Against the Black

Chapter 17

I can’t believe he left us like that. He’s a royal tease! Kalua whined as I leaned against the door to my suite.

What was I thinking? I stormed up to him post shift and run. I was naked and sweaty. What is wrong with me? I moved away from the door and further into my room, heading for the bathroom.

I don’t know, but I liked it. Kalua purred. When he pressed against us like that… Can you go get mad at him again? For science. I turned on the shower to full steam. I needed to burn away the embarrassment with a hot shower. Any time I moved, I’d catch hints of Roman’s scent.

I had dated in college and while traveling. Though I’d been around plenty of attractive men of all varieties. Wolves, humans, vampires even. None of them affected me like being near Roman affected me. Even knowing it was the mate bond doing the heavy lifting, I couldn’t convince myself to stop thinking about him. The way he’d looked at me like he was about to devour me sent a hot surge to my core.

I jumped in the shower, determined to scrub away his scent, my embarrassment, and the lingering effects on my body. I climbed out once I felt like a fully baked lobster and got dressed for dinner. The pack usually dined together in the dining hall, and since there was no point in trying to hide my return, I decided to join my pack.

I dressed in soft black sweatpants and a stretchy black cropped t-shirt that felt like silk on my skin after my hot shower. There was nothing better than comfy clothes after a long day. And the day wasn’t even close to over. Before leaving for dinner, I called Babs, Vera, and Lenny to fill them in on what had happened. They all insisted on returning early and I told them it was too late for that and they should stay and enjoy the last night of the mating ball.

When I entered the dining hall, the pack dinner was in full swing. Everyone was talking and passing food up and down the tables. I smiled as I looked over my pack. Seeing them happy gave me a sense of pride. I scanned the crowd until I noticed two figures sitting apart from my pack, eating their food in silence.

My light mood turned sour and my stomach did a little flip at seeing Roman again after our meeting in the hall. I was trying to decide if it was rude to sit with my pack, and not the prince, when his head lifted and his gaze met mine. His gaze pulled me in from across the room. I felt like I was drowning and didn’t care if I ever breathed again. Then he looked away and went back to his meal.

That son of a b***h had just given me the cold shoulder after trying to make a point in the hall that he hadn’t been giving me the cold shoulder. He was infuriating. He was hot one second and then ice cold the next. I couldn’t get a read on him and it gave me a headache any time I tried. What was his deal?

I grabbed a plate and joined my pack at the head of the table, ignoring the men across the room. It took all of my willpower to keep from glancing over at him to see if he was even a little bothered by the fact I didn’t sit with him. But I kept my composure and focused on my pack instead. After a few minutes, I was able to relax and enjoy the conversations happening around me. Most of which were about the new arrivals we had from the Pine Claw pack.

As soon as most people had finished their meal, they moved out into the clearing behind the pack house to start a bonfire. Traditionally, we had a bonfire and dancing any time we had new arrivals as a way to welcome them and help them forget the troubles that brought them to us. The sky was fully dark, and the bonfire burned hot and bright by the time I stepped out from the dining hall.

I walked through the crowd of people and greeted each new face, welcoming them to our pack. Most families from Pine Claw had already arrived and were staying in the pack house until homes and accommodations could be found for them. I shook hands and accepted hugs from more than a dozen families. A little girl stopped me and offered me a flower she’d picked at some point. I knelt in front of her and let her tuck it behind my ear.

“Thank you! It’s beautiful.” I told her and she smiled brightly at the praise.

Just as I was about to stand, two other kids, a boy and a girl about the same age, tugged on my hand. They pulled me toward the fire where men and women were playing instruments and banging on drums. We danced next to the fire and more kids joined in. Eventually, I pulled myself away to finish making my rounds with the new pack members.

The party was in full swing. There were kids running wild through the crowd while mothers tried to wrangle them up for bed. Teens were dancing and flirting. New mates were finding dark shadows to steal away to.

One of the elders brought out the ceremonial blade, and I pledged all the new pack members. We had over thirty new pack mates in all and I swelled with pride knowing they chose my pack as their new home. I was excited to offer them a life they deserved and to share what my pack had to offer. After the pledge, I spoke to the new members.

“Thank you for being with us. I want you all to feel welcome and safe. Tonight, please dance around the fire, drink and eat with us. Then tomorrow, we’ll get you settled in the daily routine. But for now, relax in your new home and get to know your fellow pack mates.” Some of the veteran pack members howled and whooped. Then they piled in to greet the new people.

One of the teen girls came and pulled me toward the fire, where a couple of other girls stood. They lit up when they saw me.

“Alpha, we were hoping you could start the dancing circle.” The teen who had pulled me over spoke. Her eyes shone in the firelight and her cheeks blushed and she glanced over at a group of boys near the back door to the pack house. I understood then. They wanted to dance to get the boys’ attention. But being awkward teens, they didn’t want to be the ones starting the dance. I grinned wildly.

“Only if you tell me which one you’re hoping to dance with.” I nodded my chin at the group of boys they were all casting glances at. Their cheeks turned varying shades of pink. A small girl with strawberry blonde hair spoke up.

“The… the one in the red flannel.” She admitted, pointing to a good-looking blonde kid.

“Edmund Jordans.” A tall brunette girl sighed and pointed to a boy with dark brown hair and dark brown eyes.

They all named their intended target one by one. Some named the same boy as another, and there were some ooohs and aaahs. But then they’d break into giggles and no one seemed to be too upset that someone else had a crush on the same boy as them. Once they’d all fessed up, I smiled widely.

“Alright, a deal’s a deal.” I moved toward the bonfire. The music stopped as I moved into position.

“Welcome, new brothers and sisters to Obsidian Falls.” I called over the crowd and a howl rose over the trees in response. Then the drums picked up a new rhythm, and I began the dancing circle. Quickly, the group of girls funneled in, creating a ring around the bonfire.

Once the welcome dance came to an end, others began forming circles around the fire. They danced different pack dances and taught them to new pack members. The girls all thanked me and squealed excitedly before hurrying away.

I stepped away to find a drink, but stopped near the group of boys gathered by the pack house door. I leaned down and whispered to the blonde boy in the red flannel.

“There is an adorable redheaded girl that would swoon if you danced with her tonight.” as I pulled away, his eyes were round with surprise. Then he hurriedly spoke.

“Yes… Yes, Alpha.” He bowed to me. I wasn’t sure if he was more surprised that I spoke to him directly, or that I was telling him to dance with a girl.

I moved away and grabbed a beer off the refreshment table. As I cracked the can open, I felt eyes on me. I looked lazily around the bonfire, stopping on a pair of impossibly dark eyes across the clearing.