The Alluring Alpha

Resentful attendance

Over at the Hilton, Javier couldn’t believe his family were making him do this. He did not like socialising, and that’s all the Fall Ball was; an opportunity to socialise with other packs, hoping to find your mate, or at least someone to have some fun with. Sure, there was also the hearings in the days that followed, but Dark Moon had never needed to attend before now. Javier, whilst not opposed to a bit of fun, was not a social person. However, when his mother Isabella made a passing comment about how sad it was that he was the only family member not going to this year's ball, he knew his fate was sealed. His Dad, Carlos, Dark Moon’s retiring Alpha, agreed with his mate, suggesting that it would be nice to have the whole family present, spouting nonsense about being a ‘united front’ for the ‘changing of the guard’. So, of course, his brother CJ, the incoming Alpha, demanded he be there to show his support as he ‘takes up the mantle’. Javier sighed. To be honest, there was no need for him to even go. It wasn’t like he was a ranked member of his pack, Dark Moon. His brother was about to become Alpha, and his mate, Guillermina, their Luna. His brother Mateo was Gamma, and CJ had chosen his best friend, Ben, as his Beta. Leaving him, the second son of the Alpha, without a place. Not that he minded. As the son of an alpha, he was strong and a great warrior. He was, at times, quite grateful that he was second-born and quite happy to be left alone to his own devices. He saw the stress that CJ was under, and he was not interested. And as much as he enjoyed training, he was just not patient enough to be lead warrior, in charge of training others, something Mateo was more than happy to do, relishing the opportunity to tell people what to do.

Now here he was, in a suit, drinking his 4th whisky, keeping to the edges of the large function hall, watching, whilst his father officially introduced CJ to all the other Alpha’s present. He hid a wry smile as he saw his younger brother Mateo, talking with some she-wolves. No doubt he had not so subtly mentioned his new position as Gamma, given the way that the 3 she-wolves were fawning over him. Javier surveyed the crowd, mentally taking note of all those present. The Fall Ball was the biggest ball on the east coast, and attendance by the Alpha and Luna’s of all the packs in the Southern Territory was essentially mandatory. Despite his lack of interest in attending these events, he still knew almost everyone, thanks to the various alliances his father had built with most of the Alphas. As he continued to scan the room, Javier’s eyes landed on a trio he did not know. Made up of 2 men and a woman they were standing close together on the other side of the room. Their faces were impossible to read, scanning the crowd, pointing and talking lowly to each other every now and again. The man in the middle looked the most at ease, sipping his drink whilst conversing, head bowed towards the other man, who appeared to be closely surveying all those present. The woman made him pause. She was something else. Even from where he was, he could see the softness of her skin. She was beautiful and poised, with her hair swept up and off to the side. She was as tall as her companions, and Javier could see by the way she held herself and she didnt take sh*t from anyone. As his eyes raked over her, he took in her well toned legs and arms. The green dress she wore hugged her in all the right places, and he felt his member twitch in appreciation.

His felt drawn to her, and Javier found himself unable to look away. He shook his head. She had mated to be one of the men, probably the man in the middle, the way that she leaned into and smiling fondly at him. His wolf Kade, was on edge. “I can sense something…” he started. “What is it?’ Javier questioned him. He and his wolf didnt always see eye to eye, with Kade hurt that Javier hadn’t waited for their fated mate. Javier trusted his wolf, despite their difference of opinion. “I’m not sure. I can feel something pulling at me, but I cant pinpoint it, its more like a faint presence” Kade surged forward, sniffing the air. Javier allowed him to do this; it was well known within his pack that his senses were unparalleled. “Can you smell anything?” Javier asked him. Kade retreated to the back of his mind without giving him an answer, leaving Javier to watch the trio alone, confused by his wolf’s behaviour. He watched as Elder Roy approached the trio, and his interest was further piqued. Javier made a mental note to ask CJ about them tomorrow; he was sure that his brother would make it his business to meet everyone present tonight, and he was intrigued, despite himself.

Grabbing the bartender's attention, Javier ordered another drink. The party was in full swing, and he used his drink as an excuse to decline requests for dances from the more forward she-wolves. The trick was to always have a drink in his hand. Catching his brother’s eye again, he saw CJ shake his head at him as he downed another drink. Javier raised an eyebrow in response, knowing that CJ wouldn’t dare say anything, at least not tonight. CJ jerked his head towards the doors with a pointed look. Javier sighed and, taking the hint, walked outside with his drink. The fresh air was a welcome change from the stuffy, upbeat atmosphere of the ball, though it did nothing to sober him up. If anything, the cool night air only made him more aware of how dulled his senses were. He leant up against one of the pillars, thinking about the woman in green from earlier. For whatever reason, she was plaguing his thoughts. He wondered what it would take to get her to smile at him like she did to the men she was with. Javier caught himself, realising with a start that he was jealous. He didnt understand why, though, he admitted, any man with eyes could see how beautiful she was, and would likely kill to be with her. He shook his head, trying to clear the errant thoughts away. He turned, and walked back towards the doors, walking right into the woman in question!