Holly's POV

A black SUV pulled up to the pack house while I was in doing the dishes in the kitchen, the boys had missed lunch with the family but the Luna had made me hold some food back for them.

Mike led Kian and 2 other guys up the steps and in through the front door. An earthy smell hit my nose as I dried my hands on the cloth and grabbed a tray of sandwiches to take out to them, feeling annoyingly like a servant.

Why did I have to get caught?

Because you were too excited and weren't careful enough.

It was a rhetorical question.

Still.

I rolled my eyes at her and turned around to push the door open behind me to bring the food to the boys.

None of them were sitting at the table except Kian, Mike and the visiting Alpha and Beta were stood in a corner when I walked in but turned when they heard me set the tray down next to the stack of plates I had already put out earlier.

Mike saw that they were looking at me and introduced us to each other.

"Alpha Arturo, this is Holly Sterling. Holly, this is Alpha Arturo and his Beta, Roberto."

"Nice to meet you," I studied the Alpha before adding," I thought that the visiting Alpha's name was Ricardo?"

"He was my father," Arturo said. I nodded.

"I'm sorry for your loss."

Arturo gave me a sad smile before throwing a glance at Kian who's eyes were glued on the table. My wolf whimpered with the sudden need to see his blue eyes on me.

"Would you like some lemonade? Milk?"

"Lemonade would be wonderful," Arturo said to me.

"Just water," Roberto said with out breaking eye contact with Mike, Mike nodded in agreement.

"Kian?"

He looked up at me as if he just realized I was in the room.

"Do you want something to drink?"

"Um," he said, more as a vocal filler while he found his thoughts than actually thinking," Yeah, no I'm good. Thanks."

"No problem."

I went into the kitchen and came back with 2 waters and a lemonade expertly balanced in my hands. I was doing just fine until I went past Kian and he stood up quickly and tripped me. I fell onto the floor and he mumbled some sort of an apology before running off. Arturo came over to help me with the broken glass and Mike went into the kitchen to get a towel while Roberto went with him to get something to put the glass in.

"Damn it, Kian," I muttered when I cut my finger on a broken piece of glass.

"Let me see," Arturo picked up my hand gingerly and looked it over. The cut was already going away but he didn't put the hand down, instead he studied the lines and curves of it.

"Why are you working in the kitchen when you have the mark of a scout?"

I glanced at the mark on my wrist. It was something the Alpha put in act about 3 years ago, all scouts and warriors had to wear a certain mark to depict their status. Warriors have a sword and scouts an arrow. It's like a tattoo but it was enacted magically and is unable for anyone to see unless the Alpha themselves grants them permission.

"I got into some trouble and this is my punishment, it's only temporary."

"You must be close to the Alpha's heart for him to give you such a simple punishment."

"My father was his Beta."

"Was?"

"He died in battle a long time ago."

Mike and Roberto came back in with the supplies for clean up. When they tried to bend down to help out I shooed them away.

"Go do your pack stuff, I can take care of this."

"You sure? It's no problem, Holly," Mike said.

"It's fine. But you'll have to get your own drinks if you still want some."

They laughed and took the tray in the kitchen to just eat in there while I finished cleaning.

___

"Holly?! Where did you go?"

"I'm right here," I called back to Nova.

After I had finished up in the kitchen she had come to get me. As a tribute to the visiting Alpha and to show our joy of his coming such a long way to be here we are throwing a party with al the people from our pack here to welcome him as a guest and a friend. Nova and I were taken out of the house to get dresses by the Luna because and I quote, 'I don't have any daughters so you have to'.

She guilt trips us whenever we have to go shopping which is the story of how I got into a pair of black pumps that were plenty tall enough to break an ankle and Nova got into a dress that was plenty tight enough to kill someone who wanted to breath. The Luna was picking out jewelry for us both.

"Can you even walk in those," she asked as she walked over. It was a beautiful dress but Nova already has such a great figure that I couldn't see why the Luna put her in it.

"I'm scared to try."

"You'll have to," she sighed and nodded toward the dressing room," Your dress is in there along with 2 others I vetoed for myself. I'll try to find a pair of shoes that aren't as bad for you to wear."

"God bless you."

She rolled her eyes at me and put out her arms for me to brace myself on. I took her by the shoulders and hoisted myself up into standing position. I took the next couple wobbly steps towards the dressing room before locking the door behind me and taking them off. I was back to my short self and I was stepping into a dress that I couldn't zip up.

The dress Luna Catherine had chosen was extraordinary to say the least. It was red, such a bright red and floor length with a slit in the side to show off my right leg. It tied behind my neck and a triangle of pale skin showed in the middle. My long, blond curls tumbled behind me, I had to pull them to the side to hold the dress together and pad across the store to get Nova to zip me up.

"Oh, Hol," she said when she was done fastening it in the back, her hand clamped over her mouth and the other one went on her heart," You look beautiful. Just like mom."

"I do," I asked shyly, not believing I could be halfway as beautiful as my mother. The Luna came over and gave a little gasp.

"You look stunning," she pushed my hair off my shoulder so it was behind my head," Do you think it comes in purple?"

"Don't you dare ask. She looks perfect the way it is. She's certain to catch everyone's eye tonight."

"I have to agree," she scoffed when she saw I had the black pumps in my hand," Those won't work at all, I don't know what I was thinking."

"I grabbed these for you."

She handed me a pair of strappy, silver heels that seemed much less deathly.

"Luna, is it alright if I help Nova find a dress? I don't think that one will make it through the night."

"Yes, dear. Try and find something nice though, I won't have you girls wearing sneakers and jeans tonight. Dresses, you hear? I want you 2 in dresses."

"We hear you," I replied as I pulled her back to the dresses and gowns section.

We were quiet for a while, one of us pulling something off the rack and the other one saying no to it. She broke the silence after I showed her a light green one that bordered on white.

"Something's different about you, Holly."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, something's just off about you lately. Did something change that I don't know about?"

I glanced back at the Luna. She was discussing a pair of earrings with the saleswoman and I imagined if she knew the truth. If Nova knew the truth. What would they think if they knew that I'd found my mate? Who he was?

She's your sister.

"I'll tell you later."