Five years later
“What’s the matter, son?” Marcel asked, seeing Landon with his arms folded, glaring across the town square, or more importantly, at Alexa, who was enjoying a slice of cake. It was their birthday. Like every other time, they had a shared birthday and the whole town celebrated.
Marcel felt a little guilty about this because his son was often the one in the spotlight whereas Alexa was … a little ignored. His eldest son would one day be alpha, and because of that, the pack liked to present him with gifts.
In the past few years, Alexa had shown she had an eye for knowledge, excelling at school and winning multiple awards, while his son was proving to be a little … behind. Not that he minded. Landon had a good heart.
“They’re all laughing at me.”
“They’re not laughing at you at all,” Marcel said
“Alexa knows everything.”
“Why don’t you go and join in?” Marcel said. “Some kids are book smart, and other kids get their smarts from somewhere else. I’m book smart. Her dad is streetwise. We all have our place.”
“Mom’s not street smart.”
“Why are we talking about Mom?” Marcel asked.
“Opposites attract. You love her because of her mind, and she loves you because of yours.”
Marcel knew where he was going with this. “You and Alexa will find your path together.”
“Why do you all keep saying that!” Landon stood up and glared at him. “We’re not going to ever be mates. We hate each other too much.”
And with that, he watched as his son walked into the throng of people. Within a matter of seconds, he took the attention of the whole group. Alexa watched and stepped back, moving back to the sidelines where Landon had placed her.
****
Five years later
Penelope knew something was wrong when her drenched daughter made her way through the large town square. There was no mistaking the fire in her eyes. The anger. The rage.
She also noted that for some reason, her daughter was also dressed in a pair of panties and a bra. Nakedness was not a problem within the pack. Over the years, her daughter’s body, developed differently from many of the pack members. She wasn’t slender, and since she had turned a teenager, she’d gotten hips, thighs, and large breasts.
Several of the guys in the pack had noticed.
Penelope loved her daughter, and she had done everything in her power to make Alexa proud of her body, and seeing her walking through the town square in her underwear was a two-edged blade for her.
She was so happy for her daughter’s confidence, but she had never shown this much flesh, and she knew she was going to the lake to hang out with friends. There had been a few pranks between Alexa and Landon that she felt was pushing it a little too far, and this was one of those occasions. She didn’t exactly know the full details, but it didn’t take a lot to guess that Landon and his friends had stolen her clothes.
Glancing toward her mate and husband, Dan, she saw he wasn’t pleased either.
The first day Alexa had come home crying because she’d been called a fat ugly lump had been difficult for him. He couldn’t kill her bullies.
Penelope had expected Landon to be the culprit, but it wasn’t. It turned out to be another girl who had a crush on Landon and hated the pre-mating rumors that had surrounded Landon and Alexa since their birth. If Penelope was honest with herself, she was starting to believe the rumors weren’t true.
Landon and Alexa had never, ever gotten along. Not even for a little bit. Their hatred of one another was a little … shocking.
No one, not herself or Dan, or even Marcel and Gertie, knew why they behaved that way. No one understood the hatred.
Laughter drew her attention back to her daughter, and she saw Dan was already making his way toward them.
“Do you think this is funny?” Alexa asked.
“You need to get some clothes on,” Landon said.
It had been a long time since they had to tear their children away from each other, but even Marcel and Gertie were getting closer.