The Hidden Luna's Two Alpha Princes

Chapter Five.

It was only a ten minute drive from Artemis's house to the Alpha's home where the ceremony was being held. Being an Omega, I've only been here a handful of times for important pack events such as this one.

The monstrously large house seemed to be looming before us as we pulled closer in. We had to wait in a line of cars to get to the entrance, but with every slow inch we went forward, the more my anxiety would claw at my insides.

Too soon, we were at the entrance. I stopped and examined the building. It was a three-story stone house with upgraded Victorian-style windows and a dark metal roof that came to a sharp point in the sky.

The outside was lit with modern torches and hanging tea lights that gave off a soft glow and ivy clung to the walls in elegant bunches. Two guardian wolves nodded to us as they opened the large, mahogany doors to permit us to enter.

The first level consisted of a large dance hall with intricate spiraling stairs to the left that led to the rest of the house. I'd never been on the higher floors, as I was not ranked highly enough in the pack.

The floor of the dance hall was checkered black and white, while the tables, chairs, and decorations seemed to take on a golden theme. There were vases of blood-red roses on every table, along with garlands made of the same flowers littering the walls. Twinkling golden string lights cascaded from the ceiling.

Farther toward the back of the room was a stage that had been set up with a lone mic stand occupying it. A long black curtain was used for the backdrop. There were also the same golden string lights around the base of the stage. I assumed this was where the acceptances and speeches would be happening tonight.

With that thought, my palms became sweaty and my heart began to race. I had to make some sort of speech tonight since I was top of the class, but I was seriously nervous and underprepared. Everyone in the pack looked down on me, and I really didn't want to have to face their disapproving stares. Artemis sensed my tension and squeezed my hand.

"Don't worry about it, just party a little, dance a little, and when the time comes, you'll kick ass on that stage. I know it. You deserve this. You've worked too hard to shut down now," she whispered gently in my ear.

I took a breath and straightened my shoulders. "You're right, I may not be much right now, but after tonight that's all going to change. Thank you, for keeping me grounded," I replied to her.

She smiled and led me over to the table where her parents were seated. To my surprise, Aunt Maddie was there as well.

"You made it!" I exclaimed. She hadn't been feeling well recently, and I was worried she might not be able to attend tonight.

"Of course I did, I'm not missing my baby girl's big night," she said while beaming at me with tears in her eyes. "You look so beautiful. Just like your mamma."

Tears pooled in my eyes as well as I leaned down and embraced her. "I love you Aunt Maddie, I wouldn't be here without you," I whispered in her ear.

"Hush now, you could do anything you set your mind to and more. You just have to believe it, too." I smiled at her again and took my seat as the Beta of our pack, Alexander, ascended to the stage. He stepped up to the mic and cleared his throat.

"Good evening fellow pack members. Tonight, we are here in celebration of another generation of fierce warriors who have been working diligently to prepare themselves for the battles of the real world. With that being said, I'd like to invite you all to partake in a meal before our acceptances. We will reconvene in an hour."

He held up the crystal wine glass in his hand as a dismissal, and suddenly people were shuffling out of a set of doors in the back carrying plates loaded with food. The Alpha- or should I say King- and his family were served first. I averted my eyes as a small pinch of pain radiated through me.

Next, the Beta's family was served, and then the Gamma's. It went down the line of ranking and important families, until it finally came to us.

We were served a delicious looking pot roast, with garlic mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables. We were also brought glasses of red or white wine for the werewolves who were old enough, and plain water for the pups in attendance.

After the Alpha had taken his first bite, I did not hesitate to dig in. It was customary to wait for him, but after that it didn't matter and I was definitely going to take advantage of that. I was starving. As I was whole heartedly enjoying the savory meat on my tongue, Artemis elbowed me in the side. I looked over and raised an eyebrow at her.

"The King keeps looking in this direction. Does this have anything to do with tonight?" She mind-linked me.

I glanced over, and sure enough, the King was watching me closely with a twinge of disgust in his cruel stare.

"I'm not sure," I mind-linked back. "He's never paid any attention to me before, nor has he ever asked to speak to me, but I doubt him glaring at me over dinner is a coincidence."

I spared one last glance back at his table and shuddered as I found his eyes directly on mine. I quickly lowered my gaze so he wouldn't see it as a challenge and turned back to my meal. A short time later, Beta Alexander took the stage once again, clinking his fork against his glass to gain everyone's attention.

"I hope you all enjoyed your meals, courtesy of the house staff," he began. Many members muttered their approval.

"Now that the meal has come to an end, its time for the acceptances. Our students this year have been working extremely hard, and we've had more failures than usual due to the new testing and training tactics we have implemented. However, a select few were able to overcome these challenges and really excel, gaining the right to be given the title of warrior before the whole pack tonight. One student among all has truly proven her worth and excellence in all forms of combat. Not only that, she has shown resilience and determination through the years and grown farther than we've ever seen," he paused and took look down at the paper in his hand, and upon seeing the name, his face contorted in confusion. "Please, give a warm welcome to our top student of the year, Indigo Murray."

The crowd fell silent aside from a few shocked intakes of breath. I straightened my shoulders and rose from my seat. As I began making my way toward the stage, I could hear people whispering about me.

"How did she of all wolves make top student?" one said.

"Something must be wrong, she must have changed the card so it said her name," another replied.

"She's so tiny, it doesn't make any sense."

I sighed, but continued walking with a blank look on my face. I took the stage and Beta Alexander moved away from the mic to give me room to speak.

"Thank you, Beta Alexander, for that wonderful introduction. Thank you as well, to the master trainers who gave me the honor of top student. I know not all members of this pack may agree with the decision, but I can assure you all that it is not a title I take lightly. I pledge my life and blood to protect this pack, and will do whatever it takes to make sure we remain in harmony and peace, and to fight for all at times where we may not. Again, thank you for the honor and I hope you can all see this as a promise to keep you safe," I said with more confidence than I felt.

It was silent for a beat, before Artemis began clapping, her family and Aunt Maddie following just behind her. Reluctantly, the rest of the pack clapped as I exited the stage as well. I dared a glance to my father, who was regarding me coolly. I quickly looked away and took my seat.

The rest of the announcements went by quickly, and soon we were all gathered again on stage and being presented with medals that signified our status of official pack warriors.

We all received small golden pins with a crescent moon enveloped in a circle and a long intricate sword in front to signify protection. However, mine differed a tiny bit, as there was another circle of silver wrapped around the gold one to prove my abilities.

I looked down and the small pin in my hand and grinned. It would take a lot to gain trust and respect from the pack, but in this moment I couldn't be more proud of myself and what I had accomplished.