Daughter of the Alpha

Chapter six

It was raining that morning. Pouring down actually. Perfect. It suited AJ's mood. However, it also made sure the large car trotted along all too slowly for her liking. She huffed at the window, leaving a dewy condensation on top of the rolling raindrops. She fought the urge to draw a little smiley face or heart as she would normally do. It had been days, a little over a week since she had been to see Dylan in the hunting cabin. Not that she was counting the days, not at all, the fact that it had been eight days since she had seen him wasn't counting, it was just something she knew.

"Are you even listening to me?" Lily whined from behind her, and a slap on the side of AJ's seat followed.

This woke AJ out of her stupor and she lazily rolled her head towards Lily. "Of course I am," she defended herself. Of course, the truth was that she hadn't been. Lily had started droning on and on about the dress she was going to buy once they reached the city and AJ had switched off her brain. She couldn't care less about dresses at the moment.

"So what did I say?" Lily pressed, raising an eyebrow at her.

AJ raked her brain for any kind of clue to what she was asking, what had the question been. She gave up. "Uhm, you were talking about your dress?"

Lily shook her head at her. "Honestly, AJ, we've had this trip to the city planned for weeks and weeks to go dress shopping, just because you already have yours doesn't mean you can't be invested in my choice. It's a best friend's duty after all."

Penny laughed from the driver's seat. "I wouldn't bother with her at the moment," she offered. "She's been off in her own little world for a week now."

"I have not," AJ growled. But her mother was right, and as soon as the words had escaped her, her head rolled back to look at the window and the rolling raindrops running by. She didn't know why she was in such a mood. It wasn't because of Dylan. He was just a rude loner, he didn't understand her pack at all. Her pack wasn't backward or old fashioned, they just valued their traditions and ways. She was sure of that.

She huffed at the window again. Maybe the whole Beta Anderson thing was bothering her more than it should. She knew she wouldn't mate him, she didn't care what her father said. Normally she would walk through fire for her father and Alpha, she loved him dearly, but she was sure he was wrong about this. He hadn't pushed the idea on her anymore, but she had noticed George coming over for dinner more often, and she had noticed the hopeful look in the Alpha's eyes when he looked at her.

She looked over at her mother driving the car, humming along to music on the radio, nodding at Lily as the girl in the back explained all about the dress that AJ wouldn't listen to. Her mother was no help at all, she just wanted AJ to find a mate, any mate it seemed. AJ ran a hand through her hair. A mate? She repeated in her head and tried picturing herself standing at the mating ceremony with a man. She tried picturing Beta Anderson there and shuddered. A mate. She wasn't sure why that word made chills run down her back.

The naked trees, a few thick branches covered in melting snow, towered on either side of the road. The road to the city was long but she never usually noticed, not when Lily was in the car and they would chat about this and that. Usually the Spring ball. Or how close they would live when they got their mates and their own homes. She had no desire to speak of anything like that anymore. Why did the car ride seem so unbearably long at that moment? To her relief, the trees started thinning and soon they were out of the forest. Fields stretched out before them and it wasn't long before houses appeared and then the city. Finally. She breathed a sigh of relief as her mother found a parking spot.

"I'll be grocery shopping," Penny announced when she got out of the car and slammed the door shut. "You have two hours, then we'll meet back here."