Chapter 008

RAFE

"Alpha Rafe," she said, her voice soft but confident. "I'm Elara, daughter of Alpha George of the Dark Moon Pack." She introduced herself, offering me a handshake.

I stood, taking her handshake, and offered a polite nod. "Elara, welcome. Please, have a seat."

She took the chair opposite me, her eyes never leaving mine. There was a moment of silence, each of us assessing the other. I had met her father once or twice at some meetings in the past. The man wasn't one to talk.

Her father seemed overly confident in his pack and the wealth they had been able to acquire over the years, that he saw us beneath him. He didn't need to say it, but I could see it in his eyes. And now looking at Elara, I could also see that prideful spirit.

"I would be lying if I said I wasn't pleased when your grandmother called to inform me of our meeting. I was surprised, no doubt, but pleased by it," she said, as the smile on her face widened with each word.

"My grandmother seems to think I need a wife," I