Emmalee

"Look!" Trudy, our maid, exclaims. "The Cimmerians have arrived! Come, Emmalee. Don't you want to take a first look at your husband-to-be?"

I put my pencil down, and sigh before rolling out of bed. Trudy and Nadine are standing by the window of my bedroom, peering out at it with a bright look in their eyes. I squeeze between them and do the same.

The huge SUVs are parked right beneath my window. A uniformed Gamma opens the door for Alpha Denver, who's Soren's father. Soren is my fiancé. We've never met before-this will be the first time we'll be seeing each other. I'm nervous, yes, but not excited.

I don't want to marry Soren.

I don't want to be a Cimmerian.

"He'll be out at any moment," Trudy comments. Alpha Denver steps out of the car, and he's followed by a young man with dark hair and pale skin. Nadine and Trudy squeal with excitement and even high-five each other.

This has to be Soren.

He's looking around as if everything displeases him, but he's handsome enough, I guess. Trudy and Nadine shove me back and forth while telling me how handsome my fiancé is and how happy they are for me, and when I don't show the same enthusiasm, Trudy asks me, "Now, what's the long face for?"

I shrug, and she slaps the back of my head. I exclaim, "Ow! What was that for?"

"You better show your parents that you're happy about your fiancé! Arranged marriages have always been a part of werewolf tradition, and you're the daughter of an Alpha, so you're no different. What's the matter with you? Why aren't you happy!?"

Before I can come up with an excuse, there's a knock on the door. All three of us turn away from the window the second the door opens, and standing by the door is the reason why I'm not excited about marrying Soren.

Romain.

His gaze flickers between the three of us, and he then clears his throat and says, "Emmalee, your father wants you downstairs."

"Our father!" Trudy corrects. "The Alpha is your father, too, Romain. Don't you forget that! And why would you open the door without waiting for permission? What if Emmalee was naked? What is wrong with you kids!?"

She heads toward the door while dragging me with her, and Nadine laughs at her grumpiness. Romain and I make eye contact, and his cheeks color while he stiffens. I'm pretty sure he's uncomfortable because Trudy had to go ahead and mention me being naked. He follows us while I'm dragged downstairs, to where Soren and his family are waiting.

My father hears us approaching and turns around to look at me. He pastes a smile on his face and beckons me forward with a quick wave of his hand. My heart is galloping behind my ribcage, and my parents put some space between them to allow me to squeeze between them. My father's hand rests on my shoulder while he says, "Alpha Denver, Soren, this is my daughter Emmalee."

My eyes are on the floor, but I slowly raise my gaze to meet Soren's eyes. As predicted, I feel nothing when we make eye contact. Thank the goddess; at least he's not my mate. He doesn't seem as excited about me either, so that's a relief. Or maybe I'm just projecting, and I don't want him to care for me. I wish he'd tell his father that he finds me ugly or something so they can leave.

What are the chances of that happening?

"Welcome to our pack, White Mane," I say to them in a steady voice. My mother has been coaching me to say these things since I learned of this engagement. "We're very pleased to have you here."

Luna Ana smiles at me. "We're happy to be here, darling Emmalee. Oh, but you're so beautiful! Isn't she gorgeous, Soren?"

His face colors, and so does mine, and our parents have the audacity to laugh at us. Perhaps I'd take this whole thing more seriously if they didn't treat us like we weren't eighteen.

"I think we should let them get to know each other," my father suggests. "Emmalee, why don't you show Soren the grounds? Alpha Denver, Luna Ana, would you like to step into my office?"

I make my way to Soren's side, force a small smile, and he follows me to the front door. However, before we reach it, I lock eyes with Romain, who's standing near the door with his arms folded, and my heart skips a beat. His gaze moves swiftly from me to Soren, and then they return to my face.

My mouth feels very dry all of a sudden, and I'm aware that I can't stay here. Without saying a word to Romain, I walk past him, and Soren follows me.

Once we're outside, he asks me, "Who's that guy?"

I'm shocked by the fact that he asked me this. This is the first thing he's said to me, and he's asking me about Romain. I tuck my hair behind my ear and go with the standard response, which is the one my parents taught me to say. "He's my brother."

"Brother?" Soren echoes. "I thought you only had one brother. Cade, right?"

"Oh, Romain grew up with us, so he's like a brother to me," I claim. But even as I utter the words, I feel terrible. Does one fall in love with their brother? Do other sisters fantasize about being kissed by them?

No, Romain isn't my brother. But that's what we're expected to be, and even he sees me as a sister. He's never treated me as anything more than that.

"So he's not your brother?" Soren asks, sounding confused.

"He's kind of my brother," I explain.

"But he's the one who opened the gate for us?" he says. "Why is he treated like an employee if he's kind of your brother?"

I change the subject quickly and start showing him around. Soren doesn't say much, and I can tell right away that he's not interested in any of this. It makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong, but at the same time, I can't make myself seem more enthusiastic than this.