It's for the Moon Godnes to know

Chapter 18

Pete's POV

After moving to a better hotel and making my stay known in the capital, I began to receive invitations to afternoon tea and dinners from the better families of the city. Most were human nobles, who once followed custom and invited the new suitable bachelor to visit so that he could meet their daughters at a mature age. I was not interested in these daughters or their families, but to maintain my facade as quite an ordinary human being, I went to these social events. I was kind and behaved decently, but never engaged in conversation with the young girls. I stuck to the older puplikum. I quickly gained a reputation for being picky and snobbish, but it suited me just fine, that way it would be easier to keep these people at bay.

Among the few wolf packs that were in town, I quickly became a regular guest of an old soldiers comrade of my father. Both of his daughters were already mated to appropriately coming alphas, so I did not feel any pressure when I visited the pack.

Just over a week after I had been to tea at Luna Melbury's, an invitation to a ball arrived at their place. It would be the first ball of the season, held on the occasion of Lady Elisabeth's engagement. I had been promised that most of the lone, suitable female wolves in the region would attend, so I would have an opportunity to meet someone I could mate with.

I was standing in my hotel room and fighting with my tie as there was knocked on the door. I threw the tie away and opened it. Before I knew what was hitting me, I was pushed backwards and down to the floor, and before I could defend myself, I heard a familiar laugh. On top of me lay my partner in crime, my best friend and future brother-in-law. Maxwell got up, pulled me up and into a warm embrace. When we parted he looked up and down at me.

"Where are you going in that outfit?" He asked, throwing himself lazily on my bed.

"I'm invited to the ball at Lord and Lady Melbury's I’ll have you know. On the occasion of their daughters' engagement!" Max stared at me in disbelief.

"Say it's not you who's bitten on that hook?" I looked at him offended.

"What's wrong with Elisabeth?" He shook his head resignedly and threw himself backwards while reaching for his head.

"That girl is not a wolf!" I was just going to contradict him, but he kept going. "You know, she probably never switched to her wolf, only once when she got it!" I shrugged.

"She lives in the big city, it's not something you just do here!" Maxwell laughed scornfully.

"That girl is for dresses, hats and stick food!" I myself had the same opinion, but found it odd that Max had such an acquaintance with her, he was after all engaged to my sister. Maxwell got up from my bed and took my tie with him. While tying it for me, however, he explained himself.

"Lady Elisabeth has been impossible to marry off! Her parents have been looking for Alpha sons all over the country, but her disgust for her own lineage has made her unwanted in pretty much every packs outside the city." I nodded and straightened my hair, which Maxwell had ruined when he knocked me over. I shrugged, "I do not know what poor thing they have got to marry her, but I can reassure you that it is not me!" Maxwell gave me an appreciative pat on the shoulder and then sat down in an armchair by the window. I looked in the mirror one last time, and then sat down in the other armchair.

"Tell me then, what are you doing here in the city?" Maxwell shrugged,

"Three days' leave... the human soldiers go on a trip here when it's, and like a noble bachelor, albeit engaged, most people expect me to follow suit and enjoy myself when I have free time ..." I nodded,

"Do you want to come? I can use a pillow between me and all the lone female wolves they have promised will come tonight!" Maxwell laughed and nodded. "I'll go with you, but if anyone tries to persuade me to break my engagement for her own sake, I'll throw you to the wolves!" I laughed, "It's my sister you're talking about, you're not allowed to run from that engagement!" I knew she had given up her fated mate for him, he would not be allowed to fail her!

I sent a message from the hotel to the Melbury House, that I would take my sister's fiancé, who was on leave, with me. As we were on our way out to the wagon that was to drive us to the pack house, the boy came back and I caught him before he ran into the hotel.

"Do you have an answer for me kid?" I grabbed him by the arm and he stopped and exhaled hard. "Yes!" he groaned, gasping for breath. "They say your friend is welcome, too, to attend the dinner!" I nodded contentedly and stuck the boy a few coins. He looked down in surprise at his hand, then he happily looked up at me. "You call me the next time you have a message! Ask for Stone, it's me!" I nodded smiling at him before getting into the carriage. We drove in silence to dinner and the hungry female wolves waiting for me in Melbury's house!