My Female Alpha

SIXTY FOUR

emery

At any second, I feel like I'm going to break out into hives and projectile vomit across my parents' kitchen.

They're going to find out. I just know it. Bella is already onto me.

Granted, she's not interrogating me and Lenora out of the kindness of her heart. That would at least make it more tolerable.

No, my sister has always been set on making my life miserable. Some of that is probably our considerable six-year age gap. She thought she was going to be an only child until I came alone.

At family events growing up, she always wanted the spotlight. I was perfectly content to stand on the sidelines and let everyone admire her beauty, her grace. Most of the time, she got what she wanted.

But god forbid one of our grandparents talked to me first or gave me a toy first or even asked me to help with something. A tantrum was ensured to follow.

As adults, things only changed incrementally. When I decided to quit my job at the retirement community in town after that tragic incident, Bella told me I was going to regret leaving such a good job, that I'd never get paid like that again since I didn't have a degree.

Whether she was incapable of comprehending what I had witnessed that day or whether she was just cruel, I didn't know. I never went into extensive detail about what happened but the media and the security guard's testimony painted a pretty vivid image.

Deranged son of a care facility resident kills mother

Savannah care facility experiences tragic loss at the hands of a member's family member

Elderly woman shot and killed by her son

The media headlines just served to remind me of how I failed to protect someone who couldn't defend themselves. And how shitty people can be.

Between Bella and everyone who wanted the nitty gritty details, I chose to leave Savannah. I can't believe so much time has already passed since then. Months.

It feels like all of that happened in another lifetime.

I also haven't made up with Bella since then. I don't care to, after all the added stress she put on me. I've always felt weak and vulnerable around her.

Taking in a long breath, I try to focus on the present. I have brought my werewolf girlfriend home to my parents for the first time.

And they don't even know I'm a lesbian. Or bi. I don't even know what I am anymore.

Is there a term for people who shack up with werewolves? I probably don't want to know.

I look up from my glass of lemonade at the sound of the front door. My gaze turns to the counter where Lenora has been mixing the jello for dessert.

She quirks a slender dark eyebrow. She's so stunning to look at that I can't believe she's even here.

How is this even real?

The sound of the front door jolts me out of my thoughts. Lenora glances up and subtly sniffs at the air. Her body tenses as she looks down at me.