Chapter 25 First Pack Dinner
I didn’t tell Lycian about the second threat.
He was already overprotective. Another anonymous text would send him into full Alpha mode. And I needed normal. Just for a little while longer.
Besides, I had bigger problems. Like the pack dinner Elena had invited me to.
“It’s casual,” she’d said on the phone. “Just a few families. Nothing formal. You’ll love it.”
That was Thursday. Now it was Friday evening and I was staring at my closet like it held the answers to life.
“It’s just dinner,” I muttered. Pulling out a sweater for the third time.
“You’ve said that five times.” Lycian leaned against my doorframe. Arms crossed. Amused. “It’s really just dinner.”
“With pack members who may or may not want me dead.”
“Elena invited you. That means her friends will be there. They’re nice.”
“Sarah’s friends were nice too. At first.”
He pushed off the doorframe. Came into my room. Took the sweater from my hands. “This one. With jeans. You look beautiful in this.”
The sweater was forest green. Soft. My favorite. “You sure?”
“Positive.” He turned me toward him. Hands on my shoulders. “You’re going to be fine. Elena’s house is a safe space. No drama allowed.”
“You can’t guarantee that.”
“I can and I will. Because I’m going with you.”
“You are?”
“Did you think I’d let you go alone?” He smiled. Soft. “I’m your buffer. Your backup. Your emergency exit if things go bad.”
My chest felt warm. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I want to. Besides, Elena makes the best pot roast. I’m not missing that.”
Elena’s house smelled like heaven. Garlic and rosemary and something sweet are baking in the oven.
“You made it!” She hugged me. Tight. Warm. Like we were family. “Come in, come in. Everyone’s in the living room.”
Everyone turned out to be six people. Elena’s husband Thomas. Her three kids. And two couples I didn’t recognize.
“This is Elowen,” Elena announced. “And you all know Lycian.”
“Hi.” I waved. Awkward. Felt like the first day of school.
“Elowen!” One of Elena’s daughters ran over. Maybe eight years old. Missing a front tooth. “Are you Lycian’s girlfriend?”
“Emma, don’t interrogate her,” Elena said.
“I’m just asking!”
“Yes,” Lycian said. Casual. Like it was obvious. “She’s my girlfriend.”
My face went hot. We’d never actually defined it out loud. Not to other people.
“Cool. Do you like Barbies? I have seventeen.”
“I love Barbies.”
“Come see!” Emma grabbed my hand. Dragged me toward the stairs.
“Emma, let her breathe,” Thomas said. He was tall. Kind eyes. Laugh lines around his mouth. “Sorry. She gets excited about new people.”
“It’s okay.” I let Emma pull me upstairs. To a room exploding with pink and toys and childhood chaos.
“This is Dr. Barbie. And this is Vet Barbie. And this is President Barbie.” She showed me each one. Serious. Like she was introducing royalty.
We played for twenty minutes. Built a Barbie hospital. Saved Vet Barbie’s cat. Emma talked the entire time. About school and her friends and how her brother was annoying but she loved him anyway.
It was easy. Normal. Nothing to do with packs or politics or danger.
“Elowen?” Lycian appeared in the doorway. “Dinner’s ready.”
“Already?”
“You’ve been up here forty minutes.”
“Really?” I looked at Emma. “Sorry. I got distracted.”
“It’s okay. You’re fun.” Emma hugged me. Quick. Tight. “Can you come back tomorrow?”
“Maybe. If your mom invites me.”
“She will. She likes you. I can tell.”
We went downstairs. The dining room table was crowded. Plates piled with food. Everyone is talking and laughing and passing dishes.
Lycian pulled out a chair for me. Sat next to me. His knee pressed against mine under the table. Warm. Grounding.
“Elowen, this is Manuel and Sophia Chen,” Elena said. Gesturing to one couple. “And David and Rachel Kim.” The other couple.
“Nice to meet you,” I said.
“We’ve heard so much about you,” Sophia said. She had kind eyes. Warm smile. “Elena says you’re a biology major?”
“Trying to be. It’s been rough lately.”
“I teach biology at the high school. If you ever need help, let me know.”
“Really?”
“Really. Elena has my number.”
Dinner was chaotic in the best way. Kids interrupting. Adults talking over each other. Plates are being passed. Seconds and thirds offered.
Thomas told terrible dad jokes. His son groaned at each one. Emma kept stealing bites of dessert before it was time.
It felt like family. Real family. The kind I’d never really had.
“So how’d you two meet?” Rachel asked. Looking between me and Lycian and me. “Elena said it was dramatic.”
“I spilled champagne on him,” I said.
“An entire tray,” Lycian added. “Ruined my suit.”
“And you still asked her out?” Manuel laughed. “That’s brave.”
“Or stupid,” David said. “My wife threw a drink at me when we met. I knew right then she was the one.”
“Because I had good aim?” Rachel asked.
“Because you weren’t afraid to put me in my place.”
Everyone laughed. Even me.
“What about you two?” I asked Elena and Thomas. “How’d you meet?”
“Conference in Chicago. Ten years ago.” Elena smiled. Fond. “He tried to impress me with his knowledge of pack politics. I was not impressed.”
“She told me I was boring,” Thomas said.
“You were boring. You spent twenty minutes talking about territorial disputes.”
“It was important information!”
“It was a terrible pickup line.” She squeezed his hand. “But I gave him another chance. Best decision I ever made.”
They looked at each other. Love is clear and comfortable between them.
I wanted that. Wanted what they had. The ease. The history. The certainty.
Under the table, Lycian’s hand found mine. Squeezed.
I squeezed back.
After dinner, the adults sat in the living room. Coffee and dessert. The kids ran around outside. Burning off energy.
“So,” Sophia said. Looking at me. “How are you handling everything? The pack. The trial period. All of it.”
“Honestly? It’s terrifying.”
“It gets easier.”
“Does it?”
“Eventually. The first few months are the worst. Everyone watching. Judging. Waiting for you to fail.” She took a sip of coffee. “But once they realize you’re not going anywhere, they relax.”
“What if I don’t make it to the vote?”
“You will. Because you have Elena. And Lycian. And now us.” She smiled. “Pack is about more than blood. It’s about choosing each other. And we’re choosing you.”
My throat felt tight. “You don’t even know me.”
“We know enough. You play Barbies with Emma. You survived Sarah’s attitude. You made Lycian smile.” Rachel gestured to him. “We haven’t seen him smile this much in years.”
“That’s true,” Thomas said. “He’s been different since you showed up. Lighter.”
Lycian looked embarrassed. “Can we not analyze me while I’m sitting right here?”
“Nope. Suffer.” Elena grinned. “But they’re right. You’re good for him. Both of you are good for each other.”
We left around nine. Emma made me promise to visit again. Elena packed leftovers. Everyone hugged me goodbye.
“That was nice,” I said in the car. “Really nice.”
“Told you. Elena’s friends are good people.”
“They are. They didn’t make me feel like an outsider.”
“Because you’re not an outsider. You’re part of the pack now.”
“For ninety days.”
“Forever.” He said it with such certainty. “The vote is just a formality.”
“You can’t know that.”
“I can. Because I know my pack. And I know you. They’re going to vote yes. All of them.”
I wanted to believe him. Wanted to think the pack would accept me. That the threats were just empty words from bitter wolves.
But as we pulled into the garage, my phone buzzed.
Another text. Same unknown number.
Enjoy your little dinner party? Those friends won’t help you when the vote comes. Nobody will.
My hands started shaking.
“What’s wrong?” Lycian asked.
“Nothing. Just tired.”
“Elowen.”
“I’m fine. Really.” I got out before he could press. “I’m going to bed. Big day tomorrow.”
I went to my room. Closed the door. Stared at the message.
Three threats now. All anonymous. All promising the same thing. That I’d lose the vote. That I’d disappear.
Someone in the pack wanted me gone. Wanted me scared.
And it was working.
I should tell Lycian. Should show him the messages. Let him handle it.
But I was so tired of being protected. Of being the damsel who needed saving.
I deleted the message. Blocked the number.
Whoever was threatening me could keep trying. But I wasn’t running. Wasn’t hiding.
I’d survived Marcus. Survived Sarah. Survived everything else this pack threw at me.
I could survive this too.
My phone buzzed again. Different number this time.
My stomach dropped. But when I looked, it was just Tessa.
How’d the dinner go?
Good. Made friends. Played Barbies. Normal stuff.
Proud of you. You’re killing this whole pack girlfriend thing.
I smiled despite everything.
Thanks. Miss you.
Miss you too. Coffee Sunday?
Definitely.
I set my phone down. Got ready for bed. But sleep wouldn’t come.
Because somewhere out there, someone was watching. Waiting. Planning.
And I had no idea who.
Or what they’d do next.