Imagine an actor who performs their role with great skill. How proud they should be of themselves! Trish was exceptional as a hostess, capturing everyone's attention from the moment she entered the room. She continued to captivate them with her exciting tales of the human world, her interest in others' stories, and her subtle compliments. Every guest was delighted to receive a smile, a greeting, and many were even able to strike up a conversation with her.
Trish was in heaven as the celebration went as smoothly as could be. The dinner party had started and there was nothing but joy and cheer. During the formal part of the celebration, she didn't drink at all, needing to maintain her focus and effortless demeanor. Her turn to speak came, and she approached the stage to address her brother. The room fell silent as all eyes turned to her.
"I raise my glass to the best of brothers, my strong and just brother, Dean," she declared confidently, eliciting cheers from the crowd. "My dear brother, you have a legacy to uphold and may the Moon Goddess always guide you in making the right decisions. Today, we also celebrate a significant date in werewolf history. I was just seven when the war ended and I am a child of peace. I hope that our children will also be children of peace and that is what we should all strive to achieve, even in difficult times..." Trish's speech was interrupted by a loud creaking sound as the big wooden door to the celebration hall opened, revealing a group of seven werewolves dressed in black and grey.
It was easy to tell they were Northerners, and Trish quickly spotted a familiar face - the powerful Alpha Erik. In his 50s, he looked remarkably well, his white hair the only hint of his age. Trish remembered him from her childhood and although he was known to be as cold as the Northern winds, she was never afraid of him.
The group stood there, allowing everyone to gaze at them, as the room fell into a complete silence. Trish's eyes landed on another member of the group and she was taken aback by the sight of his green eyes. He was taller than Alpha Erik, a handsome man in his mid to late twenties, with a lean build and broad shoulders accentuated by his fur coat. The man was staring at her intently, taking a deep breath. Trish thought of the promise she had made to her brother earlier that day and quickly shook herself out of her trance. She smiled mischievously and, turning to the hall of guests, declared loudly,
"It's a great pleasure that our Northerner guests were able to make it to our celebration, despite the weather. We prayed to the Moon Goddess for her mercy, and here you are. I welcome you, Alpha Erik and the rest of your group. Please, take your seats and I'm sure you'll soon be enjoying the celebration and our level of merriment."
The hall erupted with quiet laughter that turned into a roar. Trish felt shivers down her spine and the nervousness dissipating. It seemed that the tension was lifted. Alpha Erik didn't seem too pleased, which could have been due to his exhaustion from a long journey, but he still managed a thin smile and said,
"I may not have recognized you by your appearance, Trish, but your playfulness gives you away. Thank you. We'll enjoy the Celebration together."
They made their way to an empty table when Trish continued, "Alpha Erik always used to tell me that a lady is never late. So, you see, Uncle Erik, for now, I can take comfort in knowing that I'm more of a lady than you are."
At first, everyone gasped, trying to contain their giggles and chuckles, but when they saw Erik smiling at Trish, they realized that he didn't find the joke offensive and they felt free to laugh at his expense.
The celebration continued with a series of toasts, and Trish had a great time at her family's table. She was proud of saving the day and, although her mother warned her not to play with fire again, Trish was convinced that the risk was worth it. She cast a quick glance towards the Northern Alphas' table, trying to see what the one with green eyes was doing. He appeared genuinely bored, with a serious expression, and was listening to something that Alpha Erik was whispering in his ear.
"Is that the new Alpha of the Great North pack?" she asked her dad, knowing he would not suspect her of taking too much interest in the handsome Alphas.
"Yes, the one sitting near Alpha Erik is Alpha Caelan," her dad replied. "He's the new Alpha of the Great North pack."
"How did Alpha Sten die exactly?"
"Caelan murdered him," her dad, Arne, said matter-of-factly.
That was a handsome face of the murderer she was looking at. Trish was surprised and disgusted by the news, despite knowing the ancient tradition that the new Alpha must defeat and kill the old Alpha to become the ruler. This tradition was no longer practiced by most of the Southern and Eastern packs. The transition from one Alpha to another was now usually peaceful, with fathers passing on the leadership to their sons. It seemed like her dad was one of the few in the last fifty years who had to defeat the previous Alpha in combat.
She glanced at the table again and caught Caelan's green eyes. Quickly, she turned towards the stage. She felt a sudden urge to paint the eyes and all the terrible things they had seen, but she pushed the thought aside. Today she would find easier prey.
Caelan hated to be late, but Erik convinced him it was the right move to make an entrance at the Celebration. When they arrived, Caelan scanned the room and was pleased to see most of the people looked afraid. Only a few showed disapproval, he would remember their faces for later. It seemed Erik was correct in saying that most of these Alphas were inexperienced pups who had grown lazy and entitled. With each passing year, more and more Alphas were sons who inherited leadership from their fathers, and the standard of leadership was becoming more and more mediocre. Today, they were celebrating another Alpha's ascension. It appeared that they had interrupted someone's speech. He looked towards the stage and saw a beautiful young woman staring at them, looking puzzled.
There was no fear in her eyes, only surprise. She even seemed annoyed that they had interrupted her, which made Caelan believe she was someone of higher rank. Was she someone's Luna? She was beautiful and wore a colorful, provocative dress with bare shoulders. The Southerners had no respect for the beauty in modesty. At least it gave him an advantage. He noticed that she didn't have a mark on her shoulder, meaning she was unclaimed. He wondered what she smelled like, but was surprised that he couldn't detect her scent. He swore he could smell anyone else in the room, but her scent eluded him. He took a deep breath, trying to hide his sniffing, but still couldn't smell her. This made him mad. She looked at him and tilted her head slightly, amused. She looked like she was watching a monkey perform a trick. She was an odd creature. And then she spoke.
She made a joke. She made a joke about the two most feared Alphas, and Erik just smiled. Caelan couldn't believe what he was seeing. He always found Southerners to be too open, too lenient, too focused on fun and celebrations, but he always thought he had Erik on his side. Today, it seemed like they had lost. What was supposed to be a show of power came across as humility from the girl. He clenched his jaws, fighting his desire to confront Erik and this young woman.
"Arne's daughter, the sister of the new Alpha," Erik explained as they sat together at the table. "This one is feisty, so watch out," he said with a knowing smile towards Caelan. "You always preferred your women to be fighters," he added.
Caelan felt a twinge of hurt at Erik's words. "I don't think we've achieved what you wanted," he said, irritation creeping into his voice.
"No, we haven't. There's been a slight change of plans, it seems, but I prefer it this way. It makes the game more interesting. We just need a good excuse, but that's not your concern. I'll figure it out," Erik whispered into Caelan's ear.
"Can you smell her?" Caelan immediately regretted asking the question. He didn't want to plant any thoughts in Erik's mind.
"What? Do you think she smells like your mate?" Erik chuckled quietly. At times, Caelan felt like a moody teenager around Erik, even though they were equals now. Erik still acted as though he had the upper hand as a mentor.
"No, I can't smell her at all," Caelan explained.
"Oh, that. Yeah, I think she lost her wolf before she turned eighteen. I remember every Alpha was disappointed. They all wanted her as the Luna for their sons," Erik said, "And what a Luna she would have been."
Great, Caelan thought. She was a wolfless, arrogant, and wildly beautiful girl from the East. He looked at her again and their eyes met, but she quickly turned away. He didn't like that. He wanted to study her face, he wanted to have her in his power. He wanted to make her look at him again. Caelan burned her with his gaze, but to no avail. She didn't look his way again. It was maddening. Worse, not looking at him, she only fueled his curiosity.
YOU ARE READING
My magic is for you, Alpha
Werewolf"He remained silent as he gazed upon her. He awaited her to initiate the conversation. If he was taken aback, he didn't show it, though a flicker of emotion passed in his eyes. This girl who had plagued his dreams, who had insulted and rejected him...
