The men rose from their chairs as Cara entered the dining room on Lucas’ arm. The entire leadership team was in attendance and they all bowed their heads as their Alpha and Luna took their places.
Awkward was the only word running through Cara’s mind. Her mate at the head of the table, and her ex sitting across from her.
It was Dane’s first engagement since he’d received the Delta rank, and while Joseph had already begun talking his ear off, the sour look on Thomas’ face showed he wasn’t quite as welcoming.
“I hear you’re quite the businessman, Joe,” said Dane. “What have you got planned now you’ve returned?”
Cara glanced at her watch.
The wait staf
Dane opened the package he’d just taken from the letterbox and looked inquisitively at the small glass vial in his hands. He was sure it looked familiar but couldn’t place where he’d seen it. The sticky residue that remained indicated there had once been a label that had recently been removed.He wondered where the hell Cara had gotten it from, as he pulled out his phone and dialled.“Henrik, I’ve got a job for you.”He explained the tricky situation he was in and knew he could trust Henrik to help get him out of it. Ending the call, he made a beeline for the hidden safe in his study. He turned the dial and pulled the handle, reaching in to take out the cloaking potion he’d found with little Lyanna’s remains.He held
Dane sat at his desk, trying to get some work done. Whilst Henrik had taken over as Head Warrior, Dane was still responsible for the overall management of the army. Lucas had made the deal to keep Thomas happy, but Dane didn’t mind one bit. It was a job he’d been trained for all his life as Beta and he’d always enjoyed it.If he was going to be doing warrior work, Dane figured he could still keep his office at the training ground. As Delta, he had an office assigned to him at the packhouse, but he needed somewhere he could go to escape and give him time to focus.Somewhere he wouldn’t be tempted by Cara’s scent.His wolf had other ideas, though.“She’s playing you,” grumbled Stig.
Dane stood on the front lawn of the packhouse, feeling much older than his twenty-four years. There was a buzz of excitement in the air that made his lip curl with distaste as the hive of activity around him reached fever pitch. He didn’t want to be here.“Last but not least, Delta Dane, Jack and Lucy, you’re in the final car,” announced Cara, reading from a clipboard.Dane groaned inwardly as a lanky teenager with an all too eager grin made his way over. Jack was one of his newest warriors, and like most of the people on their way to the Moonlight Ball, he had just turned eighteen this year.“Delta, would you like me to drive?” asked Jack.“No,” replied Dane emp
The convoy turned off the highway just before lunch the next day, and followed the twists and turns of the road, mirroring the river and rapids the host pack was named for. Cara watched eagerly through the car window. It was the first time she’d traveled so far from home and she was enjoying the change of scenery.Cara thought her own packhouse was large and lavish, but this one made hers seem like a doll’s house. It was a goliath of a mansion, built in a folksy, farmhouse style that seemed to conflict with the scale of it all.They pulled up in the circular driveway, and Lucas opened her door and helped her exit the car. It was her first event outside the pack as Luna, and her palms were sweating in anticipation. She’d be expected to interact and converse with the other Lunas, and she just hoped she didn’t em
Cara spent the following day in a whirlwind of activity before finally returning to prepare for the ball. The trip so far had been nothing short of exhausting really, but the thought of getting to wear the dress she’d been dreaming of gave her a much-needed boost of energy.She unzipped the dress bag and squealed once again with delight. Lucas secretly had the dress custom made for her, and it was nothing short of perfection in her eyes.It had a fitted bodice with thin spaghetti straps and flared from the waist in a sea of navy blue satin and tulle. It was fit for a princess, and she certainly felt like one in it.“You look stunning,” complimented Lucas as they lined up to enter the ball. “Like a perfect Luna.”
Dane had managed to avoid Jack, only to bump into Lucas and Alpha Roland, who gave him a hearty thump on the back. “My boy, don’t tell me you still haven’t found that mate of yours yet?” Roland questioned. “Not yet,” Dane replied with a sigh. “She’s here, but as soon as I catch her scent, it’s gone again.” “Well, don’t just stand there. Off you go.” A shrill scream reverberated through the room, stopping people in their tracks. “She’s dead!” “Oh my Goddess, someone’s been murdered.” “There’s a body outside!” &n
It took one and a half days to get to the Moonlight Ball, but Lucas and Dane were speeding their way through the night, determined to get home in half that time. They knew it would be quicker if they drove solo, so they put Jack in charge of bringing the rest of their group home in the morning.Dane had pulled him aside to remind him to protect his Luna at all times, and it gave him a petty sense of satisfaction to wonder whether she’d still be a fan of his ‘harmless admiration’ when it was directed at her.The engine in Lucas’ finely tuned Aston Martin sports car was getting a workout. They estimated they would arrive at the pack around lunchtime, but what they would arrive home to wasn’t clear just yet.Dane impatiently dialled Hen
Stig hadn’t given Dane a moment of peace for the last forty-eight hours. He had already been a nuisance about Cara having the potion, but the developments at the Moonlight Ball had him consumed with grief and ready to take his anger out on the person he thought responsible.Stig was convinced that Cara had killed their mate, and although Dane wanted to stick his head in the sand and deny it, the logical part of his mind couldn’t discount it. He needed to talk to her, he just hoped he could keep Stig at bay.Dane knew her schedule like the back of his hand and knew she’d be at the gym. He just hoped she’d be alone. It wasn’t exactly a private setting, but at least it wasn’t the packhouse where the finely tuned ears of the maids were looking to absorb every skerrick of gossip.