Alpha's Faire

I

Few things surprised Raphael Stone. The man had a reputation for being quite logical, to say the least. Some would say that the man was a cold-hearted bastard, but never to his face. No, they would just pray to the goddess above that whatever secrets they held didn't piss him off. The man could read anyone in a moment, see their hopes, desires, and inner thoughts, which was why he was mildly annoyed at the guests in front of him.

"Is it true that you haven't found your mate?" Olive eyes glanced at him, desire darkening them as the she-wolf flicked a strand of blonde hair over her shoulder. His teeth gritted together once more, trying to resist the urge to put the little wolf in her place. That was the fourth time Alpha Grange and his family hinted at the possibility that their daughter could be his mate. Raphael had to stifle a scoff as he cut his steak. If that were the case, Raphael would have known upon their arrival, not hours later. But Grange and his family were no fools. They knew that if they couldn't find a fated mate for their daughter, a chosen mate would do. And short of the King, Raphael was their best option for a chosen mate. That was why the little she-wolf, Bridget, tried to seduce him from across rooms. She gave him glances, swayed her hips, pushed her breasts out into his view as much as possible. To put it short, she was desperate. Unfortunately for her, Raphael wasn't taking anything she offered.

"I've not had the chance, I'm afraid," Raphael replied, meeting her gaze with cold eyes. "Tell me, have you had the chance yet on your tour?" He smiled, and her gaze faltered. Bridget's eyes narrowed as a flash of irritation shined for a moment. After all, he was mocking her.

"No, Alpha Stone," She replied with her teeth gritted together. "It's been a long tour, I'm afraid." Bridget violently stabbed her salad with her fork, frustrated at her situation. Bridget's mating tour was traditional, starting with packs at the front of the alphabet. It was evident that she was almost at the end of the line by showing up at the Whitehaven pack. This was practically her last chance at some semblance of power before reaching the dreaded last pack - Voltaire. Her pride and hopes were also wounded by not finding her mate in 40 different packs already.

"Shame." He pouted for a moment. "I gather that since Whitehaven is lower in the list, it might be prudent for the tour to expand outside of tradition."

"What do you mean Alpha Stone?" Alpha Grange rose an eyebrow at him very cautiously.

"Travel to the more human-populated areas." Raphael simply rose his glass of wine to his lips as his deep green eyes watched Grange choke. It wasn't unexpected for Grange to react so openly. The man had a reputation of being protective over his only child, but what else could Raphael suggest? Bridget's eyes grew wide, and suddenly her body stiffened at the suggestion. No longer was she looking at him with desire, with her breasts shifted for his view, but now she curled back into her seat. For the first time of their entire stay, Raphael had to gather that she wasn't playing the role thrust upon her.

"Alpha, I don't mean any disrespect, but that's out of the question." Grange finally spat out in a hoarse tone, trying to compose himself.

"Why not?" Raphael just rose a brow at the man, frowning.

"Because she-"

"She is more than of age," Raphael cut him off, looking over at Bridget that seemed entranced inside her thoughts. "19, I presume?" She snapped out of her state of mine enough to nod. "While it is possible that her mate is at the last stop, it's also possible given the fact you've made it this far, that her mate is quite not even a werewolf. Her mate may be human."

"Hm." Bridget nodded slightly as if she were scared to admit the possibility. Raphael relaxed more. She knew he was right.

"After all, she could easily attend a college in the human realms." Raphael continued, watching Grange's face pucker as his lips went tight. Raphael had to resist the urge to smirk. If the man continued, then he'd end up looking like a sour patch. But instead, the Alpha squirmed, wrestling with the fact that he couldn't deny Raphael's points, his desire to keep his daughter safe, to keep her out of Voltaire, and not admit he was wrong.