Chapter 1
Friday
Eli was sitting in the tent, slumped down in a chair with his eyes facing the roof that had pretty fairy lights running along the supports. This was the last place he wanted to be.
“Luna, you are crinkling your suit” a voice calls softly as a woman enters the tent to see him like that. Eli slowly makes an effort to sit up properly, adjusting the bottom of his suit jacket so it’s straighter.
“Alpha, how long do we need to stay tonight?” Eli questions the alpha as he fixes his tie in the full body mirror that was next to the bed. “Until the Clan councilors meeting is over” he answers, quickly glancing at Eli through the mirror. “We need to greet them before we leave so that they know we were there.”
“It won’t be so bad once we are in there” Blake turns around, his tie is done up loosely. The woman that had been packing away their luggage quickly makes her way over to adjust it. “I believe I saw the Lowen Luna earlier” Eli looks up at him quickly.
“Grace is here?” Eli asks as he moves his gaze to the floor. Grace had not long ago had a pup, so Eli hadn’t been expecting her to be here.
A hum from the alpha confirms it. This does have Eli feeling a little better.
Eli stands up from his chair, making his way to the opening of the tent. He pulls apart the curtain so he can see how dark it has gotten outside. He watches as other packs start to head their way towards the main hall. He closes the curtain back up and sighs softly to himself.
Although the thought of Grace being there does little to ease his nerves for being here at his rival pack’s territory. He knowstheywill be standing right at the entrance to greet them as they go into the hall.
Eli didn’t mind the Clan councilor meetings, he liked being able to talk to all of the other Lunas of the other packs, though this time it has circled back to the Briarwood’s pack to host and they had a long time rivalry going on, one that dates back a few generations.
A rivalry built on stolen mates. The Briar’s always made it their mission to take the mates that his family were courting. It became a sport for them, one they were, unfortunately, winning.
Only now, they make sure that they are winning at everything. Positions, assignments, even gatherings turned into quiet competitions, the Briars always pushing to outshine Eli’s pack.
Maybe now that Eli was Luna, that streak could finally be broken.
“Eli, are you ready to go?” Blake’s voice brings Eli out of his thoughts, the omega turning to look over at his mate. He nodded his head. Blake moves his way over to the entrance of the tent, where Eli was still standing.
“We’ll leave straight after the meeting,” he says. Catching the look on Eli’s face, he can tell that being there is affecting him. Blake holds an arm out towards his mate, an invitation to link their arms, putting on the show of loving mates.
Eli rolls his shoulders as he brings his hand up to gently wrap around the alpha’s arm, offering a small smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Let’s just get this night over with” Eli whispers as they finally leave the tent.
The night air is slightly cooler, fresher than the stuffy heat trapped inside the tent. Beyond their balcony, a stone path winds towards the main hall, with fairy lights strung up along both sides to guide the way.
Eli offers a polite smile to a passing couple before they step down onto the path themselves.
As they get closer to the hall, Eli can feel the heat in his hands, the clammy slick of his palms and the faint wobble in his legs. A quick pat to the back of his hands tells him that Blake feels it too, even through his coat.
While walking to the hall, Blake and Eli don’t talk, but the quiet conversations around them fill the space. More wolves heading in the same direction, the crowd pressing in around them as they near the hall.
Eli spots them straight away once they join into the line that goes into the hall. Luna Helena Briar and the pack Alpha Aldric Briar stand proudly by the doors, greeting every alpha and luna that enters in with bright smiles and warm welcomes.
Eli scoffs quietly to himself as the older woman makes eye contact with him and her eyes seem to smirk in amusement at the sight of him.
They get to the front of the line and Eli forces on the fakest smile he can muster, knowing that it will read as fake. “Alpha Blake, Eli Thorne, welcome to our pack” Helena speaks up, deliberately only addressing Blake’s title.
“Helena, Alpha Aldric” Eli voices back with a slight head tilt. Blake’s arm slides from Eli’s and instead is placed on his lower back, in warning of course. “Have the councilors arrived yet?” Blake speaks up this time, to try and stop Eli from saying anything that could spark trouble.
Aldric smiled and nodded. “Everything for tonight is perfect” Helena adds on, gesturing to the hall inside. Eli has to turn his head towards Blake so that the other couple can’t see him rolling his eyes at the obvious brag.
“Go on in” Aldric says this time, trying to rush the interaction to come to a stop, noticing Eli’s annoyance as his body remains facing more towards his mate rather than them. “There is champagne and food going around” the alpha says, his chest puffing out in pride.
“But try not to have too much,” Helena says, wearing what Eli can only describe as a shiteating grin. “You wouldn’t want to draw attention again.” She was referring to a night where someone, who he still thinks was her, spiked a drink he had and he ended up embarrassing himself in front of the entire clan.
Eli smiles at the couple once more as they move inside. The moment they are out of view, the smile drops from his face.
Before they are completely out of earshot, he could hear Helena whispering to her mate, “Where is that boy? He was supposed to be here to greet everyone.” A satisfied smirk tugs at Eli’s lips, not so perfect afterall.
