The Selkie's Alpha

Chapter 26

Jasper's pulse thundered in his ears as loudly as his footsteps as he ran across the resort. Guests turned to stare at him as he tore down yet another pathway. Yet, neither their disapproving looks nor his too-tight shoes could slow him down.

Air conditioning blasted frigid air into Jasper's face as he barreled into the conference center. Goddess, why did all the rooms have to look identical? Nostrils flared in search of familiar scents. For once, Kudzu Pack's penchant for potent perfumes proved useful, guiding him with their nose-burning stench.

Once he reached the source of the overpowering odor, he entered the conference room to find the most important wolves from both his pack and Gwen's already seated. A dozen suit-clad businesspeople turned to face him with expressions ranging from relief to irritation.

"Nice of you to join us," Mr. Evergreen said. His sharp smile hurt almost as much as the disappointment in his father's eyes. "We were beginning to think you weren't going to show up."

"Sorry." Jasper bowed deeply before sinking into the sole open seat beside Gwen. His overly large suit hung around his shoulders as if he were a pup who was playing with his father's clothes, and he ached to pry his shoes off and check his feet for blisters.

"Now that everyone is here, we can return our attention to how we'll combine our production processes." Jasper's father pressed the remote in his hand, making the room's projector display a map on the wall. "With some careful adjustments, we should be able to come to an arrangement that benefits both of our packs."

"Forgive me for the assumption, but it doesn't look like your pack values mine as much as it should." Mr. Evergreen's tone was anything but apologetic as he gestured toward Jasper. "You had ample time to prepare for this meeting, yet your son showed up with hair that looks like a bird's nest and ill-fitting clothes."

Jasper grimaced as the air conditioning blew a flower petal off his head. He'd been so focused on trying to make it to the meeting on time that he hadn't been able to tidy himself up.

"What was so important that you couldn't be bothered to honor your commitment to our packs, pup?" Mr. Evergreen said, his voice dripping with condescension.

"I was researching new scent combinations in the gardens, and I lost track of time." The only combination he'd truly been concerned with was his lips on Brooke's, but they didn't need to know that.

"That's not what my Beta told me."

Jasper's stomach sank to his toes as all eyes turned to Waylon. Kudzu Pack's Alpha was unpleasant enough, but their Beta relished in making people miserable.

"We're all aware of Jasper's... deviance." Waylon spat out the word as if he'd tasted rotten meat. "But as you can all smell, it's worse than any of us could have imagined. He's been spending more time with a selkie than his future mate."

Sniffs peppered the air as the rest of the wolves inhaled Jasper's scent. He sank deeper into his chair, wishing the floor would swallow him whole.

"Of course he smells like a selkie." Gwen interlaced her fingers with Jasper's on top of the conference table, in plain view of the other attendees. "Most of the people who work here are selkies. Goddess knows we'd never be able to put the Blue Moon Ball together without Brooke's invaluable assistance."

Jasper gave Gwen's hand a gentle squeeze, silently thanking her for covering for him. "She's been working tirelessly to give us the best possible experience ever since we came here. Just the other day, she prepared half a dozen games to keep the pups happy while their parents mingled with their friends from other packs."