The Flame Trilogy (Books I, II & III)

1.04

I sit on the bed, my blank gaze trained on the clock as the minutes tick by. The Alpha said dinner is being served at 8 and I certainly am not going to arrive there a minute earlier. At precisely 7:58pm I decide to move, counting as I walk to make sure that I reach at the specified time.

I stand outside the door that the Alpha had shown me hours earlier waiting.

57, 58, 59...

I push open the doors, what I find is completely unexpected. There are people sitting all around. Various tables are filled, most everyone laughing whilst they chat. It's an unfamiliar and warm environment, something that I'm unaccustomed to. I don't let the discomfort get to me though; I've dealt with worse.

I never once thought that I could feel intimidated, but being surrounded by this sense of family and love, I know that I was wrong. The discomfort I feel is startlingly unexplainable, like insects crawling under my skin. It's a worse kind of pain or irritation than any torture or humiliation I had been subjected to in Shadow Fang; it's an internal, covert embarrassment. It's knowing that I don't belong here.

The looks of the other pack members are obvious, even if they try to hide it. I can practically smell the curiosity and caution in the air around me. One bitch in particular catches a glimpse of the ink on my wrists before looking away in alarm, another male's eyes rake over me as if sizing me up. They linger on my legs before sending me a wink, perhaps if I wasn't so anxious, I may have played along.

It doesn't escape my notice that nobody is actually eating. A long table sits at the back of the hall, it doesn't stand out except for the fact that it's inhabited by higher ranking wolves in the pack. Dimitri sits in the center most seat, overlooking the rest of the large hall, the seat to his left is empty; the only seat not filled at the table.

To his right sits his Beta and who I presume is his mate, a slender woman with her hair pulled back into a braid. Even from where I stand, I can see that she has raven black hair and light brown eyes and even though she's sitting I can tell that she is tall- maybe around 5'6.

Next to her sits a man who looks like the male version of her; same raven hair, same striking hazel brown eyes and the same high cheekbones. He has to be her brother, there is no mistaking it. The only notable difference between the two is that the man is slightly taller, maybe 6'0, and has a thick, sturdy frame; something seemingly common to all the men in this pack.

Before I get an opportunity to survey the other people at the table, Dimitri's intense stare drills into me, silently commanding me to present myself to him. I take a deep breath, walking towards him with my head held high. He pulls out the chair beside him in a wordless command to sit. I would've gladly disobeyed but noticing all the predatory stares on me I don't really want to sit anywhere else.

It doesn't matter where I go, I don't fit in here. Little does anyone know how different I really am.

The moment I take my seat, everything seems to stop. The hall is so silent that you could hear a pin drop. I've always been taught that it's highly treasonous for anyone but the Alpha Female to sit directly on the left of the Alpha, but I keep the thought to myself.

Once I sit down, the Alpha places his hand on my thigh. His touch alone is enough to send pleasurable sparks through my entire body, and straight to my core. I don't bother fighting him on it, I've seen my fair share of challenged males taking bitches regardless of the crowd to remind her of his dominance. Besides, as much as I hate to admit it, the sparks are kind of soothing.

Then with a nod, everything goes right back to the way it was a few moments earlier; laughter and chatting enveloping the place once more.

Food is brought around by the Omegas, dish after dish like a fountain of food. Each dish smells rich and divine- it is truly a banquet fit for an Alpha, and better yet there is plenty of it meaning that there's more than enough for everyone. There is a wide selection of meats and other foods, some completely unfamiliar.