Scarlett: (GxG)

Chapter 17

I was deep into my second glass by the time my father showed himself, I wasn't sure how many glasses my siblings had consumed.

"There was business to attend to or else I would have been here sooner," he said, pulling his hands from the pockets of suit jacket as he walked into the dinning room.

Mina and my siblings were quick to jump to their feet when he entered out of respect, which left Scarlett and I both scrambling to do the same. I caught my father eyeing the makeshift chair I'd put next to him as well as the werewolf's presence.

"Scarlett," he said with a nod while taking his seat. "I'm actually glad you're here. I have some issues I need to talk to you about after dinner, assuming you have the time."

The wolf turned her head to look at me.

"That's up to Zoey. It's her night."

All eyes were on me briefly.

"I-I don't mind."

My father smiled at that, eyes flicking between the two of us.

"I think I speak for all of us when I say, thank you for taking care of our Zoey for a time. It pleases me to see the Pack take her wellbeing so seriously after that unfortunate misstep."

The room went both quiet and still.

Scarlett leaned forward slightly, placing an elbow on the table. She managed to smile at that backhanded compliment.

"It's an honor to be tasked with taking care of her."

"I imagine so."

Mina's small chuckle followed Omari's teasing words.

My father seemed to block out the childish teasing, not letting that heavy gaze leave her before offering a pleased smile that I knew to be genuine. For whatever reason, he appeared satisfied with the response.

I'd only had one girlfriend when I'd been younger and even then my life had been in such a way that bringing her home to meet my father was not something that could have ever happened. It forever remained something I'd only seen on television or in movies. Although I wasn't deluded enough to believe that Scarlett was anything close to that, with her sitting between me and my father, I was able to catch a glimpse of what it would have been like. Something so wonderfully normal and forever out of reach.

To my surprise Scarlett ate her dinner without a word. Then again why I thought a werewolf would have a problem with raw meat was beyond me. Lee offered her the wine she'd chosen for Mina but she refused, meanwhile the rest of us continued to drink into the night which, I should have known, would make all of our lips that much looser.

"Have you had the chance to speak with Leander Marquis? I'd like to know before the ceremony if we will still have his support. It will look especially good for a neighboring Lord to make his loyalties known," Rosalynn asked aloud.

My father leaned back in his seat, a wine glass held gently in one hand. I watched him take a breath and knew immediately he didn't want to answer.

"Let's save that talk for another time."

My sister's jaw tightened.

"Right... Of course. Another time then."

She immediately hid her face behind her glass, taking a sip so deep I thought for sure a drop would spill onto her white dress. I could tell his dismissal had upset her enough to put a crack in her mask of perfection, although my brothers didn't seem to care or notice.

"So," Rian directed his voice my way and I desperately wanted to roll my eyes. "I heard a strange rumor that you're back to visiting Brookstead again. Now, that really didn't take long."