The following two days of going to the Square with Ridge felt so lighthearted. It made me giddy to see Ridge the next day, and I think it was fair to say he felt the same way.

When he’s show up at my door—despite my brother’s scowling face—Ridge was beaming and he’d even held up the two to-go cups that had coffee (for him) and the other was hot chocolate (for me). I was surprised by this and Ridge shrugged that he noticed things. That’s all he would say and I would get that giddy feeling all over again.

My family noticed the tremendous difference in me at dinners. At first, my father was weary because, I mean, it was understandable he’d want me to be careful. And I would assure him that I was, that Ridge and I were getting to know each other.

It was strange, though, because it felt like each passing day that Ridge and I spent with in a week to fall in love with someone?

Every conversation the Beta and I had made me smile so much my face hurt at the end of the day. We laughed a lot in finding out about the small quirks we had. It was a beautiful kind of weird, I guess. This whole situation, I mean.

With our bond to one another severed, there was no reason for Ridge and me to grow such a quick and strong attachment.

Cece had been looking into this for me and it required extensive research as rejecting a mate was not very common in our world. Actually, it was extremely rare, so much that Cece had to go into our kind’s “old worn” books to find out that Ridge and my bond had torn but there was a chance to amend it if our human sides learned to accept one another. It couldn’t just be me accepting Ridge or vice-versa. We both had to acknowledge one another as humans for our wolf sides to reconnect with another. All fascinating, isn’t it?

It was Thursday morning and the third wall was almost done being painted. I had to lean in a lot of the time, squinting in concentration as the tip of my brush stroked along in a clean line of blue.

“Any closer and you’ll become part of the paint, Gianna,” Ridge’s voice mused.

I kept squinting, still concentrating and mumbled back, “Like that’ll be a bad thing…”

The blue line outlining the edge of the ocean wave was losing paint so I had to dip into the small blob on my palette again. After a few more strokes, I was able to lift my brush away and forced myself backward.

I stood there, taking in the painting. A small smile graced my lips as I sighed, “It’s done!”

Ridge stood beside me, his arms crossed and tilted his head. He nodded that it turned out great and then glanced at me. He did a double take, now bursting out a loud laugh. He covered his mouth, trying to stifle the laugh but my frown and demand of why he was laughing made him laugh harder.

“Why are you laughing?” I scoffed with a smile, lightly smacking him. He leaned away a bit, still chuckling.

Ridge sobered, smiling as he nodded that it looked like I was part of the mural now anyway.

My brows furrowed, asking what he meant.

The Beta sighed, grinning as he shook his head. He mumbled for me to hold on as he dug out his phone from his back pocket. He held it up, snapping a quick picture and then turned it around to face me.

My eyes widened, my face hot from my reflection. I was covered in paint. Like, not a few streaks here and there, no. Like, covered. There were pink, yellow, green, and even blue streaks in my hair like a ‘My Little Pony’ crapped in it.

But it wasn’t just my hair, it was also my face. There were huge streaks on my cheeks, forehead and even over my eyelid. I think when I was painting, I might have been too concentrated and when I wiped my hair out of my face, I wasn’t thinking about my paint-covered hands. Le sigh.

I scrunched my nose, looking past the phone at Ridge. He smirked at me, pulling his phone back to him. He raised a brow as he stared at it, shrugging a shoulder and nodded to the side.

“I think it’s cute, if I’m being honest.”

Narrowing my eyes, I called him a liar.

Ridge laughed, promising that he wasn’t lying. He even said he would use the photo as his lock and home screen.

“Don’t you dare!” I warned, already reaching for the phone. He moved it in time.

I leaped over, reaching again and pleaded with Ridge to delete the picture! The Beta replied he would not. That it was his phone.

“Ridge Beaumont! I am serious! That’s a horrible picture!”

When I failed to snag the phone away, Ridge made it utterly impossible because he lifted the phone above his head. His arms straight above him as his head tipped back, his thumbs working away.

“Ridge!” I laughed, almost climbing him. I’m small, OK?

“Aaaaand done!” Ridge sighed, a proud smile on his face. He turned the phone, showing me my horrific photo that he’d happened to add little heart stickers around in the background to it.

Ridge pointed out that even if I got a hold of his phone, there was a passcode needed. “So good luck with that,” he challenged.

I huffed a breath, running my hand over my hair—realizing what I did—and then yelped, glaring at my hand that was smeared more with blue paint and the mixture already in my hair mixing into the blue hue.

Rolling my eyes, I sighed, “Think you’re pretty clever, don’t you?”

Ridge’s lips pursed, his green eyes looking up at the ceiling. He hummed, dragging out the dramatics and I frowned at him, shaking my head. He didn’t get a chance to answer as I looked down beside me and dipped my hand in the pink paint. And then splashed him with it.

The stunned look on his face made me fight the smile working its way onto my lips. I snorted (very attractive, Gianna) and burst out laughing.

The low growl from the Beta made me laugh at him until my eyes widened, smile faltering at the three large bristle brushes dipped in different colored paints.

Ridge held them in the spaces of his fingers, his green eyes hiding now behind the gold. That wolf grin on his face making my brows shoot to my hairline. He swung his arm and the paint on the brushes speckled all over my face. I let out a small cry, holding up my hands to block a little too late.

“Ridge!”

The Beta chuckled, swinging his other arm to splash paint on me. I decided the smart thing was to run and it was not the best thing to do after all. Just saying.

Ridge chased me down and wrapped an arm around my waist, lifting me off the ground. I squealed, kicking the air to get out of his hold.

My eyes widened seeing the brushes coming at me. “Uuuuggggh!” I groaned, feeling the paint smearing onto my facial canvas.

Ridge chuckled, dropping the brushes and made me yelp when he easily turned me around in his arms. He still had an arm around my waist but the other swooped my leg up to his waist and my other leg instinctively followed. I stared, wide-eyed, at the tall Werewolf I was wrapped around. My hands on his broad shoulders and mindlessly grazing towards the sides of his neck.

Ridge’s golden hue was still intact. A low growl vibrated from his chest and it sent shivers down my spine.

Swallowing hard, I forced a small smile until a real one came out when I lifted a hand to run across Ridge’s face. I threw my head back, laughing, and smiled at him when his hold tightened.

The Beta raised a brow, grinning, “Well played.”

“Thank you,” I lifted my chin proudly.

I glanced at our, eh, compromising position and pursed my mouth to the side. It wasn’t that I didn’t like being like this, I just wasn’t sure if Ridge realized I was still roped around his waist. Apparently, he did know all along because he pulled me in closer and I felt my breath turn shaky.

Ridge glanced at my mouth, looking at me again. His brows furrowed, I could see the hesitation on his part of what he wanted to do. So I helped him.

I barely could feel the paint when I kissed Ridge; reaching up from his neck to the sides of his jaw to keep him in place. Ridge sighed, leaning more into our lips’ embrace. Not sure how long we stood there making out but I wish I could see the meshed colorful artwork we looked like. What a pretty work of art we must be.

I pulled back a bit, reeling in my lips and giggled when Ridge smiled at me. My fingers traced along his cheek, taking in how handsome he was. Paint and all.

“Ridge…?” I whispered, looking at the golden hue shimmer. My heart raced as I admitted something that I’ve realized as of late. “I… I think… that…”

My fingers stroked the side of his face as I leaned a little closer. My brows furrowed a bit.

“I’m falling in love with you.”

The Beta’s golden hue disappeared back to his normal green. His eyes widened, blinking a few times and he breathed out, “Really?”

I nodded, still tracing along his face. “Yes, really.”

Ridge let out a long breath, grinning as he stared back. He told me how he never thought he’d hear something like that from me. Ever.

“But I know I’m definitely in love with you, Gianna.” Ridge grinned at my surprise. “I’ve fallen so hard, so fast and I don’t care if it has to do with the bond or not.”

Ridge admitted he wanted to tell me how much in love with me he was but at the party on Saturday. When he asked me to dance in front of everyone, to show them who his heart belonged to. To who it should have always belonged to.

“And who my heart will only ever belong to from here on out.”

I sucked in a breath, letting it out slow and felt my eyes water.

Ridge smiled a bit, reaching up to use his thumb to wipe my tear away.

“Is that OK?” he asked. “If—If I ask you to dance?”

I smiled, giggling like a school-girl and hugged him. Ridge laughed, wrapping his arms around me. He kissed the side of my head a few times before turning my face to his so we could have another long makeout. Paint and all.

It was a great way to end the day.

.დ.❧

If there was something I paid attention to, it was learning how to read signs. They came in the oddest ways. Like on Friday morning when we were eating breakfast and there was a knock on the door. I glanced at my phone, frowning that it was still an hour before Ridge was supposed to pick me up for the Square.

My mom opened the door, opening it wider as she addressed, “Alpha. Good morning. What are you doing here so early?”

She looked over her shoulder at my dad who raised a brow when the alpha nodded to my mother and then looked at Dad.

“Angus, we have a problem.”

I got this really weird feeling in my stomach and my brows furrowed, looking at Dad who stood up from his spot. He asked if this was a concern for him alone or if Wade needed to be included.

“Actually,” the Alpha looked at me. “I’d like for Gigi to be included with Wade.”

I sat there, eyes wide at being pointed out. I felt everyone else stare and my face felt hotter by the second.

Dad looked concerned now that I was involved. He glanced at me, nodding, “Come along, Button.” then he looked at my brother beside me. “Wade.”

We got up, following the two older males into the back part of the house where the conference area was. The alpha seated himself at the far end of the table and gestured for Wade and me to sit.

Once Dad shut the door and took his own seat, he questioned what was going on.

Alpha Beaumont took a moment, clasping his hands together against his mouth and his brows furrowed as he stared at the table. We sat there, waiting. We knew we had to wait for the alpha to speak first.

Alpha Beaumont lowered his hands onto the table in front of him. He scanned the table occupants before settling his attention on me. He directed to everyone that the alpha noticed the past several days there was a change in his household.

I raised a brow, glancing at my brother who narrowed his eyes in curiosity.

“What do you mean?” Dad frowned. “I don’t understand, Darren. You’ll have to—”

“My son has informed his mother and me this morning of what he feels is deceit regarding his mate.”

We all stayed quiet. The alpha looked at us and narrowed his eyes as he explained that Ridge woke this morning and had told his parents that he had lied to them about his true reason for breaking off his engagement—and his relationship— with Molly. That Molly wasn’t his mate after she admitted to someone that she’d manipulated the Recognition Process.

Again, we stayed silent. The alpha looked us over until addressing us if there was anything we’d like to say to him.

I frowned a bit, wondering why it was us being interrogated like we did something. If anything, we stayed out of that issue because I requested it of my family. At that time, I didn’t want to ruin things for Ridge but I wonder if the alpha thought something different.

Alpha Beaumont leaned back, raising a brow.

“Well… Since you all don’t seem to have anything to say, I guess I should make it known that Ridge has explained everything to me regarding your daughter. Particularly that Gigi is his actual True Mate.”

I sunk a little in my seat when the alpha looked at me. Alpha Beaumont tilted his head, questioning why I would not have said anything the day of Ridge’s announcement.

With a small nod of encouragement from my brother, I sighed, sitting up and explained to my alpha that I had Recognized Ridge but when I thought he was doing the same, he’d admitted that he’d already gone through it before. That he’d been given a True Mate already but he didn’t understand how he could get a second one, not realizing that wasn’t even possible.

“I wasn’t going to force something, Alpha. So I had to accept the rejection. To give that freewill back to Ridge. If I didn’t, that would end in nothing but contempt from Ridge towards me.”

The alpha was giving me that look that I’d seen him get when he was overly serious and concentrating a little too hard. It always made me uncomfortable.

Alpha Beaumont tilted his head, his face and voice softening, “You’d… do that, Gigi? Be willing to give up on the love of your life?”

I didn’t hesitate to reply that I would.

“His happiness mattered the world to me, Alpha,” I whispered, feeling the ache I felt when Ridge had been with Molly.

I shut my eyes, sighing and shook my head.

“Please don’t be angry with him.” I saw the surprise on the alpha’s face at my request. I nodded that the Spirit World might have chosen us to be together but Ridge strongly felt differently at the time because of the strange circumstance.

My brother grunted, earning a small look from my dad. The Alpha still focused on me.

“And…” I bit my lip, brows furrowed. “And I didn’t think it was prudent to bring up because it was made clear that I’d have no proof. It’d be my word against… against Molly.”

The alpha hummed, nodding in understanding (I think). He sat back, raising a brow and stated he figured there was a vast change between Ridge and me this past week.

I blushed, glancing at my brother and dad before nodding to the alpha that, yes, Ridge and I seemed to have a change of heart.

“We… We got to know each other these past few days. Something we didn’t have the opportunity to do eight years ago.”

The alpha nodded, clasping his fingers together on the table. His gaze locked with mine and asked, “Are you in love with my son, Gigi?”

The room fell quiet and my brother and dad looked my way. I felt my face heat up again and I stared at the table top. My heart burst at the mention of Ridge and I couldn’t help grinning as I sighed, “Yes, Alpha. I am.”

My alpha hummed, studying me before mentioning that he seemed to pick up the same thing from his son. He explained how earlier that morning Ridge made it clear to his parents that I was the one the Spirit World gave him and now understood why.

I felt myself smile, biting my lip at that. My alpha sighed, shaking his head that, in all honesty, his wife had always assumed their son would find a nice girl as a mate.

“And he’s been blessed with the kindest girl of all, it seems,” Alpha Beaumont says in a low voice.

I looked at him, timidly asking if he was upset about the whole thing.

Alpha Beaumont’s face softened but I noticed that his gaze was a little harder than they should have been. It didn’t match the pleased look he was going for. Again, that discomfort crawled up my spine.

“Certainly not with you, Gigi. And I know I started off this meeting quite sternly but I had to get a feel of your involvement with my son. Where you stood in the whole thing.”

He addressed that being rejected by a mate was unheard of and frowned upon in our world.

Alpha Beaumont looked to my dad with less of that demeaning stare and bowed his head a little. He addressed there was a deep apology needed to my family for the distress inflicted on us, me specifically.

My dad’s brows furrowed, obviously displeased with the whole ‘rejection’ thing but with the alpha making amends, there was really no need for my dad to stir the pot. It was what it was.

“I thank you for your apology.”

Dad looked at me, eyes softening as he told the alpha that it was his fatherly protective instincts that had been triggered and had it not been for the rank Ridge held—

My dad looked to the alpha, raising a brow. “You would have been grieving the loss of your sole heir, Darren.”

The alpha’s lips formed a tight line. He nodded, voicing his understanding. He gave my dad a playful look that the alpha would have taken his son’s place in that case.

The two men grinned and I looked at my brother who was crossing his arms as he was slumped in his seat. Wade cleared his throat, sitting up and interrupted with a small apology.

“I’m just curious about whether this was the problem you needed to address, Alpha?”

I looked back to Alpha Beaumont who suddenly frowned, lowering his gaze to the table. He clasped his hands together and nodded with a small hum.

“Yes, well… That actually brings me to the real reason for my visit.” The alpha looked at Wade, raising a brow. “I can tell you are still having a harder time with this Ridge situation, Wade.”

My brother crossed his arms, slowly nodding in agreement. He didn’t look at Dad when informing the alpha that as my brother, it was his right to ensure my safety and that of my heart’s.

“Your son hurt my sister, Alpha. To the point that could have killed her from how agonizing it was for her.”

The alpha frowned at the table, though he nodded, letting Wade carry on about how it wasn’t going to be overnight that Wade was chummy with Ridge.

“He is my future alpha, yes,” Wade nodded. “But even so, he’s just the man who broke my sister’s heart. And until I know that Gigi is whole again, I do not respect Ridge.”

“Wade!” Dad chided with a small growl.

The alpha held up a hand to my dad, looking at my brother. Alpha Beaumont directed to my dad that Wade—as the next Head Warrior—would be expected to be honest with the alpha. Wade’s rank in the pack meant there had to be a mutual connection between Alpha and Warrior.

“Your son will need to be willing to work with mine, Angus. And Wade cannot do that if he doesn’t trust Ridge. Just as Ridge should trust Wade.”

My brother seemed a little surprised with the alpha’s easy agreeing. He glanced at me and I raised a brow, wondering how the alpha was so compliant.

And then we were told why.

Alpha Beaumont wanted to make it clear he and his wife understood that I was their son’s True Mate. There was no changing that.

“However…” Alpha Beaumont gave us a stern look. “Keep in mind we have a visiting pack here. Alpha Hannibal comes from a line of Werewolves that runs a pack vastly different than I run mine.”

He explained how Alpha Hannibal was the kind of man who sought out any kind of weakness in an opposing pack. Whether friendly or not, it was just the kind of personality that the wolf and human in Alpha Hannibal shared.

“You must understand that this alpha will seek out any way to take advantage of us. I cannot let my guard down, even if this Quail Wolf situation has been settled.”

I swallowed, nodding slowly to avoid suspicion at the mention of the ‘Quail Wolf’.

Alpha Beaumont paused, pursing his lips and then looked at me when he spoke again.

“Which is why I am making the decision for Ridge and Molly to resume their relationship.”

My eyes widened, stiffening and my brother and dad straightened. My brother frowned while my dad growled a bit. The alpha eyed the two males, his dominating fumes coming out in a silent way to warn the pair to simmer down. I just sat there, my chest tightening at what I heard.

“As I said earlier, nothing changes that Ridge and Gigi are True Mates. I have acknowledged that but I cannot bless such a pairing until Alpha Hannibal and his pack take their leave.”

My dad, having years of training to hone in his agitation, clenched his teeth as he questioned why it would be necessary for the pseudo relationship.

We were told of Alpha Hannibal, again, seeking any reason to find a weakness in an opposing pack. That if the heir to the pack residing in Carmel was found out to having chosen a mate that wasn’t his and then publicly announcing his mistake, it would feed into the other alpha’s ego of thinking that our pack’s future leader was unworthy of the title.

“How’s that our problem?” Wade growled.

Alpha Beaumont switched his gaze to my brother, golden hue in place now. I could feel my brother forcing his restraint instantly.

“You all need to understand this is to keep up the appearances for the sake of this visiting pack, as well as our own.”

Alpha Beaumont claimed that he would have Ridge address the pack of what occurred and would face the consequences once the visiting pack was gone.

“My son is aware of what he’s done to your family. And he is willing to take the backlash for it when the time is appropriate.” The alpha narrowed his eyes at my brother. “As future alpha, Ridge will need to learn how to dig himself out of difficult situations and this is a perfect opportunity for him. But until this other pack leaves.”

The alpha narrowed his eyes further.

“Do you understand what I am saying, Wade?”

I let out a slow breath, swallowing hard and felt tears in my eyes. I couldn’t help it. I understood what the alpha was saying but it just… hurt, you know?

Dad saw me and sighed to the alpha, “How does this plan of yours not go awry in the future? After Ridge deals with the backlash from our pack about Gigi? Won’t Alpha Hannibal hear of this then?”

“Yes,” the alpha nodded. “But by that point, which is hopefully some months down the line, I expect for our pack to be able to back their future alpha up. After Ridge has made amends with them.”

Dad ran his hand over his hair, sighing again.

The alpha turned to me now. He saw the tears in my eyes and though his face softened, that gleam in his eye returned. Was I just imagining it?

“Gigi… I know what I am asking of you is very difficult. To allow your mate with another female. It’s a lot to ask but I am hoping you’d understand that I am trying to secure the future for not just my son, but for you as well.”

I stared at him, sniffling.

The alpha explained a bit more that if the pack saw Ridge as unworthy—which they would once Ridge told the truth—and if he didn’t fix it, down the line, I would become a problem.

“Not saying that you would be the problem,” he clarified, seeing my frown. “But that other males—unmated males—will see you as free for the taking.”

My brother and dad let out snarling growls at that moment. I just stared at the alpha whose golden hue took over again, forcing the males to settle.

“If you let me finish!” the alpha bit out. “I am making a point that if these unmated males see Gigi as a Werewolf without a mate, they will attempt to stake their claim. Whether you both like it or not!”

The alpha’s point was that I could be fought over. Not in the good way either. It’s not like they’d fight to “get to know me” but more like they’d fight to “have at me” to put it modestly. Especially since I was meant for an alpha which would be a thriving reason for unmated males to seek me out. Just to stick it to Ridge.

The thought of my being unmated would cause a release of innate pheromones that gave off “loneliness” and “want” and sent the wolf side to the unmated males in the pack into a frenzy, made my stomach churn. It was pretty shitty, if I had to say. I would be fearful of my being taken advantage of because these pheromones were that powerful. These males literally fight their way into my home and take out anything and anyone in the way until they cornered me.

I swallowed, my lip trembling at the horrific thought. It made me wonder if the reason why I hadn’t given off these pheromones during the rejection period with Ridge was because I hadn’t accepted it yet. Perhaps that’s why the males hadn’t been alerted of my being “unclaimed”. I was actually grateful for that now. It would have put my family in danger.

Wade growled, sitting up and questioned what the Beta’s thoughts on this situation were.

The alpha sighed, running a hand over his hair as he sat back. He shook his head, assuring us that Ridge was not happy. He was forced to stay home today because of the plan Alpha Beaumont placed but more so, according to the alpha, Ridge’s wolf was sharing the agitation of his human.

“My son is most likely pacing back and forth in our basement as we speak. I had to lock him down there after explaining all of this to him.”

The alpha gave me a pointed look, raising a brow.

“I can assure you that he was just as affected by this as you are now, Gigi. Where you are reacting in a softer kind of way, my son was ready to tear my throat out.” He sighed, shrugging. “But that’s expected when you are told your mate you stupidly rejected at one point could possibly become the target of a frenzy of male wolves seeking to sate a lonely she-wolf.”

A small part of me fluttered at this. Ridge clearly wasn’t wanting to be with Molly again and the thought of my being taken advantage of didn’t settle him any.

I blushed, lowering my gaze. I lifted my gaze to the alpha though and pleaded for him to understand that Ridge wasn’t being stupid when he rejected me. He’d genuinely thought he’d already met his True Mate but things just kind of got complicated from there.

Alpha Beaumont grunted, nodding that he was told about this supposed “manipulation”, and that he’d be looking into it. So for me to not bother myself with it for now. I stared, squinting a bit at how cavalier the alpha seemed about a pack member taking advantage of the pack’s future leader. If Dad were him, he’d have Molly in an interrogation room from the moment he found out.

“You truly are a match for my son, Gigi.” Alpha Beaumont settled his gleaming gaze on me. “And such a fine bloodline to have as a daughter-in-law… should you choose to be.”

I just offered a small smile, that discomfort growing more.

After confirmation of the decision to let the two packs assume Ridge and Molly were together, the alpha stood up—signaling the wrap up of the meeting.

“I will request for Wade to be the one escorting you to the Square today, Gigi. With my son riled up and our needing to keep everything in accordance to the plan, I would not put it past Ridge to stake his claim on you at the first opportunity.”

I blushed and then even more when the alpha raised a brow at my embarrassment. He walked to the door, leading us out of the meeting room to the front of the house.

After taking his leave—stressing to me how grateful he was of my faithfulness to the pack—the alpha shut the door behind him. I stood there, looking upward and let out a long breath. My heart raced with the next some days coming up. How they’d pan out and if we’d be convincing enough for the packs.

“I don’t like this,” Wade growled. “Something felt off don’t you think?” He looked at Dad who stared off to the side for a bit.

My brother turned to me instead.

“Feel like that saying, ‘Something wicked this way comes’,” he warned, glaring at the front door again. Same, Wade. Same.