Chapter thirteen

(Matthew's POV)

"Wow, it's beautiful," she whispers in awe and I couldn't help but smile with pride and glee that my mate likes my home.

What she didn't know was that if anyone else had been here without permission, they wouldn't see anything. It would just be a huge clearing and nothing more and they would turn back and forget how they got here or whatever else they saw.

We needed to stay away from human territory since some of the younger cubs liked to shift anytime they liked. Come to think of it, it's been a while since I went for a run.

"This place is just wow. Who would believe that this place exists? How come I haven't heard about this community?" She asks me as she pulls me towards the building in the middle as if she knew that I live there.

'I'm not a community, it's your pack' I say to myself. "It's because we like our peace and so we chose to remain anonymous," I reply.

We pass by a few pack members whom I nod to as a reply to their greetings. Some were looking at Cassandra with open curiosity while others wore knowing looks.

As we reach the Alpha residence, mom immediately runs out from the entrance towards us and pulls my mate in for a hug.

"Oh bless your heart, my dear. I thought Matthew managed to whisk you off somewhere, come on in, you're just in time for lunch," she says and pulls Cassandra's hand from mine and drags her into the building.

I roll my eyes and follow after them. We greet the receptionist who is a warrior wolf that is responsible for guarding the Alpha residence. We then stepped into an elevator that would take us to the third floor.

"So tell me about yourself, Cassandra," mom says as we wait for the lift to arrive at its destination.

"Well, my name is Cassandra, I am twenty years old, I go to college where I study food science and engineering, I love reading and I am not a very social person," my mate replies with a polite smile.

"Okay, what about your parents?"

Cassandra and I stiffen.

"Mom, you can interrogate Cassandra later. Let's eat first," I say as I see how tense my mate had gotten.

Thankfully, before mom could say any more the elevator dinged and I hurry Cassandra forward and out of the elevator but not before giving mom the stink eye.

She pouts and puts on a wronged expression but I know how curious she can get. I love my mother very much but she can be quite insensitive sometimes.

The elevator led to a short hallway that breaks out into an open dining area. Friends and family members were busy chatting away or treating themselves to a snack.

Like magic, everyone stops talking at the same time and looks in our direction. I feel Cassandra tense in discomfort and I put my palm on her lower back in encouragement. She looks up at me and I smile in reassurance. She smiles back and gives me an imperceptible nod before facing my family with a confident expression.

I turn towards my family with a proud grin on my face and as if on queue they all start to holler in their usual crazy way.

I laugh in delight and look down at my mate to find her smiling with a blush on her cheeks that makes me want to bite on them like an apple. Well, this is going well.

We make our way to the lengthy dining table and I take my seat at the head Cassandra sits on my right and my mom on my left. Michael and his mate were beside mom and so on.

Conversation flows freely amongst us in a comfortable way and it warms my heart to see how relaxed my mate was around my family and friends. Fortunately, no one asks any cringe-worthy questions so everything goes smoothly.

The Cook arrived with our dinner and it is delicious mm mm mm, that woman can cook.

We finish our meal and the Cook serves us banana pudding as dessert. Five minutes into our relaxing dinner, one of my warriors runs into the dining area with a panicked look on his face.

I excuse myself from the table and I move to intercept him and we go to a corner; away from the others.

"What's wrong Jacob?" I ask in alarm.

"The hunters are here."

(Cassandra's POV)

Everyone here is nice, except a few who were glaring at me. Haters gonna hate, though I don't know what I did but whatever.

The food is delicious mm mm, especially this heavenly pudding. That Cook is my hero.

Halfway into our meal, a muscular man runs into the dining area, he looks panicked and Matthew excused himself and they went to a corner.

Maybe it's some business stuff, so I ignore them and continue my conversation with Elijah, Matthew's cousin. He's the same age as me and so very funny. I almost choke on my food because of his weird but humorous jokes.

A few seconds later, Michael also stands up and moves towards Matt and muscle man. They seem worried and would occasionally glance at me and Michelle.

Matthew then walks towards me with a frown on his handsome face and pulls me up by my elbow. I look over to Michelle and see her boyfriend doing the same thing.

"Sweetheart, we need to go somewhere, I'll tell you when we get there please," he says and I nod since he looks stressed but later he better have some answers.

The room had fallen silent as I and Mich were led deeper into the room. We stop in front of a ceiling to floor picture and I look at Matthew in confusion.

All of a sudden, the picture slid to the side, causing me and Mich to gasp in surprise as we were led into a room. A room behind a picture, that's cool.

The room is simple and surprisingly neat. There are two couches and two ottomans with a glass coffee table in between, a shelf filled with books on the left wall, and the right wall has another floor to ceiling picture and I can't help but wonder if anything is behind it.

We were led towards another set of ottomans near a fireplace but it looked like it hadn't been used in a while. Rich ass people.

Matthew leads me to sit on one ottoman and Mich sits on the other. It is then that I notice two muscle men were also in the room. This is getting weirder by the second.

I look up at Matthew expectantly as he and his friend go to lean on the fireplace with the frown on their faces still intact.

"Matthew, what's going on?" I ask when no one says anything.

He takes a deep breath before looking at me. "Some men are here and let's just say they're monsters. I don't want either of you caught in this so please stay here, we'll be back before you know it," he explains with a pleading expression.

"If they're dangerous then you shouldn't go out there. You have huge guards right, just let them do whatever you plan on doing," I say as I glare at him for thinking of putting himself in harm's way.

Matthew sighs and crouches in front of me and takes my hands in his. "Baby, please understand, I'm like their leader, they're my family, I have to protect them," he says as he rubs my hands in comfort.

In my peripheral vision, I see Michelle's boyfriend kiss her on her forehead and she nods to whatever he was saying. She's going to let him go out there?

"What about me Matthew, please don't go," I plead and to my utter consternation, my eyes sting.

"Baby.." he whispers and kisses me. It was just lips on lips, no movement, gentle and sweet but it did little to placate me and I could feel my heart heartbreaking because I know he won't listen.

He abruptly stands up and walks towards the entrance with Michael close behind.

"Please don't go," I whisper but he keeps walking.