The person in front of me jumped at the sound of the plate crashing to the ground, her mouth forming an 'o' at what just happened.

"I am so sorry!" I babbled, instantly bending down to clean up the mess. After throwing the plate away and throwing the glass stricken sandwich-- I ignored the urge to cry at my lost snack.

"It's alright." I looked back up at the woman in front of me, a wide smile plastered on her face as she openly analysed me up and down with her eyes. "You must be Holly!" Her chirped voice and pearly whites peeking through her lips made me squirm away with how uncomfortable I felt a this very moment.

I'm not exactly the best with new people.

Especially overly smiley people.

"How do you know my name?" She chuckled at my confusion.

"How could I not know the Alpha's mate?" My eyes went wide. She knew I was Theo's mate? I'm not sure I was exactly ready for people to know that. "Oh and my mate told me, he's the Beta." She held a proud smile on her face as she spoke about her mate.

Grey was her mate?

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes in annoyance, Grey has been nothing but a prick to me. Despite trying to hide my discomfort, the unnamed woman noticed.

"Grey is better when you get used to him, he can be an asshole sometimes." She shrugged, nonchalantly talking shit about her soulmate. She made her way towards me, sitting on the stool closest to me.

"The name's Eliza." She smiled at me, her hand was held in front of her for a handshake which I was hesitant to take however slowly but surely I shook her hand.

She's weird.

"So what's the deal between you and Theo?" I raised an eyebrow at her, indicating her to continue, my wolf growled at how interested she was in Theo's love life however I pushed her feelings down. "I mean, Grey tells me that you don't like being near Theo, but you're trying to push him away instead of accepting the bond."

This time, I openly rolled my eyes at the mention of Grey. When did grown men gossip like teenage girls?

"That is none of your business." I couldn't help but snap at the girl that was trying to get in to my business. People should stop putting their snouts where they don't belong.

"It is if you're potentially going to be my Luna." The attitude that I sent her way was sent straight back to me, a little part of me was impressed.

A little.

"If I'm potentially going to be your Luna, shouldn't you be showing me some respect?" I lowered my voice in hopes to sound intimidating, which seemed to work as the attitude from Eliza's face was instant to fall off. Her head hung low.

"You're right, I'm sorry."

Damn, not going to lie I felt high-key bad.

"No," I sighed, leaning on the counter as I kept my eyes on the shamed girl in front of me. "I'm sorry, it's just Theo is a touchy subject I don't wish to speak about at the moment."

I don't need to tell this girl-- that I've known for a majority of five minutes-- that I was hesitant about being with Theo because of the monstrous things he has done throughout the years.

And despite Theo telling me he didn't kill my uncle, a part of me still latched on to the idea as if it was a wall keeping me away from the big bad Alpha.

The girl in front of me-- Eliza-- leaned on the table with her elbows, a sigh escaping her lips as her eyes landed on me.

"You know Theo isn't that bad?" I resisted the urge to roll my eyes again, this entire conversation felt eye rolling worthy to me at the moment. Isn't that what they all say?

"Bet," I huffed. Eliza rolled her eyes with a small smile on her face.

"He really isn't."

"He kills and tortures for a living, I don't know about you but I count that as bad."

"He's an Alpha, he does what he has to do for his pack. I'm sure your Alpha does the same for his pack as Theo would his." I couldn't help but glare at her harshly-- how dare she insinuate that my father is anything like Theo.

"I'll have you know that Alpha Hayden could never be such a monster like--"

"Alpha Hayden?" The shocked look on Eliza was unmistakable.

"Yes, my father."

"Alpha Hayden of the Midnight Forrest pack is your father?"

"Yes! Now, are you done?"

Suddenly, Eliza expression flattened, her face turned expressionless as she backed from me.

"You have no right--" Her voice had noticeably raised and her once bright eyes darkered and narrowed in my direction. "--to speak of my Alpha like that when you have one just as, or even more than, worse." She gritted her teeth at me and I could sense her wolf wanted to come out.

I froze, the difference in her mood confused me not but as much as her words did.

"I don't know what you're talking ab--" She walked out before I could finish my sentence, a pang in my chest went off as I watched her disappear from the room.

The small and cowering thought of having a friend here suddenly disappeared with Eliza.

What was she talking about, about my father?

I scoffed to myself, leaving the bedroom was a mistake.

I huffed as I made my way back upstairs, just as people began filing into the house-- I went up just in time.

I wasn't ready to meet this pack, especially if they were anything like Eliza. What did she have against my father anyways? Did everyone in this pack have something against him?

I knew that our packs were rivals but that was the fault of Theo, right?

I had to get to the bottom of what was going on, what was believed of my father.

When I made it to Theo's bedroom, I couldn't help but sigh and fall in to the bed with my face nestling softly in to the plush pillows.

I didn't even get to eat.