Page 34 of Chasing The Alpha's Son
The dining room is rustic elegance to the max. Seventies-style stone pillars rise from four points in the middle of the room, and a large open fire crackles in the center. The walls are all glass and wood, with yet more ridiculously obscene views. Boughs of holly have been strung up, between red velvet bows. A long table faces the main entrance, connected on either end to two more tables which run the length of the room, creating a squarish U shape. The guests already in their seats—a mix of families and official-looking types—are dressed more smart than casual, with straight backs and slicked hair.
In the center of the table opposite the door, a large chair made of moose antlers and covered in furs sits conspicuously empty, with two, less grandly decorated, empty seats next to it. To the right of one of the empty chairs, Jasper is sitting, and to his right Clayton is leaning in, one arm resting on the back of Jasper’s chair. I bristle as I head to my seat and force myself to look somewhere else…anywhere else.
The spots Todd and Simon have saved us are on the table to the right of the room, facing out toward the windows. They look unreasonably smug when Katie decides to sit between them, leaving me with the chair next to Olivia. I sit and she huffs, turning away to make small talk with some middle-aged man on her left.
As I glance across the dining room, that boy with the curly bleached hair from earlier is watching me with a gentle smirk. When I catch his eye, he does a little wave, which I return awkwardly. Luckily, a server arrives at my side to deliver a plate of food before things can get more awkward. My mouth floods with saliva at the sight of roast venison and mashed potatoes, with berry jam and carrots.
I glance up from my freshly delivered plate and notice Jasper speaking in a hushed voice to a staff member holding the same meaty plate of food. Guess they didn’t know he was a vegetarian.Take that, Princess Mia.I wonder if they even have an alternative prepared. From the furs and antlers all over this place, I’d say they’re pretty set in their carnivorous ways.
Once everyone has their plate, I pick up my fork and am about to tuck in when the lights dim. A horn sounds from somewhere overhead, which… Is that even safe with all these snowy hillsides around? Are they trying to cause an avalanche?
The doors swing open and in steps Alpha Morven Labraid, I assume. Every Rocky Pack wolf stands, so we do the same. When they rest a fist on their chest, we do the same. Morven is taller than Jericho but not as wide, with tanned skin—from all the skiing I guess—salt-and-pepper hair, and blue eyes that survey the room in a warm yet calculating way. He’s wearing a cream sweater underneath a gray suit jacket, with matching pants and brown leather shoes. Less dressed up than most of the pack officials here, in fact, he looks downright relaxed, in a millionaire on vacation in Vale sorta way, but still. It’s an alpha of a different color.
Morven reaches out his hand and is joined by a white woman around the same age, with coppery hair coiled in a bun, a maroon dress, and a black blazer draped over her shoulders. This must be Luna Astrid. She’s tall and stoic, with a playful lilt to the corner of her mouth. Mia steps up to Morven’s left side, her red hair––decorated with golden autumnal hair-pieces–– contrasts with the green of her satin pantsuit.
Morven, Astrid, and Mia walk the perimeter of the room nodding cordially to their guests. Every eye follows them without wavering. Jasper stands when the royal trio reaches the central table. He shakes hands with Morven, bowing his head slightly, an impossibly serious expression on his face. He kisses the back of Astrid’s hand and does the same European kisses on either side of Mia’s stupid face as he did earlier. Finally, Morven takes his seat, giving Mia and his luna a kiss on the cheek. Mia takes the empty seat next to Jasper, of course.
“Welcome everyone,” Morven says as we sit.
His voice isn’t as resonant or deep as Jericho’s. He has a casually confident tone I wasn’t expecting from an alpha. Maybe this guy is all right?
“I am so thrilled you could all join us this evening, right on the precipice of such a wonderful and precious time of year. And I’d like to say a special welcome to the wolves of the Elite Pack, who have traveled to join us in celebration. You are most welcome in our pack and in our home. I trust you aren’t too weary from your travels.”
His eyes drift over us and I don’t feel the same fear, the same innate need to obey, as I do when Jericho looks at me. Instead I feel a strange sort of warmth in my chest. Morven turns to his left and continues.
“A special welcome to Alpha Jericho’s first born and heir to the Elite Pack, Jasper Apollo.”
There’s a light round of applause for Jaspy.
“It’s a pleasure,” Jasper says, the perfect representative for his father.
“How goes the search for your mate, Jasper? I hear it’s been a little tumultuous.”
For a second I wonder if Morven’s forgotten the rest of us are sitting here listening, he seems so laid-back, so conversational.
Jasper’s jaw tightens and his eyes roam the tablecloth. When he speaks his voice is caught at the back of his throat. “I’m yet to find my mate.”
I stare at my lap. Even though I know he has to keep up appearances, it stings. Katie glimpses in my direction.
“Who knows, your presence here may prove to create a stronger bond between our packs than anyone was expecting.”
Morven casually places a hand on Mia’s back and I notice her stiffen. Is he suggesting what I think he’s suggesting?
“Thank you for hosting my pack,” Jasper says, ignoring Morven’s inappropriately overt suggestion. “We are honored to accept your hospitality.”
Morven laughs a little to himself, clearly amused by Jasper’s overly serious tone. “You are most welcome.” He returns his attention to the room at large. “Our ancestors have lived in these mountains for hundreds of centuries, although not always at the crest of the mountains as we do today. We were valley dwellers, roaming the shadows, struggling to survive, and it was only with perseverance, strength, and reverence for the Moon Gods that we were able to claw our way out of the valley to climb these lofty peaks. Now we sit at the top of the mountains, and this Christmas we will be given a gift: the gift of the blood moon—a symbol of who we are and where we’ve come from.”
He holds his full glass of red wine to the sky. “Because of our connection to the Moon Gods, and our closeness to them, we must hold fast to our traditions and the beliefs that keep us from the shadows. This blood moon, let us give thanks to our Moon Gods, and pray for their blessing.”
A few of the men around the room raise their glasses, nodding their agreement.
“I am most excited for our siblings from the Elite Pack to experience this one-in-a-lifetime event from our special vantage point.” Once again his eyes find my packmates and he smirks. “Just be careful the blood wolf doesn’t get you.”
The wolves of the Rocky Pack chuckle and grin, nodding along at some joke that doesn’t make any sense. I’d say you had to be there, but here I am and…nothing. I glance at Katie, but she shrugs—she’s as confused as I am.
“I’m sorry,” Morven says, chuckling to himself. “It was just a little wolf joke, there’s nothing to be afraid of. I’m excited for the chance to share some of our culture with you. Now I have waffled on too long, haven’t I? Shall we eat?”
Dinner is maybe the most delicious hour of my life. The meat is so succulent and rich, the vegetables perfectly cooked, and the dessert… I’ve never had an apple strudel that tasted quite like that!
