I was doing my hair in front of the bathroom mirror. Today was the day of the dinner with Justice and his family. I was making myself presentable because this was supposed to be an important meeting. I promise my parents to go and they promised me it was the last one. I just had to suffer for a few hours and I wouldn’t be finished with the arranged or forced dates.

“Are you ready Remini?” my papa asked from the other side of the door. My parents were waiting for me, I was the last one to get ready.

“Yes!” I answered, deciding I was over with trying to make myself prettier, I have already made enough effort by making myself presentable and all.

I opened the bathroom door, my parents were both nicely dressed. My papa looked at my defeated face and laughed.

“This isn’t funny,” I said

“I know I am sorry” my papa hugged me “Come on, it’s almost over”

When we arrived Justice was already there with his parents, his father being the alpha of their pack, his brother and one of his sisters, and some other few people I didn’t recognise. On my hand, I am only here with my dads, Marcus and two other betas (Pete and Leigh). We are in a big private room in a werewolves’ restaurant, there’s a large table with brown nape, we just arrived and were ordering.

Justice’s dad asked me “Remini dear, what will you take?”

“I thought about some French fries and carrots nuggets and maybe a cabbages salad”

He stared a bit at me strangely before saying “Don’t you think you should take some meat or fish? You must be hungry.”

That dinner is starting so great, knowing I will get some unwelcomed and unneeded comments “I am a vegetarian so I cannot it those, and thank you for your concern but in case I am still hungry I will order additional dishes later”.  I answered reluctantly, I think I did a good job at answering politely.

My dad did butt in just after “Do not worry, he is been vegetarian for years and is managing his vegetarian diet greatly”

“Excuse my concerns I just wish that you’re healthy to bear my future grandsons”

“Dad!” Justice interrupted flushed

His dad chuckled “Don’t be such a prude Justice, everyone knows what you will do once you’re officially engaged”

I was trying really hard to not break my fork.

“Let’s not put the cart before the horse, they must get to know each other in order to see if they fit each other”

“You’re absolutely right! Justice! Take Remini out a bit while we wait for the dish”

“But-“

“No but go ahead, what am I ordering you?” His dad insisted

“Uh, the quiche Lorraine and its salad?”

There was a bit of silence where neither Justice nor I were moving. Him, I don’t know why but me because 1) I didn’t want to go 2) I was baffled by the way his father was forcing us, forcing me to hang out.

“What are you waiting for? Hurry up”

“Yeah” Justice said “uh…Remini if you would?” he said extending his hand. I would not but I did take his hand to go out because I didn’t really have a choice, and my parents promised me it would be the last time.

When we were in the corridors I heard his father laugh “Youngsters nowadays are so slow”

Hahaha. Yeah. Not funny.

Once outside we stop under a porch, where there is a bench.

“I am sorry about that it’s embarrassing” Justice excused himself

“Don’t be, it’s on your dad”

“You don’t seem pleased to be here”

“Because I am not”

“I know that it must have been sudden, but…but I think that it could work…at school we got along quite well, I thought”

Justice and I are in the same school, last year we spend ten days in the same reading camp and we did get along during those few days, apart from that we already ate at the same table or say hello sometimes but that’s all, and since he potentially became one of my pretend one month ago I am ignoring him, which isn’t really mature or kind of me.

But it doesn’t change the fact that I don’t want to mate him.

“I still don’t want to be with you…Sorry” I wasn’t really sorry but he was indeed nice during the reading camp.

“But-“

“No!… I am sorry but it won’t work, I do not want it to work! I don’t know what made you believe that we could work, but it won’t, I will never be your mate nor bear your child or anything of the sort! So no…I am only here because my parents promised me it would be the last time I am forced to go on dates or arrange meetings of the sort” How do you feel it feels when everyone is telling you to make efforts to date people you don’t even want to date

Once my outburst was finished Justice was all red, he seemed really taken aback and was stuttering a bit, his eyes were a bit red too “--I am sorry I-…..I didn’t know?  We could stay friends? maybe if you want?”