Juke's stone-faced father gasped. "Mother, that's not how things are done."
"Relax, Jared. Nothing taking place today is how things are done. Have you ever seen anyone introduce a male as the bride of the next alpha? Be quiet, and let me speak to the boy. Come." She curled her finger toward Dale, the gesture somehow imperious and welcoming.
Juke gave Dale a gentle push forward, his touch lingering at the small of Dale's back. The whispers of the gathered crowd followed him as he approached the grandmother, their curiosity a tangible presence in the air.
Juke's grandmother stood to greet him, her height surprising Dale as she rose a few inches taller than him. She sniffed the air around him, her nostrils flaring. Excitement danced in her eyes like firelight. "Oh my, this is wondrous indeed," she chimed, clapping her hands in succession, the sound echoing in the vast hall. "Amazing, absolutely amazing."
