Chapter 04

Bright blinding lanterns blinked with excitement, lighting up their path to the Agora that was transformed into a makeshift stage. Shades of majestic blue veils hung down from the tall trees, draping on branches, intertwined with a contrasting shade with sequins and gems that reflected light off the festive lanterns. The Hendersons had clearly spent a fortune on their eldest child's coronation. The blue theme of the event signified to the oncoming guests the pride the members of the Blue Crescent Pack took in their patriotic shade of blue.

"Don't you think this is a bit dramatic?"

Mikkel looked over at his best friend, who looked slightly excited. The two of them were in fact excited to be out there that night. Mikkel rarely stepped out of the house unless it was for the monthly pack runs or to accompany Marileona to the groceries. Meghaal never attended any social events, being busy with university and her part-time job and her personal time for studying had her schedule fully packed, and socializing was never one of her priorities.

"I love Uncle Hesiod and Aunt Kirana, but yep, this is definitely far-fetched. Like, does that pompous ass even deserve this? Why not spend all of this money on aiding some of the families that actually need financial assistance?"

Meghaal respected her Godparents as much as Mikkel did. However, she was never shy when it came to ranting about how much they spoiled their two children.

They had invited close to five hundred guests. A representative from each supernatural group across Asia and the EU and a few from the US. Not a single one of them would miss out on sending a representative to an event such as a coronation. It gave each pack or coven the opportunity to scope out the strength of the leader and make connections.

This was an occasion where 'dress to impress' is an unvoiced, unbreakable rule, unspoken as it was, everyone knew it could never be overlooked.

Mikkel had worn a light beige shirt along with a matching pair of dark brown pants to go with it. His deep brown hair was clipped back by Meghaal. He had found the courage to ask Meghaal to do his hair and make-up. The girl was ecstatic at the fact of him wanting to 'express himself by exposing himself to the greatness of the world' and, true to her word, she did a great job. The makeup she used was not heavy enough to stand out but not light enough to go undetected.

Meghaal was dressed in a black off-shoulder dress that was long enough that it almost touched her heels. The top of the dress had an extension that wrapped around her neck like a turtle neck.

"Do I look okay?"

Mikkel asked nervously.

"You look beautiful, the beige really suits you. Trust me. And the eyeliner! You slay."

Mikkel chuckled at that.

"What about me.. do I look okay?"

It was her time to be nervous. Meghaal loved dressing up but she always thought her plain looks and chubby face would make whatever she wore too awkward to pull off.

"You look beautiful, the black suits you trust me. And the eye liner! You slay."

Mikkel mimicked her with equal enthusiasm to be shoved on the shoulder by a pouting Meghaal, which made him chuckle.

"Don't worry Meh you look cute. Honest."

A small smile painted across her face. Meghaal had never been confident in her body image. She was too fat to be thin and thin to be thick and she was really fine with her size, yet it was her chubby face that haunted her self-confidence. Mikkel always thought she looked cute, and her personality just made that evident cuteness even more lovable.

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Mikkel and Meghaal were seated at the far corner of the garden at table number 131. The very last. No one wanted to be within proximity and so they had the table for themselves. And they were fine. The further they were the more the peaceful it was.

The food during the monthly runs had been good, but the food today felt as if there was some sort of secret food exhibition taking along with the coronation. The variety of cuisines were abundant that it truly overwhelmed Meghaal.

"Why's the asshat running late I wonder"

She asked Mikkel as she stuffed her mouth with sushi.

"Maybe the nerves actually got to him?"

"Him? pfft no way. He acts like the ground he walks on turns into gold. And sadly, so does everyone else."

Mikkel stuffed his face with a mixture of blueberry and strawberry cheesecake and replied with his mouth full.

"You really do hate him don't you?"

"I don't hate him. But I guess I just hate how people adore him for his looks. Oh and ya he treats me like trash. Like he looks at me as if I were gum stuck to his shoe. Heh, I could ruin his image with all the baby pictures I've got of him."

She frowned in annoyance.

"At least he doesn't hate you."

Mikkel pouted.

"Oh don't worry, pretty sure he does. And God knows why."

Meghaal dipped a roll of sashimi in the soy sauce gracefully.

"Okay let's just say he hates both of us."

Suddenly a hoard of voices started erupting from the entrance to the garden, signifying the entrance of the star of the night.

"Speak of Satan himself."

Meghaal muttered boredly.

Blue smoke washed away the transparent air at the entrance as a blue-cloaked Hades Henderson stepped through the large doubled mahogany doors. Below his majestic blue coat appeared to be a dark blue tunic. His right hand clutched onto the ancestral sword on his hilt and on his left a vial of mysterious liquid. The darkness of the night due to the dim lights made the swirls of light blue smoke appear to be out of this world. It was beautiful. The Hendersons definitely spent a fortune and thus ended up doing justice to a far-fetched dramatization.

"Yup definitely dramatic."

Meghaal went back to looking at her phone.

Hades was handsome.

No doubt about it.

Light blonde hair, crystal blue eyes a body sculpted by Zeus himself.

"Your gay is showing Meeks"

"huh?"

Meghaal flicked him on the head, a smirk plastered on her face.

"You oogling the ass. Literally and figuratively"

"No I'm not"

He pouted.

"Yes you were"

Trumpets sounded from the far center of the garden, glimmering blue confetti blew with the wind spinning around the future Alpha, curtesy of Luna Kirana.

Coronations were often quite a spectacle, however the event today was much more than a mere coronation.

The Alpha family finally made it to the make shift stage and took a seat on the intricately carved mahogany thrones that had seated over twenty six Alphas on the day of their coronation. After the crowd settled down, Hesiod Henderson reached for the closest mic.

"Welcome! Ladies and Gentlemen. Welcome!'

He paused to scan the crowd with a beaming smile.

"It's been quite an evening already, don't you think? My mate Kirana surely got her A-game going considering the beauty of tonight."

He proudly looked over at his mate that was clinging to their son's arm, her face holding the embodiment of pride for her son.

"Let me proceed to thank all of you for attending today. It's a big day for all of us of the Blue Crescent pack. I thank all of you who have traveled miles to attend our big event. My son Hades turned twenty-three four months ago. And I decided to hand over my position to him because I felt that he was finally ready and not because of any obligation."

A few of the pack warriors who are part of Hades' immediate inner circle of friends applauded and hooted with enthusiasm for their Alpha, friend, or rather their fellow brother. Hades was a social butterfly loved by every single pack member and those outside the pack as well. Meghaal was an exception to the case, however. Just like she was the exception to the case of everyone's instinctual hatred for Mikkel's existence.

"Who are those hooded figures at the far end? These contacts are not as good as my glasses."

Meghaal questioned squinting her eyes in a hope of getting a better view. Her eye sight was extremely bad that she would have been as bad as blind if it were not for her prescription glasses.

Mikkel looked over at the said group of hooded figures seated on the VIP section of the crowd. There were six in total. Three of them were clad in long black hooded robes, with silver runes embordered to its edges, the remaining figure was mostly clad in white with gold runes embroidered, however, the bottom of the cloak flared and shaded into a black with the gold similar to their counterparts. The white-cladded individual sat their self on an important-looking chair that was reserved just for them. Meghaal couldn't quite take a glimpse at their face since they faced the opposite direction.

"You don't know who they are!?"

Meghaal shook her head now with increased curiosity.

"Never thought I'll live to see the day Meghaal Singhe would need me spitting out facts for once."

Mikkel chuckled.

"So those hoody men over there are very important people. "

"No shit sherlock. They're seated in the VIP section for a reason."

Meghaal couldn't help stating to have Mikkel role his eyes at her.

" Anyways, they're representatives from the Pan Supernatural council."

"As in the Pan Natural council? Holy crap."

"Yup the one and only. The two whitie is most probably Lady Cleopatra. Lord Cicero doesn't really make much of an appearance unless it's a really important occasion. They're the present consuls in power."

Meghaal's eyes shone with enthusiasm at his words.

"Why are they named after two great people! and pfft Hades not being an important occasion. I love these people already."

"Em.. they aren't really named that at birth. I guess they pick it out for anonymity? No one knows what their real identities are."

Mikkel continued grabbing on to his next dessert, Chocolate Fudge. Alpha Hesiod's speech was boring him out and he was glad to have the opportunity of speaking to an information-eager Meghaal.

"So what about the previous Consuls? Have they ever revealed their real identities?"

She had stopped eating to make sure she absorbed every word.

"Well, I think so? I remember my dad saying something about three consuls revealing their identities. One to save his convicted brother, another to save a kidnapped spouse, and the third I can't remember. "

"Oh, so It's sort of like a trump card. They live hidden among us as normal people and then when they feel like someone in their life is threatened, boom they turn the tables. "

Meghaal as usual caught on pretty fast.

"Yup, an interesting bunch they are. Hopefully, one of the current two ends up being the 4th to reveal their identity."