Chapter 4

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After the welcome banquet, Jasper dragged himself out of the event hall with the echoes of the attendees' howling still ringing in his ears. Werewolves were seldom anything less than deafening when enough packs mingled with each other, and he'd had to endure the whole affair wearing the most uncomfortable outfit he could imagine.

Like all the other werewolves who lacked a mate, Jasper couldn't stay in his suit during such an important inter-pack social event. No, he'd had no choice but to don a long, flowing robe.

Dark blue with silver swirls gleaming like galaxies, the garment looked pleasant enough, but the faintest breeze could blow the fabric away from his legs with ease. This wasn't a practical outfit, at least not for Jasper. For wolves whose bodies flooded with the urge to shift and run to their soulmate, such robes prevented their tails from tearing through their pants in an overwhelming display of passion.

For Jasper, all the robe meant was he'd had an uncomfortable number of Alphas staring at his ass for any signs of a wagging tail throughout the entire banquet. It was no wonder Gwen had left the event as soon as politely possible. Or perhaps his first impression had simply been that atrocious. He'd been so preoccupied with all the nuances of networking with the other Alphas that he hadn't noticed Gwen had left until his father had grumbled about it on their way out of the banquet hall.

He'd only been at the Cowrie Cabana for a few hours, yet Jasper already wished he could return to his office. At least there he'd be useful to his pack. Alone in his empty suite, all he could do was listen to the waves lapping against the shore below. With the banquet demanding all his time and energy that evening, he hadn't had a moment to enjoy anything in his room. Not the bottle of complimentary wine. Not the private hot tub.

Not the letter that hadn't been on his bed when he'd left for the banquet.

The elegant cursive that spelled out his name told him exactly who wrote it. Jasper opened the envelope with the flick of a claw before shifting his finger back to its human form and gingerly removing the elegant stationery within.

Dear Jasper,

My sincerest apologies for speaking to you so little during the welcome banquet. Rest assured that it was a pleasure to finally meet you in person. However, given our fathers' arrangement, I thought it only fair to make sure you had the chance to mingle with as many of the other wolves in attendance as possible. Though you are great company, it was only fair for me to give you the opportunity to find your soulmate.

Now that the initial pleasantries are over, I was wondering if you would like to join a few of my packmates and I on a hunt this Saturday. You are more than welcome to invite a few friends, too. Since our packs will eventually merge should we marry each other, I thought it would be wise for us to try to improve relations between them.

I eagerly await your response. May the Goddess grant you a restful night.

Yours truly, Gwen Evergreen of Kudzu Pack

Jasper breathed a sigh of relief. Thank the Goddess he'd made a decent first impression. With every wolf staying at the Cowrie Cabana howling for a chance to meet the Alpha at the heart of the festivities, this hunt would give him a chance to get away from the crowds for a while and spend time with his packmates. If he was going to be stuck with Gwen as his mate, he might as well get to know her properly before they marked each other under the light of the full moon.

With his answer decided, Jasper wrote Gwen a brief but cordial letter thanking her for her thoughtful invitation and agreeing to join her on a hunt. He'd need to ask his packmates who would be interested in joining them—especially since many of them would be busy taking advantage of the beach and the many amenities the resort had to offer—but he was sure he could convince at least a few of them to join him. If nothing else, the promise of fresh venison was bound to entice a few of his packmates to shift.

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