Page 11 of Snowbound with the Alpha Wolf
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Feeding time at the pack.Darcy had never dined with an entire crowd of Lupines. The closest she’d come was eating at a restaurant or a mall’s food court, and those werestrangers.
Public dining made her uncomfortable. Even when she lived with Ella, her last charge, asa house cat, Darcy never ate in front of Ella. Instead, she’d wait for Ella to leave for work and then gulp down her meals in completeprivacy.
Table manners weren’t her skillset. Never knowing what fork to use, how to eat certain foods like lobster in her human/Skin suit. Devouring a lobster when she’d shifted into a bear—now that was more like it. Tear, pierce,gulp.
Belch.
Lupines required raw, fresh meat to shift. Surely that would be on everyone’s plate, perhaps with a few vegetables and bread. Maybe she could beg off eating with the excuse she wasanorexic.
At the door of the enormous dining hall, which looked as if it could seat three hundred, a handsome Lupine with a gray streak in his dark hair met her. Dressed in a tuxedo, he could have been thehost at an executive’s meeting. Muscles moved beneath black silk as he offered her hisarm.
“Miss Darcy? I am Marcel, one of Adrian’s lieutenants. He will arrive shortly and asked me to escort you to histable.”
She nodded, glad she’d worn the red cocktail dress Glenda had found for her. All the others in the dining turned to stare at her as she passed the round tables. Each tablesat about ten and was covered in white linen, with a small arrangement of fresh freesia and roses in the middle. Linen-draped chairs had white bows in theback.
Overhead, crystal chandeliers glowed with a soft light, making the room seem even more elegant. Every Lupine in the room, even the young ones, was attired in formal wear. Darcy felt as if she attended a wedding, notdinner.
“What’s the occasion?” she asked Marcel as he guided her over to the smallest table, where seven other males sat. Three places where empty, two of them side byside.
One for Adrian, sheguessed.
Marcel raised his dark brows. “I beg yourpardon?”
“Why all the formality? Or do you get all snazzy for dinner every night aroundhere?”
He considered. “It is not everyday our alpha brings home his future mate for us tomeet.”
Temper snapping, Darcy struggled to hold her tongue. She thanked Marcel as he guided her to the empty chair on the right. He sat at the empty chair between two younger Lupines and made introductions. The seven males were, as she’d guessed, part of Adrian’s security team. So polite, so distinguished. Yet she knew each male at thistable was capable of ripping out her throat if Adrian orderedit.
Not even two minutes later, Adrian strode inside. Dressed in an elegant black tuxedo, a day’s growth of beard stubble shadowing his jaw, he looked sexy as hell. No male had the right to look thatdelicious.
Everyone stood, except Darcy. She folded her arms and glowered as he took the seat next toher.
Adrianflicked out his linen table napkin and placed it on his lap. “You look lovely. Angry, butlovely.”
“Future mate? That’s what you’ve been telling everyone, Adrian? I agreed to stay here for two weeks, as part of your bargain. Nothing more!” She pushed back herplate.
“I did not say a word,” he told her. “This is like a small town, Darcy. Everyone talks and makes assumptions. We havethese dinners once a month to bond, talk and gather as a pack. Your presence was noticed from the moment you walked into the door of myhouse.”
Disquieted, she fisted her hands in her lap. Well, she wouldn’t eat. Not with all these people staring at her as if she were ondisplay.
A female in black dress trousers, a white shirt and a black apron came over with plates of hot food,setting them down on the chargers. Darcy’s nose wrinkled as she realized the plate contained fresh, raw steak as well as a serving of seasoned lamb with potatoes andvegetables.
“You like having people wait on you?” she challengedhim.
“We all take turns serving eachother.”
“Even you?Right.”
“Even me. A Lupine cannot lead if he is unwilling to serve hispeople.”
Adrian picked up his fork and started to eat. Darcy reached for herwater.
“You’re not hungry?” heasked.
“No. I’m not eating, and you can’t make me eat…” She pushed at the plate. “This.”
