Chapter 8

I n the middle of the compound, just behind the main house, is the ‘hang out,' the building where they hold the socials. As we walk into the large lodge-type building, I see a room off to the left that is full of comfy looking sofas and beanbags in front of a large flat screen TV, with a couple of pool tables at the back of the room. Inside the main room, there's a bar to one side—I'm guessing I'll be spending a lot of my time there. There are tables set up all along one edge of the room, all of which are overflowing with food. The middle of the room is empty, I'm assuming for mingling and dancing, as I spy a DJ in the corner.

This seems more like a party than the social I was imagining it to be. The only socials I've been to in the past are pack meetings, where everyone sat in silence listening to the alpha. Those were certainly never anything to look forward to, whereas the atmosphere here is electric, and there's an excited feeling coming off the pack members who walk past me. There are a few curious looks, and a couple appraising glances, as if to gauge my strength, but nothing threatening and no fearful gazes. Very different from what I'm used to.

The room is starting to fill now, the buzzing of voices rising in volume. The sight of smiling faces and hugs of reuniting friends and family makes a small part of me ache. I haven't felt that part of me in a long time. I push it away. I am fine. I have Tori and Garett. I don't need this.

As if sensing my walls reinforcing and the bricks recementing, Seb grabs onto my hand with a smile and pulls me through the crowd. I see a blonde blur before something barrels into me hard. Almost as quickly as it happens, Seb is wrestling with a small, very excited child.

"Is this her? Is this her?" she asks, barely able to control her excitement before escaping from Seb's arms and launching herself at me again.

I barely catch her in time and laugh at the giggling child in my arms. I raise a questioning eyebrow at Seb. It's clear they're related. They both have the same, messy blond hair and crystal-clear blue eyes.

"Jessica, you must stop throwing yourself at people, even if they are your brother's friends. I swear, one of these days…" An exasperated voice trails off behind me, and I turn around to see an older version of the little girl in my arms.

A little plump, with a large bosom, she looks like all the mums in the storybooks I used to read when I was a child before I was removed from the schooling system. So this must be Seb's mum. And the squirming child in my arms must be his sister. Giggling, Jessica jumps out of my arms and runs over to her mother, talking around a hundred words a minute about Seb's ‘new friend.'

I look over at him, smiling at his expression as he watches his younger sister and mum.

"So you told your family about me. Don't you think we're moving a little fast in our relationship?" I say with a teasing grin. After all, we only met this morning—with his naked body curled around mine. Ahem. I hope he left that part out when he spoke to his parents.

"What can I say? I wanted you to meet them. They know you're here to help the pack and wanted to meet you," he says with a grin, and then leans forward like he's sharing a secret. "You're a bit of a celebrity. We never get new wolves here."

Fantastic.

I see Alpha Mortlock and Lena step up onto a small stage at the front of the room, Lena gesturing for me to join them. I glance back to Seb and his family.

"Off you go, dear. We will be here once you're done. We can chat more then," Seb's mum tells me with a smile while trying, and failing, to tame Jessica's wild hair.

Seb nudges my shoulder and motions for me to head to the front of the room. Internally, I sigh. Here we go.

Around me, people move out of my way, allowing me to walk to the front. Alexander and Isa are there too, the latter of whom nods her head to me in greeting. I'm unsure where to stand, acutely aware I can cause grave offence if I position myself in the wrong place. If I were to stand before Alex or Isa, I would be disrespecting them by saying I think I'm stronger than both of them, whereas if I automatically place myself at the end, I would be saying I'm weaker than them. As an outsider to the pack, it's not clear where I should be, as I don't really fit in anywhere.

Thankfully, Alpha Mortlock saves me from having to decide as he calls me up onto the stage.

"Good evening, Moon River Pack. It is wonderful to see so many of you here tonight. Tonight is a special occasion, as we welcome a guest to our pack." There is a ripple of noise from the crowd, and I can guess it's because I've been named as a guest and not a new pack member.

"Ariana here will be our new nurse for a few months. She will be travelling here to care for you, so I ask that you show her the same respect as any other member of the pack. She is under pack protection, so any threat to her life is a threat to all of us. Is that understood?"

His last statement is said with the power of the alpha behind his voice. I notice several heads bow low and a chorus of "Yes, Alpha" can be heard from the crowd. At this confirmation, Alpha Mortlock smiles, the tension in the room dropping.

"Then make her feel welcome. Maybe we can convince her to join us. Now, enjoy and have fun!" he says with a wink towards me. I smile back at him and step off the stage with a sinking feeling in my stomach. He has voiced his intentions to the whole pack, he wants me to join, which means that this is not going to be easy.

Isa walks up to me and gestures to a line of people waiting to meet me. And so it begins. I look around for Seb, but I can't see him anywhere. Alex appears next to my shoulder, so I'm surrounded by the beta and gamma of the pack. Appearances must be kept, I guess.

"If you're looking for Sebastian, you won't see him for a while. You're to meet the strongest, most important members of the pack," he informs me. I just look at him, gobsmacked.

"Bullshit," I reply loudly, startling both Isa and Alex. "Being important has nothing to do with power." Bloody pack politics getting in the way. "Where is he?" I demand. Alex places a placating hand on my arm, and I glare at it.

"You won't be helping him by doing this. You'll be putting a target on his back."

I growl quietly under my breath, my frustration causing my control of my power to slip, making the wolves near me pay closer attention. I have just announced how powerful I am, and now I have them eyeing me up like I'm a shiny new toy. Suck it up, Ari. You can't change centuries' worth of pack politics overnight.

And so begins the tedious procession of all the ‘important' members of the pack. Thankfully, there aren't too many of them, and I find myself actually liking a few of them. We reach the end of the line, and I sigh with relief. Maybe I can go and enjoy myself now. Isa stiffens and mutters something under her breath in German, which I'm pretty sure is a curse word. I follow her gaze, and it's all I can do to stop my jaw from falling open.

Stalking towards me like I'm his next meal is the most gorgeous man I've ever seen. He must be just over six foot, and he looks like he was a warrior in a past life. He has a vicious scar that runs down the side of his face, which only adds to the impression, and his stormy grey eyes stare out at me. His face is set in a frown, his lips tight as he moves closer to me, and I get the impression he doesn't smile all that often. I can think of a few activities that could change that… Behave, Ari! Not the right time or place.

Unlike the others, I can feel the alpha power rolling off him, and I'm unsure why Alpha Mortlock would have such a strong wolf here who wasn't in a position of power. He feels dangerous. If I know what's good for me, I need to stay away from him. Unfortunately, my wolf thinks the opposite. I feel her brush up against my barriers, pushing our power out to meet his. I see his eyes widen as it hits him, stopping him in his tracks. His face twists into a snarl.

"Stay away from me, Shadowborn. Nothing good can happen from having you here," he spits out before spinning on his heel and leaving the hall.

Well, that was pleasant. I look to Isa, who is shaking her head, then over to Alex, who looks like he is having to stop himself from following the rude stranger.

"That's Killian. I would avoid him if you can," is all the explanation I get from Alex before he walks away. I guess I'm going to have to do my own research there then.

Isa makes her excuses and walks over to a group of other shifters who are talking loudly in German.

I look around me. Everyone is with their friends and family. They all seem…happy. For the first time, I feel lonely, like the life I lead may be lacking. I never knew what that was before, but maybe this is it.

Pushing these confusing feelings aside, I use this time to find Seb. He is in the corner of the room with a plate piled high with food, chatting to one of the men from this morning. Seb's mother, who I have learned is called Gloria, is sitting at one of the tables watching fondly as Jessica plays with some of the other children. I sit with her and she smiles at me, patting my hand.

"How are you finding your first pack social?" she asks with a knowing look on her face.

"A little overwhelming, to be honest. There are so many people here, but it's not what I expected. Everyone is happy," I comment as I look around the room, taking in all the sights.

Raising her eyebrows, Gloria tilts her head as she looks at me, her eyes seeing more than I would like.

"Why wouldn't they be happy, dear? They are safe and protected here, surrounded by those who love them."

"That must be nice," I reply quietly. I don't really mean to say it out loud, and I say it more to myself than to Gloria. However, I see her nod to herself, like she has come to a conclusion. I lean back in my seat, watching those around us. Seb keeps glancing at me when he thinks I'm not looking.

"So, what's the deal with Killian?" I ask Gloria. She seems like the kind of woman who would know everyone in the pack. Seb wanders over with his friend, and they pull up chairs next to us.

"He's complicated, that one," she replies with a sigh. "He was alpha of one of the largest packs in New York. There was an attack on his pack," Gloria explains, her voice heavy with sorrow. My eyebrows raise as I lean back in my chair. I remember hearing of that attack several years ago—it was brutal. I thought the whole pack had been wiped out.

"He screwed up," a voice spits, and glancing to the side, I see it's Seb's friend. "He's the reason that his pack's dead. There was some sort of agreement with Alpha Mortlock, and he allowed him to come here. Fucking bad idea, if you ask me. He's a cold bastard who doesn't belong here."

His view seems kind of harsh, but I see Seb nodding. That explains why someone who is so strong isn't in a position of power. I can't imagine how difficult it is to go from being the alpha of a successful pack, to an outsider in a pack that doesn't really want you there. Well, I know all about the outsider part.

"He's okay. Bit of a bastard, but considering what he went through, I can understand that. Steve's right, though, he doesn't fit in here, and he makes no effort to. I would try and stay away from him if you can," Seb offers, gesturing to his friend.

I look at the guy next to Seb—Steve, I'm assuming. Steve uses our eye contact as an excuse to start a conversation.

We spend the next ten minutes or so chatting about the pack, the social, and what I enjoy doing outside of work, until the DJ starts playing music. Several couples go up and begin dancing, and I notice Alpha Mortlock and Lena dancing near the front. Seb drags me to my feet, pulling me onto the dance floor, ignoring my protests.

Despite what I thought, I find I'm actually enjoying myself. I have a dance with Seb, Gloria, and Jessica, a couple with Steve, and even one with Alpha Mortlock. I just finish a particularly vigorous dance with Seb that has me in fits of laughter—his dance style is…unusual—when I bump into Alex. I literally fall into his arms.

"You don't have to throw yourself at me to get me to dance with you," he comments with a grin.

"Yeah, you wish, Casanova. Since when do you dance? I've seen you propping up the wall over there like it couldn't stand on its own. I thought you were allergic to fun?" I tease.

It's true though. So far this evening, I have only seen him watching everyone else, always on duty. He leans in closer to me as the DJ changes the music, a slower song coming on. People around us couple up and start to slow dance. Placing his hands on my lower back, he pulls me so I'm almost pressed against him. I place my hand on his chest to stop our bodies from touching. He uses this as an invitation to start moving us to the music. I'm really not a dancer, so it's more of a sway than anything else.

"So you've been watching me then," he says softly in my ear, although it sounds more like a statement than a question .

I snort. Of course I have been watching him. He makes me nervous.

"Don't flatter yourself, buddy. I watch everyone." And that's the truth. In fact, I'm watching everyone as we dance now, taking in details, looking out for anyone who's paying too much attention.

Alex raises his eyebrows and stops dancing.

"Do you always push everyone away or is it just me?" he inquires. His tone is soft, like he is asking a normal question, but his body language is tense.

I stare at him, gobsmacked. Whoa, where the hell has this come from? I do my best fish out of water impression, lost for words.

"And are you always this rude?" I finally retort, feeling my temper rise as we stare at each other.

Alex has obviously reached his limit, and without a word, he turns and leaves the room. It's at this point that I notice the room has gone silent. Everyone has stopped to watch the show.

"Wow, Ari, you sure know how to liven up a party!" Seb comments loudly, causing chuckles around us. Thankfully, people start dancing again, only throwing me curious glances rather than full-on stares.

Pulling me to one side, he puts an arm around me and lowers his voice.

"You okay?" he queries, and I hate the look of concern in his eyes.

"I'm fine, Seb," I say, shaking his arm off before grabbing his hand. "Let's go dance."

The next hour or so I spend dancing to try and forget my embarrassing moment with Alex. I don't want to think about it now, or about the reasons why Alex might care if I let people get close to me. I have a couple of drinks, and Gloria keeps trying to feed me. Jessica seems to have taken a liking to me, and the rest of the pack seems to dote on her. To be honest, it's easy to see why. Wolves have always been protective of their young, but happiness just seems to shine from her. One of the grumpy pack elders is currently having his shoulder-length hair braided by her, and although he's scowling, I think he secretly likes it.

I'm chatting with one of Seb's friends when a heavy hand grips my shoulder. Startled, I spin to face the person touching me, a snarl on my lips. A tall male puts his hands up in a peaceful gesture, but his smile is anything but nice. Something about him makes me uneasy, although I can't put a finger on what it is about him that makes me feel this way.

"Hey there, pretty lady, no harm meant. I just want to talk with you. Care to dance?" he asks, and I get the feeling he's used to getting his way. Normally, I would never give this kind of guy the time of day, but I've agreed to try and integrate into the pack while I'm here, so reluctantly I nod.

Ignoring his outstretched hand, I walk onto the dance floor, waiting for him to join me. He immediately pulls me in close, and my hackles rise as I push back against his chest a little to gain some space. Presumptuous much? I study the man before me. He's good looking, I guess, but he's full of himself, which is a major turn-off.

"So, what is someone as strong as you doing with the runts of the pack?" He removes his arm from my lower back and gestures towards Seb, Gloria, and the group of shifters I have been spending the evening with. "You should be spending your time where you belong, with the strongest of the pack. With a male who can keep up with you."

Nope. I know what I promised the alpha, but I am not putting up with an attitude like that. I may have just met those people, but they have already shown me more kindness in the last few hours than I've experienced in my life. Grabbing onto his shirt, I pull him closer, obviously startling him with my show of strength.

"Listen, shit for brains. If the strongest in the pack are anything like you, I want nothing to do with them. No one tells me where my place is. Those people over there that you talk down about? They have treated me better than anyone ever has, and they are probably more decent than you could ever hope to be. "

So maybe I'm a little strong with my words, but every single one is true. I shove him away from me and start to walk back to Seb and his friends. Limp dick obviously doesn't get the message though, as he grabs my arm and spins me around.

"Now listen here, you little bitch—" He starts, his face getting red with rage, obviously not used to being spoken to that way. I interrupt him, putting an end to his useless tirade with a low blow.

"Did you not hear me? Leave me the fuck alone. I would rather eat garbage than spend another minute with you."

I probably shouldn't be provoking a shifter who's shaking with rage, but I won't let people talk about my friends that way. I catch myself at the use of the words ‘friends' and realise it's true. In such a short space of time, I have come to appreciate the familial group I've spent time with today. Walking away, I see the gratitude on Gloria's face, although when I look at Seb, he seems worried.

"Ari," he warns, before a deafening roar fills the room, filling me with dread. That's a sound I know all too well. Someone just lost their temper and the battle with their wolf.

"I challenge you!" is bellowed across the room, and for the second time that evening, everyone goes silent. I turn around to see who's been challenged, but the lead in my stomach already knows.

Panting like he has just run a marathon is the supreme dickhead who felt he had a claim on me. His eyes, glowing an unearthly green, have turned fully wolf, and at the end of his fingers, his nails have turned to claws—sharp, wicked-looking points that can slice open a person in seconds. Claws that are aimed right at me.

Oh shit.