The Beta's Daughter

4 | More Than A Little Awkward

I found Dani quickly after, standing with our parents. She smiled. "Hey - are you okay, you look kind of down," she said suddenly, pulling me into a hug.

I grinned at my mom, patting my sister's shoulder. "I'm fine. So, we going to meet the sexist dog?" I chirped, forcing the smile on my face.

I hadn't even known his name.

He hadn't known mine.

My Wolf wasn't responding. She was pissed off.

How could I have let him reject me? How could I have done that to myself, to my Wolf, to us?

My dad nodded, smiling fondly. "Lennox isn't a sexist dog, Julie. Be nice," he added hastily.

I heard the Alpha's voice as I met Dani's gaze again.

"Ah, Alexander - my son, Lennox."

I braced myself to meet the hermit-like Lennox who didn't talk to people for the last seven years-

Chocolate?

Mate?

My Wolf perked up as my gaze snapped to the young man beside Alpha Darren.

Oh, shit.

It was him.

His sandy-colored hair was mussed up, no doubt from my fingers, and he still had a smudge of my lipstick on the corner of his lips.

I mentally groaned. You idiot! At least clean your face! Good God, did you even wash your hands?

But he was still so attractive.

"It's nice to meet you, Len- uh..." my dad had just shaken his hand.

Oh, gross.

This was more than a little awkward.

Lennox's face turned pink as he quickly rubbed his hand on his jeans, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry, I was- uh- you know," he gulped.

My dad slowly nodded. "My wife, Russia," he wrapped his arm around my mom's waist, pulling her forward. She smiled at him. "It's nice to meet you, Lennox," she greeted him, not shaking his hand.

Would you still be happy to meet him if you knew what we were doing in this very house?

"And my daughters, Dani," my dad nodded to my sister. "And Julie."

Lennox's eyes widened as he met my gaze. Dani wrinkled her nose at him. "I'm not shaking your hand," she announced, crossing her arms.

I covered my smile with my hand, glancing at Alpha Darren. He was chuckling, shaking his head.

"Julie will, won't you, Juliette?" Mom gave me a stern look. I mentally groaned again, preparing myself for the tingles of the still slightly intact mate bond.

When she wasn't using my nickname, she meant business.

I shook his hand.

Thankfully, it was the one he hadn't touched me with.

It still tingled from the broken mate bond.

I smiled softly, averting my gaze. "It's nice to meet you," I murmured, taking a step back, half-hiding behind Dani.

I heard the clicking of heels on tile, glancing up to see who it was.

It was Margo.

His fiancé.