Big Bad Alphas

Slowly, I lift up my face from the pillow beneath it. I blink, close my eyes, and blink again. Rays of sunlight shine through the windows and blind me. I reluctantly sit up and rub my knuckles onto my eyes. Looking around the bedroom, I find myself alone, so I instantly wonder where Eric is.

I slide out of bed and peek into the bathroom, but it too is empty. Raising an eyebrow, I check the guest room I was supposed to sleep in— then all the others. After that my feet carry me downstairs and random noises grab my attention, sounds that are coming from the kitchen. “Eric?” I call out as I make my way towards them, wanting to unmask the creator. “Eric is that you?”

Instead of seeing Eric, an older woman turns around and smiles. “Hello, good morning, I’m Marina, the housekeeper. You must be Isabella; it is so wonderful to meet you.”

“It’s wonderful to meet you too Marina,” I walk in and she turns away from the stove. “Do you know where Alpha Tate is?”

“Why he’s probably off by the borders, there were some problems earlier this morning. And don’t worry about calling him Alpha Tate around me, I helped change his diapers when he was a little one.”

I smile and sit down at the counter. “Do you know when he might be back?”

“Soon most likely. He did tell me that he would be back to take you to Evangeline and Sebastian’s. Would you like anything to eat? I was just about to bring Caroline a grilled cheese.” She offers but I kindly decline. “Aright, well I’ll be right back. Please help yourself to anything.”

Marina leaves with Caroline’s food and I chuckle to myself. She seems like a lovely lady; I just can’t get over the fact that Caroline asked her to bring her grilled cheese. I guess Marina must be like family if she helped change diapers. With my elbows against the counter, I sigh, wanting to know what Eric is doing. He must be busy being the Alpha and all, but it’s not like I know too much about an Alphas work. Sure I know the basics, but not how tiring it is, or if he ever wants to drop everything and just give up. There must be a lot of pressure weighing down on his shoulders.

Grabbing an orange from the fruit bowl, I slowly begin to peel the skin off. The fresh, citrus smell fills my nose and wakes me up fully.

I am excited to see Evangeline, especially since we did not get enough time yesterday. She seems lovely, so I am sure her mate is too. I should be more nervous to meet his parents formally, though I am a little, it doesn’t feel like enough. Maybe this is how it is when you are mates; there is a different type of confidence in your relationship because you are made for each other in some sense. Maybe this is why Olivia does not threaten me as much as she should.

Looking down at my arms, I sigh. The bandages are no longer needed, and almost all of the smaller cuts have faded away, though a few of the deeper ones are still very visible. I do not understand how she could have watched me slide down the tree, knowing that the branch was not strong enough. I shouldn’t blame everything on her, but the mate half of me wants to.

“You sure are a deep thinker.”

Glancing up from the countertop, I see Marina. “Oh sorry, I didn’t even know you were here.”

She waves me off and says, “I know. Evangeline used to drift off like that all the time.”

“So, you were here when Eric’s mother was younger? What was she like?”

Marina wipes her hands on a dish towel. “She was a very wonderful person. She made it through tough times with Eric’s father, and many things went wrong with her family. Evangeline is a strong woman for making it through the things that happened.”

I cannot help but smile as Marina’s words make me want to get to know her even more. I can only hope that she will find me suitable for her son, not that she can change our bond, but it would be nice to have some kind of approval. Evangeline is his mother. “Do you need any help cleaning up?” I ask, and she only waves me off.

“This is barely a mess, but thank you for offering. You’d be surprised by the amount of people who take advantage of my position.”

I nod. “Not Eric I hope.”

“Eric, no. I have to stop him from helping out, it’s almost to the point where I have nothing to do,” she tells me with a grateful smile illuminating her sweet face. “He’s a good one.”

Just before I can respond, I hear the front door open. A warm feeling glazes over my heart, causing my mood to be instantly lifted. It is him. Without wasting another second, I peek around the corner to see him shutting the door. My cheeks fill with color. “Hi,” I catch his attention and he makes his way over to me.

“Did you just wake up?” Eric asks and I nod. “Did you eat?”

Marina’s voice sounds from the kitchen. “She hasn’t. I’ll make her something.”

I glance back at the doorway and shake my head happily. “She’s too kind.”

“I know.”

Together we walk back into the kitchen to find Marina already at work. I sigh, not used to the sight of other people making food for me. Usually, Kendra sits at the counter, and we laugh about silly things while I make us breakfast. I wonder if she is awake and if she has had breakfast.

“I called my mother to let her know we’re coming. She is over the moon,” Eric tells me. “All she wants is to spend time with you.”

“Really?” I smile to myself. “I can’t wait.”