Chapter Forty

Reed summons me to his office the second I get downstairs. I get the message from a young girl, one of the cook's daughters. I walk to his office with my heart in my throat. Did something happen? Who was that man who delivered the envelope? Is it trouble?

I get inside and he's pacing back and forth. When he sees me, he jumps. "Close the door."

I do what he tells me to do.

"What is it? I saw someone talking to Jared."

"He's a messenger." He opens one of his drawers and hands me the envelope. "We've received an invitation from the BloodPaw pack."

"BloodPaw?" I've heard this name before, but where? I open the envelope and hold the card in my hand. It's formal and written, not typed. There's a signature underneath it.

"They're the most powerful pack in the South. The Alpha, Romain of BloodPaw, sent the invitation himself."

I press my hands together. I don't know what he wants me to say. I put the invitation back in the envelope. "What a privilege."

"Yes," he nods. "A privilege, indeed."

"What's the invitation for?" I didn't bother reading it. I'm only relieved there won't be trouble. I was imagining the worst.

"He wants to discuss what to do about the rogues from that Nameless Pack who are wandering the woods. No doubt they're causing trouble. They're hungry and running wild without a leader." He runs his hand through his hair. "We should accept this, shouldn't we?"

"Of course. If Alpha Romain invited you, it means he believes you are fit enough to make a decision regarding this matter. How many Alphas will be there?"

He looks pleased at my words. "I don't know. The invitation doesn't say." He moves towards me and grabs me by the hips. I know he's excited, so I don't protest. Besides, this can be considered harmless. "You'll come with me? The invitation extends to you. But if you don't want to go, I'll make an excuse. I don't want to force you into anything."

I nod. "If you want me to join you, I will."

He kisses me on the cheek and lifts the hem of my dress. He bunches it around my waist and presses me against the table. "What would I do without you?"

"You'd go. Maybe you'd take another female with you." I say to him and shove my dress back down. He presses his erection to my thigh.

"Is that so?"

I nod.

"Do you think they matter more to me than you do?"

I shrug. "I don't know. Get off of me."

He obeys me and steps back, but he keeps his hands on me and starts explaining how they went about inviting him. There's a whole process. The Alphas hosting the event have to sit and decide on the guest list. Normally, to end up on the guest list of a large and powerful pack, your own pack needs to be prestigious, which explains why Reed won't stop jumping around. And talking.

I don't know what to make of his invitation to this other pack. I don't understand werewolf culture well. I have other things I'm concerned about. How am I supposed to act in front of other Alphas and Lunas? What are the roles of Lunas, in any case, during such an event? Do they give their opinions, or remain in their husband's shadow? Will they be young or old? There's so much I still don't know.

Reed sends someone to my room to help me pack a bag. I think it's a bit too early for that, but he insists that it isn't. "Take everything you'll need. These events usually take up to three days. Pack enough clothes and anything else you can think of."

"So we'll have to stay the night?"

"Three, possibly. Maybe more."

I gulp. I don't think I'm ready for this, but I don't show it. Packing takes longer than I expected, and many bags. I packed everything I could think of. I rarely went on trips, and the ones Gavin took me to were short and mostly on the beach, or at a hiking trail, simple things that didn't require much. But this is a formal event. I need to be dressed in my best. I'm representing StoneMoon, after all. This invitation is important to him and I don't want to mess this up. It also took longer because I had to pack for Reed as well. He wants to take his best suits and choosing between them took an eternity and a half.

I'm done packing and I sit and chew my nails. Then I stop. I need to look presentable. Bitten down nails are in no way attractive. I can sense Reed's excitement. Every time I go to his office to ask him a question, he's pacing around. I can tell this has never happened before, and he probably doesn't know what to think about this, either. It's a big deal for him.

Even the pack mates are all excited. They are a reflection of their Alpha. He broods, they brood. He's happy, they're happy. They're happily assisting me with anything I need and boxing up presents. I didn't know we had to take presents, but it's a formality. I wonder what's inside the boxes, but I don't have the time to ask. I go to Sylvia and ask her to prepare me some tea and I tell her we'll be leaving on a trip. She grows sad and kicks me out of her room as soon as I drink all the tea. I stare at her door, shocked. What's with her today? She isn't normally like this.

I return to the bedroom. Reed is there. We're going down for dinner. He sees my face and asks me what the matter is.

"Nothing."

"Don't lie to me."

"It's Sylvia, she's being weird again."

"She's always been this way. She's kind one minute, and upset the next. When I was younger, they said the spirits possessing her caused these mood swings."

I recoil. "Do you believe that?"

"Sylvia is an enigma. Who knows? Maybe it's true? She was known to be a fortune-teller before Dantes cut her tongue. People used to travel long distances to see her."

"I didn't know that. In the camp, people called her a witch."

He shrugs. "That, too."

"Has she ever predicted anything that came true?"

"She told my father Dantes was a traitor and would kill them all, even before Dantes appeared. But when the time came, he didn't listen to her." He explains. "That's all I know. When I was growing up, she couldn't speak, and ceased her fortune-telling business."

I sigh. "That must have been so hard on her." I believe Sylvia does have some supernatural abilities, well, apart from being a werewolf. She's an excellent leader, and how many times has she saved me from myself?

Reed fixes his tie. "Let's go, Bea. They're waiting for us."

We descend the stairs hand in hand, like we're expected to.