Meanwhile, in the Dark Forest Packhouse, the garden was sumptuously adorned. Garlands with white flowers delicately perfumed and decorated the venue. Small lights adorned the chairs for the guests and signaled the way to the altar where a large arch would frame the bride and groom as they said their vows.
These decorative touches seemed to announce that once the woman accepts the man’s proposal, they will be immediately married.
The bride-to-be was also being prepared with this idea in mind. Half a dozen omegas walked around and helped her arrange all she would need, from bringing her shoes, preparing her jewelry, arranging her hairstyle, choosing the colors of her makeup, and even with putting on her dress.
Speaking of the gown, it was a gorgeous white creation of lace, gauze, and silk. Backless, sleeveless, with a long slit behind, and in a mermaid style that accentuated her sinfully beautiful body exactly in the right places.
“I think I don’t need to add even one stitch, Miss Alexia,” said the designer, very pleased with how the exquisite fabrics hugged her customer’s body.
Alex looked at the mirror and sighed. The dress was indeed beautiful, but it reflected all the things that were wrong in her life at the moment.
“Oh, I see that my choice fits her perfectly. Amazing job, designer, the groom will be extremely pleased,” praised a man with average height and black hair with a hint of gray.
“And you feel absolutely nothing while you give your only daughter away to a man like him, father?”
“What do you want me to do? You shouldn’t have been female, Alexia. Had you been born a boy; this wouldn’t be happening.”
“That’s definitely something out of my control, father, as well as mother dying when I was a child. But, even if you don’t believe it, I believe I am capable of leading the pack. And for the record., I would make sure that all of our people would be safe and well provided for.”
“Alexia, you’re too… passionate. Too… womanly to know what is best for a pack. You can’t lead with emotions. You need to… well, you wouldn’t understand it, that’s why I made the choice for you. Besides, I found a great candidate for you, daughter. The best, I dare to say!”
“Because he’s careless, cold, and cares only for money and power?”
“Because he can lead the pack! And he can guide you! Remind you how to serve your pack!”
“And that would be to keep silent and let the men make the choices?”
“Finally! You see? Not married yet and you’re starting to make sense.”
“I don’t think I can agree with you, father. Not with the way you think, not with the way you act, and definitely, not with the way you lead the pack. You don’t seem to know who you’re bringing into our family. Don’t you know how his own people don’t want him and have even challenged him for his title repeatedly in the past?”
“You don’t know what you’re saying, Alexia. Remember, I know better than you, so stop worrying and complaining. After all, we’re already at the point of no return. Your engagement will be today and once you agree to his proposal; you are to marry him right after. There’s nothing that can change that.”
“Good evening, Father,” a hard and husky voice said from behind the older Alpha.
“Abner! Good to see you, son.”
Alexia tried to hide the grimace on her face as her soon-to-be husband also entered her room without even knocking. He didn’t even try to hide the lascivious look with which he burned Alex’s partially dressed body. To her disgust, her father seemed to approve of Abner’s lustful actions, even acting thoroughly pleased.
“Oh, yes! You came just in time. I can see that you’re very happy with what you see in your future wife!”
The Alpha’s daughter turned around, realizing too late that she was giving the lewd Alpha a view of her silky-smooth back, “It’s bad luck for the husband to see his future wife in her wedding gown before the ceremony. Now if we had just followed the normal tradition of having an engagement party a week, a month, or even a year BEFORE the wedding…”
“No tradition or superstition is going to stop me from making you mine, dear Alexia,” whispered Abner as he got uncomfortably close, his warm breath producing the wrong kind of chills for her.
Damn it Ma’Heron, I just hope you can act like my mate even if it’s just for this one time. At least for once, follow the instructions I left you and break the engagement tonight. Do that and I will do whatever you want. Even accept your rejection… Well, aren’t we looking extra spiffy, Attorney Ma’Heron Denar? You put extra effort into looking good; it seems. Is it possible you’re planning to break a few hearts tonight? Oh, yes, I forgot. You already have a mate!
M huffed in irritation. His wolf was extra talkative that night, and he knew exactly why. Lyon can be quite expressive when excited, and he hated the fact that his wolf was like this because he knew they would be seeing their mate again.
And he hated it even more that he was feeling the same.
Lyon, will you please get a hold of yourself? We are in the middle of a mission and your emotions are compromising my own. I need to focus on my tasks and if you won’t be of any help, the least you can do is practice a little selfcontrol so we don’t get exposed in the middle of enemy territory even before the show begins!
Dressed in his favorite Kiton tuxedo, personalized to fit his broad and muscular physique, with his black, shiny, wavy hair brushed back from his face and settling beyond his collar, he was quite a sight to behold. The way he carried himself, and the aura of confidence he exuded, added motivation for many of the chic and elegant attendees to give him more attention than he cared to get.
Quite a large ballroom for a packhouse this size, which is a third the size of ours. One would notice the luxury and costly furnishings and fittings of this space, compared to the very basic housing that I’ve seen while still outside.
Besides, Ma’Heron was the kind of male specimen that could be completely naked while covered in mud and grime and people would still salivate over him. Good luck with trying to blend in…
My research about the pack already hinted that they prioritized public impression over the welfare and needs of their pack members, but these obvious indications more than prove that. Knowing how economically unstable the Dark Forest pack is, I don’t think it would be an advantageous unification for either pack.
But at this point, after checking if the people who mattered were already on site, he was more intent on finding his mate among the crowd instead of blending in.
There are the elders, huddled together around one of the smaller tables, which is possibly reserved for them. Hmmm… Stephen, Jenna, Marco, Damien, and Melo. Six elders from out of the twenty have accepted the invitation to this event. Still a good number so this occasion is truly special then. Alright, that part of the plan is a positive. But where the heck is she?
He didn’t like some of the instructions that the “pole dancer” gave him, and, because he was unable to clarify those points beforehand – he didn’t know where and how to contact her – he wanted to have a last-minute discussion in the hopes of making changes to what he believed was a flawed plan.
She made me attend this function, but she herself is not here? What kind of damned irresponsible, unreliable, and disappointing individual am I dealing with? So much for the concept of ‘forever’ with mates! If this is how she really is, I might as well leave and reject her while I’m ahead!
Now, now Attorney… This is so unlike you… again. What were her instructions? And why are you so upset about it?
Look, if you want specifics, Lyon… she never clarified what I’m supposed to use as a reason. And it would need to be strong enough for me to convince the elders to break up this engagement!
She did, right? It was in the printed document. That this wedding doesn’t need to happen, especially since the Alpha’s daughter was coerced to accept the engagement. That the packs can still merge via a challenge, even by proxy. And since the elders are here, this would be the perfect time to make them aware of this.
Also, the way she words her “instructions” sounds as if I’m her personal assistant. Does she even realize who I am?
I’m sure she does. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be looking for an authority on both wolf and human law to represent her tonight. Besides, I didn’t ask what part of the instructions hurt your ego…
Lyon, If you’re just going to make fun of me, I’ll ignore you for the rest of the night. And I will still insist on talking to her before I follow any of her instructions. Either that or I abort this mission.