Chapter Three

Sitting at a table in the far back corner of the ballroom, Giavanna couldn't help the smile that brightened her face as she looked around the room. Several of her friends had met their mates this evening and seemed so besotted with their new partners that Giavanna couldn't help but be happy for them. She'd enjoyed many dances with men from different packs and even did a few turns around the room with friends, though the attention from the males had become stifling, leading her to seek out the quiet.

Elsbeth was busy dancing with a tall man who had muscles so large he must have needed his navy blue suit jacket custom made. One minute Elsbeth had been headed to the bathroom, and the next Giavanna had found her giggling in a corner with Dwayne.

Giavanna considered signaling to her friend that she was going to take a walk through the gardens, but she knew she'd never be able to tear Elsbeth eyes away from Dwayne's face. Chuckling, Giavanna walked towards the french doors at the back of the room and ventured outdoors.

The moon was full and blanketed the meticulously manicured decorative garden behind the ballroom in a cold, silvery light. An ornate fountain was placed in the center of the space, with four meandering concrete paths branching outwards. The evening was comfortably warm and a nice change from the stuffy ballroom. Giavanna was delighted to see fireflies lazily blinking as they flew amongst the flowers and shrubs. Taking a seat on a stone bench, she leaned back on her hands and closed her eyes, listening as a gentle wind occasionally rushed rustled through the trees. Though the evening had been fun, and she interacted with wolves from all over the region, Giavanna couldn't stop herself from feeling a tad disappointed. Finding her mate wasn't as important to her as some of the other she-wolves, but she was sad thinking about having to attend next year's Mateship Ball by herself.

"Excuse me, mind if I sit here?" a lively voice inquired, effectively interrupting Giavanna's self-pity spiral.

Her eyes popped open, taking in the man in front of her. His bright red hair was slicked back, the freckles that dotted his face making him look slightly less intimidating. He was built like most other werewolf males, covered with muscles, though a touch shorter and stockier. The smile on his face was friendly and non-threatening and reached his baby blue eyes. The devilish glimmer in his gaze made her want to befriend him instantly.

"I suppose," she began, sliding over to make more space on the bench for the large man. She gestured around at the near-empty garden and gave him a quizzical look. "but it's not like there is a bench shortage."

He quickly sat down, and his grin grew. Pointing to a small group of people gathered under a small pavilion several yards away, he explained, "That's my brother, his best friend, and some she-wolves who are clearly not their soulmates. I want to spy on them and need an accomplice."

Giavanna blinked twice before giggles began to pour out of her mouth. She quickly stifled the sound when a person under the gazebo turned in their direction.

"Sorry, I'll try to be more covert," Giavanna whispered. Extending her hand, she introduced herself to her new friend. "I'm Giavanna Sperino from the Oak Valley pack."

"Grant Keller from the Blood Lake pack," he declared and enthusiastically shook her hand.

A look of surprise crossed Giavanna's face. "Seriously?! The Blood Lake pack?"

"I swear we aren't as bad as people make us out to be. Yes, we are ruthless, and sure, we can be cruel, but our packs are allies!" Grant blurted, holding his hands in front of him in a passive gesture.

Giavanna shook her head and smiled. "No, that's not it. Alpha Rodrick wouldn't have let you in if he didn't trust your Alpha. You came all the way here from the East Coast. Don't you have plenty of Mateship Balls out that way?"

Grant relaxed and put his hands in his lap."Wow, you are one of the only people here tonight who didn't high tail it away when I told them where I was from." He nodded his head towards the pavilion before continuing. "My brother is our Beta. Our seers saw that attending this ball would be beneficial for our pack, and some of us unmated guys got to fly out here with him. We don't believe in the importance of a soulmate bond as much as you all do, so for some of us, choosing your mate rather than waiting around is the preferred way to go."

"Yeah, that kind of thinking has never really crossed my mind. My parents are so smitten with each other that I can't imagine choosing to acquire power or wealth through my mate choice rather than finding my true partner." Giavanna commented matter-of-factly. She poked Grant in the bicep and inquired,"What about you and your Beta brother?"

"Oh, I'm Team Soulmate all the way. Jared used to be too, but his faith in the Moon Goddess sending his match has dropped to almost zero after so many disappointing balls."

The two continued chatting, comparing their upbringings and sharing benign pack gossip. Grant was impressed with her dedication to the Alpha Royal Guard program, mentioning that his pack only allowed men to participate in the training. He ignored her scowl and showed her photos of the lumbermill he helped manage in Maine. Giavanna nearly dropped the phone when a pair of shrill screams echoed throughout the garden. The two she-wolves who had been shamelessly flirting moments ago raced from beneath the gazebo and hauled ass back to the ballroom. "Bet they just told them what pack they belonged to," Giavanna dead-panned when the women frantically tumbled through the doors and slamming them shut.

Grant took one look at his co-conspirator, and they began cackling, clutching their stomachs, and doubled over in a bout of complete mirth. A brief moment later, the pair froze when a harsh voice shouted, "Shut the fuck up, Grant! I'm coming for your ass and whatever whore you're fucking around with!"

Giavanna's head whipped around towards the pavilion, her eyes narrowing at the hulking figure that was stomping their way. In a deadly calm voice, she asked, " Did your brother just call me a whore?"

"I'll get him to apologize. He can be a prick, but he'd doesn't mean it. He's just pissed at those two running off," Grant explained, noticing the she-wolf's nostrils were flared, and her hands clenched into fists. As a calming gesture, he reached out to pat her shoulder. Seeing her lip curl, he withdrew his hand and stood up.

"Jared, you need to apologize to my friend. Right now." Grant stepped in front of Giavanna, crossing his arms in front of his chest, and assumed a power stance. He was startled when a blur flashed by him, the bundle of seething anger headed straight towards the snarling giant.

Giavanna came to a halt a foot in front of the Beta. She knew this could end very poorly for her, and she didn't care. He rocked back on his heels at her sudden stop and then grinned down at her cruelly. "Aren't you a feisty little slut."

"Call me a derogatory name one more time and see what happens," she replied, smiling sweetly.

"Only a worthless cunt would be interested in hanging out with my little brother," Jared snapped.

Before he could blink, four bloody scratches appeared on his left cheek. Giavanna waved the fingers on her right hand up at him, blood glistening on the painted tips.

"Oh, goddess." Grant's eyes grew wide as saucers, and he darted forward to place himself between the two adversaries.

"How dare you touch me, you little bitch!" Jared's fingers morphed into claws. Gianna boldly stared him in the eyes, never once cowering, even as he raised his arm. It swung down, and his forefinger sank into her face, the single nail tearing a deep furrow into her cheek. Quick as a flash, Giavanna kicked Jared in the left knee, piercing his pants and flesh with the heel of her stiletto. He staggered back and roared in rage. He reached to grab her arm and was suddenly flung backward by a hand that had seized his shoulder and hoisted him away.

"What the fuck, Sebastian?" Jared screamed at the slight man who hovered over him. "She insulted me and our pack!"

Grant pulled Giavanna back from the other men, turning her around to examine the claw mark on her face. "That was incredibly stupid. Brave, but stupid. Even though Jared's my brother, he's still a Beta. He's not going to let this go and will definitely raise a formal challenge."

Giavanna wasn't listening. Grant continued to worriedly prattle on while he took his pocket square and gently pressed it against her cheek. A delicious smell had wafted under her noise, completely distracting her. It reminded her of the smoke from late-night bonfires, cinnamon candies, and warm apple cider. She turned her head in the direction of the tantalizing aroma and briefly locked eyes with the man Jared had called Sebastian. One moment she was gazing into his cornflower blue eyes, and the next, everything turned black.