Chapter 21 #2
My sister had decided on soft string music to start the evening off as invitees arrived.
The pearly-white moonstones she’d procured especially for tonight glowed on the ground, embedded into the grooves of each flagstone, reflecting the iridescence granted from above.
As much as I argued against the need for a celebration, I couldn’t deny the allure of the evening and charm of the magic we wolves possessed, so prevalent on nights like this.
Unlike others, our magic wasn’t cast by spells or exacted through manipulation and mind games.
It harnessed the power of the earth itself, we were tied to her, grounded by her, strengthened by her.
I saw our magic in the crystals that Penelope so loved to collect.
Hues of blue and orange, and if one were to stumble upon a rare one, purple, followed the guests along the path to the gardens which had been transformed into a menagerie of tables overflowing with blooming centerpieces.
The Crescent Rose, cultivated in our gardens and perfected by a touch of Fire, adorned the heart of each vase.
It was named after the Blood Moon sigil of The Halo and in the dusky cover of night, the flowers looked enchanted.
Petals, blackened in the very middle, faded into curling blood-red tips.
If they captured the firelight just right, they looked like a waxing crescent moon rising from the ashes of a crimson flame.
Amidst the walkways, the dignitaries from each pack stood about.
Glass lanterns, clear and transparent, hung from the trees, placed so they were floating between the leaves, adding to the spectral effect of the evening.
They dribbled their light on the faces of the guests, amongst them my mother, who had been making her rounds, greeting those on one end of the garden while I commandeered the opposite side.
She held the arm of Alpha Remy, the leader of Pack Gallos.
It was a deliberate decision. Even on a night such as this, where politics and differences were to be set aside in favor of diplomacy and merriment, my mother was the Luna of The Halo first and Callista Grigoriadis second.
Pack Gallos was a friend of The Halo but not one of the packs under my control, their alphas having always preferred their autonomy.
Packs like these were a point of contention with the Council, whose ambitions for increased control had become murky and questionable.
My mother’s choice to stand beside an outsider like Alpha Remy in such a public setting sent a message, loud yet subtle in its delivery.
I nodded to them both, and continued on, finishing my welcoming duties until it was time to take our seats.
We were at the head table, on a platform elevated slightly above the guests.
I sat center with my mother and sister on my right and left, while the rest of my officers filled the remaining chairs.
My mother made a welcoming speech, wishing me a happy reign, to which drinks were poured and raised.
She called upon the pack elders and the mystics: the record keepers and the spiritualists of our world.
Together they led us all in a song of gratitude for our fortunes that concluded with a humble request of continued health and harmony and for courage and resilience in times of struggle.
In eras past, the ceremony was much more elaborate; offerings were made to the Alpha, his hands were kissed, and some stories even spoke of Iskander being carried in on the backs of his attendants so his feet never touched the ground.
I eschewed all of that, as had my father and my grandfather, much to the horror of the purists who saw it as a profane break from thousands of years of ritual.
At the song’s end, my mother stood again and with some reluctance, but always with her usual grace, introduced Alpha Kendrick of Pack Delium.
My lip curled at the man. Arrogant and self-serving, he was the Speaker for The Council and a member of The Cabinet, or the Nine as they were more commonly referred; a specially designated branch of alphas fashioned to keep the Head of The Council, meaning me, in line.
Nine, to tip a vote in favor of side or the other.
It was a position he had inherited from his father.
Primogeniture was proving to be a bitch.
Kendrick strode to my mother and kissed the back of her hand with a bow. He extended a bow to me as well and proudly turned to the guests. His position meant he was afforded time for speech-making during formal events, a requirement he viewed as a perk.
I tuned him out.
It was always the same.
Place your full trust in our leadership. The Fire chose the wolves for a reason. Five-thousand years of legacy.
The purists never spoke of progress, not a word of self-reliance. They lived in the past, resting their laurels on a magical instrument whose time could come to a close at any given moment. Then what? The wolves of the Halo would be dead in the water. That is what my grandfather sought to prevent.
“…and of course Alpha Konstantine has agreed to a rather exciting arrangement, which I’m honored to announce in the presence of such a distinguished audience.”
Kendrick fixed his oily face on mine and gave me an eel-like smirk. I knew it was coming. I’d wondered if the Nine would have the boldness to do it, but I was clearly about to have my answer.
“The Council and I are thrilled to share the Alpha has accepted a proposal which will allow the Cabinet to start the search posthaste…for his chosen mate.”
The sound of gasps rippled through the guests.
I could feel the eyes of my officers on me.
Penelope sputtered into her napkin. My mother grabbed my elbow discreetly.
She may have had prior knowledge of this situation, but she had not considered the Nine seizing the opportunity to declare it before every diplomat in the Realm.
Alpha Kendrick’s focus was back on me but I gave him nothing.
Seeing no reaction, he lifted a hand to quiet the chatter that had filled the peaceful gardens.
“This is unorthodox, yes,” he cajoled, “but our Alpha is nearing an age where an heir is vital. We wouldn’t want the unfortunate to happen, after all, what took place ten years ago almost to the day, is a tragedy that still…”
At the mention of my father, someone the likes of Kendrick weren’t worthy to speak of, I stood up, drink in hand.
“To my chosen.” I raised the whiskey, my eyes scanning the crowd, waiting for them and the rest of the head table to follow suit. “May she be everything the Council deems desirable in their eyes.”
During dinner, I mindlinked my officers, my mother and sister to postpone their questions and keep the night on theme.
They took the directions to heart. Penelope went missing for the rest of the evening—Cyrus too.
Vallon and Jason, who were rarely able to separate duty from any occasion, took to patrolling and keeping watch, most likely as a way to curb their concern and curiosity.
That left me with Drake, who understood me best.
“Some soiree,” he said, grinning over the head of a woman who’d made herself comfortable in his lap. He’d found us a table off to the side, hidden in an alcove of trees and darkness where we were putting away more liquor in one night than I had all year.
The girl giggled playfully and whispered something in his ear.
She took his hands and placed them near her backside with no complaints from Drake, who was three sheets to the wind.
He’d been moody as of late, keeping to himself, socializing less.
However, tonight he seemed better, acting more like the guy I’d known all my life.
I couldn’t tell what had brought about the change, the alcohol likely, but in any event, it was allowing him to fully appreciate the advances of the opposite sex.
Her friends hung around, taking turns throwing themselves at him. One of them tried her luck with me.
“Come dance, Alpha,” she said, running her hands under the collar of my shirt.
I politely peeled her away and shook my head.
“Beat it, Leslie,” a thick Northern accent said over the music drifting over from the main area.
Looking past the girl, I saw a familiar blonde come to stand next to us. Paloma’s blue eyes momentarily changed to the green of her wolf while staring down Leslie, who gave her a dirty look but didn’t say anything, choosing to concede and walk away.
“Hey, baby,” Paloma murmured, shamelessly straddling me. “It’s been a while, oh greatest Alpha.”
“Has it?” I smirked.
She grinned and hiked up her dress, sliding herself against the outstandingly limp center of my pants.
I liked Paloma’s company. We’d had an off-and-on arrangement for some time, which was uncomplicated and beneficial to both of us.
Drake and Cyrus had warned me the uncomplicated portion was one-sided, that Paloma had more expectations than she let on.
Whether she did or didn’t hadn’t been an issue, as she, like everyone else, knew about my priorities.
I’d had a rule that I didn’t engage with females of my own pack.
As their alpha, I found it distasteful, but Paloma had become the exception by way of happenstance.
Originally from a different pack, we’d met before she had become a part of mine.
She had been born into a family of warriors and traveled to the Halo to train.
Vallon, despite not caring for Paloma’s personality, had found no lack in skill and eventually, though with some hesitation, suggested she be assigned to my mother’s personal guard.
She had been given the night off, so it seemed.
“I thought you’d gone and found yourself a girlfriend, but I guess you are way past that.” She pouted. “Did you forget about me?”
“I’ve had a lot on my mind,” I replied.