Chapter 6 Alyssa

"Stop, stop doing that. Lisa!"

"No, I don't like peas!"

"Can you pass me the bread, Adonis?"

"No eating until Father comes."

"Lisa! I mean it this time!"

People always told her that she was lucky to come from a large family however Alyssa disagreed. It was always noisy and loud, plus the fact that there was no respect for individual privacy. Like right now, her second eldest brother was playing with his mate's thigh underneath the table and whispering into her ears.

She just wanted to enjoy a peaceful dinner but it was never possible with her family around. Alyssa peered around the table with a bored look, it was as usual,

Adonis and his wife were trying to pry their kids off of each other. Aston and Freya were in a world of their own, Aiden was nowhere to be found and her father was running late as always.

Typical.

Alyssa left out a weary breath and pushed her table backwards, rising to her feet as she made to leave. She hadn't even taken a step out of her chair when Adonis caught her with a hard stare,

"And where do you think you're going?" His hard voice rumbled in the large room and everyone fell silent instantly, five pairs of eyes falling on her.

She resisted the urge to mutter under her breath and forced a smile, "I was going to call Father, before the food gets cold."

Adonis cocked a brow, obviously not falling for her lies and she grimaced internally. She knew she would crack if he kept staring at her like that.

"Ah, I see you're all here," Father walked in with Aiden behind him, interrupting their stare off, "Why are you standing Alyssa?"

Alyssa bit back a smile and settled on the chair, ignoring the glare Adonis was sending her way. She didn't understand why he was extra cranky tonight, he usually didn't mind her unless she said something.

Everyone began eating immediately Father took his seat, the chatter died down after that. Alyssa couldn't find it in herself to stomach anything, on a normal night the smell of meat would've gotten her excited but tonight was different.

"Haymitch reckons that we'll have clear skies tomorrow," Father suddenly announced, dark eyes finding hers, "And it's as it should be, a beautiful bride should only have sunshine on her big day."

Alyssa almost choked on the pea. The table grew eerily still, even Lisa went quiet although there was eagerness bouncing in her eyes.

Father smiled softly, "Don't you think so, Lys?"

Alyssa couldn't bear to look up, her throat tightened in an unbearable manner and she clutched the edge of the table like it was her lifeline.

"You should get rid of this expression before tomorrow, Alyssa," Adonis suddenly snapped, "You don't want the pack thinking we forced this on you."

Her head whipped up, eyes narrowing into slits. She had a lot of witty remark in her head but knew it would not be in her best interest if she tried to hold her ground against the oldest of the Silver siblings.

"Why would you think so?" She snarkily responding, her lips curving into a grin, "Of course, I'm excited."

Adonis scoffed, "You're a terrible liar."

Aiden coughed into his palm. Aston shifted uncomfortably. Father looked like he didn't know who to back up while Freya and Karina appeared unbothered, already used to this scene.

Alyssa caught the way Karina tried to soothe her mate by placing a hand on his thigh but he looked too worked up to even notice.

"I don't seem to understand why you cannot understand that we are doing all of this for you!" Adonis barked, his expression hard, "He's the only suitable male and-"

"Suitable for me or for the family?" She brusquely interrupted, raising a brow.

Alyssa heard a growl from her side and she heard him yell before the words even came out,

"Alyssa!" Aston had a deadly glare in his eyes.

She didn't back down, returning the glare equally, "If any of you actually considered me, you wouldn't be forcing me to marry my best friend."

Adonis guffawed, "You're too sheltered, Lys. You can't even see what we're trying to do for you!"

White hot rage flared in her chest and her fingers formed a tight fist. Alyssa scoffed and rolled her, pinning him with a scowl,

"I suppose leaving me out of mother's ceremonial is also part of your benevolence towards me."

He looked taken back, his mouth opening and closing helplessly. She couldn't bear to stay there anymore she rose to her feet,

"I lost my appetite and would like to be excused."

Alyssa turned on her heels and walked away without looking back, she didn't stop until she was in the safety of her chambers. She appreciated the darkness and chill of the room and when her backside plopped on the mattress, a soft sigh escaped her lips.

Sometimes, her brothers could be unbearable. It made her wonder how her life would be if her mother were still alive, a female voice to resonate with her feelings.

But then again, she didn't have the right to mourn the woman.

Alyssa wasn't in a hurry to get married, especially not to Lucas. They'd been friends since they were pups,

It was insane to imagine the two of them together.

A gentle rapping sound snapped her out of her thoughts and she heard Karina call from the other side of the door,

"Ally? Can I come inside?"

She cleared my throat before responding, "You can come in."

Her dull gaze was focused on the shadows illuminating the floorboards, the moon was quite bright tonight. She appreciated the ethereal glow it provided the room with.

The only advantage of having a room in the left wing, the thought occured to her humourously.

"Are you okay?" Karina quizzed softly, her eyes searching the side of Alyssa's face, "You barely ate anything."

She huffed, pinning her gaze towards Karina, "It's not like I chose not to."

"I apologize on their behalf, that was no way to speak to you," Karina replied gently, she paused before adding, "You know they're only doing this for you."

Alyssa shot her a glare and Karina chuckled, raising her hand in surrender.

"They didn't send me to talk to you. I just-" She hesitated, sucking in a breath through her lips, "Lucas is the best choice for you. You don't want to be mated to someone else from another pack, would you?"

Alyssa didn't respond, instead looking away. She hated when Karina spoke to her, the woman was always making sense ninety percent of the time.

Alyssa stiffened when she felt Karina's hand on her thigh, patting gently,

"Wouldn't it be better to be mated to someone you know rather than a stranger?"

She stubbornly remained quiet and she heard Karina sigh again before rising to her feet.

Before she left, she leaned towards Alyssa to press a kiss on the top of her hair, smoothing the curls with her palm.

"Good night, Ally."

A few moments later, she heard the unmistakable sound of her door closing. Alyssa pulled out the box Lucas had given her earlier and pulled out the necklace from within.

It seemed to glow brighter in the dark and she exhaled, rubbing the pad of her thumb against the smooth stone,

"I hate to admit it but they're right, it'll be better for me if I'm mated to you," She swallowed, her throat bobbing with the action, "Easier for us."

Her mind agreed with the words, however her heart clenched at the very thought. It felt like she was blindly going along with whatever her family wanted and Alyssa couldn't help but ponder,

When had she ever had a choice?