Lola (Completed)

15 Major Kinds of Discomfort

Lola

"How are things with our alphason? Any sign of his mate?"

I stare at my mom's face in the rearview mirror. I'm in the backseat as my parents sit up front, dad driving, silent as always, and mom talking about Bastian's mate as if that's something I want to talk about.

Let's just pretend that I'm not his mate... Would I want to talk about that unknown she-wolf? No! Because it sucks to be the other woman, the whore. My mom's greed and avarice blinds her to the most obvious facts.

"No signs," I mumble a response when her eyes refuse to leave mine.

Silence descends for a bit. No one asks me about my mate or if I've seen 'signs' of him.

"Well, maybe she'll never show up!" mom says cheerfully as we pull into the upscale asian restaurant.

I get out of the car reluctantly. I'm allergic to sesame seeds. China Star, the cheap Chinese restaurant that most of us at the packhouse eat at, uses cheap vegetable oil in their food. I happen to know that this restaurant uses the expensive sesame oil. Mom chose the restaurant. Amazing, isn't she?

"It's Alpha's favorite," she huffs at me when I cast her a dark look.

I ignore her excuse. He likes more than one restaurant. This place is the most expensive meal in town. That's why she picked it and for no other reason.

"Lola, you need to be careful ordering your food here," Alpha says sternly as we hand off our coats to the check-in hostess.

I nod, not meeting his eyes.

"Thank you for looking after our Lola for us, Alpha," mom simpers.

I try to stop my eyes from rolling at her obvious brown-nosing. I don't need a lecture on being respectful to my mom.

"I'm very fond of Lola. Nothing will happen to her as long as I'm around," he responds.

Oh, my goddess. Now I'm repressing the shudder that wants to run over my entire spine. This night is going to be a disaster.

"Lola is getting the steamed veggies and steak. They can cook it without sesame oil," Bastian snaps out, sounding irritated.

I look at him, startled. We ate here almost two years ago with the rest of the group to celebrate Samuel's eighteenth birthday. That's what I ordered that day.

I blush when Bastian smiles at me gently.

Mom titters, "you two are so cute!" just as a pair of firm hands strips my jacket from my shoulders.

"Here, Lola, let me help you," Alpha is just inches from my ear.

"Where are we sitting, dad?" Bastian grits out.

What on earth did these two talk about in the car? They are so short with each other that even mom seems uncomfortable for, like, a hot second.

Then she starts again, "your son is such a sweetheart, Alpha, you must be so proud!"

Gag. Shut up, Mom! I hate thinking about Bastian being Alpha's son. Is that weird? I just can't reconcile my mate being the spawn of my nightmare.

Alpha clears his throat and gestures to the host. "Let's find our table, shall we?"

Mom snags Bastian before I can, sidling up next to him and latching on to his arm as we walk away. Now I know where I got my leech skills from.

I'm not alone, however. Unfortunately. Alpha wraps his arm around my waist, leans down and says, "you look absolutely exquisite, my good girl."