Chapter 3 Charlotte And The Mean Girls

• [Dorothy]
• The welcome party went well. I was introduced to all the party attendees as Brohan’s fated mate and future Luna of the Pack, promising everyone that the Luna ceremony would be held after a few months, and they would all be invited.
• By the end of the night, my jaw hurt as I had to smile at everyone. I couldn’t even remember a single name except for the current Alpha, Alpha Mateo, Brohan’s father. But the current Luna was nowhere in sight. Nanny Adel said that Luna Amelia is not keeping well and rarely attends formal gatherings, and I took her word for it, taking a mental note to pay Luna a visit the following day.
• I took out my shoes and walked barefoot back to my room. I am not used to wearing high heels, and tonight, I stood in four-inch pumps for almost three hours as I greeted everyone in the hall individually.
• I climbed the stairs lazily; my legs were sore, and as much as I wanted to run, my muscles refused to cooperate. As I reached the third floor, I saw five ladies gathering near my room. I recognized one of them as Charlotte, the one Brohan kissed a while ago. Their deprecating gazes were fixed on me, scrutinizing every part of my body as if I were the most despicable thing they had laid their eyes on today. I don’t remember seeing any of them at the party, so I don’t understand what I did to offend them. I gave them a curt nod without wasting any more time.
• “Is this how they welcome their future Luna?” I thought to myself but shook the idea off my head as soon as it came. I didn’t come here for a fight. I opened the door and entered the room, immediately locking it from inside. I couldn’t afford to be careless. This is a strange territory for me, and unless I gain some friends and allies, I must sleep with one eye open if needed.
• I removed my evening gown and freshened up. My eyes automatically closed, and the more I slacked, the drowsier I became. As soon as my back touched the soft fabric of the bed linen, I instantly fell asleep, perhaps due to a lack of sleep the previous night and the exhaustion from the long journey from my old pack.
• The following day, I got up early and refreshed. I decided to find Brohan to visit his parents, especially Luna Amelia, who, according to Nanny Adel, was not well. I did my morning routine and changed into fresh clothes before going downstairs. Although Alpha Mateo and Brohan stayed on the fourth floor, Luna stayed in a separate house two blocks away from the packhouse.
• As I walked toward the dining space, some pack members greeted me with curiosity written all over their faces. I nodded at them and cruised the expansive hallway until I reached the dining hall. Some seats were occupied, so I looked around to find an empty chair where I could sit later.
• The dining hall looked like a restaurant serving buffet meals. Food was spread on a long table, and small tables for four were scattered around the room. The pack members queued in for food, holding plates and cutlery, while five staff members served them their portions. After getting their fill, they sat together with their friends and family, while some sat alone.
• I took one plate for myself and went to the end of the line, quietly observing the early chatter. Although I didn’t have much appetite, my stomach had already been protesting. My last meal was over twelve hours ago when we stopped at a pumping station to fill gas. I didn’t get the chance to eat at the party last night. Suddenly, the memory of last night’s party flashed in my head.
• After Brohan got me from my room, he accompanied me to the hall and quickly left, saying he had some important things to do. He didn’t even exert an effort to introduce me to the pack members, which is odd. Does he really expect me to introduce myself to a sea of strangers? As he suggested, it is supposed to be a welcome party, isn’t it? This mate bond is getting weirder by the minute. I wished I had the power just to reject him. Unfortunately, she-wolves cannot initiate rejection, especially to a strong alpha such as Brohan. I sighed inwardly as helplessness quickly crept into my chest.
• I looked around to see the gathering of people in groups. I had no choice but to try to make them welcome me then. Just as I turned around to start approaching a random group, a middle-aged man wearing a black suit with a powerful aura approached me with a faint smile. “You must be Dorothy?” he asked gently, and I nodded slightly.
• He offered me his arm and said, “My name is Mateo Blackwood, and I will introduce you to everyone. Are you ready?” As his words sank in, I stepped back and bowed my head toward him, “Alpha!”
• “Oh, silly girl. Just call me Dad. You are my son’s mate, and you will be the future Luna of this pack. Don’t be too formal,” he gently patted the crown of my head and offered his arm once more. His voice was not the warmest, but it was not cold either. I took his arm and walked with him from table to table, shaking hands with hundreds of people I don’t even remember who.
• After the full round, Alpha Mateo said his goodbyes and advised me to rest early. I appreciated his concern, turned around, and headed for my room without thinking twice.
• As I turned left to a blind corner of the hall, I almost tripped when a foot suddenly extended in front of me, followed by muffled giggles. I looked up to see Charlotte and four other girls.
• “Oops, sorry, Luna. I didn’t see you coming. I was just stretching my legs," Charlotte muttered with feigned innocence. Her gaze fixed on mine as she flashed her pouted lips and fake apologies. I blinked twice as I contemplated how to respond to Charlotte. It seemed like I found the pack bully on my first day. I returned her fakeness with a smile and said, “It’s alright. No harm done anyway,” before marching forward.
• As I reached the stairway, I halted my steps, and Charlotte's conversation with her friend echoed in the empty hall.
• “Charlotte, why are you holding back? You know Alpha Brohan will never punish you, even if you hurt her. I would have pushed her if I were you,” said one of the minions.
• “Relax, April. She will feel the pain tonight.” They all burst into laughter.
• I didn’t know what harm they were planning to inflict on me tonight, so I ran up the stairs and immediately locked the door to my room after entering. I made a mental note to talk to Nanny Adel tomorrow about these mean girls.
• I lay on my bed after changing into more comfortable clothing, expecting to fall into slumber as soon as my back hit the soft surface. Just as I closed my eyes, I felt a sudden pain in my chest. I clutched the thin layer of nightgown on top of it, hoping to ease the discomfort, when River started howling in my head.
• With every passing second, the pain became unbearable, and no matter how much I kneaded my chest, the discomfort did not go away, like I was being stabbed repeatedly.
• After a few minutes, the thumping of my heart gradually slowed down, and I asked River what had just happened, but as soon as I spoke, she retreated to the farthest corner of my mind, where I couldn’t reach her. I called her countless times, but she never responded.
• I got up to splash some water on my face, thinking it could help me sleep soon after. I opened the door to the bathroom and stepped inside, locking my gaze on my reflection. I looked terrible. The dark circles and bloodshot eyes are the testaments to my lack of sleep in the past thirty-six hours. I shook my head and opened the tap almost at the same time as the groans and moans reached my ears. The sound comes from the adjacent bathroom window.
• My eyes widened with a sudden realization.