The room quieted as I walked in. I wasn’t entirely sure why, but it was the desired effect. That’s why I came late. If I only had a few moments, I needed as many eyes on me as I could. But would they recognize me? I changed in the past four years as any child would, but everyone also thought I was dead. I wasn’t on anyone’s radar anymore.
I didn’t look for them as I walked across the room. I didn’t take in the surroundings either. I focused on slipping into that place I used to go when I trained, where the only thing that mattered was my next move, where nerves had no place.
I picked a point to stare at on the wall across from me. A large window with the stars twinkling beyond despite the warm glow of the party within. I learned early enough that if you walked somewhere with enough confidence, people would move out of your way. And they did.
I smelled some food near enough and changed direction to give me something to do, an end goal, instead of just walking into a wall.
Before I could make it to the table, someone came up to my side. “Simone?” A voice I didn’t recognize said, and I blinked up at a tall man with dark blonde, perfectly combed hair. His matching brows tugged together, and I knew I saw him in a memory once.
I opened my mouth to say, well, I didn’t know what, but to say something, but I was tugged back sharply and stumbled.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing here?” Alpha Raymond hissed, pulling me against the nearby wall and shielding me from view. Dominick and Hunter came up behind him, and Luna Natalie stood there with a thin brow raised as if she was finding this all too interesting.
“Hunter invited me,” I explained so quietly I hoped Hunter didn’t hear.
‘What?” Alpha Raymond asked, turning to his son, “You invited her?”
“Well, I mean…” Hunter had his mouth open, and I looked at him, blinking through thick lashes. “Kind of, but it was a joke.”
Luna Addison tutted, and I wasn’t sure if it was out of embarrassment for me or for her son. Dominick looked like he was about to choke on laughter.
“I…” I started, hoping someone else would go on. “I thought that since..”
“You are to be an Alpha’s whore, honey,” Luna Addison said, taking a step closer and plastering on a sympathetic smile. “Not his Luna.”
“I know that,” I said quickly. Quietly.
The crowd directly around us quietened, and Alpha Raymond knew it, too. He took his hand off my arm, and I rubbed where his grip had been, still hanging my head. Hoping to look the perfect picture of embarrassed and small. Nolan strolled up; his mouth hung open when he saw me standing there.
Luna Addison drew near. “What do we do with her?” she hissed. “What if someone recognizes-”
“Shut up, Addy,” Alpha Raymond commanded, his voice low. Luna Addison’s eyes were fiery under the weight of her mate’s command. He glanced around, ignoring her. “We just need to get her out of here. Soon.”
“No one is going to recognize her,” Hunter drawled, leaning casually against the wall next to me. “After all, she is my guest anyway.”
“She was practically a child,” Dominick added. “She came all this way, and she looks so pretty.” I met his gaze, blinking as if it were a compliment that didn’t make my insides churn.
“We can send her home soon,” Nolan said, quickly catching on to what was happening. “But if you drag her out right now, you’re going to cause a scene.” He was right. Nolan was quickly becoming a sort of savior, even if he didn’t mean to be.
“He’s right,” Luna Addison said, pinching her nose.
“Keep a low profile, don’t wander,” Alpha Raymond whispered.
“I have to pee,” I blurted out. And Dominick laughed loudly, or maybe it was Hunter.
“F- Fine,” Alpha Raymond blubbered. “I’ll have someone take you home soon. Don’t stray far from us. Don’t talk to strangers.” Everyone was a stranger here.
“How did you even get here?” Hunter asked.
“I was going to come with you, but when you left, the warriors offered to give me a ride.” I shrugged.
“Warriors?” Dominick asked, his dull brown brows furrowing as he glanced at his dad.
“Later,” his father said. “We will guard you, don’t worry.” Alpha Raymond turned to me with a wicked smile.
“Guard me?” My eyes widened as they met his.
He lowered his voice. “There are threats everywhere, especially here. Stay close, or I can’t guarantee your safety.” I gulped and nodded frantically, blinking.
He thought that he scared me into obedience. He turned from me, and I saw the perfect place to stab him in the back.
Metaphorically, at least…
For now.
I took the time to glance timidly behind him. There was a decent turnout; more than a few people were pretending not to look our way. I locked eyes with the tall, dark blonde man, who looked at me with confusion, a deep v in between his brows. I would have to find him again.
“I need to check in with Ezra,” Alpha Raymond spoke to his mate. He glanced back at me.
“I’m not here to babysit,” Luna Addison pouted, tapping on her empty champagne glass.
“I’ll escort her to the uh restroom,” Nolan spoke up. Before his brothers could protest, I walked to his side, thanking him, silently urging him to move.
He led me out of the room through a side door. The tall entrance doors were closed again. People weren’t directly gaping, but I knew they were looking at us, at me. I hoped it wasn’t just in my head.
I picked out some seemingly familiar faces and had to look away. This was harder than I expected. Seeing others still existing, moving on with their lives, when I myself had stayed locked away and stagnant, focused on nothing but my little world of misery.
I found my resolve and clung to it, reminding myself of why I was here and what I’d gotten through to be here.
“It’s down that way,” Nolan said and motioned to a curving hallway. This place was a lot more modern than the pack house I had been staying in. It was still old, but the insides had been heavily modernized and renovated, not just an extension.
“Thanks,” I mumbled and walked away from him.
Once I turned down the hallway, I paused. A woman was standing alone with her arms crossed, studying a tapestry that looked wildly out of place. It was similar to those I’d seen in the library and adorning forgotten parts of Black River’s pack house, but against the bright walls of this place; it looked even more faded.
I stood next to her and studied it. She might very well be the only person I talked to this evening where I wasn’t chaperoned. I stilled when I stood next to her, and she glanced at me and took a step away. She smelled… different. Like nothing really, not like a wolf, but like one. I couldn’t describe it, and Aksala didn’t know either.
“What is this?” I looked at the tapestry, trying to sound innocent.
“History,” the woman said, her voice was deep with no inflection. I looked at her; her golden eyes were lined with charcoal, she had hair that curled and twisted and went down past her waist. She was interesting to me.
I looked back at the tapestry. Wolves fighting against cats on the far side of the tapestry, not the main aspect. I hadn’t seen this one before, but I knew it was old despite it’s tattered appearance. The werecat's land was taken possibly centuries ago. The main part of the tapestry depicted what seemed to be a marking ceremony. Probably, this packs history, then.
“You history?” I asked, trying to discern if she was part of this pack.
“All of ours.” She motioned to the tapestry, studying me.
“You think there would be something new to celebrate? All of this happened years ago,” I said. She snorted. I wanted to test her out, see what side she leaned on or if she was open to new ideas. Like maybe not slaughtering a pack for no d.amned good reason. You know, that whole new-age b.ullshit.
“What is it, child?” The woman said, raking her golden gaze over me.
I almost jumped. I felt like she could see through me like Ezra could. Maybe she was some type of witch.
I grabbed at a pretty smile and arranged it on my face. “Just thinking of how much I don’t know of the pack's histories. I know the beginning of some packs.” I motioned to the tapestry. “The pack I was from and the pack I’m at now. But there is so much in between.” I sighed, hoping she would take the bait and ask me something, anything. I could feel her eyes on me, but then she went back to the tapestry.
“History is biased,” she said.
“It is,” I agreed. “I would like to get the full picture sometime instead of just bits and pieces of faded tapestries that are wholly left up to interpretation.” My answer was honest, but this wasn’t the conversation I came here for.
“You think this is left up to interpretation?” The woman asked, motioning to the faded fabric in front of us. “What do you think it means?”
“A marking ceremony,” I started, “I don’t know much about this pack, but I’m assuming it was an event that solidified this pack’s future. Possibly two packs coming together.” I stepped forward and pointed at the two intertwined figures of the ancient marking ceremony. They had different patterns of stars around them, meaning they might have been from different packs. “And over there.” I motioned to the side with the fighting. “This dates it. Another pack was fighting to maintain their borders.” I swallowed. “Or fighting to keep the land they stole.” I met her golden gaze. “As you said, history is up for interpretation. I doubt two warring sides both have favorable accounts of the same event, even if they can agree on its outcome.”
She norted again and looked down at me, but her expression was amused. “You seem wise for a girl.”
I shrugged. “I’ve had a lot of time to think.”
“Nova,” she introduced herself, extending a hand.
“That is a powerful name,” I said, taking her hand in mine.
“My mother thought I had potential.” She shrugged, her eyes lighting up.
“Do you?” I asked.
“Yes.” Her lips pulled back over a brilliant smile.
I liked her confidence. There was something about me that was instantly at ease with her, drawn to her, interested by her. Was this what friendship could be?
But I remembered I had a game to play, and unfortunately, she was part of it. No matter how big or small.
“What pack are you from?” I asked.
“I’m not from around here.” She looked back at the tapestry. I knew well enough when someone didn’t want to answer a question, so I didn’t press.
“I have to be getting back,” I said. “Nice to meet you, Nova.”
“I hope our paths cross again..”
“Simone,” I said with a smile, “Now part of th-the Blood River pack.” I swallowed, and she stilled, studying me, her eyes narrowed slightly.
Did she recognize me? Even if I didn’t recognize her, that meant nothing; she was older than me by at least a decade.
She didn’t say anything else, so I turned around. I couldn’t hear anyone in the hall, and I hoped Nolan got bored and decided to go back to the party. To my relief and… happiness? Ezra stood where Nolan was.
“How was it?” he whispered, leaning close to me.
“Not as bad as I expected,” I admitted. “Did you get in trouble?” I asked.
He looked down at me with a wry, almost wickedly playful smile. “They couldn’t do anything to me. Who would protect them from their assassin?” he asked.
“You’re right.” I smiled, shaking my head.
A swish of air swished around us as Nova walked past. Once she was in the ballroom, great room, whatever they called it here, I asked, “What is she?”
Ezra looked down at me, his dark brown brows tugged together slightly as he sniffed the air. “She’s a wolf,” he said confidently, and I shook my head.
“She doesn’t smell like the others,” I explained.
“I’ll find out, but I’ll need her blood.” I took a step away from him, my eyes wide. “Not all of it.” He almost laughed. “The scent of blood is easier to tell, for me at least.” His lips set in a thin line.
“I don’t know if it matters. I was just curious.”
His eyes met mine, but he didn’t give anything away.
We headed back to the ballroom with him by my side. The tall blonde man came up to my side again, and I let out a breath of relief. Ezra took a step back but kept his eyes on me.
“Simone Beaufort?” The man said slowly.