Separate Blood

Chapter 36

(The Spirits, An Aurora)

Zara-

Dinner was quiet but not awkward. Although Harry didn't really eat any food, he sipped on some soup my grandmother Claire had made for him. 'No solids' was what Harry had told them when my mother put a plate full of food in front of him earlier. It felt tense and who was I kidding, it was a little awkward.

Either from the fact that they had heard me and Cole's conversation or that Harry, my unwelcomed mate, a vampire was sitting with them at the dinner table. Something neither of us would have thought about doing, ever. Even Harry could feel the tension around the table and I know she didn't mean too but as Harry had reached for his glass of water, Kass had slightly flinched before trying to cover it up with a cough. No one mentioned it.

Harry was considered the enemy, the fact that the Spirits have brought him closer to our pack, to me, surprised us all and although they are all trying hard (my mother and Kass that is, Grandmother Claire seemed comfortable around him) it's obvious that there is a massive elephant in the room that no one seems to want to bring up.

So, I decide to start with the less obvious topic, or slightly less awkward. Cole.

Dropping my fork onto my plate causing a loud clatter grabbed everyone's attention. "So why wasn't I notified about Joe's replacement. I thought Joe was going to continue on as Beta even after Dominic became Alpha"

Everyone seemed to have lost their appetite and looked anywhere but me. I turned towards my mother and as soon as my eyes meet hers she looked towards Kass. I looked at Kass confused but could see her slightly shift in her seat as she felt all eyes on her.

"Kass?"

"I'm sorry Zara! Dominic told me not to tell you, he didn't think Joe should take another load of work as Beta and should give the title to someone else and because Joe doesn't have any  kids that could take the position and Cole is his best friend he thought he'd be the second best in line and since you where never around, Dominic and your father agreed. Your father said as soon as Dominic decided to come back to the pack and take the title as Alpha, we would hold the ceremony for him and Joe, then he mentioned a forced mate bond between you and Cole because-"

"What?!" I suddenly stopped her ranting, I couldn't believe the garbage coming out of my best friends mouth and the fact that all this time she'd known?

Even Harry tensed at the mention of a forced mate bonding. His hand snapping towards mine in lightening speed, giving me a tight cold squeeze. From the corner of my eyes I could see him look down to his plate and glare, his thoughts running around like crazy with mostly possessiveness and rage.   

"How long did you know?" my voice was shaky.

"Cole being Beta...years.  The bond being forced... a few months" Kass' sighed. Her voice was quite but we all still heard her clearly, she had known for years. For years that Cole would be given the title as Beta. For months about me being bonded to Cole by force. For years her and Dominic have been communicating, did I understand that part right? While I had been looking for him. She and my parents had known he was here or just her? And no one told me, about any of this. I was speechless, shocked, angry, hurt.

I took one glance around the table. My mother looked down in shame, my grandmother simply shook her head in disappointment (in all of them, including herself), and Kass? Kass was ready to burst into tears. She knew finding Dominic was my top priority for the past four years and that I didn't want Cole as a mate, yet she was keeping this from me? What else could she have been hiding?