Chapter 131 131. The Aldairs
Tabitha’s POV
I know Wilson Stoll has been close with the Aldair brothers since childhood. His mother is Alpha Emery’s younger sister, which makes him practically family. He is supposed to be loyal to the Aldairs. That’s why it boggles my mind every time I recall seeing him talking to my mom at the market the other day.
What could they possibly be talking about? Why would a close relative of Aldair speak to someone, my mom, who is trying to tear their family apart? It’s shady no matter how I look at it.
I glance at my mom and see that she and Alpha Emery are deep in conversation with Alpha Yoseff Beckett and his wife, Luna Irina Beckett of the Stormblood Pack. My mom smiles politely as she speaks. It’s both amazing and terrifying how she just seems to fit so perfectly in this world. Almost as if she had prepared all her life for this.
But I guess she did.
I swallow and remind myself to breathe. Tonight is supposed to be about appearances. Whether I like it or not, I am part of this world now as well. I should at least be half as good as my mom in wearing a mask.
“How long do we have to stand here before they start pouring the damn alcohol?” Reed asks impatiently, his eyes scanning the room.
Ian lets out a snicker. “We just got here and you are already planning to get wasted?”
“You think I’m gonna survive this boring night sober? Fuck that.”
Luca scoffs and shakes his head.
“You’re gonna end up an alcoholic at this point, Reed,” Luca lectures his brother.
“Well, you might wanna start finding a good rehab center now, because that ship already sailed,” Jace says flatly.
While they keep talking, my gaze drifts back to Wilson. He is standing a few steps away, talking to Wyatt, but his eyes lift and meet mine. The moment stretches for half a second before he looks away like he got caught doing something he should not.
My jaw tightens. He’s definitely acting shady, alright.
Evren’s hand presses gently against my back and he leans closer. “You okay?” he asks quietly.
“Yeah.” I nod. “I am fine.”
“I can feel that you’re not. You’re tense. Why?” Evren speaks through the mindlink.
I force a small smile and keep my eyes forward.
“I just get anxious at parties. This is normal for me,” I reply through the link.
His arm slides around me in a subtle motion and he draws me a little closer to his side.
“Stay close,” he says.
Before I can respond, the noise in the ballroom swells. Conversations die down one by one and heads turn toward the entrance. I look to where everyone is looking and realize what’s up.
The Sharpe family has entered the ballroom.
Alpha Eliott Sharpe walks in with his Luna, Selena Sharpe, resting her hand on his arm. They are followed by their children, Rhett, Elsie, and Evelyn. Despite the crowd, Evelyn spots me and lifts her hand in a small wave. Smiling, I raise my hand and wave back.
Silence settles over the ballroom as Alpha Eliott steps forward. He lifts his glass and smiles at the guests.
“Thank you all for joining us tonight,” he says, voice booming across the room. “This gathering marks another year of the Sharpe Hotels, a legacy started by my ancestors when Kaelara was little more than an uncharted island in the pacific.”
As he continues speaking, staff members move through the crowd with trays of champagne. Reed reaches out without hesitation and takes a glass from a passing waiter.
“About time,” he mutters under his breath.
“Tonight, I am honored to continue that legacy,” Alpha Eliott continues, lifting his glass higher as his voice carries through the ballroom. “Not just the Sharpe name, but the tradition of recognizing every family who helped build Kaelara brick by brick, long before it became the island we know today. This evening is not only about celebrating over a century of the Sharpe hotel line. Tonight is about the life we have built here. The power we have shaped, the order we have maintained, and the peace we have fought for.”
He draws a breath, clearly about to finish, when a man in a suit hurries toward him and leans in close to whisper something in his ear. Alpha Eliott’s brows lift, then his face breaks into a pleased smile as he turns back to the crowd.
“Perfect timing,” he announces. “Before we make a toast, allow me to introduce our special guests tonight. Kaelara continues to grow, and it needs people who can help shape it into something greater than it already is. Those people have just arrived.”
The double doors of the ballroom swing open, and I gasp as two familiar silhouettes stride inside. Augustus Kingsley walks in with calm authority at his side. Next to him is his son and my friend, Andrew.