“Thank you,” Nik nodded and both of us stood up. “You are welcome to stay the night. It will be our pleasure if you have dinner with us. I already have a meeting scheduled with my councilmen to discuss war strategy after that, you are welcome for that as well.”
“It will be our pleasure.” Alpha Zain agreed with a smile.
“If you don’t mind, I would like to stay as well.” Logan said. “My father is old-fashioned and has difficulty accepting his mistakes. He knows he fucked up. I’ll talk to him. I will stand by your side when the times comes and if things so well, so will my father and our pack.”
“It would be our pleasure.” Nik nodded.
It was almost dinner time anyways so we directly moved on to the Royal Dining Hall. I felt a small tug on my dress and I looked behind me to see no one. With one more tug, my eyes shifted down to see Zoe looking up at me with big beautiful hazel eyes. “Your hair turned silver and then brown and then silver and then brown again. Why?”
I smiled. “I don’t know either. But it happens when he touches it.” I pointed towards Nikolai who was walking in front of us, engaged in a conversation with Logan and Alpha Zain .
“Alpha Nikolai!” She called loudly, making everyone look at her. Alpha Zain looked worried as he looked at her sister. “Can you touch her hair please? It’s pretty when it’s silver. She doesn’t look like a grandma. She looks pretty.” My jaw dropped. I didn’t know if I should be offended or take it as a compliment.
Alpha Zain ‘s eyes widened and Nikolai laughed at that. Laughed.
“Yes, she’s very pretty. Will you be my girlfriend?” Zion tried to wink, key word- tried. Both of his eyes closed and his face scrunched up comically.
This time, I was the one who laughed. Nikolai looked amused.
Alpha Zain whacked his little brother behind his head, “apologise!”
“Oops. Sorry.” He said and then Alpha Zain gave me an apologetic smile, “please forgive him. He lacks filter and sometimes a working brain,” he glared at his brother who looked down in shame.
The men continued their talks again and Zion looked up at me relentlessly, “so what do you think? I know I’m young now but give me a couple of years, I’ll grow taller and stronger than him too,” he whispered, pointing at Nikolai. So the shame he showed earlier was feigned. “We ca-ngwt” Luna Belle came up from other side of him and put her hand over his mouth, “sorry.” She chuckled.
“It’s fine, really.” I smiled. “I love kids.”
“Ew.” Luna Belle took her hand from over his mouth and rubbed it over his shirt-he had licked her palm. Zion showed her his tongue before he ran away. Pink coated her cheeks when she looked at me.
“If kids don’t behave mischievously then who will?” I chuckled, hoping to make her more comfortable.
She smiled gratefully, “you’re going to be a great mother one day.”
A dagger pierced my heart but I smiled through it, “thank you. So will you. You handle them wonderfully.” I looked down at Zoe who was still subconsciously holding on to the skirt of my dress, her eyes moving around the palace.
“It’s not as easy as it looks, trust me. But the kids are wonderful. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” She said.
We entered the Dining Hall.
“Your Palace is beautiful, Luna Avalyn.” Belle whispered in awe as she looked around at the grandiosity. “I mean I’ve heard stories… but this….”
“Thank you.” I smiled. Our family entered from the other entrance. The place was a little chaotic because of so many people but I made sure to introduce Luna Belle and Zoe to everyone. Zoe, Adrian, Zion and Vanessa became fast friends, despite the difference in their ages. They were playing chase in the dining room, running from between two people conversing and laughing and squealing loudly as they did so. I was happy that they made Adrian play with them too. He needed to be a kid more often.
I also came to know that Alpha Ralph and Luna Iris had departed and Logan had decided to stay the night despite it.
When things started calming down, we began taking our seats. There was obviously a change in the seating arrangements. Nik sat at the head of the table with me on his right, Luna Belle besides me and then Dimitri, Andrei, a man I didn’t recognise and then a woman with a scar on the side of her face-another person I didn’t recognise. They must be the new councilmen Dimitri was trying to tell me about earlier. And then on Nikolai’s left sat Alpha Zain , Logan, Nat, Max, Mikhail. The kids sat at the end of the table with April and a couple of more slaves to make sure the kids ate properly.
More slaves came in, bringing in entrees after entrees. From the looks of it, we were going to be fed a twelve course meal. I didn’t mind. I was getting hungry again. I could sense Luna Belle getting overwhelmed by everything-so much incoming food, many family members and… fanciness. She clearly wasn’t used to this. Nor were Alpha Zain and Logan but no body voiced it. I decided to take matters into my own hand.
“I would like to raise a toast.” I said, picking up my champagne glass. Nik looked at me with a smile and picked up his glass. The rest followed.
“I have talked to all of you on the phone along with my father Javier.” I smiled, “and this isn’t how I had imagined our first meeting would go. We have been doing business for a couple of months and now it has turned into a partnership- and hopefully a new friendship,” I smiled towards Luna Belle who grinned back. “We are going to stand untied in the face of adversity. It’s not going to be easy but I hope that we will be able to survive all the obstacles thrown our way.” I raised my glass, “to new unions.”
“To new unions.” Everyone cheered and clinked their glasses together before downing their drinks.
Nikolai took a spoonful of the entree and fed me first, after which I fed him, marking the start of our hearty dinner.