Chapter 38 - Healing the Broken Alpha
Lenora
The Blackstone pack house had a big, beautiful ballroom, as was befitting the castle-like structure. However, the ballroom was not large enough to accommodate the overwhelming flood of pack members who had come to attend the Luna ceremony. Instead, event tents had been set up all along the training grounds, with a buffet style banquet and rows upon rows of long tables. Once the ceremony was over, staff members came and whisked away the folding chairs, positioning them along the dining tables instead.
I clung to River’s arm as he moved through the crowd, greeting his guests, occasionally stopping to make official introductions.
It soon became apparent that the crowds hadn’t really come to celebrate a new Luna. They had come for the chance to see with their own eyes that Alpha River Blackstone was alive and well.
But I didn’t mind it. In fact I quite preferred to step back and let River be the center of attention. Bottles of honey mead and blackberry wine were flowing freely, and musicians had set up their instruments on the podium we had just vacated. The atmosphere was festive, and yet, there was a slight undercurrent of tension, that feeling that not all was well.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of my grandfather slipping into one of the tents at the far end of the field. At least I thought it was my grandfather. There were so many men wearing dark colored suits that they were all starting to look the same.
“I’m just going to—“ I realized that River was deep in conversation with another Alpha, a man with big bushy sideburns and auburn hair that reminded me of the Wolverine. My mate wasn’t listening to a word I said, and it seemed rude to interrupt,so I tugged my hand out of his and slipped away, weaving my way through the little clusters of people to the tent I had seen my grandfather slip into.
But when I stood at the entrance and scanned the people sitting along the table, I didn’t see my grandfather anywhere. I didn’t recognize anyone there. A few people acknowledged me, and called out greetings. “Hello Luna! Congratulations!”
Luna… I couldn’t get used to that. I smiled and thanked them and then turned to go. How would I find my grandfather among all these people? He needed an antenna with a ribbon tied to it or something, the way people did so they could find their vehicles in crowded parking lots.
As I pivoted, I found myself face to face with an unfamiliar woman. She was tall, and she wore a simple brown dress. It looked old and worn, and somewhat out of fashion, and yet she exuded grace and elegance. Her hair was dark, and coiled artfully at the base of her neck. She wore a small hat with a veil that partially obscured her face. I could only make out her mouth, and the slightest curve of a pale cheek. I couldn’t really gauge her age, since I couldn’t see her eyes, but I had the feeling that she was neither young, nor old. The hand that reached out and grasped mine was work-worn and strong.
“Congratulations Lenora…” her voice was so soft, it tickled my ears. She continued to hold my hand as she assessed me. “You are a beautiful young lady, aren’t you? And such a sweet, gentle spirit, I can feel it! I think you are a good match for River. Please…” her hand tightened around my fingers almost painfully. “Take good care of him.”
It seemed like a weird request, coming from a stranger, but somehow she didn’t seem like a stranger. Her scent was a bit fruity, like strawberries and cream, with the slightest hint of vanilla. I found myself leaning closer to her, mesmerized. “I’m sorry, have we met?”
She said she could feel my gentle spirit. Well, I felt like I could feel something around her too. Something sad and dark. I desperately wanted to look under that veil and see her eyes.
She dropped my hand quickly, like touching my skin had suddenly burned her. “No. No, we’ve never met.” She denied quickly, almost fearfully. Her gaze traveled over me, and then up and beyond, like she was watching someone over my shoulder. I saw her lips pull tight. “I have to go now. Maybe… we’ll meet again.”
I turned to see who she was looking at. I saw two figures approaching, the former alpha, Darius, and his son, the current alpha. My River. He really was mine now! They looked very dashing standing side by side, both of them tall and broad shouldered. When I turned back, the lady in the brown dress was gone.
I scanned the surrounding crowd, but it was like she had vanished into thin air.
“Lenora!” River approached me, opening his arms, and I happily stepped into them. He clutched me against his chest like we had been separated for days instead of mere minutes. “Don’t wander off like that!” He lowered his voice for my ears only. “It could be dangerous.”
I took a deep breath, loving the way his scent made me feel peaceful and grounded, and more than a little bit turned on. “I don’t think anyone can do anything today,” I said against his shirt. “There are too many people.” I pulled back and looked up into his face. “Speaking of, I was just taking to a woman in a brown dress, did you see her?”
He loosened his arms and allowed me to step back. He scanned the throngs of people around us with a curious frown. “No, I didn’t see her. Who was she?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know, she didn’t tell me her name. I was hoping you would recognize her but… she’s gone I guess.” I circled one arm behind his back. “She seemed so familiar though.”
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Who is the lady in the brown dress? Any guesses? Let me know in the comments! #vote#