Chapter 27 I Hate You

"Here we are!" Eth says and drops me off.
Standing in front of the luxury estate, which appears to cover five thousand square feet, I glance down at my mud-caked heels. Now I am hesitating whether it would be better to take them off and leave the place barefoot.
"Luca!"
A little blonde girl in an Elsa princess dress cheers Lucas's name. She passes through the packhouse door with a smile that is more dazzling than the evening orange sun. However, she immediately freezes in her spot when she sees that it is Eth and me standing at the gateway. But I am even more surprised that the woman following the girl is Joanna Motley. Why is she here?
Eth frowns as if he doesn't expect to see Joanna here either, But he doesn't say anything, instead looking down at the little blonde girl.
"Sofi, I told you not to run when you leave the house," Eth says.
"I'm sorry." The little girl apologizes and bows her head.
"Sorry, Alpha Ethan, I should have reminded Sophia," says Joanna.
"Sofi, she's Ella. Say hi to her." Eth says to Sophia, ignoring Joanna's words.
Sophia looks up, her jewel-like blue eyes blinking, then lifts the hem of her skirt and bows to me.
"I'm Sophia Clapton. I'm pleased to meet you, Miss," Sophia says, not as perky as she was a moment ago and looking like a mature adult. It must have been because she is scared of Eth that she suddenly becomes like this, but I don't think children have to be as steady as adults.
"Hello, little angel, please just call me Ella," I say with a smile, then put down my gift, hug the flower with one hand, and rub Sophia's face.
"You look like Cinderella," Joanna jokes. However, I get the feeling she's being sarcastic after she notices the mud on my heels and lower legs.
"Wow! Cinderella, are you a princess?" Sophia says in surprise, her doll-like eyes shining with anticipation.
My cheeks start to heat up because I can't bear to answer "no" and disappoint her.
"Yes! She's a princess just like you." Eth says.
Sophia looks at Eth with wide eyes as if she didn't expect Eth to say that.
I have to admit I am happy to hear him say I am a princess, but Joanna, who is obviously frowning and pouting, is not excited to hear what Eth said.
"Wow~ Princess Elsa has descended on our home."
Lucas' voice echoes from our left. He is followed by two men in suits carrying a large gift box separately.
"Luca!" Sophia immediately cheers as she sees Lucas and runs towards him.
"My highness, may I offer you a grand welcome," Lucas says as he picks up Sophia and lifts her into mid-air.
Apparently, it looks like Sophia and Lucas are getting along better. I glance at Eth, who just purses his lips and doesn't say a word else.
"Maybe you could consider showing your sister your smile and complimenting her on how cute she looks in her Princess Elsa dress the next time you see her," I suggest to him in a whisper.
"Instead of being a nuisance, you should find somewhere to get another pair of shoes." Eth grunts and turns his head.
"Poor Ella, didn't you get a dress code before you came here? Do you need me to ask my Omega Ivy if she brought a spare pair of shoes for you?" Joanna asks.
" No thanks, that' s not necessary! I'll dry the mud off my shoes before I enter the house." I say, doing my best to give her a friendly smile.
Lucas holds Sophia close, and noticing my awful dirty shoes, he responds, "My goodness, Ethie, you actually let Ella walk the trail with you! It rained last night. The trail must have been really tough!"
Sophia gives the nod, but she takes a quick glance at Eth and lowers her head again to remain silent.
"Look who's back!"
A brown-haired woman in a short denim skirt and cream floral blouse steps out from the house's back garden. With a smile on her face, the elegantly mannered woman opens her arms to Eth and Lucas and hugs them.
"Happy birthday, my perfectly elegant Claire," Lucas says.
"Happy birthday, Mom," Eth says.
As I notice the lady's ocean-like blue eyes, I understand where Eth gets his eyes from.
"You must be Ella!" says Mrs Clapton, noticing me.
"Yeah! I am. Happy birthday, Mrs. Clapton," I smile as I hand over the bouquet and the gift to Mrs. Clapton. Honestly, I am worried that she will not be happy with the flowers, which don't look very fresh. After all, I didn't expect to be carrying them around the hill for two hours when I ordered them.
"Wow! They are so beautiful. Thank you, Ella, and just call me Claire. Eth must have taken you walking up the hill, right? Poor baby! Look at your shoes. I would have sent a helicopter to pick you up if he had told me in advance when you were arriving." Mrs. Clapton says. She seems so approachable, like a friendly neighbor, and it reminds me of Lucas.
"No need! Getting up the hill on foot won't take much time." Eth says, expressionless and not mentioning the fact that he carried me up to the top of the hill.
I turn my head to look at Eth and think, Why didn't he inherit his mother's friendly personality?
"Oh, gentleman, I told you to show consideration for the ladies! Come on! I'll take you inside to get a comfortable pair of shoes. The party's about to start." Claire says and winks at me like a young, active girl.
"Don't worry, mom," Lucas says and asks one of the Omegas standing behind him to bring out a gift box. He explains, "Ethie has given me advance notice of a new dress and shoes for Ella."
"You are overtalking!" Eth glares at his brother and issues a warning.
I snicker and mentally thank Eth for his thoughtfulness.
"That's great! Come on, Ella, I'll take you inside to dress and change your shoes." Claire says and takes my arm enthusiastically after handing Joanna the flowers and gifts I have prepared for her.
Claire leads me through the house's side door into a storage room.
"Sorry, Claire, I wouldn't have worn heels if I had known I was going to walk up the hill." I apologize to her.
The moment the door closes, the smile on Claire's face disappears.
"I hate you." She says.
"Excuse me?" I expect to be hallucinating until I notice the look of distaste for me and the familiar, condescending look that passes through her eyes.
"Listen, Cinderella, don't imagine you and Eth having a happy ending. It won't take long for your love game to end. As the previous Luna of the Blue Moon Pack, I will not approve of you. Joanna is the best choice to be Ethan's mate and the future Luna of the Blue Moon Pack." Claire says harshly, pointing out her index finger with a manicure with diamond grains.