Beauty and the Beast

Chapter 5

I stared in awe at my reflection. I wore deep maroon formfitting satin dress that hugged the curves of my body with delicate lace straps dancing across my back where they tied and over my shoulders. My makeup was light yet smokey and I had simple loose curls that hung down to my lower back and my hair looked shiny and healthy and I hardly recognized the beautiful woman that stared back at me in the mirror.

"You look so beautiful." Alina said.

"So do you." I said addressing her all black form fitting dress and glowy skin.

"No, seriously, my brother is going to flip out. Especially since you're showing off that body." She said laughing.

More than I cared to admit, Kieran had been occupying my mind over the last couple hours and it wasn't in a way that had me wanting to claw his eyes out for once. I thought of his words mostly, they were almost noble and the fact that they came from him was pleasantly surprising.

"Well, if that is the case he's going to kill the both if us." I said grinning as she put the final touches  on me with some hairspray and a bold deep lip and handing me a coat which I gratefully slid on.

I smiled as we walked down the stairs together, my mother with Elise and I was surprised as the two almost seemed like old friends. Well, they probably would have been if not for my father and mother's separation. They both were so sweet and welcoming. I thought about Kieran more as we walked. His family seemed so nice and genuine, but something seemed off about Kieran. He was the outlier, something was definitely up with him. I couldn't help but feel bad for him. He marked me and I knew that there was no changing that as much as I despised the way he did it, so I would have to learn to live with him at least, but in a way I hoped we could at least become friendly. He didn't kill my mother or myself and yet I kept trying to run away. He had every right to be angry at me as I did with him, but he wasn't, even after I had hit him and stabbed him.

It almost seemed as if he was trying.

Maybe if I tried a little too, maybe then he'd open up and we could at least learn to be friends.

"You know, I've never really had a friend before. Thank you." I said to her.

"You're welcome and if it helps, I've never really had any either. Girls only ever talked to me to try and get close to my brother. You're different though, I can't explain it well but I can feel it and I can tell he likes you already." She said with a smile.

I furrowed my brow in confusion. We'd only just met. I knew once a mate was marked, feelings would bond the couple, both physically and mentally, but this was faster than I had thought and I wanted to know her reasoning.

"What makes you say that?" I asked softly.

"Kieran swore he'd never take a mate. My father was the one that convinced him to at least look, insisting that if he were to take one it should be a true pairing. You're slowly softening him and it's a good thing. Kieran hasn't known anything but hate in a very long time." She said.

I was going to ask her what she meant by that when Kieran suddenly entered my line of sight, and I nearly froze at the sight of him.

To say he looked handsome was more than an understatement.

He was dressed in a blacked out suit that fit him snugly, the power in his build evident as his muscles flexed beneath the suit as he walked into sight.

I inhaled his scent and breathed out slowly as it calmed my nerves, much to my surprise and his scent floated around me in a comforting caress.

I watched as his head whipped up as he caught my scent and his eyes took me in greedily as they raked down my frame before settling on my face.

"You look very nice." He said roughly.

There was a small moment where he just continued to stare down at me before he cleared his throat and I swore I saw a red tint on his cheeks and I tried my best to stifle my amusement that had my lips wanting to twitch into a smile as I thanked him with a small nod of my head. It was an acknowledgment of him, a traditional greeting that showed respect.

"Charlotte, if at any moment you feel uncomfortable, tell me and I'll get you out of there." Kieran said.

I nodded thankfully as I felt myself becoming nervous, but that was immediately put aside when I saw my mother.

She looked gorgeous in her long sleeve form fitting black dress that hugged her torso before cutting off just before her knees. She looked refined and beautiful and I grinned widely at the sight of her

"Mom, you look hot." I said laughing.

She laughed and smiled as she took me in.

"You look striking. There is no room for question that Eric is your father. You always looked so much like him." She said, her finger smoothing the side of my face as she looked at me.

James, Elise, and my mother took a separate car and drove ahead as we waited for Alina's date which happened to be her mate and the Beta, the second in command to Kieran.

I chuckled as a tall blonde man ran in, adjusting his tie and I recognized him as the man who had put my mother in the vehicle.

Alina smiled at the sight of him and kissed him momentarily before turning towards us.

"You must be Luna Charlotte, pleased to meet you. I am Daniel, your Beta." He said formally and I was a tad shocked at being addressed as Luna.

I watched as he and Kieran shook hands and hugged as if they were old friends and I didn't even notice we were walking to the car until Alina's growl broke me from my thoughts as she stared down another female. I could see Daniel holding his mate, Alina trying to move from his grip as she eyed the approaching female.

I looked up to see the girl was dressed formally, her whole demeanor flashing brattiness and entitlement as she flipped her blonde hair.

"So you're her? Kieran's new toy." She said chuckling.

I groaned inwardly. I didn't want to deal with a jealous female right now, I had enough stress as it was and I hadn't asked to be here or for Kieran to mark me.

I looked up at Kieran, anger evident in his eyes and I could see him trying not to lash out though he looked utterly annoyed as he chose not to engage.

"I'd love to stay and chat, but Kieran's taking me to dinner. Have a nice night." I said with a smile as Kieran opened the door for me.

The girl growled and made to step towards us, but Alina walked forward growling and she fell back, thinking better than to face off with Alina who already had her claws extended.

I turned toward Kieran who was in the driver seat.

"Ex-girlfriend?' I asked with a grin.

"I would never call her that. That would insinuate that at one moment I cared for her which is idiotic. " He said.

"It was a long time ago. Kieran wasn't doing well, and she took advantage of that. She wanted a title and she's been hell from the moment she joined this pack. She tried to force herself on Danny when Kieran finally came to his senses." Alina said.

I knew what she meant immediately. They had had a sexual history. Would he do that to me? He rejected me earlier, but he could always change his mind. Would I be just another woman in his bed? Would I even be allowed to say no?

"I can see what you're thinking Charlotte. I would never force you to do something you do not wish to do. I know you probably think it's crap coming from me and how I forced my claim on you, but if I'm being honest I lost control. I saw hope in someone and my wolf took without asking. It is not right at all, and for that I truly apologize. However, I did not choose you to live out some sort of sexual fantasy. I want to settle down. I didn't think it was possible for me, but there is something about you that I find absolutely intriguing and all I want to do is know more about you. Even if it's just in friendship, I want to prove to you that you can trust me." He said and began to drive.