Dinner With The King

Sable's POV 

I stood in front of the mirror while the makeup artists made their final adjustments. The red dress fitted my body perfectly, its neckline leaving the mark on my neck exposed. It was the same dress Kael had chosen, but tonight was the first time I would wear it for something other than a fitting.

The woman staring back at me looked nothing like the frightened girl who had run away from Crestwood. I had told the makeup team I wanted sharp eyes and red lipstick, not the soft pink shades they initially suggested. I wasn't trying to look sweet, and I certainly wasn't trying to look like Celeste.

Tomorrow, the Council would decide whether I could stand beside Kael as Luna or be thrown away as a rogue. Tonight, the Alpha King would decide whether I was even worth allowing to try.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door.

"Come in." I said calmly and turned around as Kael entered. He was already dressed in a black suit and he stopped when he saw me, his eyes travelling briefly over the dress before settling on my face. He didn't offer a compliment or make one of his usual remarks. He simply watched me for a moment.

"They will stare," he said eventually. "Don't give them the satisfaction of seeing you nervous." He said and I nodded. 

"I wasn't planning to."

"Good. Let's go." His voice came out rigidly. He stretched out his hand and I took it. 

We walked into the dining hall which was larger than I expected, with a long polished table beneath an enormous chandelier. Rodgers and Fabian were already seated, both looking rather pleased with themselves. Delan was nowhere to be seen.

At the head of the table sat a silver-haired man who appeared to be in his sixties. His face carried several scars, and although his expression was gentler than those of his sons, his eyes were unmistakably Kael's. They missed nothing.

Alpha King Magnus rose when we approached. "So, this is the woman causing such a commotion in my family."

Kael placed a hand at my back. "Sable, my father. Father, my Luna."

Magnus approached and took my hand, raising it to his lips in an old-fashioned greeting. His grip lingered longer than necessary, and I felt the faint pressure of his Alpha command against my skin. It was subtle, but deliberate. He wanted to see whether I would become uncomfortable and pull away.

I remembered Elder Oriel's lesson from that morning. Bow first, but not too low.

I lowered my head respectfully, giving him a small bow while maintaining my composure. When I looked up, I met his eyes without challenging him. "Please, sit," he said.

Dinner began with the usual formalities, but I knew better than to mistake the quiet for comfort. Rodgers barely touched his food, while Fabian watched me with the same irritating amusement he had displayed in the courtyard.

Magnus eventually placed his cutlery down.

"You are half-breed. Half-human. Why should my line have human blood?" The question landed heavily across the table. Kael remained beside me, but he didn't answer on my behalf. This was my test.

"My human father died when I was eight," I began. "He wasn't an Alpha or a warrior. He was a mechanic who worked with his hands, but he taught me to read and encouraged me to dream beyond the life people expected me to have."

Magnus studied me. "He taught you to dream?" He asked and I tried not to swallow hard. 

"He taught me that being born into a certain family shouldn't determine what I could become. I want to be a doctor, I want to help people, and I don't believe that makes me less worthy of standing here." My voice wasn't shaky and I liked it that way. 

"And your human blood?"

I held his gaze. "My human side is probably the reason I understand that strength isn't the same as cruelty. It is also why I don't bow like a dog simply because someone expects me to." The entire table went silent for a moment then Magnus laughed, a genuine, booming laugh that seemed to surprise even Rodgers. His eldest son's expression tightened, and Fabian shifted in his chair.

"Interesting answer," Magnus said. "Very interesting."

"Father," Fabian interrupted, leaning back. "She couldn't even handle my command in the courtyard. Are we really pretending she's prepared to stand before the Council?" He asked as I turned towards him.

"I don't take orders from boys who want my husband's chair." I repeated the same line I'd used the other day. 

Magnus laughed again, louder this time. Even Kael's mouth curved slightly as he looked at me. Fabian's smile disappeared, and Rodgers lowered his glass without saying anything.

It was my first victory of the evening, and I wasn't going to spoil it by celebrating too soon. Magnus wiped his mouth with his napkin before looking between Kael and me.

"Contract or not, the Council will need to see that you are truly mated. Paperwork won't convince them." He said and I swallowed for the first time. 

Kael's expression hardened. "What are you suggesting?"

"I'm suggesting that you show us she is yours." The room became uncomfortably quiet.

Kael stood and moved behind my chair. He pulled it back slightly, then extended his hand towards me. I accepted it, allowing him to draw me to my feet.

His fingers settled against the mark on my neck, his thumb moving gently over the sensitive skin. His other hand rested on my waist, bringing me close enough that I could feel the warmth of his body through his suit.

The mark burned beneath his touch. My wolf, which had spent years hiding beneath the shame of being considered wolfless, stirred and leaned towards him.

I knew the marriage was a contract. I knew we were performing for the man watching us from the head of the table. Yet my body responded to Kael with an honesty that made the situation difficult to ignore.

I placed my hand against his chest and leaned into him, keeping my expression calm. I wasn't going to look frightened or uncertain. If they wanted to see a Luna, I would give them one.

Kael's gaze met mine briefly before he turned towards his father.

Magnus watched us for several seconds, then gave a small nod. Rodgers looked away, apparently dissatisfied with what he had witnessed.

"Bring her to the Council tomorrow," Magnus said as he rose from his chair. "Let's see if she survives."

He left without waiting for a response. Rodgers followed, and Fabian was the last to approach the door. As he passed me, he leaned close enough for only me to hear.

"Red suits you, Luna. Let's see if you can survive after the Council bleeds you." I refused to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.

When the doors finally closed, the staff began clearing the dining table. Kael and I remained where we were, surrounded by the sudden quiet of the enormous room.

He poured me a glass of water and placed it in front of me, just as he had done on the first night we met. "You did well," he said. "You didn't flinch."

"I learned from the best."

The words escaped before I could reconsider them. Kael looked at me, and a small smile appeared on his face. I returned it, surprised by how natural it felt. For a moment, there was no contract between us, no throne to fight over and no brothers waiting for an opportunity to destroy me. 

We were simply two people who had managed to survive the same evening. Then his expression became serious.

"They will talk if we sleep in separate rooms tonight. The staff will notice, and the Council will hear about it before morning."

I understood immediately. We had spent the evening convincing his father that our marriage was real. Sleeping in separate rooms would give everyone another reason to question us.

"One room," I said.

"One room," he confirmed. "Separate sides of the bed. The rule still stands. No forced intimacy. Unless you" He stopped himself, leaving the rest unsaid.

We walked upstairs together, holding hands because there were still servants moving through the corridors. When we reached his bedroom, Kael opened the door and allowed me to enter first.

"Separate sides of the bed," he reminded me quietly. "You don't owe me anything, Sable."

I looked at the mark on my neck, and a thought ran through my mind. I didn't answer with words. Instead I reached for the zipper of the red dress, and let it fall….