Chapter 2 Welcome Party

• [Dorothy]
• I didn’t sleep last night. The intimate scene between my mate and a she-wolf, their entanglement, and the symphony of moans and groans I witnessed from the garden kept playing in my mind like an infinite loop. I can’t believe that within an hour of finding my mate, I would catch him getting passionately involved with an unmated she-wolf. I couldn’t say his betrayal emotionally bruised me; I just didn’t expect it. But I cannot say the same for River. She was howling in my head all night, giving me a throbbing headache.
• We stayed the night at the Blood Rose Pack but started our journey at five in the morning, even before the sun rose. Alpha Jaxson took advantage of my position as the future Luna to rub elbows and talk with Brohan about the future collaborations between the two packs. I didn’t protest. I locked myself inside my designated room in the packhouse in the guise of packing my stuff. Although it’s not a lie, it was not completely true either. I just wanted to avoid being with my mate for now. My heart was pounding in my chest every time the image of him and that she-wolf flashed in my mind. It’s torture, to say the least.
• I looked out the window and watched the retreating trees and buildings along the way to my new pack. Blood Rose Pack is nearly twelve hours away from the Golden Summit Pack by land. Brohan had an entourage of five tinted SUVs. We were on the second; his future Beta, Dwight, was driving the car, and Brohan was sitting in the passenger seat in front of me. The journey was quiet, with no music and no casual talk.
• I don’t know if it was just me, but this mate bond was not what I expected it to be. Except for River’s howling, I don’t feel the pull everyone was talking about. Though my body had a slight electric reaction to skin contact with him, everything else seemed ordinary. But I guess that’s a worry for another day.
• I closed my eyes, trying my luck at getting a few hours of sleep, but within just a few seconds, Brohan’s voice echoed within the confines of the car's interior.
• “There’s a welcome party for you in the pack. My nanny has prepared a dress for you, and she will get you ready within an hour of our arrival,” he said. My gaze met his in the rearview mirror, and I nodded, giving him a faint smile. “If there’s anything you need, you can tell my nanny. She is reliable,” he added, and I nodded once again.
• “You don’t talk much, do you?” he asked, narrowing his eyes on my reflection.
• What will I say? His words can be best responded to with a nod or a frown. It’s not like we've known each other for a long time and have shared common interests.
• “I’m sorry, I’m still adjusting, I guess?” It came out like a question than a statement, but he seemed okay with it. “How do you want me to address you?” I added.
• “Call me Alpha,” he said indifferently, and I acknowledged it with a hum.
• I just hope that my disappointment didn’t show on my face. I am supposed to be the future Luna, and my mate wanted me to address him by his title, Alpha like I am an ordinary pack member. It’s rubbish, but I didn’t dwell on it. Besides, I don’t expect too much from this mate bond. What good can you expect from a mate who couldn’t even keep his pants up?
• “Okay.”
• The whole ride was uneventful. We reached the Pack's main gate just as the mixed reflection of red and orange dominated the sky in long wavelengths, creating a temporary tranquil atmosphere. It was soothing, and for a moment, I forgot my reluctance on the mate bond. As my gaze lingered on the sunset longer than I wanted to, a large hand came into view, snapping fingers to get my attention. I traced its source, and only then I realized that Brohan had been standing outside holding the car door open, waiting for me to get down.
• “Done with daydreaming?” he asked with a mocking grin across his face.
• “I’m sorry, Alpha. I was just admiring the sunset.”
• “Yeah, I got that. Do you always zone out?” he asked with his right brow raised.
• “No, I don’t,” I hung my head low in embarrassment as I stepped out of the car. Brohan pointed me toward a middle-aged woman wearing a beige and blue dress, seemingly the pack uniform for servants. I guess this is the nanny he was talking about earlier. I gave her a genuine smile as I saw her approach us.
• “Dwight, send Dorothy’s bags to the room next to Charlotte’s,” Brohan told his Beta casually, and Dwight nodded before picking up my suitcase. I don’t know who Charlotte is, but maybe I will meet her later. I slightly twisted my shoulder as I felt a firm hand suddenly grabbing my waist, his large hand spread widely, with his thumb landing just below my breast, before giving instructions to the nanny, “Nanny Adel, this is Dorothy. She is my mate and the future Luna of the Pack. Get her ready for the welcome party,” before loosening his hold on me and marching toward the entrance of the packhouse without glancing back.
• What just happened? The sudden physical contact instantly burned my face, and as fast as it came, the detachment followed after. Now, he was gone. My face must be crimson red, and I noticed Nanny Adel looking me up and down with a faint smile before gently tapping the top of my head as if I were a small child. “Come along now, Luna. We have to get you ready." She tilted her head slightly toward the door and started walking. I followed her quietly while listening to her description of the pack.
• I nervously parted the curtain from my room's window to see the half-filled venue of the welcome party. It was a rushed event, but no one could tell with the decorations, lighting, and the amount of food prepared.
• Nanny Adel had dressed me in a dark blue satin evening gown with a fitted neckline and an intricate design made of beads and embroidery from top to bottom. The gown hugged my upper body down to my hips and flared out just below my thigh, creating an hourglass figure. My chestnut hair was styled in a half-up, half-down style with a few sapphire clips littered across its length, complementing the gown. I sighed inwardly at the sight of incoming guests before looking at the clock. Nanny Adel told me to go down before nine. I looked one last time at my reflection in a floor-length mirror before marching toward the door.
• I slowly turned the knob when hushed voices reached my ears. I didn’t mind; perhaps some guests or pack omegas were discussing something about the party. I stepped out of the room, and just as I was gently closing it, my gaze fell on my mate passionately kissing a beautiful brunette just outside the door of the room next to mine.
• A loud gasp escaped my mouth before I could stop it, drawing the attention of the couple. Just then, Brohan broke the kiss and strode in my direction as if nothing happened while the woman gave me a death stare. I froze in place.
• I couldn’t fathom why the Moon Goddess gave me this mate. I must have done a really bad deed in my past life.
• Brohan halted in front of me and offered me his arm. I reluctantly took it; it’s not the time and place to protest. My hands were still trembling. After taking two steps, Brohan looked over his shoulder, and his following words shocked the hell out of me.
• “Wait for me, Charlotte. I’ll sleep in your room tonight.”