Too Beautiful for the Alpha

Many strangers greet us as we make our way inside. Though I am familiar with the building from the gathering, it looks completely transformed. Sure, it was dressed up before, but everything is switched around now. There are fewer tables and instead more room for standing and chatting or whatever leaders do. As my eyes scan the area, I see most people standing with a drink, in groups of two to five people. And unlike the gathering, there are guards at the doors outside and inside. Coincidentally, I spot Theodore with one other guard towards the back, and I immediately make plans in my head to see him.

James places his hand lightly on my back, reeling me back to the current situation. Knowing that we'll have to welcome everyone, his movements towards the grouped people don't surprise me. I take a quick breath before we reach the first one, a set of three.

"Can we interrupt?" James says to the woman and two men, in a friendly way. His free hand gently touches the woman's shoulder as he speaks, causing her to swiftly spin around.

"Alpha Grant," she cheers, the other two facing us as well. "I was wondering when you'd get here. You always keep me waiting," she scolds in a motherly way. "You know I've been dying to meet her."

She turns to me as she says it, and I smile. Oddly enough, the woman gives me a loose hug and I glance up at James. "Rae, this is Renee. She was good friends with my mother," he explains, and I make sure to smile even more when she pulls away. "She is Alpha Alder's Luna."

The man standing next to her moves closer and reaches his hand out, so I shake it and assume he is Alpha Alder. It is difficult to tell who is an Alpha when in a crowd stuffed with them. "It's nice to meet you."

"We won't be Alpha and Luna for much longer, I'm afraid. Our son is taking over any day now, all he has to do is let him," she nudges her mate.

Alpha Alder says, "He's getting there."

"Anyway, when I saw that you were having an announcement party I nearly fainted. I've been waiting for this day, your mother and I both. Oh, she'd be so happy, James. And you," she switches back to me, "you even look a bit like her, so beautiful. Which pack did you come from, dear?"

"The Waters Pack," I say, thankful that's she's asking easy questions.

"And where did you two meet?"

"A gathering at the Waters Pack," James takes over. "I went to meet with Alpha Waters while a few pack members attended the event. We ran into each other."

She looks to me again, the sweet expression sticking to her face and never peeling off. "And he's good to you?"

"Yes, He is."

His hand returns to my back and my heart finally settles. "I hate to leave you, but we have to make our way around, greet everyone, you know."

"Of course, of course," she shoos us off, "it was lovely meeting you, Rae."

"It was nice to meet you too," I say back, my voice light and airy.

We make our way around the room, and I introduce myself to Alphas, Luna's, and Betas, and I wonder how James has so many allies. Maybe it is not so complicated, maybe it is simply because he is a good, smart Alpha who knows what he's doing. I haven't gotten the chance to see him in a action many times, so hopefully after this, when my announcement is official, and when I'll be helping around the pack, I'll get to.

being introduced to a new side of him. They are quick to applaud him for fixing the rogue situation, and I wonder if I should have myself. I didn't know it was such a big deal. Maybe that's just another sign of my lack of experience. It's another push for me to get involved with the pack and

I am not the most charismatic person. Most of the women I meet come off as confident and powerful, but none of them are rude. None of them point out my lack of Alpha Blood unlike I expect. It is hard to keep up with them, though. It's clear that these women are

pats James on the shoulder. "Quite

I notice her pregnant stomach right away. She warms up to him,

again, Lance," James says back and after going through the normal round of introductions—finding out that the girl is his Luna—James and Alpha York immerse themselves

James' as my eyes roam over her large belly again. "Hi," she says surprisingly and straight-to-the-point even though

seem to separate from our mates, creating our own conversation while they ramble on

tonight so far, hers seems the most genuine. "I see you glancing at my belly," she says, relaxed. "I'm pregnant—just in case you thought it was

know. I'm sorry

mind. A lot of the woman in here stare at it and nudge their mates. The men, not so mesmerized, but the woman are constantly asking to feel. So, are you wanting

short laugh escapes me. "No, no I'm just intrigued, I guess. I mean, I'm mostly just glad to see someone around my age who's also in my

not a lot of young ones right now. Honestly, it's pretty nice talking to someone who doesn't scold their mate for not giving them a baby yet after talking to me. So, you're not Alpha Blood? That's what I've

no one noticed,

to Alpha Grant?" She asks, not really asking, though.

it can't be her age, it must be her personality. Something about

he

to ask. The chance of

as a flash in the crowd. I carefully look from person to person, not seeing him anymore. A feeling rises inside of me,

find his immediately. "Is your father

hasn't been

again. "I thought I saw

"Are you sure?"

him

looks over the people himself then says, "Excuse us," to Ava and Alpha York before grabbing my

ask in a hushed tone,

but I'm going to talk with a

him to follow us. We go into the back corner of the room

a few guards outside to scan the area. Rae believes she saw my father

nod and head off. My eyes follow him as he joins the

peer up at

it's not long before James gets sucked into another serious conversation. I try to join and pay attention, but all I want is to find Ava again. Eventually, I give in and tell James that I'll be with her if he needs

hello. It's not until fifteen minutes of brief conversation end that I find Ava sitting down at one of the few tables. She