Chapter 9

I have a lot of respect for elderly wolves for their wisdom and experience, but damn, they are not fast. It feels like the first wolf who got called in for an interview with the Alpha's grandparents started hours ago but we are still only a couple wolves in with what must be twenty more to go. I sat on a bench kicking my feet and watching varius servants hurry by. I might rather be one of them right now because at least I would have something to do besides sit here in my growing pool of stress.

"They must have a lot to say in there." Rayven commented from beside me, "That's good because we'll each get our fair shot and won't be hurried out or anything."

"What do you think they're talking about?" I asked absentmindedly. I hoped none of the first suitors chosen do so well that I am hardly given time of day.

"Probably the war? What else to elderly folks talk about? The war or other old wolves." 

"Shush, don't call them old. We're trying to make a good impression here." I shook my head disapprovingly. 

Minutes later, the large wooden door of the Alpha's mansion home slowly creaked open. A gray wrinkled wolf stumbled out blinking in the sunlight. Oakley tapped her high heeled paw impatiently. The old wolf painstakingly hobbled over and announced that Raven was next to enter and be interviewed. Rayven jumped up excitedly. 

"I'll do a quick one for y'all's sake," she joked as she headed towards the cool retreat of the mansion. She offered her hand to her elderly companion but the gray wolf turned it away. 

"You have to use it or loose it," the elderly wolf explained pausing only briefly for a fit of coughs,"If I stop practicing walking on my own now soon I won't be able to do it at all." They must practice walking and I must practice patience. A Luna must practice patience and so I sat quietly in the beating sunlight for a while longer. 

"They all go in, but they never some out," muttered Dandelion after a while. What a ray of sunshine she is. The door swung open again but this time the wolf that emerged was the flirty one from my first dinner. He scanned the line of expectant she-wolves until his eyes fell upon me. I kept my eyes on my own feet hoping he wouldn't recognize me. 

"You in the blue dress," he pointed at me, "Let's go, beautiful." Reluctantly I smoothed my dress and followed him inside. It was my first time actually inside the Alpha's home and I let my eyes drink it all in. The floor was carpeted in a burgundy carpet and the walls plain stained wood, but the intricate chandelier that hung in the opening foyer indicated the royal status of this building's residents. He led me through a second set of large doors fancier than the last and I the throne room lay before me both simple and magnificent. It was hard for me to imagine that if I won this competition that I could be sitting in one of those very thrones. My guide didn't seem to notice my reaction to the throne room and casually led me down an adjoining hallway into an office. It was empty.

"They aren't quite ready to see you yet, but I could leave a poor pretty wolf like you out there waiting on the sun. Have a seat, have a seat," he gestured at the chair across from the desk. I sat cautiously, I worried what the others might think if they caught me alone with another male wolf. I didn't want to kiss my throne room dreams goodbye so soon, but maybe I could get some useful information from this scoundrel.

"Relax, Relax," he coaxed his finger tips dragging across my bare shoulders giving me goosebumps as he walked by. 

"You must work for the Alpha," I said and then second guessing myself, "or are you family?"

"Why pick just one?" he smiled his teeth glittering. I could sort of see the resemblance, "I'm his second cousin and I'm from a pack far away from here. I'm only here to help my little cousin run his wolf games," he explained. He isn't that much help if he's going to be constantly trying to seduce the Alpha's own suitors. My first act as Luna would be getting rid of this guy.

"Such a short period of time, we should really try and make the most of it," he said leaning over the desk, "I wouldn't mind having a cute little mate of my own to take back home eventually. I can see it now, Elma, my homecoming with you thrown over my shoulder. You'd be blushing like you do and shyly showing off my bite mark on your neck. I would claim you oh would I claim you," his voice began lowering with every word until it was only a whisper, "I would claim you so thoroughly that you wouldn't remember your littles Alpha's name. Every thought would be of my body and the way my body makes you feel. Every breath would be of my scent as my essence seeped into you. Into your very soul until you finally realized you want nothing more than to belong to me and follow me anywhere."

As his voice got quieter and quieter I found myself leaning towards him. A sudden knock at the door broke the spell and I snapped back into my seat.