Head of House
1546 Words
Dinner was amazing. I was so nervous at first, but it was so easy to be next to Mari. We fit like two puzzle pieces and it was obvious to anyone who looked at us. My wonderful staff kept things running for as long as they could without me. I was able to enjoy listening to the Alphas argue and banter. My Alpha was patient, kind, funny, smart, and dangerously witty. Tracking all of the emotions and banter was exhausting. By the time dinner was over, I was leaning heavily on Mari who had her fingers intertwined with mine firmly. The circles she traced on my skin made me shiver.
“Mistress Aria, I’m so sorry to bother you, but you are needed in the kitchen.” Reg came to retrieve me. I sighed, not wanting to move away from Mari. I have never felt so calm in my life than I did when she was around.
“Thank you, Reg. I’ll see you later, Mari.” I reached up with my lips and kissed Mari’s cheek. I squeaked as Mari’s hand grabbed the base of my hair to hold me in place. The simple hold make my heart race and my whole body pulse with need. To my embarrassment, the smell of my arousal was obvious to the entire table. A couple of chuckles popcorned around the table from the observing Alphas.
“You aren’t going anywhere without a proper goodbye, little one.” Mari clucked at me. She then kissed me deeply. Just like before, her touch set me on fire. I needed more and I needed it immediately. I needed to get out of there before I embarrassed myself.
“Bye.” I squeaked. Mari laughed and let me go. The other alphas laughed with my alpha. I moved away quickly before they could see my very red face.
“Aria, when did you find your mate?!” Reg followed me and whispered to me urgently.
“Just a few hours ago,” I grinned. Reg smiled brightly back. I could tell he was happy for me. Most everyone here would be happy for me. I could only think of a couple people that might take it badly.
“Congratulations! And an Alpha!” He exclaimed a little too loudly as we entered the door to the kitchen. I shook my head.
“Now what did you need me for?” I asked.
“Oh! We are getting ready to transition to clean up and dessert. But, someone burnt half the cakes.” Reg glared at an omega nearby. The older woman reddened.
“I got distracted!” She defended herself. I sighed and shook my head.
“Cut the existing cake into very small pieces and start the ice cream maker.” I ordered. They all lit up in relief and started moving quickly. I saw a couple of omegas playing on their phones in the corner.
“Lisa and Kay, you better get moving. We have a lot to clear before dessert.” I shooed the younger omegas away. I popped in the smaller pack dining hall. There were some people eating, but most had already left.
“Did everything go smoothly for dinner?” I asked James.
James was a beautiful specimen of a man and he knew it. He was several years older than me, but had shown interest in me more than once. Men still made me terribly skittish and I didn’t feel the mate bond with him, so I showed no interest in him. He was kind, but he wasn’t mine.
“It was perfect. I can’t believe you guys managed to do both the Alpha dinner and the pack one. You didn’t have to. They would have been fine ordering out or making their own food.” James walked a little too close. I put out my hand. He was moving to hug me. Just the idea made my skin crawl. I wanted to be back by Mari. I wondered if I would always want her like this. If so, how would I ever get the courage to leave?
“Please don’t touch me.” I insisted. He frowned, but stepped back. He went back to cleaning.
“I’ll leave you to it.” I went to leave. I jumped as he grabbed my arm. I ripped it away from him, instantly afraid. He didn't touch me, but didn't back away.
“I’d be an amazing chosen mate. You look so beautiful today. Like you're glowing.” He whispered gently. I backed away again. My Bond with Mari must have changed my demeanor or how I was perceived by others.
“Leave me alone, James. That’s an order.” He jumped back like I had hit him. I saw anger cloud his face. This was part of why I kept him at a distance. He was sweet, but only when he got his way.
“Aria, you don’t even have a mate! You aren’t even from here. Who knows if you’ll ever find your mate!” James yelled, drawing attention. Anger and fear started rolling through me. Then, the softest touch on my back took all the anger away. I didn’t even have to turn to know that my mate was directly behind me. I melted into her. James looked at us in confusion.
“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t yell at my mate.” Mari growled low. I turned to face her quickly, finally processing that she was with me instead of talking to the other Alphas.
“Mari, you shouldn’t be here. I’m fine. Go back, please.” I pleaded. Mari stood her ground.
“No. Not until I’m sure you’re safe.”
“Of course she’s safe! I love her and you can’t take her from me!” James screamed. My mouth popped open. Where was this coming from??? I hadn’t seen anything from him that had triggered a warning. James lunged toward me. I called out through the mind-link for Kate and Chris. The other pack members in the room had already started to stand up to see if they needed to intervene. Mari spun me out of the way. When James started to lunge again, Mari left out a low menacing growl that brought the room to their knees, James included. He shook and panted as he struggled under her orders, but it was clear that he would not be able to move until my mate released him.
“She is my mate and you will NOT touch her.” Mari’s eyes were a burning gold. I patted her arm, knowing that I was dealing with her wolf now.
“What’s happening?” Chris burst into the dining hall. Mari did not hesitate.
“This man was pushing himself on my mate.” Mari growled.
“She can’t be hers! She’s not a man!” James yelled, jumping to his feet, taking advantage of my mate's distraction.
“Kneel!” Mari hissed. Immediately he fell to his knees. He was turning red, trying to ignore her direct command. Her Alpha bond was easily the strongest one I had ever seen. Chris took over.
“James, you cannot disrespect an Alpha that way. Take him to his room and lock him in, please, Joah.” Joah immediately grabbed James and dragged him away.
“An alpha?! Aria! Please!!!” He screamed. “I love you!” I ignored him and held Mari close. She kissed the top of my head.
"Shh, little one. It's okay. He can't hurt you. I have you." Mari stroked my back. I realized then that I was trembling like a leaf.
"Alpha Chris, I'd appreciate it if he were reassigned to Perimeter Guard until we leave. I don't want him anywhere near my mate." Mari suggested. Chris nodded.
"I will make it happen. Alpha Jaxon will not have an issue with that at all. He feels very strongly about fated mates. He will keep the man in line for sure."
"I am going to finalize my treaties tonight so that we can leave it the morning. So he won't need to be micro managed for long. Once we are home, she will be very safe." Mari announced. I paled.
"Mari, your alliances-"
"I have pledges from over 10 different Alphas. I promise, our pack is safe. Besides, we have one of the best Patrol Teams in the world." Mari countered. I frowned, but did not protest. I wasn't sure I was ready to leave so quickly, but I knew that it was probably for the best.
"I'm going to go get that done right now. Little one, Beta Simon here is going to stay by you until I can return. You should probably pack and put your things in my room. Simon, you guard her with your life." Mari ordered. The Beta in question appeared by my side.
"I don't need to be babysat!" I protested, but Mari was already leaving.
"She's trying to be able to focus, Luna. She can't make alliances while worrying about you." Simon told me gently.
"Oh." I breathed. Of course. She would feel just as intensely about me as I did about her. If she were in danger...I couldn't even finish the though without panic filling my chest.
"Come on, Luna. Let's get you packed. I'm sure your staff can handle dessert." Simon motioned for me to lead the way. I took a deep breath and walked forward.
- Writer
