Too Beautiful for the Alpha

Chapter 24

I hurry downstairs after hearing James call for me, saying Theodore is here. Turning to the foyer, I find

the two talking, but they don't seem to notice me. James is saying something quietly, sounding quite

serious. Not knowing if I should interrupt, I hang back and drift closer, hoping someone sees me

eventually. I watch as James places his hand on Theodore's shoulder. "Understand?"

Theodore nods and his eyes find me. He motions and James turns around.

"Are you ready?" James asks as I walk in. Theodore opens the door for us, but just as I make my move

to walk out, James holds me.

I look up at him with a smile. "I'm ready to go."

"Just be careful. Don't do anything reckless, and stay on the land."

"He's just showing me around. There's no need to worry about anything. I'll be back in a few hours."

Unless that girl attacks me and kills me, but I think that's unlikely. I hope she isn't some skilled fighter or

hot-headed monster hidden by the body of a pretty girl.

"Alright. I'll see you later then."

"Bye," I say and follow Theodore to wherever he planned to go first, but just as I hear the door shut, I

spill. "We're not really going around the pack."

Theodore looks back to me. "What do you mean? That's what we're doing."

"No. Not anymore. I need you to take me to see someone."

He stops and turns around, facing me with crossed arms. "No, I'm taking you around the pack, that's

what my Alpha said, so that's what we're going to do. I'm not including myself in your schemes."

"Schemes?" I say, almost laughing. "What? So you think I want you to take me off Pack land? No,

Theodore. This person is apart of the pack."

"I don't care if they're on a different continent or right in front of us, that's not what we're doing. What

you do on your free time without me is your own business, but right now, I'm taking you to the training

grounds." He turns back around and walks, but I stay put.

"What did he say to you? Did he threaten you?"

"Does it matter? Either way, if you get yourself hurt or into trouble or Goddess knows what, I'm as good

as dead," he dramatically calls to me, still moving. "So let's go."

"It's your sister. I need to speak with her."

Theodore stops and turns back again. "What?"

I roll my eyes and jog, closing the gap in between us. "I need to talk to your sister. I need you to take

me to her, and then we can take our tour around the pack."

A confused and surprised look appears on his face, though I didn't expect him to be surprised. He

knows of his sisters and James' past. "Why? Has something happened again? Was she back there?"

"No. I haven't seen her since I told her off."

Relief washes over him. "What is it then? She's out of your life, why bring her back in?"

My eyes wander. "I just—I need to. I don't know. I need closure. I need to know what she thinks of all of

it. What she thinks about James."

"Look, Rae, I know what happened was terrible, but she's finally starting to let go of him. It's not a good

time to bring it up."

"Please, Theodore," I beg, growing desperate. "I can't move on until I talk to her."

He shakes his head and turns away, walking off once again. Not knowing what to do now, I sigh and

contemplate finding her myself. It only takes a few seconds more for Theodore to look back and realize

that I'm not following along. I hear him groan. "Do you really need this? Really need it?" He calls.

I nod, hoping.

He thinks for a minute then groans again. "Let's go."

"What? Where?"

"Where do you think? She might still be at home if we hurry." I run to him as he carries on. "I should

have left you at that town."

It doesn't take too long to get there. The sounds of our footsteps stop me from thinking too hard about

it, giving me something to distract myself with.Theodore mumbles about how this is a bad idea every

minute or so, and I say nothing in return. Maybe it is a bad idea, but right now, I am determined to see

her. If I regret this later, then I'll regret it later. I have to stop overthinking everything I do.

We reach a house tucked between two monstrous trees, and Theodore stops. My chest squeezes and

my stomach knots, but I stay cool. "Come on," he says, heading towards the door, "she might not be

here."

My lips feel dry, tight. I feel weighed down and scared. A part of me doesn't want to face the girl who

haunts the hallway, the green-eyed girl, the girl who had him, her. She's become some mythical beast

in my mind, I've given her power.

"Okay," I murmur, hiding behind him, not wanting to see her so close if she were to answer the door.

But as I should have expected, Theodore lets himself in and motions for me.

"Hello?" He shouts into the house, provoking her to reveal herself. "Claire?"

My eyes shoot to him. Claire? Her name is Claire? I expected something different, something more...

"What?" A feminine voice shouts back, normal sounding and light. "Is someone here? Who's here,

Theo?"

She's upstairs, and her footsteps travel across the floor. Theodore looks to me as if saying 'here's what

you asked for.' My eyes harden on him. "She's coming down?"

"You wanted to talk," he says, knowing of my growing regrets. "Come down," he yells again.

"I am, I am. Who's here?" Her voice is louder, she's closer, and my hands are becoming numb. As if

she is trying to scare me, she appears around a corner like a sudden flash of light in a room of

darkness. I flinch and grab my chest, my heart frantic. My eyes focus on her, and she's frozen. She

looks as if she's seen a ghost. "What—why?" She breathes out. "What are you..."

Her eyes turn to Theodore for clarity, but he shrugs and backs away.

"I-I—I wanted to talk with you," I say shaking, trying to retake control.

Claire takes a step back. "Why?" She questions harshly, already putting up her guard.

"I just—"

"If this is about James, you can leave."

I swallow. "If you'll just give me two seconds we can talk about—"

"Get out. I don't want to talk to you," she nearly shouts, "you took him from me, told me to—"

My jaw clenches. "What?"

She crosses her arms, looking somewhat insulted and fueled. "When you came, he started acting

differently. He didn't care about me anymore."

"I'm his mate. You know that. I told you that."

"I don't care! It doesn't change the fact that I loved him. One day he loved me then the next he didn't.

Do you know how that feels? My entire world was taken from me. After you came, he told me I couldn't

stay at the pack house anymore. I had to pack up all my things and leave because you were coming

home with him. I was kicked out and had to sneak in at night like a fool. And you'd watch me. You'd

watch from your room. See, I thrived off of that. It was the one thing I had over you."

Theodore has left. He walked out of the door.

My nails dig into my palms, the only thing keeping me from losing it. "I had nothing."

"Nothing? You had everything, and you have everything. You're his mate, and you're the Luna, you live

in the pack house, you get to sleep with him in the same bed and not just for sex. So what? I slept with

him for a few weeks, big deal. Look where I am now."

"You don't know?" I ask genuinely.

Claire shrugs, annoyed. "What?"

"James wasn't nice to me. He never talked to me, and when he did it was only to take things away from

me. He treated me like dirt. He used you just to stop thinking about me. He hated me."

Claire's face hardens. "We both may have known that what we had was over, but he did not sleep with

me to get over you. He loved me. I bet he still does."

I want a calm, genuine conversation, but it seems like that option is over now. She's trying to provoke

me, and I can't give in. I have to be the bigger person. I can't lose, not now. "I don't want to fight with

you. I just want to know how—"

"You didn't want a fight?" She shakes her head, tears gathering in her eyes. "So you just came here to

brag about your life, and expected me to sit and listen? I get it. You're his mate. Congratulations. But

don't you ever come here again, it's humiliating. Please, do us both a favor and pretend like this never

happened. I was feeling better, and you dragged me back down. You have the man I love so please

just—just get out!"

I flinch and take a step back, my heart racing. "Okay. I'll leave."

I watch as she delicately sits on the edge of a living chair and drops her head into her hands, quiet

sobs slipping away. I rush out of the house to find Theodore pacing outside. He perks up at the sound

of Claire's crying when I open the door. "I'm sorry," I say while swiftly fleeing the scene, "I'm sorry."

He goes inside, and I continue into the trees, not knowing where I am going, but trying to follow the way

we came. I didn't want that to happen. I didn't want her to have feelings. I'd rather deal with a blood-

thirsty beast than a woman who loves my mate. She loves him. I wish I could unhear it. I wish I would

have followed Theodore on his tour instead.

That girl, that girl has feelings, she has a past with him. Why didn't I think of this before? Why couldn't I

think of her as someone more than a mistress? Did James love her? Were they a couple? Can I

believe him if he denies it?

Confused and now lost, I walk in a random direction, knowing that I'll either end up at the pack house

or at the borders. A guard could help me find my way back, though I shouldn't have left Theodore. I'll

make sure he stays safe. I'll make sure James knows this was my fault.

Why couldn't she have stayed as a ghost? Why did I have to go searching for closure?

She lived there. She slept with him every night. She's a person, a real person.