The full moon came and so did nearly a dozen Alpha’s and any of their Alpha Unit members that were unmated. Mala got to see them all drive in and look around, she herself was standing with Ben leaning on the corner of the pack house, just watching them. They all seemed quite interested in the pack. This was the first time anyone was visiting, getting a good look at the pack.
She got to not only see them look surprised by the number of she-wolves here, but also got to hear them comment on it. Quite a few of them were more than interested in bringing their unmated male wolves here to see if their mates were here. Seems that they didn’t know this pack did not at this time hold mating balls.
They seemed genuinely shocked by the seventy percent female population in the pack. Also heard a few of them talking about inviting this pack to mating balls in their home packs. In the hope of finding mates for their wolves.
They saw many of them get dismissed and ignored by most of the female population. Some found it quite rude and remarked on it. Mala heard one of them state it was a rude pack. Walked right past that Beta and looked him right in the eyes. “You go through what most of the women here have been through with ranked members. Mates that are cruel and abusive, and see how you feel about being forced into finding a mate by the Wolfen council. Just to keep all you ranked members happy.” She shot right at him.
“Mala.” Beta Simon grated out in a warning tone.
Looked right at him, and huffed, did not apologise. They had been rude first and no one wanted them here. If that Beta went and asked anyone, he’d find out in short order that the pack was unhappy about them all being here. Walked away as directed by the pack Beta. When he waved her away.
Heard him apologise on her behalf, and offer to show that man around the pack. Why she didn’t know? It wasn’t as if they were going to suddenly become allies, likely to just leave and never come back, if they weren’t mated off to someone here inside the pack that was.
Thankfully, there was no Hudson or his Beta. She had been half expecting it, what with his grandfather having tried to sway her into going back to his grandson. Mala did not have to concern herself with that at this point.
Perhaps his grandfather had gone and ordered the truth out of him and realised that there was no hope. Or saw fit not to try and bring them back together. Whatever the reason, she was thankful for it.
She was, however, on that required to attend list for this mating ball, and was informed that appropriate attire was to be worn. Stupid council dictating what they thought should be worn and what couldn’t be worn, was deemed inappropriate. They were trying to Mate her off to some Alpha, and she knew it, even Suki huffed annoyingly at all the wolves that were now here inside the pack.
She and Suki were not interested in being Mated off as far as they were concerned, were free and clear and could do whatever they wanted with whoever they wanted. Being Mated wasn’t going to happen as far as either of them were concerned, they had seen how bad it could be once before and didn’t want anything like it ever again.
Mala strolled into that ball room wearing a long sleek black silk dress with a split up both sides, with a nice pair of black stiletto heels and even wore make-up as was the requirement for this stupid ball, was on Ben’s arm as she walked in.
Though he was open to being here and being Mated off, he was still happy it seemed to walk her into the ball room. There were several female guests in this room tonight. There was even one female Alpha, and she had a female Beta with her, Mala saw them both look right at Ben, and there were a couple of female Delta’s as well, surprise her quite a bit. They were all looking at Ben, she realised.
She recognised them from the warrior challenge, watched as Ben smiled, he knew as well, they were all looking at him, she waved him off to go and mingle and he headed off to do just that, a smile on his face.
Mala walked over and sat down at her table, glanced around the room with a glass of wine in her hand, mostly out of curiosity than anything else, and realised as she did so, she recognised many of these Alpha’s and their Beta’s.
They had all been at the warrior’s challenge, and many of them were looking right at her, sighed internally. This was why she was here, why she was on that stupid list, they were all looking for a strong Warrior Luna for their pack. The council already thought she would make for one, as did her own Alpha.
Well, if she did scent one out tonight, that would at least make the others all go away, not that she was looking at all to be Mated off, no, she had every intention of living out her entire life here inside this pack. If she did scent one out tonight, she didn’t know what she was going to do about it, she would have to take Suki’s feelings into full consideration. Though she was happy to reject another, it was unlikely that Suki was, though right this very minute her wolf was lying inside her mind, not really paying attention to anything. It might change when the moon sets though.
Sat and chatted with the other she-wolves in the pack that were, as she was, requested to be here and didn’t want to be. They were just as annoyed as she was, it was only then that she realised all the warriors that she and Ben had handpicked for that warrior challenge were in this room.
Perhaps that was the real meaning of the warrior challenge. What it was all about, she recalled that Aston had stated something along those lines, they would take a strong warrior over their own Goddess Gifted Mate. Though it was wrong himself.
Alpha’s attending that challenge got to see all the strongest female warriors from all packs that attended not just their allied packs, it was indeed a good way for them to find a Warrior Luna if unmated. Could seek out a warrior they thought would provide them with a good strong heir, she supposed.
She found Ben dropping into the chair next to her at their table about half an hour later. He was still smiling and was happy it seemed, “There are some nice ladies out here tonight.” He smirked.
“Liked what they saw in the arena, did they?”
“Yes.” He nodded. “Lots of comments on how good a fighter I am.”
“Kissed how many of them yet?” Mala asked with a chuckle, knew he was a ladies’ man.
“None, I’m a perfect gentleman.”
“Hmm, sure you are.” Mala laughed now “Till you get what you want.”
Heard him laugh now, “Mm, then I just give what you want, when you want it.”
Mala couldn’t argue with that one “That you do.” She agreed, knew she only had to ask the man if he wanted to, and if he wasn’t seeing someone else, he would say yes. Rarely said no, or not that she had seen anyway.
“You get any tingles out there?” She asked. Knew from her own past experience it could happen, prior to the moon setting, prior to actually scenting out one’s mate.
“Not yet, but the moon is not set.” Ben shrugged.
“You do realise, Ben, you’ll likely have to move to another pack if you do find your Mate tonight.”
Saw him shake his head. “No, I’m Delta blooded myself, there will be a discussion, I’d like to stay here and technically, the she-wolf goes to her Mates Pack.”
“Ah, but a female Alpha or Beta, is not going to do that, Ben.”
“You never know, Mala. Just have to wait and see.” He didn’t seem phased at all, was still smiling.
Mala was asked to dance on more than one occasion, did not want to, and had tried to decline the first man to ask her to join him on the dance floor. She got up and did so as per Aston’s order, via the mind link, for her to play nice and accept the offer to dance and not with just the first one asking her. But any and all that approached her and asked her to dance.
So, she did, but she kept the talk strictly to warrior talk, they did not need to know anything about her as far as she was concerned. Was asked what her wolf looked like three times and raised an eyebrow at each of those asking and then declined to answer the question. Stated simply “You don’t need to know that.”
She knew that seeing Suki would only increase their attention towards her. No one outside this pack had seen Suki or knew her name for that matter, and she was going to keep it that way. They didn’t seem all that happy with her answers, she was not an open book to them, and it showed how little she cared to be here.
Didn’t particularly care what they thought of her attitude, she didn’t want to be here, and was letting it be known. One had asked her why she was in the room if she didn’t want to be here, and she stated flatly “The Wolfen council forced me to be here.” Saw that Alpha look right at her a little shocked, but then just shake it off.
Mala was actually glad to feel the moon set and not scent a single one of them, she’d had enough attention on her this evening. She’d had to dance with six of them and two of them had slid their hands down from her back to her backside, copped a glare and told to move it or lose it. One had laughed and said “Make me.” Seemed to want to annoy her.
Had slashed his hand away a growl coming from both her and Suki, and found both Simon and Ben right there to stop the fight that was about to start, when Suki snarled up at him pushing forward, ready to accept his challenge. She hadn’t taken lightly to someone touching them when they didn’t want it. She had seen that Alpha laugh, and walk away, “I like the feistiness.” He’d commented as she’d been turned away herself.
‘Relax Mala.’ It was Aston, ‘He was just playing with you.’
‘Loose his bloody hand next time.’ She muttered and let Ben walk her away from the dance floor. She was relieved it was over for her tonight, and got up to leave.
‘Mala?’ came down the mind-link to her from her Alpha.
‘No-one here is my Mate, I’m free to go Alpha.” She said, knew he would hear the smile in her voice and know she was happy to be leaving the room.
‘Alright.’ Was all that she got back as she walked out of the room, to head back to her suite, found Ben next to her “No-one for me either, you want to celebrate?” he asked.
Mala laughed and held the door open for him. “I’ll celebrate, you can distract yourself.”
“Oh, I fully intend to, and more than once if you’re up for it.”
“I am.” Mala nodded, followed him into her suite and shoved him down on her couch, climbed right on top of him, kissed him roughly as she took his hand and pushed it between her thighs, moaned right into his mouth as he pulled her panties aside and pushed his fingers inside of her, took his que from her, knew she was already ready to go. “I don’t want a gentleman tonight, Ben.” She told him, was already riding his hand hard wanted a quick release.
“Then you won’t get one.” He growled right back at her.