Hidden Secrets (editing and improving the story)

Chapter 8 - The Annual Gathering

Elektra's pov:

"Did you inform everyone?" David asked eagerly.

"Yes, yes... don't worry. We'll all meet at the eastern borders. We'll stay hidden until the guards change their shift," I reassured him.

"Perfect! This is why it's useful to have senior management on your side," David said with relief. "I can't wait for the gathering—I'm so sure I'll find my mate there!"

"Relax. Don't set your expectations too high. We're going mainly for one reason."

"And that is?"

"To have fun, you silly. What else?"

"Oh, yeah, that too."

"Alright, so we meet at nine. Don't be late," I told him before heading off to the training fields.

For some reason, I had a strange feeling about tonight—like something was telling me it was going to be great. I just hope my premonition is right.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Several hours later

"Please promise me you won't do anything dangerous," Roxanne kept insisting as she tidied my room.

"Relax, Roxanne. I'm going to a gathering, not a battlefield," I replied, rolling my eyes.

"Take care of yourself, don't drink anything strange, and trust no one," she warned again.

"Okay, okay, I promise," I said, bored. I wasn't in the mood for another round of nagging. All I wanted was to leave.

"Do you promise?" Roxanne asked, her voice laced with concern.

I smiled toothily and crossed my fingers behind my back. Roxanne could be annoyingly persistent sometimes, but I knew she'd give her life for me—and I appreciated that.

At exactly eight-thirty, I slipped out of my room. I was dressed in black tights and a simple black bra. My elegant dress, makeup, and heels were tucked away in my gym bag to avoid suspicion. Everyone knew I liked training at night—I actually trained whenever I could. It was one of the few things I could do without restrictions.

I sprinted down the hall, descended the stairs, greeted the guards outside, and headed for the training fields.

We'd all agreed to go on foot—no cars, no risk of being seen. The gathering was only ten kilometers away, an easy distance to cover in wolf form.

When I reached the training fields, I scanned the area to ensure no one was watching. Seeing no one, I dashed toward the forest. David was waiting there with a handful of pack members, while others had already started moving toward the eastern borders. Counting quickly, I guessed we were about twenty-five—both girls and boys. We'd only informed our most trusted friends to keep this quiet. If everything went well, next year we'd invite more.

After an hour of running through the woods, we arrived at the Blue Moon Pack's territory. Blue Moon was the host pack this year—a small but fertile and prosperous land known for its kindness and hospitality. We reached the western border just as the sun dipped low.

We shifted back to human form, changed into our evening clothes, and headed to the pack house. After passing identification control, we entered the basketball court where the gathering was held. The place was large and beautifully decorated—colorful balloons and garlands hung everywhere. To our left, a buffet overflowed with food; to our right, the DJ booth and a bar stocked with every kind of drink imaginable. A spacious dance floor lay at the center, surrounded by white tables and chairs. Above each table hung signs with the names of the packs. We found our two tables, placed side by side in the right corner, and sat down.