"You look much better now," he said, his gaze sweeping over me appreciatively.
I couldn't help but blush at his comment, feeling a little self-conscious under his intense stare. "Thanks, Derick. Your shower is amazing."
He chuckled. "Glad you enjoyed it. Come on, let's eat. I wish you will enjoy the meal." Derick smile.
I couldn't help but notice the delicious smell wafting from the plate of meat steak in front of me. I picked up my knife and fork and cut into it, savoring the taste. "Did you prepare this meal, Derick?" I asked him, still impressed with the flavor.
Derick smiled proudly. "Yes, I did. I'm glad you like it."
Just as we were both enjoying our meal, we heard a car horn outside. Derick got up to look out of the window, but before he could say anything, a familiar voice burst in through the door.
"Hello everyone, who missed me?" Jessica exclaimed as she walked in with a big smile on her face.
Derick greeted her politely and asked about her trip and the business he had asked her to handle. But instead of answering, Jessica's eyes widened in shock as she saw me sitting at the table with Derick.
"What is this Rejected Mate doing here?" she blurted out.
I was taken aback by her rude comment and dropped the glass of wine I was about to sip. I was getting tired of people always calling me that. "Stop it, Jessica," Derick said firmly. "Sophia here is my friend, and I won't allow you to address her that way."
But Jessica didn't listen. She accused me of using a spell on Derick, wondering how their own Alpha could choose someone with no value in the midst of the werewolves as a friend.
I couldn't take it anymore. "Please, Jessica, just stop. Aren't you tired of the bullying? I already had enough of it when I was working at your company, and now you still want to continue?"
Jessica's response was even more disrespectful. She told me to shut my mouth because I didn't have the right to speak when she was talking.
Derick had had enough. He stood up and slapped Jessica, warning her never to address me like that again. Jessica stormed out of the room in anger, and Derick apologized to me for her behavior.
"It's fine, Derick," I said, but the truth was, I had lost my appetite. I pushed my plate away and just sat there, feeling hurt and frustrated by the constant bullying and discrimination. The atmosphere was now tense, and I couldn't wait to leave.
I excused myself from the dinner table and made my way to the garden space, trying to process what just happened. Why was it so hard for people to accept me for who I was? Why did they always have to judge me based on my status as a rejected mate? It wasn't fair.
As I was lost in thought, someone tap me on my shoulder. It was Derick. He came and stand next to me in the garden.
"I'm sorry again about Jessica," he said. "I know it's been tough for you."
I looked at him, grateful for his understanding. "Thanks," I said. "It's just hard sometimes, you know?"
Derick nodded. "I can only imagine. But you're not alone, Sophia. I'm here for you."
I smiled, feeling a sense of warmth and comfort from Derick's words. "Thanks," I said again.
Derick smile and tell me, "Go inside and get some rest," he said. "We have a big day tomorrow." I smile back at him.
~Miranda Pov~
I stepped out of the mansion and took in a deep breath of fresh air. The wind blew through my hair, and I felt a sense of freedom wash over me. As I stood there, lost in my thought, Amanda, approached me.
"Hey, Miranda," she greeted me with a smile.
I turned to face her and asked, "Have you spoken to your daughter, Leah's yet?"
Amanda let out a sigh and replied, "Leah is finding it hard to understand. She's still in shock over her father's death."
I rolled my eyes. "I don't have time to babysit a grown woman. If she doesn't join the pack soon, we'll have to go after her."
Amanda pleaded with me to give her more time. She promised to make Leah see reason eventually. Then she added, "You haven't changed a bit, Miranda. I wish your stepfather, Alpha Ethan, had given me the chance to train you instead of doing it himself."
The mention of Ethan's name hit me like a ton of bricks. I turned and slapped Amanda across the face.
"Don't you dare mention that name around me ever again!" I shouted. "The moment he died, his name died with him."
Amanda was taken aback by my outburst. But I wasn't done yet.
"Instead of trying to get closer to me, focus on Leah and your ridiculous red lipstick!" I spat, as I focus on my view.
I could feel Amanda's eyes burning in anger, but I didn't care. As the Alpha, I had to be strong and make tough decisions, even if it meant hurting those close to me.
After a few moments of silence, Amanda finally spoke up. "Miranda, I'm sorry. I had no idea it would upset you that much. And about Leah, I'll make sure she understands the situation and joins the pack as soon as possible."
I softened my expression a bit and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry too, Amanda. I just... I still have a lot of unresolved feelings about Ethan's brutal attitude towards me. And as for Leah, I really do need her to join our pack. We need as many strong wolves as we can get right now."
Amanda nodded, looking relieved that I wasn't angry with her anymore. "I understand, Miranda. And I promise to do everything in my power to convince Leah to join."
I gave her a small smile. "Thank you, Amanda. I appreciate it. And I'm sorry for lashing out at you like that."
She smiled back at me. "It's okay. I know you've been through a lot. But if you ever want to talk about it, I'm here for you."
We both stood there for a moment, enjoying the peacefulness of the evening. Then Amanda cleared her throat. "Um, Miranda, there's one more thing I wanted to mention."
I raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"It's about your mother. She's been trying to get in touch with you. She says she wants to see you."
I felt a pang of guilt at the mention of my mother. It had been years since we had spoken. "I... I don't know, Amanda. I'm not sure I'm ready to see her yet. Besides, she's not my real mother."
Amanda nodded understandingly. "I get it. It's just that she seems really sincere this time. And maybe it would be good for both of you to talk things out."
I sighed. "I'll think about it, Amanda. Thanks for letting me know."