Chapter 8

Dante POV

I sat at the table in the pack house dining room for over an hour. I don’t know why I even bothered waiting. I didn’t need this alliance. I don’t owe her anything, I should have went back home this morning. August was somewhere gallivanting in the town square and left me to do this meeting alone. “Dante! fancy seeing you here.” I hear a deep voice come from the doorway and look up, great its Alpha Rahul. I nod in acknowledgment and press my lips in a line. To my awkwardness he sits in the chair directly next to me. “Have you seen Annalise?” He asked. I shook my head. “Not since last night at Pantera. She left with her Mate.” I said flatly. Her father almost choked on the coffee he was sipping. “Her what?!” He exclaimed. Oops, I guess she wouldn’t have had time to tell him. Oh well, cats out of the bag now. “Yes, she found her mate last night.” His face went beet red “I’m so sorry Dante, I will talk to her if you want. The alliance is still on the table.” I put my hand up to silence him “absolutely not, I never agreed to an arranged mating anyways. That was my fathers doing. Annalise and I will work something else out for an alliance. That’s why I’m still here.” I said shrugging my shoulders. The awkward silence filled the room for what felt like minutes but was more than likely 20 seconds before the smell of lavender filled the room. I turned in the direction of the dining hall doorway and of course it was Annalise. Looking as stunning as ever. She was very pro-business. That much was evident in her choice of clothing and the way she carried herself. It left little room for niceties and small talk. Something about her aura made you want to get right down to business. And something about that made me extremely attracted to her. A growl snapped me out of my thoughts as I realized I had probably been staring for an uncomfortable length of time. I realize then that Anna’s mate is standing next to her giving me a death glare. “I would appreciate you keeping your eyes off my mate Alpha Dante.” He says with a snarl leaving his lips. “My apologies….. what was your name again?” I said calmly. He straightens his shirt collar and stands up straight with a smirk on his lips “Prince Tyler Of the Royal Family.” He says pouring his aura into the room. He was definitely someone of power, but there was something off about him. Rahul stood up quickly and bowed his head “Prince Tyler, honored to meet you” he says holding his bow in submission. My wolf does not submit to anyone, when Larissa died he almost went feral, nobody could tame him except for her. The thought of her brought forth too many emotions so I suppressed them. I heard a throat clearing and looked up to see a pissed off prince. “My apologies Prince Tyler, It’s nice to make your acquaintance.” I say standing up to meet him, offering my hand. He looks at my hand and back up at me. I stare with my hand extended. “When you greet a royal, you bow.” His snarky comments sending annoyance through me. “Well in my pack we shake hands, royal or not. Respect is mutual, it’s earned and not given.” I say putting my hand in my pocket. “Boys! Please. We came here to discuss business so let’s.” Anna says gesturing to the table before us. Tyler is fuming but he does as Annalise suggests and pulls her chair out for her. She takes her seat at the head of the table, Tyler to her left and I take the seat to the right. Rahul takes a seat a couple chairs down from me. “Should we wait for your mother the other alphas of the 8 moons?” Rahul says. “No need, my say is final anyways, I will simply let them know of my decision” Annalise says matter of factly. I smirk in agreement and Rahul nods. Anna turns to me to speak and Tyler grabs her thigh. As if staking his claim to her. Like we all don’t see his mark on her neck. More curiously, I didn’t see her mark on his. Interesting. “So Alpha Dante, as we started to discuss previously an arranged mating is absolutely out of the question.” I heard a guttural growl come from the Prince “a. What?” He says flatly but the venom in his tone is not missed. “Tyler please, if you can’t behave during business discussions then I’m going to have to ask you not to attend. These are serious matters and Dante is not a threat to you. She cups his cheek and kisses his lips lightly.” He seems stunned but shuts his mouth. I snort unintentionally and Anna’s head snaps to mine “the same rules apply to you as well Alpha Dante.” She says without missing a beat. “My apologies Anna, continue.” I didn’t miss the murderous gleam in Tyler’s eyes as I addressed her so casually. This was quite entertaining actually. “As I was saying, I’ve come up with an alternative proposal to benefit both packs and solidify an alliance.” Before she could continue an annoying voice began talking again “if I may interject love, what does the 8 moons need an alliance with Bloodstone for?” Tyler asks. “Bloodstone has the strongest warriors of any pack. They have the leading strategist in the county, and their Alpha is one of the most feared. Though I’m not sure why, he’s a giant teddy bear.” She says looking at me with a smirk. Tyler clenches his jaw. “Understood” he says. I smirk at Anna’s comment “teddy bear isn’t what I would use to describe me but go on, what is your proposal Alpha Major.” I say. “I propose an alliance of warriors. You send your best warriors here to train my top warriors. In any time of peril you will have the numbers of my pack and we will have the skills of yours. Bloodstone is strong and your Warriors are some of the most skillful I’ve ever seen, but you don’t have the numbers. All it would take is 3 packs to form alliances to outnumber your warriors. By making an alliance with the 8 moons, you gain the alliance of 8 packs making your pack untouchable.” She says. After taking a moment to ponder her proposal I respond “okay, so you want me to send my best warriors here to train your warriors who will watch over my pack?” She looks confused for a moment so I clarify “I am the strongest warrior in my pack Alpha Anna. If the alliance you seek is for your warriors to be trained on your pack lands that would require for me to train them. So who will watch over my pack?” The understanding sinks in and I can tell she is wracking her brain for a solution when Rahul pipes up “we can send the Beta and Gamma Major. They can look over your pack while you train here. Beta Dahlia and Gamma Marcus are highly skilled and more than capable.” He says. I think for a moment and decide this would be acceptable “okay, but Dahlia and Marcus report to August, my Beta. And August has final say in any pack issues.” I leave no room for negotiation. “Deal.” Anna says with a large smile on her face. She is so thrilled to have made her first alliance as Alpha Major. I smile back and reach my hand out to shake hers when Tyler grabs her to sit in his lap. Staring at me with a deadly glare. Daring me to touch his mate. Well I’ve never been one to back down from a dare. “In my pack an alliance isn’t complete without a handshake.” I say. Anna looks at Tyler “don’t be ridiculous Tyler it’s just a handshake.” She says seeming a bit embarrassed. She reaches out and our hands connect in a firm handshake. Tyler snarls just barely above a whisper. I ignore it and smile at Annalise “we start Monday.” I say. She looks confused “we?” She questions. “Well yes, you don’t really expect to get out of training as Alpha Major? A packs Alpha should always be their strongest warrior and you sweet Annalise, are Aloha to 8 packs” I say. Okay so I was flirting a little to piss Tyler off but everything I said was true. I am the strongest in my pack and that should be the case for all packs. “He’s right babygirl” Rahul says. I can feel the anger coming off of Tyler. I know us Alpha males are known to be possessive but this guy is over the top. I would have killed for my Larissa but she was also her own person and could make her own decisions. I trusted her to be faithful to me. “Very well then. 5:30 am Monday. I’ll show you to your living quarters while you’re on my pack lands. Traditionally we would have you stay in the pack house but something tells me you would much rather have your own space so we’ve got at luxury townhouse near the town center that we leave vacant for guest Alphas. It’s 5 minutes to the training grounds and everything you could need is in the town center.” She tells me. I nod and smile “very well, I’ll let August know of the arrangements. Dahlia and Marcus can travel back with us tomorrow morning and I’ll return Sunday night after I’ve gotten them settled in on my pack lands. She nods in agreement and I excuse myself from the room. As soon as I leave I hear Tyler say “I need to speak with you upstairs Anna.” I smirk, who pissed in his cheerios?