Here will be your teachers,” he said and moved to the side.

“Alex and Kelly Bryant will help you understand pack dynamics and everything you need to know about your wolf,” he explained. A guy and girl stepped forward. Both had light brown hair and features so similar they had to be brother and sister.

“And this is Liam West. He’ll be training you both how to fight,” the alpha said, nodding to the other guy with them. He was the tallest of the three, with an athletic build, but not as bulky as Alex. His dark hair was down to his chin and falling into his face.

Liam nodded and as his almost black eyes met mine, I felt a jolt run through me as if I touched a live wire. A wave of warmth followed it. My heart raced and my belly tightened as if anticipating something. A look of surprise washed over Liam’s face for a fraction of a second before it was gone. His expression returned to its original stoicism, except for a hint of a smile on the edge of his lips.

My belly tightened again at the sight of it, and I forced myself to look away from him to the alpha. “Fighting?” I said. My voice sounded strange, almost raspy. Tyler gave me an odd look, but I ignored him. “No thank you. I’ll learn all the wolf stuff, but that’s it.”

Misty gave me a disgusted look. No doubt thinking about that thing about my mom and manners again, but the alpha shook his head. “Everyone here knows how to fight,” he said, as if it was a matter of fact. “It can be dangerous for our kind, and you’ll need to know how to protect yourself.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but he gave me a look filled with weight and command.

“It’s non-negotiable,” he said, and I nodded, looking down at my feet. “Good. Now that’s settled. Why don’t you two go to your rooms, get settled in and we’ll see you for dinner.” the alpha turned to the side. “Melinda, if you will show them up.”

Another servant rushed over to us with a nod. “Follow me please,” she said.

As we moved past the alpha and others, I couldn’t help but glance at Liam again. His eyes met mine, and a butterfly sensation shot up from my lower belly into my chest. As I moved past him, I swore I heard him take a deep breath through his nose. What the hell?