XXXVII. This is Normal

Raine’s POV:

Silence all around.

The utensils click against one another. I pick up a piece of steak and place it inside my mouth. It’s good. I heard that Alphas are wealthy and rumors are not proven to be false. Good steaks mean wealth. That does not make any sense at all.

“I heard you’re still in school.” I look up from the juicy steak only to be punched in the face. Not physically. More emotionally. “You’re seventeen?”

I swallow the piece of meat. “Yes.” Mom. I have to stop thinking of her as my mom because she isn’t. Maybe, if I focused on her eye colors enough, it would distract me from the other features.

She smiles and places a piece of asparagus on my plate. This woman is definitely not my mom. Mom wouldn’t put vegetables in my place because she hates it. Mom rarely wants to eat anything green so she avoids making it.

There it is. I can find subtle differences to keep myself from insanity.

“Do you have a twin?” I ask her. The men at the table stop eating and look at me.

She smiles, a very uncomfortable one. “Not that I know of.”

“Why did you call her mom?” Leon asks.

“Why can’t she call her mom?” Preston question before I could respond. There it is. The father-son harmony. “She’s going to be your wife, our daughter-in-law. It’s only right for her to call your mother...mom.”

I don’t know whether I should thank Preston for getting me out of that sticky question or punch him in the face for being so forceful. I’m leaning on the second part, but I don’t want to be beaten to death. His hands look rough like he strangled a lot of necks in his life.

Leon frowned, but he didn’t respond.

It’s odd how Leon responds to his father.

From what I know, when an Alpha takes over his parent seats; he is the head. The previous Alpha or anyone else shouldn’t overpower him or else he will lose all respect in the pack.

“I heard you applied for some sort of company in Europe,” Preston said.

Leon sucks in his cheeks.

“Don’t worry. I pulled your application.” I didn’t dare look up from my plate, instead, I continued to cut the steak. Very slowly. I made sure not to cut all the way to the plate. I need to be invisible. “If you wanted to work. You can work at Interstellar.”

“No.”

I glanced up and saw that the steak was halfway towards Preston’s mouth. “What?”

“I do not want to work at Interstellar. I want to go to-”

Preston threw the utensil and steak down. “What are you doing with your life?” he roars. I look back towards the steak.

Not my family.

Not my business.

“You’re an Alpha for goddamn sake! When will you grow up and throw away this ignorant idea of making games? You’re not a boy anymore! There are families out there who are depending on you! Do you know how lucky you are to be born into this position?”

“I never asked for this!” Leon yelled. I leaned away from him and held my breath. I never saw him get angry. “How many times do I have to tell you? I don’t want to be Alpha! I don’t want to take over Crescent Moon! I want to chase my dreams and-”

Preston punched Leon’s face.

I stood up and without control, I screamed as Leon’s body crashed on the floor. His head pounds against the wall. Steadily, he got up from the fall and groaned slightly. Leon held his head, while the paint drifted into the air.

“See what you forced me to do in front of your mate?” Preston said.

I turned my head to and noticed mom-look-alike sat there. Her face was focused on her lap, and the stream of tears dripped down her cheeks. She looks up and swallows. “You told me you won’t hurt him tonight.”

At that moment, it clicks.

This is normal.

This situation.

Preston exhales sharply, “I wouldn’t have to if he got his head out of the toilet.”

I stared at Leon’s who wiped the blood from his lip. It’s not apparent, but there’s a cut.

Preston fixed his coat and sat down at the head of the table. “Raine is here. Let’s not ruin dinner. Sit. Eat.”

Too late.

Much too late.

Everyone sat down and pretend nothing happened earlier.

Preston looks at me. “Sit,” he commanded.

I forgot how to breathe, unable to respond as the situation from earlier replayed in my head. Then, I finally said: “What?”

“What’s wrong?” Preston question.

“What’s wrong?” I repeated his words.

“You’re my son’s mate, but don’t behave so disrespectfully towards your elder.”

I stumbled back, “Is this normal?” I forgot that I’m in a room full of werewolves. “You just punched your son!”

“I understand that you’re new here so take this as a warning from your father in law. When you behave irrationally, you will be punished here.”

I place a hand on my chest. “I am behaving irrationally?”

Do they even know what that word meant?

I look at Leon who stared at his plate. Holy shit. He grew up in this type of environment.

Abusive dad.

I look across the table.

Frightened mom.

“I’m not going to repeat this. Sit and eat.”

Without control, I chuckle. “This-” I wiggle my finger. “This isn’t right.”

“Raine,” Leon’s voice was low. “Forget about it. Sit down and eat.”

I shook my head. “No. No. No.” I couldn’t stop repeating that word. “This is all level of wrong.”

I can understand why the Beta and a bit of fault on the Gamma believe it’s okay to drugged and kidnapped girls. It’s because they were taught that it was alright to do it.

Preston’s sharp jawline made its appearance. The chair scraps against the floor. His menacing eyes were piercing my soul. “Are you going to sit.” That did not sound like a question.

I couldn’t believe what I said. “No.”

He took a single step towards me, but Leon blocked him. “Don’t.”

“I’m teaching her respect.” His eyes flicker towards Leon. “Before she turns into you.”

Ouch. The pain could be felt around the room.

“She’s my mate,” Leon said. “Don’t touch my mate.”

The edge of Preston’s lips twitches and he settles down. “I won’t,” he said calmly. He grabs the napkin and throws it over his lap. “I supposed you will then?”

I laugh and they all look at me. “Oh my-” I swallow. This cannot happen to me. I remember that I read this one story that I borrowed from Helen, about the true natures of Alphas. Constant domination. Over everything and everyone. I bolt out the door. Like fuck, I’ll stay in a room filled with crazies.

Three floors never passed so fast.

I made it into the bedroom.

I locked the door.

I pushed the giant cabinet towards the door.

I never knew that I could be so strong.

Halfway in building my fortress, someone knocks against the door. I ignored it and continued to pile stuff against the door.

“Raine, it’s me,” Leon said.

I ignored him and continued to build the barrier.

“There’s no point in building a fortress. There are other ways into the room.”

“I don’t believe you!”

“The bathroom window. The balcony.”

“Then, I’ll barricade those too!”

I went on my toes and pressed my ear against the door, or went as far as I could. I didn’t hear anything on the other side.

Then, a click.

I turned towards the closet and saw Leon.

I dropped the lamp, “Was that door always there?”

The item didn’t break.

That is a good lamp.

“Yeah.” Leon closes the door. He walked towards the bed and sat down. He pats the empty side.

Steadily, I headed towards him and sat down. “I swear, even if you’re my employer, I will not tolerate a smack. Anywhere.”

His shoulders tremble and much to my surprise he burst out laughing. This is it. He’s going crazy. After a few minutes, he finally stops and exhales. He wipes the tears off of his eyes and inhales a sharp breath through his nostrils. “No. There will be no smacking...anywhere.”

“Oh.” I puff my cheeks.

He arches a brow, “Disappointed?”

"Buttload.”

We snickers.

Quickly, Leon inhales a sharp breath and clears his throat. “I’m here to discuss something important with you.”

I followed his actions and folded my hands together. He’s right. Now, is not the time to joke. I couldn’t control it. “Okay.”

“Look. My father isn’t an easy man.”

I can see that.

“And you shouldn’t do what you did downstairs. He will hurt you.”

I stared at him. For a long time. For some reason, I expect him to say more.

He didn’t.

My eyes flicker towards his lips. “Are you okay?”

I turn his head and cover his mouth, “Yeah.”

I can’t believe that the wound will heal in less than an hour and it will appear as if nothing happened.

Steadily, I removed his hand and turned his head towards me. “This isn’t okay,” I whispered. “You shouldn’t take this. Even if the man is your father.”

Leon swallows, “It’s my fault.”

“How is it your fault?”