Amelia replied to Rosalie as she dusted off imaginary lint from her shoulder, "There's no need to thank me; I want the best for my daughter."
She gave a sly smile and said, "But if you could bring a man back... that would be great. I do not doubt that certain wolves will be drawn to you the moment they lay eyes on you."
Rosalie shook her head in disbelief. Her mother had resumed her role as matchmaker for her.
She cocked an eyebrow and gently brushed a strand of Rosalie's hair as she asked, "Wasn't it Alpha Alex who was being pretty friendly with you during the mating ceremony? Honey, he's got a lot going for him: he's young, powerful, and tremendously wealthy all at the same time."
"Oh, no, Mum!" Rosalie rolled her eyes.
"He's not my type at all. I'm not interested in being with someone just because of their status or wealth," Rosalie replied firmly, feeling frustrated by her mother's persistent matchmaking efforts.
"But he seemed quite interested. Maybe you are his type." Amelia, smiled.
"He is not interested in me; we are just friends, and I can't even claim that we are close friends because we have only met like... three times in my entire life!" She let out a groan.
Her mum looked crestfallen. She bit her lower lip and asked, "Is that so? Perhaps I was mistaken.".
"Yes, Mother, you have it wrong, and in addition, he is an Alpha. Now, could we perhaps stop talking about how to attract a mate for me?" Rosalie said, irritated.
"Of course, dear. Let's talk about something else."
When Rosalie saw the disappointed look on her mother's face, she immediately felt guilty about what she had said. She knew that all her mother desired was a suitable mate for her daughter. Like every mother.
"I am sorry; I didn't mean to be rude. I know you just want what's best for me, but I don't need help finding a mate. I'll figure it out on my own," Rosalie added, trying to reassure her mother.
"It is getting close to your 19th birthday, my love, and you need all the help I can give to attract a suitable mate," her mother added, putting an end to any sentiment the occasion may have had.
Rosalie held back her annoyance as she only responded, "Sure, mum." She knew that the fewer arguments she had, the more quickly her mother would leave to attend to the preparations she needed to make for the celebration.
"Where is dad?" After a short while, Rosalie questioned her mother as she regarded her reflection in the ornate mirror. "Since breakfast, I haven't seen him."
Amelia brushed her hair momentarily with her fingers before turning to Rosalie and saying, "Well, the last time I looked, he was in some meeting. I'm sure he's someplace in the Grand Hall with the rest of the in-command."
"Let us worry about you first, all right? I think this necklace would go very well with this gown."
Rosalie nodded absentmindedly, still preoccupied with thoughts of facing Chris and Grace in the reception.
Once her mother got busy getting ready, Rosalie dashed out of the room just as swiftly as she could. She made her way down to the grand hall rather than wait for her mum and be forced to listen to a constant stream of speech from her mother.
*******
The Grand Feast was well worth the wait. A grand meal was prepared in recognition of the newlyweds. The magnificent scent of the fresh flowers and fragrant candles adorning the Grand Hall spread throughout the area.
The newly mated couple would join the other alphas and their respective mates at the main mahogany table, which had a crimson carpet surrounding it.
Several omegas worked together to complete preparing the long tables with platters, bowls, and goblets, polishing the knives and spoons, and placing them on the linen napkins.
Rosalie looked across the hall and saw her father giving directions to many omegas as they set up additional tables and enormous, heavy chairs to handle the vast number of people who were soon going to be flooding into the grand hall for the festivities. She manoeuvred her way among the scurrying omegas, doing her best to stay out of the way, and made her way over to him. "Hello, dad," she said, greeting him from a distance of a few feet.
When he heard her voice, he turned to face her and greeted her with a smile, as he always did.
He remarked, "Oh, my precious, you look magnificent. I thought young girls were expected to arrive fashionably late. However, you are ready much earlier than expected."
It made her giggle. "If I arrived late, how could I possibly help you?" She responded, "What can I do? I know that you have more on your plate than you can manage, and I assure you, I will not get into any mischief."
Her father responded to her question with a big grin and answered, "You can. You should notify Tylor that we will need an additional five casks of champagne for the party, and then proceed to the pantry. You know these wolves will use any pretext to drink us dry."
After giving her beard-sporting father a peck on the cheek, she exited the room, continued down the hallway, through the kitchen, and then descended the stairs to the storage cellars. After completing her mission, she turned around and started walking back up the hallway. She observed that the sun was moving in a westerly direction across the sky through the tall windows and speculated that the early birds would soon be arriving. She hastened to take her position near the front entrance of the castle so that she could begin her responsibilities of directing guests into the great hall.
When the last of the guests arrived from the outlying guesthouse two hours later, the grand hall was reverberating with laughter and excited voices as they took their places at the long tables and helped themselves to the roasted meats, fresh and dried fruits, nuts, and savoury treats that were heaped in bowls and arranged on platters on each table. Omegas quickly circulated among the guests, pouring and refilling goblets with spiced wine that had been flavoured with honey.
After completing her responsibilities, Rosalie made her way into the hallway. The betas sat in front of the room, which enabled her to have a clear view of the main table; however, fortunately, it was unlikely that Chris would notice that she was staring at them. Despite this, she tried her best not to focus all her attention on the newlywed pair. She mused; it was strange. She had every reason to be fuming with rage, yet she remained calm. Since Alex had entered her life, she no longer had that feeling of numbness. She would never admit it, but her wolf was looking forward to meeting Alex.
He had an air of authority and an infectious sense of humour, not to mention devastating good looks. These helped distract her shattered heart. But she didn't love him. He was just a distraction. Nothing more. When he left, she would be back to square one. Crying over her traitorous mate.
'He is not our mate anymore,' her wolf warned her. She had been furious since their mate bond had been severed. ' Don't cry over him. Get some self-respect, girl!' Her wolf admonished her.
"I am not crying over him; I am just preparing myself to live the rest of my life alone." Rosalie sighed.
'We won't be alone; trust me, we will find someone worthy of us." Her wolf assured her. Rosalie shook her head. Her wolf was such a hussy!
The grand hall was still relatively empty when Rosalie walked in, her heels clicking softly against the polished marble floor.
"Melissa!" Rosalie called out, making her way towards her friend.
Melissa turned, and her eyes lit up. "Rosalie! Look at you!" She did a dramatic once-over, taking in Rosalie's revealing gown that accentuated her curves. "You look hot!"
Rosalie blushed, a pleased smile playing on her lips. "Thanks, Melissa. You look amazing too."
Melissa grinned and nudged her playfully. "Is this your revenge dress?"
Rosalie's brow furrowed in confusion. "Revenge dress? What do you mean?"
Melissa chuckled, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "You know, dressing up in your best to get back at your ex. Make them regret everything. Chris is going to be so jealous when he sees you."
Rosalie's eyes widened as the idea sank in. "I... no, I hadn't thought of it like that."
Melissa laughed. "Sure, you didn't. But deep down, I bet you love the idea of making him squirm a little."
Rosalie couldn't help but giggle. "Okay, maybe a little. But it's not like I'm doing this just for him. Mum insisted that I wear it to attract some potential mates."
"And you should! But if Chris gets a little taste of regret seeing you all dolled up, that's just a bonus."
Just then, the doors swung open, and more guests began to trickle in. The hall started to fill with the hum of conversations and the clinking of glasses. Rosalie scanned the room, her eyes unconsciously searching for a familiar face.
Melissa leant in, whispering conspiratorially. "You know, Alpha Alex is also going to be here. He wouldn't miss this for the world."
Rosalie sighed. "Let's not talk about Alpha Alex."
Melissa nodded, squaring her shoulders. "You're right. Let's go find something to drink."