Chapter 3 While We Waited For Mother

• Bianca’s POV:
• Teresa Oak stood before me with a pursed lip. The mockery and sarcasm in her expression were intentionally vivid.
• “I don’t think you have a place in here,” Teresa said to me, pressing her point finger against my chest slightly.
• “Maybe, I’m the one who’s supposed to be asking you that question. Get your hands off me,” I said and flung her hands away from my way.
• “You dare not touch me, you crazy bitch,” Teresa said to me aggressively.
• “You’re still the same since ten years ago. Just like your mother,” I said to her disdainfully.
• She abruptly held me to stop and snarled at me.
• “You better keep your mouth away from my mother’s business, or else you’re gonna have to pay for it the hard way,” Teresa said and walked ahead of me, “By the way, nice osteopath you had for the leg.”
• I glanced at her agitatedly as she walked away feeling proud and egocentric. A woman, who was probably an omega and worked as an attendant in the mansion approached me.
• “Ma’am,” she addressed me, “Your luggage has been delivered to your bedroom and your dinner is getting cold. You need to hurry.”
• I smiled at her and ordered her to leave. I had everything under control from my perspective.
• I walked into the room full of trepidation, anticipating awful sceneries in my head and purposefully replaying them. The hallway was large and empty, but soft chats and chortles were coming from a nearby room.
• The house was so large that I couldn’t imagine where the living room would be and locate my room too. I kept opening doors I thought could be the way to my room until I opened the dining room door.
• Everyone’s eyes locked with mine. I sensed the contempt the quadruplets gazed at me in. Also, the wicked Teresa sat beside one of the quadruplets and held him tightly. The only person with a fairly bright expression was Alpha Ethan. The elderly woman who stood beside one of the quadruplets and served chicken was mildly familiar to me.
• “Very sure she lost her way and came up here. This kind of house is not for you,” Teresa said with a light pesky voice.
• She managed to win a chuckle from two of the quadruplets and the other girl who sat beside Jonah. I could tell him apart by the colour of his sleeves and Kel by his gloves.
• “Hey. Hey, Teresa, Let’s be nice,” Alpha Ethan said and stood up from his seat to walk towards me.
• He touched my back warmly and directed me towards the large dining table. It seemed like they had anticipated this moment.
• “Guys, this is our new family member. She’s going to be present during breakfasts and dinners. And family meetings,” Alpha Ethan informed.
• “But Mom’s not allowed to make contributions in the family meeting,” Mike, perhaps, said in an attacking yet calm tone.
• “Your mother was no good for your father, Dandy,” the elderly woman who stood beside Dandy cautioned.
• Dandy wore a red cap, making it easier for me to tell them apart when I needed to. Then, Mike was the only one I hadn’t heard his voice yet.
• “Your mother decided to leave this family. I didn’t chase her and the wolf district has restricted your mother from visiting this territory.
• “Seriously Dad? I’m pretty sure you signed the papers,” Dandy said quietly.
• “Papers? What are you talking about, son? We’re not in the human world and wouldn’t need papers to call off a coupling. Your mother wasn’t just right for me and I’m not stopping you from seeing her anytime you want,” Alpha Ethan addressed, but particularly Dandy.
• There was a sudden pin-drop silence in the dining room, except for the elderly woman who kept throwing the chunks of chicken into the dinner dishes. I took brief glimpses at everyone at the dining table, only to find Teresa’s eyes piercing my skin.
• I figured she was the girlfriend of Jonah by the way she hugged him, probably trying to make me jealous or something I found difficult to understand.
• “Hey, I’m Madeleine, Mike’s girlfriend,” Madeleine stretched her hands forward for a handshake.
• “Hi, Madeleine,” I blurted nervously, “I’m Bia…”
• “Bianca Andre, the daughter of Chloe Adams,” Teresa interrupted.
• “Have you two known each other?” Madeleine questioned.
• “It’s quite unpopular for a mother and daughter living together to bear different surnames. I mean, I’m sure you just arrived from the house of an Alpha,” Jonah expressed.
• “Yes, we have a lot of history together,” Teresa answered Madeleine.
• Madeleine gazed at me as though she had accidentally stepped on my toes.
• “Sorry,” Madaleine said calmly.
• “It’s no problem. I can deal with the history. It’s not that hard to get rid of,” I turned to Madeleine and delivered my message.
• “Wait, wait, wait. Is there bad blood between the both of you?” Alpha Ethan asked.
• “No,” I responded sharply.
• “Yes,” Teresa replied almost simultaneously.
• “Look, Dad, you have to be aware of where you keep your money. You just welcomed a thief into the house. Lying and stealing are two complimentary crimes, aren’t they?” Mike said.
• The first thing that came out of his mouth with the smooth lovely voice was a constructed insult. Madeleine tapped him softly to retract his statement but he was defiant.
• The elderly woman began pouring wine into everybody’s cups but intentionally skipped Kel’s cup. He seemed quiet, probably meditating on something important – a test perhaps. I surreptitiously observed him, still bearing in mind the hurtful things I had been told since I arrived.
• “How do you two know each other?” Alpha Ethan questioned calmly.
• “We are or we were, how am I gonna put this into non-offensive words?” Teresa said to herself, “We are step-siblings. I’m not surprised your mother is still jumping around from one man to another man with her daughter like a slut. She’d eventually run back to her Alpha, Bianca’s dad when she’s tired of coupling with you.”
• “Your father also fell for the crooks of Bianca’s mom?” Dandy questioned, having flashy glimpses at me and Teresa.
• “Yes, when he was younger until Bianca’s mom found out she couldn’t have any other children with him,” Teresa said and gazed at me ominously.
• “It’s okay guys, Bianca is family now and there’s no reason to keep her uncomfortable. Chloe was just searching for the perfect man who would take care of her and love her dearly. There’s no reason to judge her, all right?” Alpha Ethan warned.
• “And by the way, you all have to respect Chloe because she’s your stepmother now,” He added with a stern look on his face.
• I smiled at Alpha Ethan and nodded my head warmly.
• “While we wait for your mom to come over, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?” Alpha Ethan asked with a smile.
• I made a nervous chuckle, which Teresa rolled her eyeballs in response to. I didn’t know when I picked up the fork and began clanging it against the dinner dish.
• “Emm… I’m seventeen years old, I love braiding girls’ hair – sometimes I make a living out of it. I just play one sport, lawn tennis…” I was speaking.
• “Can you stop that? My ears are profusely bleeding cos of that sound,” Kel said, his eye colour switching again.
• “I’m sorry,” I replied apologetically.
• The elderly woman who had been inside for quite some time returned with another jar filled with liquid and poured it into Kel’s cup. Unlike the rest of our drinks which were light yellow, Kel’s drink was a thick, dark red liquid: that seemed very much like blood.
• The door creaked loudly and my mother walked in hastily. She seemed like she knew where the dining room had been.
• “I’m sorry, guys. I was busy with some people. We can eat now,” my mother said, walking towards the empty spot on the dining table. She fell into the elderly lady who served Kel the blood wine.
• “Do I know you from somewhere?” the elderly woman questioned.
• “I’m not sure about that,” my mother answered, avoiding eye contact with the lady.
• “Sure, I do. You’re the woman from the…“ the elderly woman was talking when my mother shut her mouth with her palms.
• “This is not the time and place to say this,” my mother said carefully and looked at me briefly.
• My curiosities about the petty secret my father claimed mother had been keeping proliferated. I assumed the elderly woman knew something terrible about my mother and was cut short by my mother. What could my mother be possibly hiding? The question kept resounding in my head.