Chapter 13 - Mira
The whole compound is excited about today’s planned event. It’s the first time ever that the Omegas are going with their Alpha on a real hunt. Jace is taking all of them with him this morning, and I’m jealous I can’t be there to join in, but I have too much to do at the lab.
Even at work, the girls who don’t train are talking about it.
“It’s incredible. He’s an amazing Alpha. I’ve never heard of leaders letting the Omega women take such a strong role,” I overhear some girls chatting over coffee in the cafeteria.
It makes me smile. I’m proud of my husband. My Alpha.
He is doing incredible things for this pack, and even though our relationship is more business than anything else, it still makes me proud to be with him. It’s interesting that through his actions, I’ve begun to view the pack differently. I’m starting to feel like I’m part of it, too.
“What time will they come in from the hunt?” someone asks. I turn toward the group of girls. “They’ll be back at three this afternoon,” I tell them.
“Do you think we can get out of work a little early. We want to be there when they return. It's super exciting to have the first female hunting pack,” she says excitedly.
“Sure,” I grin. “I wouldn’t mind being there either.”
***
Just before three, it feels like the entire compound is moving in the direction of the forest. Everyone is babbling with excitement to see what they caught and talking about the feast we’ll have this evening with the fresh kill.
Some of the pack have shifted to wolf form and are skirting up and down the edge of the tree line, wanting to run in with the pack when they arrive.
Several howls erupt in the forest, and the excitement shoots up tenfold. Electricity fills the air as anticipation grows.
“They’re here!” someone shouts.
Goosebumps break out over my skin, and I’m grinning, savoring the heightened energy in the air around me.
The pack bursts through the tree line and into the open meadow.
They howl and yelp in excitement, nipping at each other playfully.
Jux is in the front, calmer and steadier than the rest. He leaps onto a high tree stump and sits there, watching his hunting pack circle and gather with his chest puffed forward and his eyes filled with pride.
When everyone is in the clearing, he jumps down, trotting to his discarded clothes.
He remains crouched down, hidden behind the line of tree stumps, as he pulls his pants up and then stands, shirtless.
He walks toward the rest of us, looking like he was sculpted by the hand of Selene herself.
Every part of him is pure perfection, and my hormones are beginning to rage again.
He raises his hand and shouts. “Tonight we feast, our omegas have made us proud!”
The pack screams, howls, and shouts their praise.
Two jeeps come skidding into the meadow, causing everyone to spin toward them in alarm. What is going on?
From the first one, Jeremy and Marcus spill out. From the second, Lexus. They all look furious as they storm toward Jace.
“What is the meaning of this?” Marcus snarls, spitting his words in anger.
“We are celebrating the hunt,” Jace replies calmly, staring down at the man with no expression on his face.
“A hunt? A real hunt? You took the Omegas on a hunt in the forest?” he snaps, horrified.
“Is there a problem, Marcus?” Jace asks coolly and collected, but his voice is vibrating with authority.
“Of course, there is a problem. You know the hunting territories are shared by two other packs. What if someone saw you?” he blurts out.
“I don’t understand the issue?” Jace replies.
The entire pack is watching in tense silence.
“You don’t….” Marcus scoffs, turning toward the other two elders, “he says he doesn’t understand the issue,” he huffs in disbelief, throwing his hands in the air.
“Marcus, let's calm down a moment and discuss this like….” Lexus says, raising his hands.
“Are you also upset about this hunt?” Jace asks Lexus and Jeremy, interrupting everyone.
“Yes, they’re upset about it!” Marcus snarls.
“I believe they can speak for themselves,” Jace says.
“They are Omegas, Jace. They are not hunters,” Jeremy says calmly.
“They have been training to hunt. They’ve been doing well. Why wouldn’t they put their new skill to good use?” he asks.
“Because…”
Marcus interrupts Jeremy, pushing forward, “Because the other packs might see them!”
Is he kidding right now? Are they seriously angry about that? Why? It doesn’t make sense.
The hackles are standing on the back of my neck. Mika instinctively wants to leap in front of Marcus and snarl at him for disrespecting her Alpha.
I’m holding my breath, waiting for Jace to slam his body into Marcus and pin him to the ground for disrespecting him in front of the entire pack.
Marcus is being incredibly disrespectful to his Alpha.
I watch Jeremy and Lexus, who clearly also disagree with what has happened, but they aren’t confronting Jace with anger.
Instead of reacting with violence, Jace cocks his head to the side and, in a deep, commanding voice that has Marcus swallowing hard, he says, “Let's discuss this in a private meeting. I will come by the pack house in thirty minutes.”
Jeremy and Lexus quickly agree, very aware of the entire pack’s eyes on them and the publicity of this disagreement.
Marcus isn’t as observant. “There isn’t anything to discuss; this should never have happened, period!”
“Marcus,” Jeremy snaps, grabbing the man’s arm and pulling him back.
At least someone has respect.
“It’s fine, Jeremy. I understand Marcus’s trepidation over this unique situation.
I tell you what… It’s been a long time since we had all the packs come together to catch up.
Let’s invite them all to the feast tonight.
We can find out if anyone saw us hunting today, and we can settle any issues that it might have caused.
It will also be a good way to welcome all of the Alphas home after their Black Ops training.
Reuniting us, reestablishing our alliances and peace agreements. ”
“Good idea,” Lexus says, nodding. “It has been a long time since we hosted the surrounding packs. It’s long overdue.”
Marcus nods, satisfied with the idea. I can tell he wants to find out who knows what.
“Please issue an invitation to the Alphas of the New Salem, Thief River, and Hazen packs. We will light the fires at sunset.”
The pack cheers in agreement, and with one redirecting move, Jace has calmed the elders and given them what they want, but also avoided a brutal fight between two wolves. He took control without violence.
I’m also fully aware that Jace has no intention of bending to Marcus.
He might have put forward the idea as though he wanted to subtly find out if the other packs saw the Omegas hunting…
but I know better. Jace is proud of the Omegas.
He wants to show off, to show the other packs what they are capable of and the direction he is leading us in.
I’m impressed. He handled this perfectly.
My eyes are tight on Marcus as he walks back toward the jeep. I’ve never had feelings toward the man before, but right now I strongly dislike him. I don’t take well to anyone disagreeing with my mate. For some reason, Marcus clearly doesn’t like Jace.
Jeremy and Lexus were more observant and far more diplomatic, but Marcus needs to learn a thing or two about how to treat a strong Alpha like Jace. He’s going to regret it if he doesn’t.
***
That evening, Jace leaves for the party before me because he wants to help with preparations and be there when the first Alpha guests arrive with their packs.
I’m rushing around in a bit of a panic. Parties were never my strength. Socializing in all its forms, in fact, has always been a source of stress for me.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve changed and grown, and the training has me feeling more confident than I’ve ever felt before, but still… There are going to be a lot of people there tonight.
Standing in front of my closet, I stare at the red dress I’ve never worn before. An item I bought on impulse a few years ago. A beautiful dress. Stunning. Far too sexy for me to pull off.
Fuck it. I huff, pushed by Mika’s excitement.
“We’re doing it,” I say, pulling the dress out.
If I don’t wear it tonight, I may as well throw it away.
So let’s give it that one chance to shine before I lose this brief moment of confidence.
I pair the dress with my black sneakers because we’re hosting the party out on the fields, and there’s no chance in hell I’m fighting with that annoyance all night.
My feet need to be happy, not struggling to balance on the earth's soil.
Of course, when I arrive at the party wearing the red dress, I am painfully aware of how figure-hugging it is and how many people are actually here.
The meadow is flooded with people. There is a massive bonfire in the center of a stone pit, and a number of large slabs of meat, freshly prepared deer from today’s hunt, are rotating on spits near the flames.
Music pulses through the evening air, and then the sun has streaked the sky with beautiful pink clouds for sunset.
It always amazes me how quickly people can pull a party together.
In the distance, I see Jace talking to the other Alphas, laughing, holding a beer.
I hear Kelsey shout my name and turn toward her.
“Mira, oh my word, I thought you’d never wear it!” she exclaims, excited as she runs over to me in a blue and white floral dress.
“Ugh, I know. And I regret it instantly,” I sigh, tugging at the red dress.
“Stop that, you look incredible. I’ve already caught several men scoping you out,” she grins.
“Very funny,” I scoff, rolling my eyes again.
“Come, there are pastries and vegetables already prepared as starters. The meat is going to take a few hours,” she says, tugging me towards a buffet table to grab some snacks. Thank goodness, because I’m so hungry that if I have one or two drinks now, it might go straight to my head.
As the night goes on, I start to relax and even enjoy myself.
My students all come to say hello. Lila and Fenex spend some time chatting to me, telling me about how they’ve moved in together and their plans for a wedding.
Kelsey drags me to the dance floor a few times.
And all around us, I hear people talking about how the Omegas of Rose Falls were the ones who made the kill for tonight’s feast.
I listen, gathering reactions so I can tell Jace about it later.
Some people are excited. They discuss a new era and how it will change everything. Some people could hardly care less, as long as there’s meat on the table, it makes no difference who gets it. Others are outright offended and don’t hold back on giving their opinions.
Each of the three visiting packs has an assortment of opinions.
It’s hard to tell which opinion appears to be the most common.
“That dress makes you stand out,” a voice chuckles, and I turn to see a good-looking guy standing behind me.
“Thank you,” I say cautiously, wondering if he’s mocking me.
“Honestly, you look absolutely stunning. I’ve been struggling to keep my eyes off you, so I had to come over and say hello,” he grins, charming and forward.
Is he flirting with me? Is that what this is? I’ve never been flirted with before, so this is horrifyingly new to me.
I shift from one foot to the other, hyper-aware that I am somewhat of a public figure, and while this guy clearly doesn’t know who I am, I need to handle this situation with grace and turn him down politely.
“I’m Tyson,” he smiles, holding out his hand to shake mine.
“I’m Mira,” I reply, taking his hand and shaking courteously.
“Mira, what a beautiful name,” he purrs.
Damn, this guy looks like he’s ready to drag me into the woods. I chuckle inwardly. I’m in no way attracted to him, but I do feel a bit pleased that someone thought I looked pretty tonight. Pretty enough that they boldly came over here to let me know about it and make a move.
“What pack are you from, Tyson?” I ask, preparing to tell him that I am the Luna of this pack. Easing him into it is so as not to embarrass the guy or sound rude.
“New Salem. We were pretty impressed about the Omega hunt…”
Before he can finish his sentence, I am practically lifted off my feet and ripped from the conversation.
“Hey, don’t grab her like that!” Tyson growls, but when he sees Jace, he gets a fright, realizing he’s confronting the Alpha of this pack.
His voice changes, but he still stands his ground. “Come on, man, that’s not how you treat a lady,” Tyson says.
“My mate,” Jace growls viciously. “My mate, whom you were making moves on!” he snarls.
Before Tyson can reply, Jace has dragged me away from the party to a private space distance away in the meadow, where no one can hear us.
He looks furious, with eyes that pierce black and nostrils flaring.
“You belong to me, Mira. In case you forgot, you are my mate!” he growls beneath his breath, gripping my arm tightly.
Anger surges through me.
“Get your hands off me,” I snap, pushing him away.