Chapter 1: The Party
945 Words
-Ronan-
“Ronan! You came!” Colum placed a hand on my shoulder and smiled. He knew better than to try hugging me, even if we were friends. Still, nothing could dampen his mood tonight. We were celebrating, welcoming a new alpha into the world.
“I couldn’t miss a night like this,” I said.
“Really? That’s funny because we both know you don’t want to be here. The crown makes you,” Colum remarked, though there was no anger in his voice.
“Well, we both have parts to play,” I replied with a shrug.
“That we do. So come on! Meet my son!”
Colum guided me toward his mate, who was surrounded by people—some there to protect her, others eager to see the little pup in her arms, only a few months old. Cira and I knew each other well. She smiled when she saw me but wisely refrained from the overly enthusiastic greeting she gave everyone else.
“My king,” Cira greeted.
I had known Colum much longer than Cira, and while he could call me by my name, that didn’t mean she could.
“Congratulations,” I said as we stopped in front of Cira.
She smiled back gratefully, though even she knew I didn’t want to be there. Every celebration like this reminded me of the terrible day I lost my mate and my son.
“Was that really all you could say?” Colum murmured quietly to me.
I sent him a silent apology before turning back to Cira.
“If you’ll excuse me.” No one tried to stop me as I slipped away from the crowd and headed for the nearest exit to get some air.
Outside, I paused at the top of a short staircase leading down to a garden shrouded in darkness.
“Here.” I looked to my left and saw Enzo holding out a glass filled with what I hoped was scotch. I took it without a word and emptied it in one go.
Yup, that was exactly what I needed.
“Just say the word and we will leave,” Enzo offered.
“I can’t,” I replied.
“You came, you congratulated them as is required when a highborn is born, but you’re still the king,” he reminded me. “You can leave early.”
“Not when it’s Colum’s party. I promised I’d be here,” I said.
Enzo didn’t seem to think my promise to Colum mattered much, but maybe that was because he’d been there the night I lost her. I looked over my shoulder at the people inside, all of them laughing and celebrating. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d actually felt joy.
“We just need more to drink,” I said. “Maybe then we can actually enjoy ourselves.”
Enzo smiled faintly. “We’ve tried that before.”
That we had, too many times. It took a lot of alcohol to get us truly drunk, and it would take all night for us to really succeed.
“Perhaps we could try again,” I suggested, not knowing what else to do with my time. Enzo seemed to understand and nodded once before taking the glass from my hand and disappearing into the crowd.
As I waited for him to return, someone suddenly approached me. “My king.”
An older alpha stepped closer, and I immediately recognized him from the Werewolf Council. Both vampires and werewolves had their own councils to handle matters specific to their communities.
“I hope I’m not interrupting you,” he began, his tone indicating a sense of caution.
“No,” I replied, gesturing for him to continue.
“I wanted to talk to you about something,” he said, closing the distance between us.
His demeanor was unusually tense, as if he were bursting with something to share but reluctant to divulge it outright. It irked me. I preferred straightforwardness.
“About?” I prompted.
“Not here,” he insisted, casting a wary glance around.
I regarded him with confusion.
“Come to our next council meeting. It seems like they might have been keeping some secrets from you,” he revealed.
His words left me intrigued and somewhat frustrated. Secrets? What secrets?
“Only people with a death wish keep secrets from me,” I asserted, a hint of menace creeping into my tone.
There was something unsettling about him. He was too gleeful about the knowledge he possessed.
“Just come to the next meeting. I think there is something you should know,” he urged.
“Why don’t you just tell me?” I demanded, stepping closer, my patience wearing thin.
He smiled almost cruelly and shook his head. “It would be best to wait.”
“Why?” I pressed, my frustration mounting.
“Because not everyone thinks you should know yet.”
“Know what?” I growled, taking another step forward, ready to confront him, when Enzo suddenly materialized beside me.
“What is going on here?” Enzo interjected.
The man in front of me, though an alpha, appeared visibly unsettled by Enzo’s arrival, revealing his lack of true alpha power.
“Just come to the next meeting,” he said hastily, clearly sensing his disadvantage.
“I’m not invited,” I reminded him.
“You’re the king. You don’t need an invitation,” he said, before hastily making his exit.
“What was that about?” Enzo inquired, handing me my drink.
“I don’t know, but I think I will find out soon enough.”
- Writer
