Chapter 157

Michael POV

We walked into the restaurant, greeted by a bubbly blonde in jeans and a black button-up shirt. "Hi, welcome to Wolveshead Lodge. How many?" she asked without looking up from her tablet.

"Two," Shawna said. "In the corner, if you don't mind." The girl looked up with her eyes wide.

"Oh my Goddess, it can't be. I thought you were dead or something," she nearly whispered. She caught her slip-up, looking over at me. "Sorry, that was so rude. Um, hi Shawna and uhhh.... Alpha?" she said sheepishly.

"Michael," I replied briskly. "The corner, as my mate requested." The woman had the decency to blush and then grabbed two menus, asking us to follow her.

"Can I offer you anything to drink while you wait for your waitress?" she asked.

"I'd like a glass of whiskey, straight up, on the rocks," I replied. Shawna gave me a surprised look but quickly pulled herself together, ordering water for herself.

"Are you okay?" she squeaked, placing her hand on top of the table, in invitation to me. I put mine atop hers and gave a little squeeze, her touch already releasing some of my tension.

"I'm fine, just in need of a drink, I guess. The whole Malik thing has me a little on edge, and then this place. I can't believe the hostess said that to you," I shook my head.

"She has no filter," Shawna says with a smirk. "She's always been like that, and not too bright either. She's worked here for years. Her mate is the chef here."

"And Malik's parents?" I asked.

"Rarely here. His Mom bartends one night a week, or she used to. His Dad is here during the day doing the books and whatnot, but mostly they stay up on the mountain unless needed here."

"So they probably know you're here?" I asked.

Shawna looks perplexed. "Uh, I don't know. I didn't see them at all when we were up there, which is odd, because his Mom is good friends with mine. Also, they eat at the packhouse a lot because she's a terrible cook."

"We only ate at the pack house the one time," I remind her.

"True," she says with a shrug.

An older brunette comes up to the table, her large breasts on display as she sets my whiskey down in front of me, making a point to brush her hand on my shoulder and lean in just such a way that her boobs practically hit me in the face. I pull back, a little shocked. She stands with a smirk, setting ice water in front of Shawna. "Well, well, look what the cat dragged in," she says to Shawna. "Where have you been, young lady?"

Shawna looks annoyed for just a moment, then schools her features. "Hello Marjorie, how are you?"

"Fine, who's this?" she says, looking back over to me.

"This is Michael, my mate," Shawna replies before I can answer. "What are you doing here on a weeknight?"

Marjorie swings her gaze back to Shawna's face, looking slightly confused. "Oh, our bartender had a baby. I had to step in. Again, I will ask, where have you been?" She asks this time with slightly more authority, and now I'm curious just who this woman is.

"It's a long story, and honestly, I don't want to get into it now. Michael and I just came for some dinner. You can ask my Mom if you want to know what happened." Shawna picks up her menu and opens it, as if to dismiss the woman.

"Sorry," I say. "She's hungry. What's good here?" I ask, trying to change the subject.

"Everything, darling," the woman practically purrs. "Tell me, how is an Alpha male like yourself with her?" she jerks her thumb towards Shawna. I watch as Shawna swallows hard and her cheeks redden, but she remains composed and ignores the comment.

"Why wouldn't I be? She's beautiful, smart, and probably the strongest person I've ever met. Plus, we are fated mates, so there is absolutely no one in the world for me, except her," I squeeze Shawna's hand a little, and she looks up at me with a soft smile. "Do you mind getting our waitress Marjorie," I say with my diplomatic Alpha tone that I perfected in the years as a guardian. "I'd appreciate it." I give her a smile and she flushes and then walks away.

Once Marjorie is gone, I quietly say to Shawna, "Who the hell is she?"

"Malik's mother. She doesn't like me."

"Why the fuck not? What's not to like?" I ask, feeling myself getting angry.

"I don't know, something about her son wanting to be with me instead of looking for his fated mate. She wanted him to go look in other packs, maybe go to some of those mating moon runs in other territories. They fought about it all the time. It was one of the reasons he was so aggressive with me at times, because his mother said I would never be obedient. She has some very irrational ideas about how a mate should be subservient to the male counterpart." Shawna closed her menu. "I don't need to look at this, I already know what I'm having."

"Subservient," I snorted. "I'm an alpha and I don't even think like that."

"Well that's because you're not some big boobed bimbo who is mostly ignored by all the males around the pack. Malik's father used to beat her when they were first together because she was overly flirtatious. In fact," She leans forward. "Some people think that Malik may be illegitimate because she was considered one of the pack tramps when they were younger." Shawna shrugs, "But what do I know."

"Who do they think the father is?" I ask. I noticed that Malik was unusually large in wolf form, so my mind wandered once she said he may be illegitimate.

Shawna leaned forward and whispered soflty, "The Alpha's. It was before he was Alpha, his father was still in charge. He was a rowdy one, so my Mom told me once. Said he would screw any willing female and my Mom is pretty sure that Malik is actually his son. He doesn't look like his father at all, and as you can see, has only a slight resemblence to Marjorie."

This could actually explain a lot about the guy. He was a big wolf, he had severe anger and aggression issues, he was territorial and wanted what he couldn't have. "Interesting," I sipped my whiskey as I looked at Shawna. "Seems this pack of yours is riddled with issues. I'm glad we are leaving tomorrow."

"Now you will understand why my sister was happy to be mated to a human and leave the pack, even if it is unusual."

"Right." I smiled at that. Couldn't blame the girl I suppose, I witnessed more disfunction in just a few days than I ever care to see again.