496- Dancing with Wolves Among Merchants
POV Thalyndra Moonclaw:
We walked down a narrow corridor with no access doors. At the end, a room revealed itself as a spectacle of opulence disguised as a casual party. Soft music spread through the environment, coming from discreetly positioned speakers, giving a sophisticated tone to the atmosphere. The space was illuminated by chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, their light reflecting off crystal glasses and polished surfaces.
In the opposite corner, there was a black marble counter where an impeccably dressed waiter served drinks. Bottles of expensive labels stood out in the background.
People dressed in full elegance circulated through the room—humans and lupines—carrying glasses or exchanging words in discreet conversations. They seemed carefree, but the gleam in some of their eyes betrayed their true intentions. It was as if they were in a game of masks, evaluating each other.
At the back of the room, a narrow stage was prepared. Red curtains where a spotlight was directed. As soon as my eyes landed on the stage, I felt the air ripped from my lungs. There it was, behind those curtains, covered by a dark velvet fabric as if they wanted to hide not just the painting, but all the weight of its history. My history. The painting that was stolen from my father, ripped from our home like a Merchant trophy. The room around me seemed to fade for a moment, and all I felt was a wave of raw and ancient emotions bubbling inside me: anger, sadness, a pain I thought was dormant, at least for that night.
Anton felt my muscles tense.
"Do you want a drink?" he asked.
"And is it safe?" I whispered, so only he and Myrion could hear me.
Myrion observed everything with attentive and curious eyes. A woman, human, passed by us. He stared at her.
"If I had known these events were like this, I would have come to one of them much sooner," he commented.
Anton tapped his brother's shoulder.
"Don't worry—after today, you'll never be invited to any of them again."
He shrugged and scratched his jaw.
"I wasn't even invited to this one. If I want to show up, it will simply happen."
Anton pushed him toward the counter, making him take his eyes off the woman. As we approached, the waiter gave us a sideways glance. He was drying one of the glasses with a cloth, seeming bored.
"What do you want?" he asked, with disinterest.
"Two neat whiskeys and a glass of sparkling wine," Anton ordered.
I held onto his shoulders and leaned in, tilting my face close to his ear.
"How did you know that's what I wanted to drink?"
He rubbed his fingers up and down my back, in a slow and possessive touch.
"It was a guess." He sighed, kissing the side of my head. "I figured you'd want something softer for a wild night."
I let out a bitter laugh.
"For the first time in your life, you got it right."
"Not the first time—I'm always right."
"Oh, yes, a seer of the future," I mocked and pulled away.
I leaned against the counter, placing my elbows on the marble, and observed the people, analyzing them. It was quite clear which ones were Merchant members. They all wore some piece of silk in their clothing and rings on their pinky fingers. Humans were the minority, I noticed, though I still couldn't identify which pack the other wolves present belonged to.
I knew there were some like my father, who lived alone, without following the rules of a specific pack. Many of them had plenty of money, which answered the question of what they were doing at an event like that.
Having a life expectancy of five hundred years gave them a certain advantage when it came to living among humans.
On the other hand, they could just be there as extras. The greater the number of people interested in an item, the higher its value became. I had no idea what they had said about the painting, but people seemed genuinely interested in acquiring it.
Myrion handed me the glass of sparkling wine. I smelled the liquid first, trying to find any trace of silver in the drink. Nothing.
I took a sip, satisfied with the taste.
I knew there would be nothing—Anton and Myrion would have seen or smelled it before handing it to me. But in a place like that, full of predators, we couldn't seem so... unconcerned with our safety. They were watching us; I could feel their gazes burning on me. Every reaction I showed, every movement I made, absolutely everything.
I took another sip, letting the bubbles tickle my throat before swallowing.
Myrion downed all the liquid in his glass and slammed it on the table, causing an impact.
"The drink was very good, but not better than the company of you two," he said in a loud tone, running his palm through his hair. "But I need to face some natural problems."
"Natural problems?" I asked, frowning. He sighed heavily.
"Yes, it's time to go pee." He raised his arm and called the waiter. "Friend, which way to the bathroom?"
Still not deigning to utter a single word to us, the man pointed with his hand in the correct direction, turning back to his drinks, not keeping his gaze on Myrion for more than two seconds.
Unlike the wolf who had received us, he didn't have soft notes in his scent. He wasn't a beta, but he wasn't an alpha either, given his posture. Alphas tended to always walk with their noses in the air. He was an omega.
I felt something stir inside me. Trying to stay calm, I looked around once more, observing the security guards positioned at strategic points, near the walls. Using my new talent, I separated the scents and focused on them.
Alphas. All of them.
Smart. A beta to receive the guests. A calmer species that didn't show as much relevance when it came to presenting danger. To serve the drinks, an omega—a little less irrelevant, but not as strong as an alpha would be. This way, they made the lupine guests feel safe, even comfortable in their presence. And finally, alphas for security.
I approached Anton, my elbow touching his.
"I think we have a problem here," I whispered. I felt him immediately become alert.
"What would that be?"
"Who was the last buyer of the hotel?"
"I have no idea who the previous ones were, let alone the last one. Why?" He made a face, confused.
I licked my dry lips and downed all the liquid in my glass.
"Because I think I know who the last buyer of the hotel was..." I murmured, moving my lips as little as possible so no one could read what I was saying.
My father had instructed me very well about the Merchants, even though he tried to protect me most of the time. He knew that at some point, I would end up in a confrontation with them.