Beauty in the Beast

For once, I did what my Alpha told me to do and said my goodbyes to my mother before I ran home. I was covered in mud and sticks stuck in my hair from my run. I longed for a hot shower to ease my bones. I stepped out and wrapped my towel around my body, picking up my phone that wouldn’t stop pinging. I was in a group chat between Natalie, Derek, Lucas, Chloe and Kyle. They wanted to go out tonight to celebrate Chloe and Kyle’s engagement. With the mating ritual right around the corner the pair knew they would be mated soon, so instead of fighting it like myself, they embraced it and Kyle put a ring on it. How fitting. I threw my phone on my bed without responding.

I threw on a t-shirt and a pair of work out shorts. I didn’t plan on leaving my house today. I needed to come up with a plan. I was going at this half-cocked and Nick would surely catch on soon enough. My doorbell sounded throughout the house, startling me. I’d been so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t even notice someone enter my property. I ran to the door and swung it open. “Dad, what are you doing here?”

“Can’t a father check in on his daughter?” He asked with a grin.

“I guess.” I opened the door some more for him to make his way in. “You want anything?” I opened my fridge which was as bare as my walls. “I have water.” I closed my fridge and smiled at him. He looked like he aged ten years since the last time I saw him. “You okay?”

“I’m fine.” He sat at my dining room table that was clearly just for decoration. “I just wanted to talk.” He smiled at me again and I narrowed my eyes at him. This was way out of character, maybe the explosion scared him.

“About?”

“Your mother.” Or maybe Nick got to him.

“If this is your way of telling me to be a good little wolf because Nick paid you a visit, you can hold your breath.”

“Emma, you cannot disobey the Alpha. The consequences—“

“Are what, Dad!?” I never raised my voice to him like this before. “Is that what happened to Mom? She didn’t follow the Alpha’s rules so he killed her and now every Alpha after him is determined to cover it up?”

“You have a wild imagination.”

“I have to use my imagination since everyone else is so hellbent on hiding the truth.”

“Emma, enough, this is ridiculous!” My dad slammed his hand on the table and stood to his feet. If everyone wanted to keep me from the truth then I was going to have to figure it out on my own.

“I’m sorry, Dad.” I looked at the ground, I needed to make this believable. “That explosion really brought up memories and I don’t know what came over me.” I looked up at him to see if it was working. He looked full of sorrow and regret. “I went to see Mom’s grave and it only brought up more questions.”

“Questions aren’t bad, Emma.” He rubbed my shoulder. “We just have to come to terms with the facts. And the facts are the leaders of this pack closed the case. And that’s enough for me, so it should be for you too.” His voice was so soft, almost comforting.

“You’re right, Dad. I’m sorry.” He pulled me into a hug. That was convincing, right? “Hey Dad, I’m meeting with some friends tonight. I really should get ready.”

“Of course.” He pulled away. “I’m really glad you’re making friends.” Great, now I’m back in middle school. “Is Emmett going to be there?” I couldn’t stop the blush wash over my cheeks.

“Dad...” I groaned.

“What? I like him.”

“I really have to get ready.” I really just wanted him the hell out of here.

“Okay, okay, I get it. I’m going.” He gave me one last hug before he found his way to the door.

When I got back upstairs my phone was buzzing off the hook. I picked it up and held it to my ear.

“Hello?”

“What the hell, Emma?” Chloe did not sound happy.

“What’s wrong?”

“You! Where have you been?”

“I didn’t have my phone on me, I’m sorry.”

“We’re meeting at Rizzo’s at seven. And don’t tell me you’re not coming because I’m not taking no for an answer.”

“Yes ma’am.” I kind of liked this side of Chloe. She was taking charge for once instead of sitting around in the background.

I made sure to show up on time to Rizzo’s. Not a minute late but not a minute early either. Natalie was technically there, leaned against the bar flirting with the male on duty. Chloe and Kyle were holding hands at the table while Lucas sat there anxiously waiting for someone to save him from being a third-wheel. He jumped up when he saw me.

“Emma!” He waved me over to their table.

“You made it.” Chloe said with a smile.

“I wouldn’t miss it.” I took a seat beside Lucas. Derek was the last to show up. He looked good, his healing was coming along nicely. He had a yellow bruise that was on last stages of healing under his eye. He walked with a slightly limp, almost unnoticeable to someone who wasn’t looking for it. He winced as he slid into the stool next to me.

“What the hell happened to you?” Kyle asked.

“Dogfight.” He waved the waitress over. “I need to get so drunk you’re going to have to carry me home, bud.”

“Great.” Kyle rolled his eyes. The waitress came over and took our order.

The night went well. By the time the bartender yelled “last call” we were all laughing at the table, Natalie included. Derek got his wish and he was exceptionally tipsy. Chloe was the only sober one of the bunch. She called an Uber to pick us up and drop us off one by one. Derek’s was the farthest away, so that was where we started.

“I think you’re gonna need someone to take care of you tonight.” Natalie ran her hand down Derek’s chest. I rolled my eyes. No way he was falling for that.

“I think you might be right.” I needed to get out of this car before someone smelled the jealousy steaming from my pores.

“Can you pull over?” I asked the driver.

“Emma, are you okay?” Chloe asked.

“I’m fine.” I jumped over Lucas and opened the door.

“Emma, wait.” Chloe called.

“She probably just has to yack.” Kyle’s words slurred as he pulled Chloe closer to him. I tapped on the drivers window and he cracked it for me.

“Take them home, I know my way.” I was surprised he didn’t put up more of a fight. Letting a drunk girl wonder home just because she said so? Five stars. I’m sure Chloe will be mad at me when we all sober up tomorrow but I wasn’t going to think about that tonight. I was too drunk to shift into my wolf form to get me home faster but I was also too sober to stay in that Uber. Why did I care what Derek did? He was a thousand percent right when he told me I friend-zoned him, so if he wanted to spend his lonely nights with Natalie then why stop them?

I don’t know how long it took me to get home but I know it was more than an hour. The moon shifted as I walked, following me in the dark like a flashlight. I was just slightly tipsy by the time I got home, alcohol didn’t last nearly as long as it did for humans as on us wolves; our metabolism was too fast. When I turned on my street and saw a male sitting on my porch I thought for sure I was still drunk.

“What are you doing here, Emmett?” He perked up at the sound of my voice.

“I’m sorry.” He chuckled. “This must seem really weird.” He almost looked nervous as he stood to his feet. “I didn’t like how our last conversation ended and I wanted to talk to you but you weren’t answering your phone.” My cell died half way through the night of carrying on and taking pictures of our drunk-selves.

“Yeah, sorry, my phone died.”

“I came over thinking you were avoiding me again but you weren’t home. So... I just waited.”

“Do you—“ I hesitated. Where was I going with this? I walked up my porch stairs, right past him. I could still feel the affects of the alcohol as I dug around for my keys. I pulled them out and stared at them for a few seconds before I turned my attention back to Emmett. “Do you want to come in?”

“O-Okay.” He was definitely nervous. I shoved the key in the lock and turned, almost knocking myself over in the process.

“Sorry.” I laughed. “I’m a little tipsy.”

“Drinking on the job?” He asked while looking around my bare home.

“No, actually, I went out with some friends.”

“Derek one of those friends?” The smell I was trying to hide from them was suddenly coming from Emmett. I threw my purse on the coffee table, well I tried to throw my purse on the coffee table, it just bounced off the corner and hit the floor.

“Sit.” I pointed to my couch and he followed my command like a good little pup.

“I—um—I wanted to apologize for what I said to you.” I nodded my head as I walked over to him, kicking my shoes off. “I let my feelings about my work get in the way—“ He cut himself off as I straddled his hips on the couch. The smell of jealously was replaced by the sweet smell of lust. I leaned my head down to his ear.

“Am I turning you on, Omega?”