Thirty–Nine
Alexander’s POV
I didn’t want to be here.
In fact, I had done everything in my power this past week to make sure that this day did not happen but my father was not having any of my excuses. The entire week leading up to this day had been super hectic.
From finding out that my father had gone ahead to somehow spread the news of a ball where I was to find my mate just the morning after I had told him to give me time to think, to try to persuade him all week to call it off while training to stupor with my men.
Knowing my father and how strong–willed he was, trying to persuade him out of a decision he had already taken was just me having far–fetched hope. The real measure I was taking against what I feared would happen if my mate was actually revealed was all the time I spent in the training rooms, training both in man and wolf form and working my men just as hard.
I checked and cross–checked security every day and every night, I joined in patrolling the borders myself.
I also took one day to walk around the pack like my father had suggested. That had been the only calm day all week. It felt like a vacation compared to the other days, really. It had been refreshing and wholesome. Seeing the people going about and doing their own thing, really stirred up my Alpha nature to lead and protect.
The dreaded day had come and I still did not know exactly how I was going to go about things. While I was positive that should rogues so much as even place one foot on our land, my men were going to rip their jaws apart in seconds. I had been worried that the person might not be a rogue
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or at least was using scent disguising or blocking potions.
My dad had decided that a ball for just ladies and no men would be absurd and so he decided to invite all unmated men as well with the side thought that they could also find their mates among the ladies. I wondered if an enemy would disguise as one of these men.
And then while I would have preferred to just sit out the entire dance and watch people find their soulmate, my dad insisted I dance with every girl in the room because my mate was definitely in here among the huge number of ladies. I was still arguing with my father when I felt her
presence.
She walked in on her father’s arm before he left and she came in on her own. She looked absolutely stunning and I had stared for a good minute until my dad started to look around me to see who it was I was looking at. I had to look another way to divert my old man’s line of sight and hoped that he did not already see who it was I had actually been looking at.
Isabella looked incredible. From the style of her hair packed up with curly wisps escaping and framing her face and her makeup which was minimal with maximal effect to her beautiful gown which somehow seemed very befitting. I could envision her arm around mine as we walked through the crowd of people letting people know that the only woman who looked everything like a Luna was indeed my Luna. And how on earth did we manage to wear matching colors? I mean, I know mine was a bit darker but still.
I had to eventually eliminate all thoughts of her because I was certain that something was going to happen today and keeping her on my mind would only distract me from keeping her safe. I was linking border trackers as well as packhouse security every couple of minutes for updates while the music came on and I eventually had to dance.
I danced from one random girl to another, already knowing none of them would be my mate while disappointment washed over their faces when they realized it themselves.
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While I wanted nothing more than to dance with Isabella for the first time. To spin her around the dance floor, right in the middle, I had a nagging feeling that danger was lurking closer than ever and I feared that if I went to Isabella right now it would be impossible to hide the fact that
we were mates.
Something told me that it would be impossible not to notice how I’d interact with her which would be a stark difference to the way I barely looked at any of the other women.
I didn’t see Isabella on the dance floor until I did…on Blake’s arm. I had to give myself a mini pep talk on jealousy and how it grossly affected my behavior and made me make terrible decisions. This was the first person Isabella was dancing with all night while I’ve danced with at least twenty young women albeit for very brief periods each.
But could she have been saving her only dance for Blake? I shook my head. It was me she had been looking at ever since she got in here today. Only me. I wished I could explain things to her but I really couldn’t risk it. So I diverted my eyes from her and Blake, my jaw ticking for just how stressful and annoying this day was starting to be.
“Alexander!” My father hissed inside my head and I turned to him, “Have you not found her? She has to be here and if she isn’t you’ll have to go ahead and pick a replacement because today’s ball would end with the Alpha announcing who the Luna is.”
My mood darkened even further at my father’s words and at that same time, I saw Isabella laugh as Blake twirled her around before dipping her low. I wished the enemy would just reveal himself now and prevent me from having to name anyone as my mate.
I knew my father knew just as much as me about the potential danger lurking out there but he was counting on the fact that should anyone strike, we would readily protect my mate and kill whoever attempted to hurt her so that way, the initial threat was eliminated once and for all. It was a reasonable idea considering that I couldn’t hide my mate forever but
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I kept thinking, “What if…?‘ What if I wasn’t fast enough. What if the person on the mission did not fear death or punishment, having the sole aim of wreaking havoc without a care of the consequences?
The party went on and just when I had finally danced briefly with all the ladies in the room, I was called upon to the front to announce the identity of my mate to all the ladies who already knew it wasn’t them but who were curious as to who it could be as well as other people in attendance.
I walked slowly, wondering if I should just position security all around Isabella so I could just say it was her and get this day over with. But then I thought about how my parents would not want any delay with making her the Luna immediately after it was announced.
In fact, nobody would expect anything different but Isabella and I, we have so many things to talk about, so many things to settle before we could take that step and I feared that taking that step before we did the needful would just cause a permanent rift between us where we’d have to pretend to act civil to one another in front of people until eventually, our entire relationship becomes a game of pretend.
I finally got to the stage while the whole place quieted down when I felt something pressing at the back of my mind. Looking up, I immediately caught sight of Isabella’s intense eyes and realized that she was trying to link me.
We need to talk.
Right now? I raised my brows.
It can’t wait a moment longer.
I sighed heavily. I’ll leave first. Follow my scent.
She didn’t say anything else but I knew she was waiting for me to do just as I said. I could very well ignore her right at this moment when all eyes were on me but apart from the seriousness in her eyes, what if this was
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the goddess’s answer to my dilemma? If I excuse myself for something urgent, I wouldn’t have to announce my mate just yet and if the enemy decided to follow us, there was no way he would be able to escape me without the help of the ballroom crowd to hide him.
So I grabbed the mic and addressed everyone, telling them to mingle, eat and drink because I had something urgent to attend to and that I would tell them my mate when I got back. That being said, I got off the stage, feeling my father’s hard gaze burning into my back.
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