Chapter 16: Dinner Preparations - Halley's POV

The next morning comes all too soon. Food from last night still sits on my desk, covered up, and left untouched. Reed nor my father has been back to check on me since that was dropped off.

Most of the night has been spent flopping around on top of the covers, lost in thought or barely struggling to sleep. My eyes are so heavy that they feel like they may slide closed at any moment.

Slowly, I push myself to a sitting position and look at the mirror hanging on the wall opposite my bed. I look worse than I feel. My hair is standing on end, tangled and messy. Dark circles adorn under my eyes. Nothing about me looks pretty. At least to me, that is.

With careful movements, I ease out of bed on the left side and take a good look at my room. It has changed over the years from being ‌bright pink with purples mixed in to what it is now… A more adult bedroom with reds and blacks.

I sigh, thinking of when I was a child and carefree. Back then, I never dreamed my father would marry me off. Honestly, I thought I’d find someone in the pack and settle down. It never crossed my mind that Sam, the beta’s son and friend to both my brother and me, would be the one fate would deem as mine.

But for some reason, fate has a sense of humor and now it has put me in a position that I can never get out of. And my father has now been shoved into a light I never thought I’d see him in. An enforcer, someone who will make me marry for the good of the pack.

“What am I supposed to do now?” I ask myself, reaching up to brush my fingers through my tangled locks. “I am having dinner this evening at seven.”

The thought of meeting the eligible males of the pack turns my stomach again, just like last night. Most of them are nice and I already know who they are. At times, I’ve even imagined what it was like to be mated to one of them instead of Sam and getting to know in my home pack. It would have been so much simpler if fate had been kind to me and had done that, but no. I get the complicated bond.

Another ragged breath escapes my lips, and I look at the mirror. For a moment, I just stare at myself, wondering what I did to deserve this.

A sharp knock at the door jars me from my thoughts.

“Breakfast is ready. Today is French toast, your favorite,” Reed calls out from behind the closed door.

I almost don’t answer him, then relent. “Okay. I just woke up.”

“Don’t wait too long. I might eat it all.”

There’s a soft patter of his socked feet going down the hallway before I can respond.

“That fool. How can you, the goofiest man, be the alpha of this pack?”

I pull my gaze away from the mirror and stand, stretching and groaning. My muscles shouldn’t ache, but oh, how they do from a night of tossing and turning.

As I walk to the door, I hear something click on the other side, though it never opens. My walk slows the closer I get and then I turn the knob. On the other side, hanging on the hook, is a new dress, which I assume is for tonight.

My father is standing there on the other side of the hallway, staring at me.

“What’s the dress for?”

“For you,” he states plainly. “You need something nicer to wear tonight. I’m hoping this goes well and you find a mate in the pack. If not, we’ll find a nice man in another pack.”

I scoff. “What about letting me choose on my own? That would be nicer.”

He shakes his head. “You know how it is, and after Reed and I talked, I know that I need to do better. I will make sure you have a worthy mate who also treats you well. It may not be a fated mate bond, but I want you to have love.”

“Well, thanks, but forcing me to have dinner with all the eligible males of the pack isn’t exactly the way to my heart,” I say, shaking my head and almost glaring at him. “I know them already and none of them have caught my attention before. It’s doubtful this will work.”

“If you want to stay in your home pack, then I suggest you make feelings,” he says, his tone becoming firmer. “There’s nothing I’d love more in this world than for you to stay, though I know it’s unlikely. It’s the only other option besides being mated off to some alpha who needs heirs. So, do what you must.”

“Fine,” I say, rolling my eyes in frustration. “But I don’t like it.”

“It’s fine. You don’t have to,” he says, a slow smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Now try the dress on to make sure I don’t need to go back to the store.”

I take the dress off the hook and close the bedroom door. One look at the dress tells me it’s not even to my taste. There’s no way in the world I’d pick something like this out for myself. It’s too flashy for me.

Regardless of the sparkles and the way I know it’ll be form fitting, I lie it across the back of the computer chair and strip out of my pajamas before putting it on. The dark blue dress is just as tight as I thought it would be and clings to me, accentuating every single curve I have.

“Are you sure this is necessary?” I ask, my voice high-pitched as I wrangle the fabric over my thighs. “It’s tight and too revealing.”

Of course, at that moment, I chose to look down at my chest and see cleavage. “Well, that’s just lovely.”

“It’s perfect. I promise.”

With the spaghetti strap number pulled fully on, I finally open the door and show my father. “I feel like sardines in a can.”

He takes one look, his eyes going wide. “I’ll go get you one size up.”

“Thank you for being so considerate,” I say, my voice thick with sarcasm. “You’re entirely too kind.”

Getting into the dress was a chore, but getting out is even worse. After shutting the door, I strip out of it as quickly as I can, though my movements feel as slow as molasses dripping. When it’s finally off and I have my pajamas back on, I open the door again and practically shove the dress into my father’s waiting arms.

“Does it really have to be that flashy? It’s a pack dinner. You’re not putting me on the stage to sing or anything.”

He laughs as he looks down at the dress. “I’ll get you something else.”

“Thank you.”

“How’s your head?” He asks, glancing up to the top of my head.

“It’s fine. I’m sure the doctor will send someone in a bit. Right now, my mind is on French toast before Reed eats it all.”

My father nods as I take off down the hallway before he can reply. I’m sure it was just something about the dress or why I’m so irritated, but he should know by now. I just don’t like being told that I’m going to find a mate.

My heart already knows who it belongs to.

By the time I reach the kitchen, I turn the corner, ready to devour some French toast, only to find someone unexpected sitting at the dining room table.

“What are you doing here?”