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Dinner dragged by at a snail’s pace. Adults babbling about pack business surrounded me as the youngsters tried to act polite. We did our best not to interrupt other people’s conversations, which resulted in a stiff and exceedingly boring evening.
Occasionally, I would glance over at Raiden, and we’d lock eyes and smile for a moment. It brought me a sense of comfort knowing he was this close and stuck in the same situation I was. He was bored out of his mind, by the looks of it, having been placed in between his father and an elderly lady I wasn’t familiar with, both of which were turned away from him, talking to people on either side of them.
There was also the absurd rule of no cell phones at the table, so we were left to gaze at each other without any means of communication. Unless I wanted to yell over the table. Grinning, I eyed my mother. I could already hear her outraged remark about how I acted incredibly rude and un-Luna like during dinner. I scoffed at the sight of her. Perfectly straightened back, wrists and silverware angled in perfect harmony with her frame. She was the portrait of utter poise and elegance.
Straightening in my chair and forking the last piece of fillet into my mouth, my eyes flicked to the wall clock for the millionth time. I desperately wished for dinner to end so that we could be excused and join the party outside. Mingle informally without the watchful eyes of adults and their radar ears twitching whenever we spoke.
“Alpha Anderson, I hear you’ve been having trouble with rogue attacks near your borders,” my father’s deep voice sounded from across the table, drawing my attention away from the clock and the slow movement of time.
“Indeed, Leonidas,” Raiden’s father replied, looking up from his plate. He chewed slowly, his eyes drifting over towards my father. Everyone stared, waiting. “The attacks are very unusual,” he shook his head in thought as he spoke. “I don’t know what to make of it.”
My father set his fork down and gave the Alpha his full attention. “What do you mean?”
“Well, my warriors and border patrol can’t seem to pick up any rogue scents near the killings, even though the damage inflicted was clearly from an animal, probably a wolf.”
Everyone around the table had gone quiet and was now staring at Alpha Anderson. It was odd, having no scent to trace, especially since wolves relied primarily on our sense of smell. All animals had a natural scent which clung to their bodies. It was in their fur, their sweat, saliva and excrement. Having an animal attack without a scent was unheard of.
A worried crease set on my father’s brow as he cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “How many killings?”
“Three in the last month.” An audible intake of breath from the lady beside me.
“I’ve instructed all my pack members to stay within our borders for the time being. Until I can solve this matter,” he continued as he looked at the shocked faces around him. The lady beside me wasn’t the only one troubled by the news.
A sudden eerie atmosphere loomed over us as we waited for him to continue.
“Well now,” my mother said, breaking the tangible silence with a forced and professional smile, “let’s leave the blood-talk ‘til after dinner, shall we?”
Her shoulders were squared, chin lifted as she brought her wineglass to her lips. A proper Luna.
“Of course, Luna. Leonidas and I shall discuss this matter later. In private,” Alpha Anderson replied. When more faces turned to him, he said, “we’ll also be addressing it with the other Alpha’s at next week’s provincial gathering.”
My mother nodded, finally taking a sip of wine.
“I do hope it can be resolved as painlessly and unobtrusively as possible,” she said. “I wish you all the best.” Her smile in Alpha Anderson’s direction was warm and friendly, but I knew it well. Knew its actual meaning was to end the conversation. And it did.
We continued eating in silence until my mother spoke again. “Raiden, dear, your mother tells me you will begin your Alpha training by the end of this year?”
I looked up, flicking my eyes from my mother to Raiden, wondering what her intentions could possibly be by starting this conversation.
“Yes, Luna,” Ray answered respectfully, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “I’m to start training under my father’s guidance within the next two months.”
“So soon?” My mother asked, eyeing him with a cocked brow. “You’ve not even turned eighteen yet. You’re barely a pup.”
My stomach clenched at her words, at the disrespect and utter distaste in her tone. Was she trying to belittle him? Humiliate or discourage him? My eyes flicked back to Ray, who remained stoic for a moment, clearly at a loss for words.
I could see him trying to read my mother, her demeanour, while everyone at the table turned to face him, waiting for his reply. Although my mother didn’t directly call him a pup, she’d implied it. It made my blood simmer, especially after the conversation we had earlier. It wasn’t a jab at Ray, it was a jab at me.
“Well,” Ray finally said, plastering a smile on his face and picking up his own glass, “I’m sure the Moon Goddess will one day bless me with an exceptionally beautiful mate,” he glanced towards me. “I might have to fight off a few wolves in the process of winning her heart. Better be prepared,” he teased, raising his glass and ending his sentence with a wink.
I could hear light chuckling around the table, but didn’t dare to look at my mother, fearing that she was already watching me. Ray’s answer had been cocky and would be borderline disrespectful in her books. I didn’t want to see that look on her face; the look of distaste.
Axel, never passing up on an opportunity to mess with Raiden, also jumped in. “Yeah, or Celene might bless you with a big, mean lady, and that requires a different set of special skills,” he said, dragging his last words out a little longer than necessary.
Everybody laughed and Alpha Anderson ruffled Raiden’s hair. The gesture was light and loving, but I could almost see how deep his father’s affection ran. I smiled. Even though Ray hadn’t been a boy for quite some time, in his father’s eyes he would always be his boy.
Ray let out a playful groan and tried to swat his father’s hands away. It was useless, of course, and he ended up with rosy cheeks and messy hair. I loved his father. He didn’t care for stiff manners. He was down to earth and sometimes acted without thinking to the endless embarrassment of his wife, Luna Margret.
Pulling his fingers through dark, messy hair, Raiden peered in my direction. In return, I gave him a smile and slight nod, indicating that he did well in handling my mother.
