Awkward Dinner
Leaving my office, after talking with Mason left me wondering what I would do if I found my mate. Would I be excited? What if my family did not like my mate? What if my mate is not a werewolf? Could I still love a witch or vampire?
Don't you dare think you will reject our mate. Our mate will be a perfect gift from the Moon goddess deems us worthy of. I will never speak to you again if you keep this line of thinking up. Marcus yelled at me.
I wasn't saying I would reject them. I was just wondering how we would handle it if we were in Mason's situation. Dang man can't I have any of my thoughts to myself? I retorted. Ugh
Mate will find us when the time is right. Can we go on a run? Marcus asked.
Yeah buddy, but it has to be a quick run so we are not late for dinner? So one lap around the lake and then back to the home to get ready for dinner. I agreed, walking out of the pack house and headed to the woods behind the house to run.
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Tallulah's POV
Of course, Rhett invited people to dinner without asking if I even wanted to have guests over. He knows I have so much stuff to do to prepare for the Yule Ball. Well if I have to be the dutiful wife then I will put on the best show. Josie is with her cheer squad having a sleepover. Cooper should be home soon. It's not that I don't like Isla or Alexi, it's just that it always seems like they are judging me. Like I am the one who did wrong. I did not do anything wrong. I wasn't the one who cheated on their mate, saying they were looking for their sister only to be fucking some whore on the side. Make me raise his whore's child while my child died.
Don't let them get the best of you. Mate made a mistake and he has made it up to us. You shouldn't hold it against him anymore. It's not fair to mate. He loves us. Liza said, pouting. She hates when I talk bad about Rhett. She may have forgiven him, but it is still difficult for me some days. I set the table, then checked on the pot roast with mushrooms, potatoes, and carrots. I checked on the apple pie in the oven. Good, it's coming along perfectly.
"Honey…Tallulah…are you home?" Rhett yells walking into the house.
"I'm in the kitchen. Did you bring Alexi and Isla with you?" I asked back, hoping I have time to freshen up before everyone gets here.
"No, they will be here in a few minutes." Rhett responded walking into the kitchen to grab a glass of water.
"Okay good. Watch the pie. It needs about 20 more minutes. I need to go clean up real quick." I said kissing him on the cheek and setting my apron on the hook on the pantry door.
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Cooper's POV
I finished my run and grabbed a pair of basketball shorts from the shed's stash. We have strategically built hunting sheds around the woods to help keep our wolves from being naked after shifting back. To normal humans it's a little hunting shack that is stocked with a few days worth of food, first aid kits and extra blankets and clothing. Sometimes it helps the few rogues that are looking for a place to peacefully rest, while the majority just ignore the sheds thinking they are humans.
I got dressed and started walking toward my parents house. I spot Halley walking up the front porch. Dad must have invited her over to talk her into coming with me to get Lyra. Halley and Lyra are best friends, she is good at getting Lyra to do things she doesn't want to do. I jog up to the front porch before she can ring the doorbell.
"Hey Halley, how are you doing?" I said opening the door to let her in.
"Not too bad. That last mission could have been more exciting, but I hear we have a secret mission to discuss." Halley said, raising her eyebrows and smirking at me.
As we walked in, we were hit with the delicious smell of my mother's cooking. "Oh yeah, it should be fairly boring I am afraid. This dinner however should be enlightening." I laughed and waved hi to everyone and ran upstairs to clean up. After a quick shower, I hear my dad say dinner is ready to be served. So I threw on a plain black t-shirt and some dark wash bootcut jeans and went downstairs to the dinning room where everyone was already seated. My seat was next to Halley, of course, and across from her is a woman who I believe is Alexi's wife, next to mom at the right and Alexi next to dad at the opposite end.
"Oh Rhett, Tallulah, don't tell me this grown man is little Cooper?" the woman said surprise written all over her face.
"Yes, Isla, this is our oldest Cooper." My mother addressed Isla. Thankfully using her name because I had already forgotten her name, which isn't like me. Today has just been long.
"Hello, ma'am. It's a pleasure to meet you." I said, standing up, reaching my hand over to shake her hand.
"Oh and he has good manners. So is this lovely lady your mate, Cooper?" She asked. Halley and I looked at each other and started laughing.
"No, Halley is like a sister to me. Halley is Lyra's best friend." I chuckled. The thought of Halley and I being mates is hilarious. Honestly I am glad she isn't my mate that would have been really weird.
"Oh my, Tallulah, the flavor of this pot roast is phenomenal. What is your secret?" Isla asked, taking another bite of her dinner.
"Thank you. I actually mix dry french onion dip mix, garlic powder, salt, pepper, paprika, and a dash of cumming. Then I heat up a can of golden mushroom soup, beef stock, beefy mushroom soup and then I add my dry mix in the sauce pan and let it all blend together. I chop up my red potatoes and layer the bottom of my crockpot with red potatoes, baby carrots, chopped yellow onion and portobello mushrooms. Then I set my roast that has been soaking the night before in worshiresauce, dales, and a bit of mustard rubbed into the roast, on top of the vegetables and then I add more vegetables around the roast and on top of the roast. Finally I add my seasons. I let that cook on low for 8 hours, then I take out the roast and cut it up and stir everything up a bit more and it cooks on low until dinner time. It's all about the slow cooking and allowing all the flavors to marry into each other to create a rich flavor."
"Well you are a wonderful cook, Tallulah," said Alexi.
"Yeah mom is a great cook. Her desserts are the bomb. Wait until you try her apple pie that she baked." Cooper replied as he started to serve himself a second helping.
"Yes, Mrs. Spencer's apple pies are Lyra and I favorite dessert she makes. Coop here always asks for pumpkin flavored desserts." Halley confirmed, nudging me with her elbow.
"Oh how is Lyra? We haven't gotten an update about her in a while. Rhett, you hurt my heart. You don't reach out like you used to when she was younger." Isla said as she took a bite of the pot roast.
I watched as my father exchanged looks with Alexi and then my mother. She hid her cringe, but I could still see the slight tightening of her jaw at the mention of Lyra. Looking around at the different people who all play a role in a secret that shouldn't need to be a deep secret and yet they are all uncomfortable because of it.
"Lyra is doing great. She is supposed to call once she gets her LSATs score back, but I won't hear from her until Brandon leaves-" Halley said, then looked up whispering fuck.
"Did little Lyra find her mate? Rhett, you didn't tell us she found her mate. What else has happened?" Isla questioned, obviously hurt by not knowing much about Lyra.
"Not that I know of she hasn't met her mate, Tallulah did she say anything to you when you spoke the other night?" inquired Rhett.
Halley, you fucked up. Who is Brandon? I asked through mindlink
Damn, I know I fucked up. Help me! We can talk about Brandon on the way to pick up Lyra. Just help me!!! She said back with a pleading look on her face.
I tried to think of something, quickly, but mom spoke up first, "you know very well I wouldn't know anything if you didn't make the stipulation of going to college two states over." argued my mother. Oh this is not going to be good.
"Of course, she doesn't want to talk to you. You are always hard on her about everything." Halley stated.
"Brandon is just her roommate's boyfriend." I snapped hoping to stop the conversation from progressing. Dad, you better back me up on this one. Halley, shut your mouth. I don't care who Brandon is, but knock it off. Everyone looked at me trying to decide if what I said was the truth or not. "Mom, you know her friend Jordan. Brandon is her boyfriend. You know Lyra doesn't date." Thank goddess Lyra didn't date anyone in high school. So it's not hard to believe. Let her believe, goddess please. I look at mom and she is starting to believe it.
"Right, Tally. All she did was study. She never did half the things Coop or Josey have done." dad said.
"Rhett, what does this girl mean that Tallulah and Lyra don't get along? Why didn't you tell us there was conflict?" Alexi questioned in a serious tone. Alexi set his silverware down, sat straight up and crossed his arms. Oh hell this is getting us nowhere. Mom started laughing
"Who are you to question us about conflict within our family?" question mom with an eerie laugh. "Rhett is this the woman? Did you bring that woman into my home?"
"Excuse me. This woman cares about Lyra. Apparently you are holding a pointless grudge against an innocent child." Isla bickered.
"Rhett, I swear to the moon goddess you better not have brought that whore into my home. I have forgiven a lot, but this blatant disrespect will not be forgiven." my mother proclaimed.
"Excuse me, who are you calling a whore?" Isla shouted back at my mother.
Oh hell. Shit is about to get out of hand. "Mom, calm down. No one is disrespecting you. Let's change the topic. There is no need to discuss this. We should be discussing the upcoming Yule Ball. Didn't you just say the other night you and josie got your dresses?" I pleaded. The tension in this room could make anyone uncomfortable.
"Cooper, you stay out of this." Mother shouted at me."Rhett, you better start talking before things get worse."
Dad moved in his seat uncomfortably and Halley was trying to shrink down into her seat. Oh this dinner is a bust. Alexi and dad look like they are having a private argument on how to handle this. Dad cleared his throat and looked at mom, "Tallulah sit down and stop putting on a show. There is no need for unnecessary name calling. You know full and well that Alexi and Isla are childhood friends of mine. Now I think you owe them both an apology. Cooper, Halley, you both better get your things together and head out. We will talk later." Dad lectured. Mom sat back down, but she refused to say a word.
"Rhett, I think it is time we leave. We appreciate you both having us for dinner. Dinner was fabulous , thank you Tallulah." Alexi said as he stood up rubbing circles on his mates. Alexi stood up, pushed his chair in without another word.
"Cooper, I'd like to collaborate on some strategies for the Yule Ball if you will reach out with a time for us to get together. Good luck on your trip." Alexi requested.
I stood and shook his hand, "Yes, I would like for us to get together. Will you be available on the 28th for the beta meeting?" Alexi shook my hand and we walked towards the front door.
"Ah yes, I can be available for the meeting." Alexi replied, "Rhett, thank you again."
"We will talk." Rhett said as he shook his friend's hand. Alexi and Isla walked out the door without another word to my mother.
I looked at dad and shook my head. This has been ridiculously over complicated for no reason. If Alexi and Isla knew, why didn't dad just tell mom instead of letting her think he cheated and made her take care of his child from his affair. I walked back into the dinning room to clean up dinner only to find Halley wiping the table down. "Hey, you want some help?" I asked, heading to the kitchen to do the dishes.
"Yeah I put most of the food on the counter and I scraped off the plates." said Halley. She finished wiping down the table, while I started putting the food in tupperware dishes. "I am sorry. I didn't mean to cause things to be worse." I looked up and saw Halley standing at the counter looking like a kid who had been called to the principal's office.
"No, it wasn't your fault. Though we are gonna have to talk about on the way to Lyra's." I reassured her. This was no ones fault but my parents. "Where did my mother go anyways?"
"She got up from the table and left without a word. I sat there at the table for a good minute before I decided to clean up. What was all that about?" asked Halley as she started to rinse the plates and load them into the dishwasher.
"I don't know man, but that was awkward." I responded. "So when do you want to leave for Lyra's? It's about an 8 hour drive, so the sooner we leave the sooner we can be back."
Hahaha "you really think it is going to be that easy to get Lyra to agree to come home. Especially after the show tonight, I can't really blame her for not wanting to come back." Halley laughed.
"No it won't be easy. I have three days to convince once we leave that is why I wanted to make sure we leave as soon as possible." I huffed. Halley isn't wrong this is going to be an uphill battle and I just pray mom doesn't call Lyra before we get there.
"Okay. Let me go get my bag and we can leave in two hours. It's 8 now. So we could be there by 6." Halley suggested, closing the dishwasher and starting it.
"Nah, we are not showing up at 6am. How about we leave in two hours and stop about 4 hours into our trip, rest for a few hours then get to her place around 10ish 11 something around there." I countered. Lyra isn't a morning person and if we show up at the asscrack of dawn she will definitely not listen to a word I say.
"Alright. Let me help you with the pans first." she suggested.
"Nah. You go ahead and get packed. I can finish up here. I'll pick you up at your apartment at 10." I said, there wasn't much left and honestly I wanted to take a hot shower to wash off today.
"Okay see you at ten." Halley said, heading to the front door.