STEPFATHER'S LITTLE OBSESSION

"You look excited," I said to my mom as she busied herself getting ready to finally Meet Alpha Colleen, the man she'd been seeing for the past couple of months now.

He'd proposed to her a few months ago and Today was their engagement party and I got to finally meet him after months of hearing about how wealthy I was. By now, I was sure I knew exactly what his pack house looked like and maybe how much he had in his bank account and pack Treasury.

"I am!". She turned back to look at me.

She looked gorgeous in a blue silk gown that showed off her toned back and accentuated her buttocks.

"It's finally our engagement party, Lays. I cannot tell you enough how important he is to me and the progress of this pack."

I rolled my eyes at her. My mother was so obsessed with being the greatest Alpha in the Wolfdom.

After my father left her for a human and died years ago, she's been nothing but focused on nothing but the pack.

"I'm glad you found someone, mom. I was beginning to worry about you."

I said with a smile, happy she was about to get a bit of load off her shoulders.

"Why are you ready yet?" She scolded.

"Because I was helping you get dressed!"

"Well, thank you. Now, it's your turn to go get dressed. Wear the blue dress I got you, it looks good with your skin tone."

She said, ruffling my hair affectionately.

"Do I honestly have to be at the party? It's not like it's the wedding day."

My mom's eyes widened with distress.

"Of course, you have to! This is an opportunity to meet your new stepfather. He's been meaning to meet you!"

"Why? Does he think I need a father figure because I can tell you now, I'm not interested."

"Laya... he's my husband-to-be and will be co Alpha of this pack as we are officially married, you need to drop that attitude ànd at least give him the respect he deserves."

"Fine, whatever. I'm going to go shower and get dressed."

I pulled myself up from her queen-size four-post bed and walked out.

"Hwy, where is mom?" My little sister, Jamie asked, almost bumping into me in the hallway.

She was already dressed in a pink cocktail dress, like mom, she was looking forward to meeting our new stepfather.

Eww.

"Ouu you look great and mom's in her room,"

I pointed at my mom's door.

"Thank you." Jamie twirled, giving me a 360 view of her dress.

"All right, now run along. I have to go get dressed," I said to her and she practically raced to my mother's room.

I stared at my reflection in my floor-to-ceiling mirror that took up the whole wall and smiled at how gorgeous I looked. My brown curls look immaculate paired up with my red satin cocktail dress.

The entire back was missing its fabric and the gown draped over my body like a waterfall.. mom would be mad that it's way too risque but I liked it and I didn't want to match with her.

My phone buzzed on my dresser and I made my way over to where it sat ringing and picked it up immediately as soon as I saw the ID.

"Hey! How excited are you!" Maya, my best friend squealed excitedly.

"Not at all, in fact, I'm a little bit underwhelmed," I said sarcastically, walking back to the middle of the room and checking out my outfit in the mirror.

"Why?" She asked in her smooth singsong sounding voice.

"I don't know. I just don't like parties not after what happened last time..."

"Oh, but you went to a lot of parties after that and he's locked up in the dungeon now."

"I know but I just have a bad feeling about tonight. The same feelings I had then.

"Don't worry, I'm going to protect you and so is Cam."

I rolled my eyes at her good-naturedly even though she couldn't see me.

"All right. I'm ready. Meet me at the great hall." I said and she giggled in anticipation.

I hung up the phone and went downstairs. The great hall was in the back of the pack house.

I could already hear music coming from there.

I let out a shaky breath before I came out of the house.

My phone buzzed in my purse, indicating an incoming text message.

It was my mother.

Oh my God, I'm coming! I rolled my eyes already suspecting the details of the text. I had only spent an hour getting ready, which was in record time if you ask me.

Mom: Where the hell are you, Laya?! Don't fucking embarrass me.

I rolled my eyes at her. I loved my mom but sometimes, she was more obsessed with self-image than anything ànd it annoyed me a bit.

With a sigh, I put my phone back into my purse and exited through the front door.

I trudged past the guards and waved at Kroger, my favorite guard. He was such a sweetheart and he'd been the one to help me out on that faithful night.

He waved back and mouthed for me to have fun and that he'd be there if I needed help.

His words made me smile just a little bit and I felt a little more confident to have fun knowing he'd be watching out for me.

As I approached the front door of the engagement party, my little sister rushed out.

"Three you are! Mom's been looking for you, she wants to introduce us, where the hell have you been?!"

Jamie asked, looking stressed.

"Dressing up, I told her that, didn't I?"

"Well, hurry the fuck up and come in."

"Stop using those words Jamie, you are only fourteen."

"Whatever, come on." She said and grabbed my hands, leading through the front door of the party.

I was blasted by the light of various degrees as I entered the front door.

The hall was already slowly getting full and I could see different Alpha's with their Luna's from different packs. Even the one I used to go visit as a kid.

"Gorgeous, isn't it?" My sister smiled. Her excitement was contagious and I couldn't help but smile.

Daisies and Wine decorated every single table in the hall. It had a gold and black theme.

"Come on, Mom's over there waiting for us," Jamie pointed.

I followed her hand and found my mom talking to two men.

As I followed my mom past the crowd, an odd feeling took over my senses, and my wolf who'd been ignoring me for most of the week stood and began to growl like a wild dig in heat.

My eyes widened as it dawned on me.

My mate was somewhere here at the party but where?

I said excitedly.

It was the first time since I came back from school that I felt remotely excited.

His scent was so strong and intoxicating that I could feel my entire body shake in anticipation and lust.

I looked around, trying to find him.

I glanced over at my mother and her eyes narrowed at me and she left the men she was talking to and walked over to me, an annoyed expression on her face.

"What the hell, Laya?" She whisper-shouted at me.

"Sorry, Mom. I was getting ready."

"For two hours?!"

"Mom relax! Besides, I think my mate is at this party."

That made her forget her anger and she grinned.

"Really? Found him yet?" She asked, excitement dancing through her eyes

She'd always been obsessed with me finding a mate because she didn't want me to experience the things she'd experienced with my father. She'd loved him so much but he wasn't her true mate and as soon as he found his, he left her like a hot potato.

"No, I haven't but I can feel it..."

"Honey," I heard a Sultry but deep voice coming from behind and felt the intoxicating pull I was feeling grow ten times stronger. My mate was behind me.

"Babe." My mom said with a big smile and I turned around to find an older man staring down at me intently. Just then my mother went to hug him.

"Laya, this is Alpha Colleen Lopez. Alpha of the Grim moon pack and..."

Don't say what I think you are about to say! I pleaded in my head.

"....my husband-to-be."

I gasped as if I had just been punched in the gut

Oh, no, no, no,no.

This couldn't be, my mother's husband to be was my fucking mate!