“You might want to find somewhere else to stay tonight.”
Her mother’s statement pulled her from the movie she was watching. Pausing the screen, she twisted on the couch to glance at her mom. “Really? It’s a Sunday.”
“You know how the alpha gets when the Curusm comes. It’s only a few weeks away now, and Thursday is our BBQ.”
The archaic mating ritual always drew a crowd. Shifters from around the world would travel to take part. Their pack was one of the few in North America who still practiced it. And every year it made Thatcher, their alpha, act like a showman.
Which included the annual BBQ her mother was to host. Her mom dreaded it, and since Vivian had turned eighteen, she’d done the bulk of the work. Rafe had told her to find out who she was before worrying about a mate.
Well, she loved planning the BBQ and any other event her mother hosted. As the beta's mate, Susan Conners had to host events frequently. Moreso, since it had been over a decade since Thatcher had his own mate to fill the hostess role.
“Do they have a meeting in the morning?” Normally, on weekdays, Thatcher held a morning meeting with his advisors.
“I guess he canceled it.”
Vivian nodded. That was good. Her father could sleep off his hangover. “I’ll make myself scarce.”
Her mother sighed. “It’s for the best. If you need me, I’ll be at Joanne’s for the night.”
“Okay. Have a fun night.”
“I will.”
She watched her mother disappear through the front hall, her purse bursting with an extra set of clothing, a bottle of wine poking out as well.
Sometimes she wished her mother had a bit more of a backbone, that she would stand up for both of them, but Vivian knew her mother’s life wasn’t an easy one, and really, could she fault her for not stepping in whenever her husband decided discipline should include a verbal berating, or worse, a belt.
Her father cheated regularly, and likely would tonight, with whatever floozies the alpha’s friends had found for the night’s entertainment.
Vivian’s stomach churned.
After the door shut, Vivian hopped up from the couch and headed for the stairs. In her room, she grabbed an empty backpack and stuffed it with a change of clothing, a chapter book, and her tablet. Returning to the first floor, she filled her water bottle and pushed it into the mesh side pouch, then gathered granola bars and other snacks to top up the bag.
With her escape bag ready, she put it by the front door, and went back to finishing her movie. When the credits rolled, she headed to the kitchen, reheated a slice of pizza and prepared a salad.
The front door opened as she was chewing her last bite of crust. She swallowed hard when it wasn’t her father’s voice she heard, but multiple voices. Her brother Felix, and his friends.
“Hey, is Vivi here?” she heard Benjamin ask.
Hanging her head, she squeezed her eyes shut. “Fuck, no.”
She should have left when she had the chance.
The television turned on super loud as the theme song for some shooter game came blaring through the speakers.
“Found you,” Benjamin’s voice was loud, as his sneakers squeaked on the kitchen tiles.
“Great,” she muttered under her breath.
“Cold pizza for dinner, Vivi?” Benjamin asked, his nickname for her grating on her nerves.
“I heated it up.”
He tsked. “I would have taken you for a bite.” His grin was kind, but Vivian knew not to trust it. Other women might fall for his charm, but she wasn’t so foolish. “How about tomorrow night?”
“No, thanks.”
“You busy?”
Vivian took her dishes to the sink and began rinsing them. “No. I just don’t want to.”
Benjamin growled. “Come on, Vivi.” He walked closer and rested his hips against the counter.
Ignoring him, she cleaned her plate and fork, and left them in the drain tray.
“We could be so good together. You should just go out with me. Hell, I think we should mate.”
Vivian fought not to gag. As she turned off the faucet, he moved close behind her, brushing the hair away from her shoulder. He leaned down, but before his lips could make contact with her neck, she pushed out from between him and the counter. “I said no!”
Maybe if she was vocal enough with her responses, her brother would actually give two shits and come in to stop his friend.
Snatching up a cucumber and the iceberg lettuce from the counter, she shoved them into the fridge. She needed to get out of here before–
When she shut the door and turned, Benjamin stopped her from fleeing the kitchen. His palms connected with the stainless steel, pinning her against the fridge.
“You need an attitude adjustment, you know that?”
She attempted to push past him once more, but he grabbed a fistful of her hair, keeping her against the door.
Leaning close, his beer-stained breath choking her, he whispered, “Lucky for you, I know how to get you to behave.”
His lips grazed her cheek. Despite the pain, she jerked her head away as best she could. Glaring at him, she growled, “Stop.”
Sighing, he didn’t back off. With a smirk, he stared at her, disregarding her displeasure. “You’re twenty-three now, Vivi. They’re going to mate you off soon, and frankly, you’re getting old. The only hope you have is that virginity you hold so dear.”
She froze.
“Your dad brags about his sweet, virginal little girl.” He ground his pelvis against her. “It gets me hard just thinking about taking your v-card.”
Using an iron grip, he held her chin and leaned closer, going for a kiss. Thrashing against him, she pushed at his chest and squirmed to get away.
A scoff came from a few feet away. “Benji, leave her alone, man.”
Clearly pissed off to be interrupted, Benjamin glared at Hara.
The omega, another friend of her brother’s, was in the doorframe. Hara shook his head. “Don’t make me call Felix in here.” He motioned with his hand to where Benjamin held her hair in a tight lock. “He won’t like this.”
Benjamin snorted, but released her. Without another word, he left the room.
Hara drew closer. “You okay?”
When he reached out to touch her shoulder, she jerked away. “I’m fine.”
“Sorry about Ben.”
“It’s not your fault.”
Yet, now she found herself trapped in the kitchen with Hara, and she considered it just as bad as being with Benjamin.
In the past, she’d been kind to Hara one too many times. A mistake on her part. Showing kindness to an omega could be dangerous, and now Hara seemed to think she should belong to him.
She knew he saw her as an easy target. Someone who was kind and gentle, who he could easily gain a mating with, but she wasn’t interested. Mating with him would leave her exposed to alphas and betas who didn’t consider him a threat. She’d be easy pickings and more vulnerable to getting raped.
Right now, if someone attacked her, her father would be furious. It would be an attack on his honor, and indirectly on Thatcher as well, because of her father’s position. They would discipline her attacker and may even sentence them to death. But if Hara was her defense…
She shuddered.
Not to mention she had no interest in him. He was a manipulative worm. She suspected he’d use underhanded methods to get what he wanted. He was smarter than Benjamin, and that made him more dangerous, as far as she was concerned.
“I have plans with some friends.”
Hara nodded. “Have fun.” He stuck his hands in his pockets and looked at the ground. “I’ll see you around.”
Vivian exited the room with a non-committal “yeah” and headed for the door.
Blissfully, Felix, Benjamin and all the other dumbasses left her alone as she hurried to put on her shoes, grabbed her bag and absconded from the house.
Benjamin was right about one thing. They would mate her off soon, and like chattel, she’d played right into what they wanted.
Her father would get what he’d always wanted. A daughter whose mating would be beneficial to him.
She was even-tempered, docile, a wonderful cook and house-keeper. She would make an excellent hostess, and she was a virgin.
Any man in this pack would happily accept the package that was Vivian Conners, and her father would use that to his advantage.
At least she didn’t have to run in that damn Curusm.