Fated Mates: Book 1 of the True Mates Series (21 page)

As she was making herself presentable again, she heard the bathroom doors creak open, and a group of girls must have entered as she heard them laughing and chatting.

“Can you believe it?” one of the voices said. “True Mate indeed! How can they be sure she’s a True Mate offspring - I thought that was a myth!”
 

“Yeah, how can they be sure she wasn’t just born on the wrong side of the blanket?”

Giggling followed, and Alynna bit her lip and balled her hands into a fist.

“Well this certainly does change things, girls,” a voice she hadn’t heard yet say. “Grant Anderson will be even harder to catch, now that he doesn’t
have
to produce the next heir of the New York Clan.”

“Humph, that little thing, produce the heir of the New York clan?” another said haughtily. “I heard she was raised in Brooklyn, and that her mom was a waitress!”

The anger that was bubbling in her was ready to erupt. They could insult the clan, insult her, but
not
her mother. She grabbed the door handle of the stall, ready to draw her (metaphorical, possibly physical) claws out, but before she could open the door, another voice boomed through the bathroom.

“Oh, shut the fuck up,” the voice said. “Just who the hell are you girls, anyway? How could you judge that poor girl without even meeting her?”

“Excuse me,” said the haughty voice. “Do I know you? We’re having a private conversation here.”

“Well, this isn’t exactly a private place,” the other woman countered. “And so what if her mother’s a waitress? Raising a child by herself, without the help of a husband or a clan? That doesn’t even make you half the woman she is.”

“How dare you!”

“You wanna take this outside, bean pole?”
 

“Lorraine, let’s go…it’s not worth it. Besides, I saw Liam Henney by the bar just before we went in here.
 
You know him? That hot young half-Japanese Alpha from San Francisco. I’m sure he’d enjoy our company.”

Alynna head the door creak open again, and the bathroom was silent. Then, she heard a string of curses that would make a sailor blush. She pushed the door open and took a deep breath.

The woman in green Alynna had seen earlier was sitting in one of the chairs, checking her makeup, muttering to herself. She walked up to her, catching the other woman’s attention when she appeared in the reflection behind her.

The woman jumped up in surprise. “Jesus Christ on bicycle!” the woman turned and put her hand on her chest. “
Cazzo madre de dio!
You do
not
sneak up on a Lycan like that!”
 

“I’m sorry!” Alynna quickly apologized. “I didn’t mean to…it’s just that…”

The woman let out a breath. “It’s ok ,” she said. “Ugh, I swear, I hate going to these things! I wasn’t even supposed to go, ya know? I have more important things to do!” she said, checking her cherry red lipstick in the mirror. “But, my ma and nonna, God bless their souls,
 
they’d be rolling in their graves if I didn’t go!”

Alynna stared at the woman - no, Lycan, definitely.
Hmmmm…cookies or fresh baked goods
, she thought as she scented the Lycan. She was dressed in a gorgeous silk gown in a blue-green shade and white gloves that came up to her elbows. The woman was a little shorter than her with generous curves that filled her beautiful dress. Her face was gorgeous - dusky olive skin, thick lashes, high cheekbones, full red lips, almost like a petite, younger Monica Bellucci. Her dark, thick curly hair was piled on top of her head, and when she turned to look at her, Alynna was taken aback by her eyes - one was a stark green color and the other a bright blue. “Oh my! I mean, I’m sorry to stare, it’s just…”

The other woman smiled. “Yeah, yeah, I know. The eyes. I have heterochromia. Runs in the family. All of us Lycans have it, but not the humans, for some reason.” She put her hands on her hips. “Anything I can do for you honey? Did you need a tampon or something?”

“No…I….” She didn’t recognize the woman, so she wasn’t at the receiving line (she definitely would have remembered those eyes.) “I wanted to say thank you.”

The woman looked at her quizzically. “Thank you? For what?”

“For what you said to those women…about me…and my mother.”

“Your mom?” Her eyes widened. “Oh
figlio di puttana!
You’re her! It’s you, I mean!” her face went red. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry, I mean…”

Alynna laughed. “Don’t be, please don’t!” she sat down. “I would have torn their throats out, if you hadn’t said anything first. And then where would we be?”

“I’ll tell ya, honey - I’d be right beside you, getting my own hits in!” the other woman chuckled. “Girls like that…they think their shit don’t stink, you know? Think they’re better because they’re from this or that clan or someone’s daughter or wife or whatever. Don’t listen to them. They’re just jealous.”

“I wouldn’t know why,” Alynna said, slumping down on the couch in the corner. She kicked her shoes off and sighed.

The other woman joined her, and slipped her own shoes off. “You probably have heard it all, the whole clan thing and how privilege you are and how people will be vying for your attention, and I get it! It’s a lot of responsibility.”

Alynna nodded.
 

“But you can’t let that or what others have to say get to you, you know? My Nonna always said, ‘
Esse nufesso qui dice male di macaruni
.”

“Sounds like good stuff,” Alynna sighed. “What does it mean?”

"Who speaks badly of macaroni is a fool.”

Alynna laughed out loud.

“Yeah, Nonna was getting senile by the end.” They both erupted into peals of laughter.

“Thank you, uhh…” Alynna realized she didn’t know the girl’s name.

“Frankie. I’m Frankie.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Alynna.”

“I know who you are. Don’t you go by another name? A nickname?” Alynna shook her head. “A middle name?”

“Eww, no,” Alynna said. She knew now the meaning of her middle name, but she still remembered how she got teased for it.

“It can’t be worse than mine.”

“What is it?”

“I won’t tell if you won’t tell!” Frankie laughed.

“Is it Horace?”

“No!” Both girls went into a fit of giggles.
 

“Oh Alynna,” Frankie sobered. “What I wouldn’t do to see those girl’s faces when they realize you heard what they said. Because you know those catty bitches would never say that to your face.”

“Oh really? Would you now?”

***

“Who’s that with Alynna?” Grant asked Cady, as his eyes followed the two women exiting the bathroom. They were walking arm-in-arm, whispering to each other. His sister laughed and then quickly covered her mouth as they walked by two members of the High Council. Alynna blocked Grant’s view as he tried to make out the woman in green’s face.

Cady turned around. “Who?” She saw the twosome, but they walked so fast that they were a blur to her. “Hmm…I don’t know. Must be part of some delegation. Well, it’s nice that she found a friend.”

Grant’s brow wrinkled. “Make sure you find out who that is,” he said, his brow furrowing. “I want to know everyone who approaches her tonight when she’s alone.”

“She’s hardly alone, Grant,” Cady too a sip of her champagne. “You have eyes trained on her every move. I swear you would have bugged the bathrooms too, if laws didn’t prohibit it.”

“Looks like they’re making their way towards Liam Henney,” Nick quipped as he came up behind Grant and Cady.
 

“Liam Henney?” Cady asked, a delicate brow raising. “That’s the Alpha from San Francisco right? The new one? His father died…”

“Six months ago,” Grant finished. He had been at the funeral, of course, and he remembered the younger man, who seemed to have the weight of the world on his shoulders. Now, he stood in a circle, surrounded by gorgeous young woman, smiling and laughing. He was glad that Liam seemed to be having a good time. As another Alpha who had responsibility thrust at him unexpectedly, he could relate.

“And now our little bird is flying the nest,” Nick observed, as Alynna tapped Liam on the shoulder to catch his attention.

“What?” Cady looked confused. “Liam and Alynna?”

Nick stifled a laugh. “Did you actually
miss
something, Ms. Gray?”

Cady gave him a smirk. “Contrary to popular belief, I can’t be everywhere at the same time.” Nick laughed this time, a sound that made her sigh in relief inwardly. There had been a lot of tension between her and Nick since that night at Blood Moon, but like all their other disagreements, they both mutually, and non-verbally, decided to put all that aside, for Alynna’s sake. Despite what he may show on the outside, Cady could tell that Alynna was growing on Nick, with her constant smart ass remarks and attempts at making the normally stoic Lycan laugh. It wasn’t just that she was his Alpha’s family and thus was pledged to protect her, Cady could tell that he genuinely liked the young woman.
 

“Who is…ugh, Alynna, get out of the way…” Grant was muttering, weaving his head left and right as he tried to get a better view of Alynna’s mystery companion.
 

“Grant, are you alright?” Nick asked. Grant had been looking distracted for the last 30 minutes or so and the Beta could feel his Alpha’s unease. “Do you think that the man who tried to hurt Cady is here?”

“I haven’t scented him,” Grant’s shoulders tesnd, but it made him focus. “But with so many Lycans here, it would be easy to hide.”

“That’s why I have Alex and Heath roving around. They were able to catch the scent that night, so they know what to look for.” Grant seemed to tense at the mention of the younger Lycan’s name, as he had been each time Nick brought it up the last few weeks. But he trusted that if Grant had some reservations, he would tell Nick. He’d let it go, at least for now.

“What is going on there?” Cady’s brows knitted, her eyes glued to Alynna, her companion and Liam Henney.

“I should go check it out,” Grant said, handing his glass of champagne to a passing waiter and stalked towards the group across the ballroom.

Left alone with Nick, Cady wasn’t sure if she should make a hasty retreat or stand her ground.

Finally, he said the first words. “You look…lovely, Ms. Gray,” Nick noted.

“Uhm, thanks,” she said. She picked out a simple, floor-length pale blue gown - nothing flashy or fancy, after all, she wasn’t the center of attention at this party. “You too. Look nice. I mean, you…”

“Clean up nice?” he asked wryly, with an almost bitter tone.

“That’s not…I mean, your tuxedo fits well,” she slapped her palm to her head mentally. “Uhm, I have to go…and check on the canapes…or something.” And with that, she left Nick standing there, staring after her.
 

***

“Uhm, excuse me,” Alynna tapped Liam Henney on his very broad shoulders.

The taller man turned around, and smiled when he realized who it was. “Ms. Chase,” he said warmly.

“Alynna, please,” she said, giving him her best smile.

“Then please, call me Liam,” his eyes twinkled.
 

“Liam,” a voice behind him said. “Who’s your little friend?”

“Oh yes, sorry about that,” Liam took Alynna by the arm and guided her around to their group. “If you haven’t met her yet, ladies, this is our guest of honor, Ms. Alynna Chase.”

“Hello,” she greeted.

The women - all three of them - gasped and then started fawning over her.

“Oh my! It’s nice to meet you!” Their ringleader, a tall, slim brunette extended her hand. “I’m Lorraine Johnson. From Texas. My uncle Gus is Alpha! Oh, I love your dress! And that necklace!”

This must be beanpole, Alynna thought.
Jeeze
, she thought.
Lorraine must have had at least 6 inches over Frankie
, she couldn’t believe the petite brunette wanted to take her on. “Nice to meet you, Lorraine. Have you met my friend, Frankie?”

 
Alynna drew Frankie forward. “Hello, ladies,” she smirked.
 

Lorraine visibly paled, “N-n-nice to meet you, Frankie,” she said nervously.

“Likewise,” Frankie answered. Alynna could almost hear her follow it with “bitch” in her head.

Lorraine introduced the rest of her friends, whose names, Alynna had to confess later, she couldn’t recall because she kept calling them Twiddledum and Twiddledumber in her head.
 

“Liam was just telling us about growing up in San Francisco,” Lorraine cooed.
 

“It’s beautiful,” Liam said. “If you love nature, that is. Lots of places to go hiking, swimming, running, biking. And the food is phenomenal!”

“I don’t know,” Lorraine’s red lips curved into a flirtatious smile. “He’s never tried Texas barbecue, so I said he had to come visit some time.”

“Where did you grow up, Alynna?” Frankie asked sweetly.
 

“In Brooklyn,” Alynna said, her eyes darting towards Lorraine. She didn’t think the Texan could get any paler, but more blood seemed to drain out of her face. “My mother was a waitress. And I have to tell you, there’s some really good restaurants down there. I used to come with her to work sometimes and they’d give me staff meals.”

“My mother made me work in a restaurant kitchen when I was 16!” Liam interjected.
 

“Really?!” Frankie said. “But you were the heir to the San Francisco clan!”
 

He shook his head. “She didn’t care. She said, ‘If you’re going to be Alpha some day, you’re going to learn what it’s like to put in a hard day’s work.’ She sent me to work at one of her friends’ restaurants in the Mission district. After the first week, I would come home and collapse on the couch, but I stuck it out for three years, every summer. Learned how to make a mean
arroz con pollo
.”

Alynna looked at Frankie, who seemed to be reveling in all that was happening. She sipped her champagne and kept glancing over at Lorraine, Twiddledum and Twiddledumber as they struggled to keep their composure. She smirked at them, but that only made Lorraine’s face turn red in anger.
 

“What are you looking at, you little…” Lorraine began, but Twiddledum (or was it Twiddledumber?) put her hand on her shoulder.