Chapter 9: Behind the Curtains

       Moonlight shone to its brightest as the packhouse was continuously filled, Shadowstone’s pack members were invited for the inauguration. Women and children dressed in their best attires, with their fancy masks covering half their faces. Guarding the whole mansion, men in dark blue shirts stood methodical. Waiting for the Alpha’s signal to command, allowing them to enter the mansion. 

“Why did Alpha Brandon suddenly bring up the inauguration?”

“Did his Daughter already return?”

“I haven’t heard about that.”

“His daughter? The one who escaped Laxon a few years ago?”

“Yes, she is. So maybe she’ll ascend her Father’s position.”

          Up in the balcony, a lady was standing in her red off-shoulder dress, exposing her lower neck and arms. Keeping her gaze straight on the dark forest, with her messy bun and pinned curls, partnered with a tiny emerald necklace and green earrings. The simple black mask covers almost her entire face, revealing only her brown eyes and bloody red tint on her lips, simple make-up yet in an elegant way. 

“Hey! Looks like you’re in deep thoughts,” Sydney commented, walking toward Denise. 

            Holding up her long grey gown with her hair designed in a simple low ponytail. A white mask adorned with sparkling glitters was also covering her face, wearing her favorite shade of red lipstick. 

“Alpha Brandon told me to get your ass downstairs, the inauguration will start any minute from now.”

“Is Lachlan and Auriel already there?” Denise asked.

“I saw them a while ago, one’s chatting with the ladies and the other one was busy walking around.” 

            Denise simply nodded, turning again towards the woods. This scenery both gives back pain and happiness to her. “Luvinstri Deya, it was raining heavily that time and thunder became the greatest beat of nature. I don’t even know what would I say if I could see her again. Should I thank her for leaving us? That I reached and managed to acquire my ambitions and everything I have right now because… she abandoned us.”

“I can’t say anything about that.” Sydney stepped beside her and shifted her gaze to the same direction Denise was looking at. “Just like what I have said when you first told me about this, your Mother wouldn’t do that for no reason at all, maybe there’s something behind all of this. I mean, mates are mates, right?”

“Not for her, Limerick was her first love. I discovered it on her old letters addressed to an unknown place, she kept it under the pack’s records and data secured in the headquarters.”

“So that means… They have planned about eloping for a long time?” Sydney turned to face Denise with her fingers on her chin. Denise stayed staring at the dense forest, the place that contains the secrets of the past. Witness of yesterday that remain silent and unspoken. 

“Maybe,” she plainly answered. “If ever I could see her again, I would rather ask for explanations than to hug her.”

“But she is still your mother, and you can’t deny that,” Sydney uttered, reminding her of their maternal relationship.

          But Denise just raised her left eyebrow, grinning, “She would’ve thought of that before leaving and running away with her so-called first love,”

          Meticulous, slower-paced manner of music echoed along the walls. Sounds of the cello, the violin, and the acoustic guitar, making the crowd dance in accompaniment. And Denise was not an exception even though she doesn’t want to. 

          Leaving the center of the hall hollow, sixteen persons will be exchanging partners anonymously creating eight pairs. With their mask covering their faces, they wouldn’t exactly know and recognize who they’re dancing with. Starting with a slow and harmonious beat, eight couples started waltzing and moving rhythmically. Including Denise and Sydney.

“Marikit kan shili,” a familiar voice sprung up. Denise suddenly lifts her head, meeting her partner’s dark chocolate eyes. Stunning in his well-trimmed hair and black mask, wearing a dark blue tuxedo. He offered his hand in front of her, asking for them to take the dance.

          Denise just stared at her, familiarizing the scent and everything. She wrinkled her forehead.

“I said you are beautiful, looking attractive with that red outfit,” the guy cleared when he noticed Denise’s confused gaze. 

“Why are you here?” She gritted her teeth, gripping tightly on his shoulders. Targeting his flesh with her long nails. 

“Woah, what do you mean? And why are you holding me tightly?” 

“Stop the fuss. Answer me, bastard,” she muttered as she goes well with the dance steps. Focusing her eyes on him, wanting to skin him alive.

“Why do you want to know?” Cole let out his signature smirk, meeting her fiery stares at him. 

“I will kill you!” Groaning out in low voice, she tightly pinched a bit of his skin as they do the turning step.

Making Cole hiss in pain, “Why do you have to do that?” he whined.

            The music beat switches to a faster rhythm, which means their steps need to cope with it. Holding her hand gently, Cole twisted it, resulting in an intimate position. Denise gets locked under his tight clutches. “Your scent…”

“Go on, try to let those lips touch my skin and you’ll see a real bloody lip,” she threatened.

          But Cole just chuckled, dragging her closer to his face. “How about now?”

“One more, Red Mushroom. You’re really testing my patience.” Secretly, she sneaked her hands to his shirt and roughly pinched his skin. Making him groan in pain again.

“You are torturing me, Blueberry.”

          Changing to another step, they parted. Leaving a space in between them, Denise darted a death glare toward him. 

          They should have been exchanging partners but Cole doesn’t seem to let go of her hand. In irritation, Denise forcefully shrugged his hand off her but the grip tightened. He shook his head in disagreement.

“Stay,” he commanded. Pulling her closer to him and clutching her waist as his full possession. Dancing with the flow of music, as if they were the only persons inside the hall. 

“Why can’t you just step back?” Denise smiled arrogantly at him.

“I won’t, I love this game.”

“So, this is a game, eh?” she voiced with her brow raised egoistically. “If I join you this time, can you promise to leave me alone and don’t bother me anymore after this?”

“Sure,” he answered in full assurance.

“I can’t trust that, give me a guarantee.”

          Cole chuckled again, detaching his Alpha crest from his ears and placing it on her piercing. Making Denise widen her eyes in shock. Alpha crest was every pack leader’s heraldry, containing an Alpha’s loyalty to his words. They have only two pieces of it wherein they can give one to any creature who they have promised something. 

“I’ll keep my promise, Blueberry,” he let out another smile. Plain and without any traces of fooling around, a genuine one. The first time she saw another side of him. 

         Once an Alpha gave his crest to someone to whom they have given their words, a life-threatening consequence awaits them if they couldn't fulfill their promises. They'll vanish and crumble like dust, leading them to death. That is why an alpha doesn't give promises that easily.

        

         Denise focused her eyes on him. To his unique naturally tinted red hair, dazzling chocolate brown eyes, perfectly carved jaw down to his tempting adam’s apple. This may sound ridiculous but the truth about her feeling for this man as his mate doesn’t differ from how he sees other men. No tingling sensations every time their skin touch, not the normal feeling when you have already met your mate with another level of comfort and connection you've never felt with anyone else. 

“Why wouldn’t you speak?” Cole broke her sudden silence.

“What if… I am not really your mate?” she asked without any hesitation. Denise lowered her head, escaping his outraged stares at her. Gentle touches turn into desirous grasps, his mood suddenly changes.

“How dare you say such a thing,” he groused, no emotions plastered on his face. His grip slowly loosened, his eyes turned dark and piercing. He bowed down in front of her as the orchestra ended the last piece, so as Denise to him. She was about to say something to him but his back quickly faced her, turning away, creating a large space between them.

      

Denise followed him with her stares, didn’t dare to walk a step closer and chase after him. Left her just staring at his shadow disappear in the crowds, with his scent still lingering on her. Couldn’t figure out what she would feel towards him.

“Denise, you have to see something.” Sydney suddenly appeared beside her. Grabbing Denise’s arms to the hallway. Still confused and dumbfounded, she just let Sydney grab her along. Directing to a certain door, Denise’s chest began to race, beating hard as another familiar scent caught her senses.

“Promise me you wouldn’t cross your limit,” Sydney reminded.

          With her forehead creased to how Sydney acts, she forcefully opened the door. Exceeding beyond her expectations, someone’s shadow reflected in the large mirror. Faint murmurs and talking filled her ears as she entered without faltering even a single step. Increasing her speed, she quickly shoves off the curtain covering the transparent door. 

        

          There, she saw someone she didn’t even expect to meet again. “D-Denise, h-how are you, Honey?”