In Reach?

Mira’s POV

I can’t stop smiling. Since Liam came into my room this morning, just dancing with me and holding me like that, I’m all smiles this morning. He’s really making me waver in my resolve, especially regarding Ashton.

Yeah, sure what I have with Liam isn’t perfect, we fight and argue almost every time we’re together. But, does that matter when it’s this imperfection with us that I keep wanting. This push and pull makes me feel alive when I’m with him. What if I can have a life with Liam? I can see myself staying here, I do love it here. Even the head-members are not so suspicious around me anymore. Maybe this whole confusion with me will be cleared up soon and everything will be better here.

But I still don’t like this guilty knot in my stomach. I’m questioning what I have with my mate. I’m thinking about another man. And I get all excited when I think about Liam, which just makes me feel more guilty. Why do the bad things always feel so good?

Everybody seem to be running around today. Must be a busy day. I’m on my way to Char, she said she wanted to do another check up on me.

I approach one of the medical rooms I see her in. I knock on the door and she looks up. She smiles when she sees me.

“Oh hey Mira. Please. Come in.”

I sit in the chair in front of her desk. She comes around and takes the other seat next to me.

“So tell me, how have you been feeling lately? Any better.” She feels my forehead.

I can’t help but still smile from the good day I’m having. “Yeah I’m fine. All better now.”

“Well you look the part.” She sits back in her chair. “Well, I have your results,” I see her pointing to an envelope on her desk, “ and as you said, they came back negative. You’re not pregnant.”

I roll my eyes at her cheeky smile. “I told you.”

She chuckles. “Well, I just had to make sure. Besides, it must probably just have been a flue, because your vitals seem way better now. So I guess you’re good to go.”

Just as I get up to leave I see her take the envelope and following me out the door.

“Uhm, Charlotte, aren’t you going to like file that or something?”

She looks at what I’m pointing at in her hand. “Oh this? I’m taking it to the Alpha. He requested it once I had it.”

What? He knew about this?

“He requested it?” I’m looking confused at her, hoping she says no.

“Yes.” She says plainly, but I think she notices my worried look. “But don’t worry, it’s sorta the job of the Alpha to know about everything going on around here.” She looks at her watch. “But I really have to get going. I’ll see you around.” She makes her way past me.

That doesn’t help. He knew about this. So he must have also thought that I might be pregnant.

Realization hits me as I’m standing alone in the hallway. Is this why he keeps touching my stomach so often these days? He thought I was pregnant. Is this why he’s been treating me like this? Is this why he’s been doing all of this? All because he thought I might be pregnant with his kid?

A heavy knot is building in my chest at the thought. Liam never wanted me; he just did all of this because he thought I was pregnant. I need to talk to him about this. I can’t keep doing this. I want to know once and for all if he really wants me despite this idea of me being pregnant. I can’t let him confuse me like this, especially if he’s not even serious about it. I don’t want to be a game.

I hurry down the hallway and practically run up the stairs. I run to get to his office and notice just how empty the house seems. All the while this knot is tightening and it’s like I already know he’s not there, he’s not in the house. Something in me is telling me, he’s far from me, I can sense it. But I have to make sure. The moment I get to his door, I knock as hard as I can, hoping to get his usual ‘come in’. But nothing. I knock again, but I just open the door right after and walk in. It’s empty. There is no one. He’s scent is here, but faint, which means he was here, but that was a while ago.

Where can he be? Maybe he’s outside. I rush back downstairs and still see no one. Where is everybody? Just as I rush out onto the front porch, I run into Aubrey carrying stuff.

“Oooof. Careful there. What’s with the rush?” Everything she was holding is on the floor now.

“Oh. I’m so sorry Aubrey. I didn’t see you there. Here let me help.” I help pick up the things on the floor, - a few files and some hangers with suit covers.

“Thanks.” She stands up and gestures for me to hand the stuff back to her. But they really do seem like a lot, and I can spare time to help.

“No, let me help you.”

“You sure.

“Yeah. Of course.”

She smiles at me. “Well then just follow me.” She heads back into the house.

“Can I ask, where is everyone?”

“Mh? Oh, yeah everybody’s quite busy lately with everything going on. A lot of angst about the attacks happening on packs lately, and here we still need to prep for this gala for tomorrow.”

Oh. So he isn’t here. He’s busy, as always.

“So are these things for the gala?” I lift the files in my hands to show her what I’m referring to.

“Yeah. It’s practically the last few things to do on my check list. We just have to drop this suit off in the Alpha’s room.” She points to one of the hangers. “In fact, this is actually yours.” She points to the other hanger in her hand.

“What do you mean?” I’m looking at her confused.

“Well, I figured you didn’t have a fancy dress to wear for the gala, so I ordered you one.”

“Really? Oh wow. I didn’t think I was supposed to go. I thought it was a pack thing.”

“Not likely. These are more like those publicity events. The more people the better. Besides, the council is paying for the whole thing, so who wouldn’t like some free drinks.” She says giggling which I join in on.

It’s so nice of her to get me a dress. Of course I wouldn’t mind going to an event with free drinks and free food. But honestly, if they had just told me tomorrow to get dressed to go, I probably would have just preferred to stay to prevent any embarrassment for not actually having something to wear.

I wonder what she got me. I can’t see with the cover over the hanger. But I’m actually excited to see. Every girl loves to get dressed up.

Once we dropped off the covered hangers, one in Liam's room, and the other in mine, we head to his office. She said she needed to drop the files off there.

When we get there, it’s empty as I was expecting it to be. I walk to his desk to put the files down, when something catches my eye, - a picture of a beautiful woman. I focus on it, even though it’s upside down. The picture looks like it’s part of a folder or something.

Aubrey seems to notice my interest as she too leans over to look. She smiles at seeing it. “Oh, she’s pretty. I think the Alpha must have already made up his mind.”

“Mh?” Made up his mind about what?

“Yeah, for the choosing.”

“Choosing?” What am I missing?

“Yeah.” But she notices my confused look and realizes just how lost I am. “Oh goddess, you still don’t know.” She says in another giggle.

“Know what?” Can’t she just spill it out.

“Remember when I told you about when the Alpha doesn’t find his mate in time, that he would need to choose a potential Luna from a list provided by the council?”

The memory of that talk is coming back to me in flashes, but I’m really hoping for this to not go where I think it will. So I just nod.

“Well, these are the profiles of the candidates the council sent through.” She points to the files on his desk. Now that I look at it, there are a lot.

So this is the episode of ‘the bachelor’ I was thinking of back then? He has folders full of women to choose from, and here I am, stupid enough to think that I can be with him. I don’t even qualify to be his mate, an Alpha’s mate. Sometimes I forget that he’s more than just a man, he has other responsibilities. And I was actually foolish enough to think that I can be with him. Being with him means to not just be his mate, but to be his Luna, the pack’s Luna. Someone the council needs to approve of to help run a whole pack. Shit! I was in way over my head. I don’t like this feeling of not being ‘good enough’ for him. But anything between me and him will never just be between us, not with him as an Alpha.

“And by the looks of things I think he already made his choice.” She nods her head to the open file with the picture of the beautiful woman. I see her turning her head as she’s looking. “And her name is,…..Izabelle.”

Of course it is. Why wouldn’t a beautiful woman like that not have a beautiful name as well. She really looks the part, - came from money and status, runs in all the right circles, and probably great at everything.

“What makes you think it’s her?” I just had to ask.

“He’s been going through all these folders for a few days now, and this is the only one still open. So I’m guessing he made his mind up.”

A few days ago? He’s been busy choosing a ‘little miss perfect’ to be his mate while whispering sweet nothings into my ear on a daily basis. I guess they really meant ‘nothing’. I’m such a fool!

“Hey, we better get going before someone catches us for being here too long.” She nudges my shoulder.

I follow her out and decide to go to the library to just have some alone time. It’s not like anyone is in the house anyways.

I lie on the couch zoning out while I think to myself. What the hell is going on? Was I really just a game to him? Something to just keep him entertained? Was all of that nonsense he said about Ashton just more crap he came up with? And now I can’t even confront the man because, I don’t even know where he is, not to mention, he probably has way more important things to handle than to be bothered with me.

Is this what a side-girl feels like, - one that didn’t know she was one the whole time? This is where the girl barges into the guy’s office to confront him of his deception, to only be slandered because she dared try to be part of a world she never belonged in.

I really don’t belong here. Katy told me that wolves look down on to rogues like they’re ‘floozies’, as she liked to say. I never thought I might just actually have become one, been made into one.

I am the one in the wrong here though. I allowed this to happen. I am the one that wavered, when I already have a perfect mate waiting for me. Ashton deserves far better than what I have given him so far. I will make it up to him. I will make it up to my mate.

Next Day - Gala

Liam’s POV

Today is the gala and I’m already dressed up in my fitted all-black tux that Aubrey left for me in my room. I’m still in the office, going through some paper work before I head on to the grand-hall for the gala.

“Do you never stop working?”

I look up and see Noah popping his head through the door. He walks in and looks just as dressed up for the night.

“I just came to let you know that some of the guests have already arrived.”

“Alright.” I just nod as I’m still nervous about having to face the council and tell them to fuck off, or to ‘postpone due to current circumstances’ as Char would have me say. So much is going on and I can’t seem to calm down, and I haven’t even seen Mira since yesterday. I want to see her, I want to see what she’ll be wearing today. What am I kidding, she’ll make anything look amazing.

“Penny for your thoughts.” Noah sighs as he takes a seat in one of the couches.

“There’s just a lot going on right now. I don’t even know where to start.”

“Let’s start with the profiles. Have you spotted any practical alliances?”

“Actually, yes.” I throw the file on the coffee table in front of him as I stand up to sit on the couch opposite him. “Izabelle is from the Moon River Pack, she’s the daughter of the Beta. Their pack has a strong defense and attack force, a sensible structuring system within their pack and their Alpha is reasonable when it comes to setting up attacks instead of just rushing into it like most do.”

Noah opens the folder and looks through it, nodding. “Good, seems reasonable.” He closes the folder and throws it back onto the table. “And what about Mira?” He looks straight at me with a raised brow.

I sigh, somewhat disappointed at the results. “Well, the blood test came back negative.”

“You seem disappointed.”

“I don’t know Noah. I just,…….”

“Yeah, you figure that one out on your own. What are you going to do about the council though?”

“Char actually told me to just suggest to them that choosing a Luna now is not optimal. With everything happening it’s risky, especially since we don’t know whether Dahlia might be after Lunas now.”

“Sounds like a reasonable enough explanation.” He smiles a bit. “So are you ready for this possible shit-fest? Theo said something about security going to be a nightmare tonight, especially because the council just had to decide to invite other ’supernaturals’ to tonight.” He shakes his head.

I never liked the idea either. But they’re apparently trying to use this night to try and gain some alliances with other supernaturals for our fight with Dahlia. To everybody else, this is just another night to party, just a gala for the sake of dressing up. But in hind sight, the council is just using it to do all these other things they want to get out of the way, like arranging alliances, and arranging 'Luna-choosings'. In all honesty, their supposed reasoning for multi-tasking is really just laziness.

“Yeah, it pisses me off too. But at least we’ll have the council off our backs after tonight.” The fact that I agreed to have the gala on my pack-grounds is evidence enough for them that we are still on good terms with them. This is apparently how they handle public relations. Pfh.

“Let’s hope so.” He stands up and straightens his tux. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

I stand up too, and lead the way out of the office.