Hated By The Alpha Bound To Me (Completed)

Chapter 58 - Pack Dinner

By the time Elara reached the pack hall, the evening meal was already underway.

Warm light spilled from the large windows, illuminating the bustling room beyond. The moment she stepped inside, a wave of noise washed over her.

Conversations overlapped from every direction.

Laughter echoed across the hall.

Plates clinked against wooden tables while the rich scent of roasted meat, fresh bread, and herbs filled the room.

Elara paused in the doorway, her gaze sweeping across the crowded hall.

Warriors occupied nearly every table. Some argued loudly over patrol routes while others exchanged stories from their day. A group near the back burst into laughter loud enough to draw several annoyed glances from neighboring tables.

The scene tugged unexpectedly at her chest.

For so long, she had focused on the differences between Valemere and Draegon.

Standing there now, she noticed the similarities.

The noise.

The laughter.

The easy camaraderie that existed between wolves who had spent years fighting beside one another.

Valemere had been much the same.

Pack members had always remained behind after meals to exchange stories, argue over pointless things, and laugh louder than necessary. Looking around the hall, Elara could almost picture familiar faces occupying the seats instead.

The realization left her oddly unsettled.

Because it was becoming harder to view Draegon as the enemy when they looked so much like home.

Her gaze drifted toward the raised platform at the front of the room.

The leadership table was already occupied.

Thorne sat at the center.

Even seated, he somehow commanded attention without trying. The conversations nearest to him remained respectful while wolves passing by instinctively gave him space.

The sight of him immediately brought back the memory of him kneeling in front of her only hours earlier.

Heat crept into her cheeks.

Annoyed with herself, Elara quickly looked away.

An empty chair sat to his right.

Her chair.

The realization sent a strange flutter through her stomach.

To one side of the table sat Kaia.

The Beta looked exactly as she always did, her posture perfectly straight while listening to something Rowan was saying.

Across from them sat Seren.

The Omega appeared relaxed, though Elara knew better than to mistake that calm expression for inattention. Seren probably knew everything happening in the room without appearing to watch any of it.

Rafe occupied the seat beside her.

Unlike everyone else, the Delta looked entirely incapable of sitting still.

He was halfway through a story judging by the dramatic way he waved his hands around, while Rowan looked moments away from correcting whatever exaggeration was currently leaving his mouth.

The sight alone was enough to make Elara curious.

As though sensing her presence, Seren glanced toward the entrance.

Their eyes met.

A small smile appeared on the Omega's face.

Unfortunately, that seemed to alert everyone else.

Rafe immediately looked over.

A grin spread across his face.

The expression alone made Elara suspicious.

Very suspicious.

She had known him long enough to recognize trouble when she saw it.

Judging by the way Rowan sighed and Kaia pinched the bridge of her nose, they recognized it too.

Elara made her way toward the leadership table, weaving between wolves carrying plates and pitchers of drinks.

The closer she got, the more suspicious she became of the grin spreading across Rafe's face.

There was something far too deliberate about it.

His expression reminded her of a wolf stalking prey after spotting an opportunity.

That alone made her nervous.

The warmth of the hall wrapped around her as she approached the table. The scent of roasted meat, fresh bread, herbs, and spices drifted through the air while conversations rose and fell around her. Laughter erupted from a nearby table before quickly being drowned out by an argument over patrol assignments.

Seren offered her a small smile as she approached, her fingers wrapped around a steaming mug. Rowan acknowledged her with a nod before returning his attention to the conversation beside him. Kaia glanced up briefly, her sharp gaze assessing Elara for a second before moving away again.

Rafe, however, continued staring at her.

His grin hadn't faded.

If anything, it had grown.

Elara narrowed her eyes.

"What?"

"Nothing."

The answer arrived so quickly that it immediately put her on guard.

"Rafe."

His grin only widened.

"I haven't said anything."

"You haven't had the chance."

A look of mock offense crossed his face.

"See? This is the problem. Nobody ever gives me the benefit of the doubt."

"Because you don't deserve it," Kaia replied without missing a beat.

A few nearby wolves laughed.

Rafe placed a hand dramatically over his chest.

"You wound me."

Kaia didn't even look up from her plate.

"Unfortunately not."

The exchange earned another round of laughter from the surrounding tables.

Despite herself, Elara felt a smile tugging at her lips.

When she finally reached her chair, she reached for the backrest, intending to pull it out herself.

The chair moved before she touched it.

Elara froze.

The scrape of wood against the floor seemed strangely loud beneath the surrounding noise.

Thorne had already risen to his feet and pulled the chair away from the table.

For a brief second, silence settled over their group.

Even Thorne appeared surprised by his own actions.

A faint crease appeared between his brows before he gestured toward the chair.

"Sit."

Heat immediately climbed into Elara's cheeks.

She wasn't entirely sure why the simple gesture affected her so much.

Perhaps because everyone had seen it.

Perhaps because she couldn't stop thinking about him kneeling in front of her earlier.

Or perhaps because Rafe looked moments away from choking on his own amusement.

Trying her best to ignore all of them, Elara sat down.

The chair slid smoothly beneath her.

The moment she settled into her seat, Rafe lowered his head and rubbed a hand across his face.

A muffled sound escaped him.

It took Elara a second to realize he was trying not to laugh.

Kaia set down her fork.

"What are you doing?"

Rafe lifted his head.

"Nothing."

The Beta stared at him.

"That answer has never once been reassuring."

Rafe looked genuinely offended.

"I am deeply hurt by the lack of trust around this table."

"You shouldn't be," Rowan replied calmly. "You've spent years creating that reputation."

The response earned a snort from Seren.

Rafe pointed toward Rowan.

"See? This is exactly what I'm talking about."

The Gamma took a sip of his drink.

"You should probably stop while you're ahead."

"I haven't even started."

"That is precisely what concerns me."

Across the table, Seren calmly lifted her mug.

"I give him three minutes."

Rafe turned toward her.

"Three minutes?"

The Omega nodded.

"That was generous."

A smile touched her lips before she took another sip.

The look of betrayal on Rafe's face only made Rowan shake his head.

Around them, conversations continued flowing through the hall while servers moved between tables carrying fresh platters of food. The atmosphere remained lively, comfortable, and familiar.

Elara found herself relaxing into it.

Unfortunately, that feeling lasted less than ten seconds.

Rafe leaned back in his chair and looked directly at her.

The grin returned.

Every instinct immediately warned her that trouble was coming.

Judging by the way Kaia closed her eyes and Rowan sighed, they knew it too.

Rafe rested his elbows on the table and looked directly at Elara.

"So." His grin widened. "I have a question."

"No."

"You don't even know what it is."

"I know enough."

Laughter rippled around the table.

Rafe ignored it.

"Do you remember earlier today when I performed a selfless act of sacrifice and removed myself from a conversation?"

Elara immediately narrowed her eyes.

Across from her, Rowan released a long sigh.

"Leave it alone."

"I tried."

"You did not."

Rafe gave him a pointed look and then waved him off before turning back to Elara.

"As I was saying, I was standing there minding my own business."

"You were bothering me."

"I was enriching your day."

Rafe looked wounded.

Then he recovered instantly.

"Either way, our Alpha starts walking toward us."

A few smiles appeared around the table.

Even Kaia looked like she knew where this was going.

"I take one look at him," Rafe continued, "and suddenly my survival instincts kick in."

"I knew that look."

"What look?" she asked.

"The one that said I had exactly three seconds to disappear before becoming an inconvenience."

Beside her, Thorne remained focused on his meal.

Rafe pointed across the table.

"See? He's not even denying it."

"There is nothing to deny," Thorne replied.

Rafe's grin widened.

Kaia pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Why do we allow him to speak?"

"Because I'm entertaining."

"No," Rowan replied. "You are exhausting."

The table laughed again.

As the conversation continued around her, Elara found herself smiling.

The longer she spent in Draegon, the more it reminded her of Valemere.

The similarities were impossible to ignore.

And the more she saw them, the more determined she became to uncover the truth behind the hatred between the two packs.