You don’t want to fight Marius,I say softly. I try to remain more submissive than usual, knowing it will speak to Fenris’ more primal instincts.There is no need to do it.
He insulted you. My mate! He dared to say something so outrageous!He growls.
Yes, and I’m not happy,I admit.But your parents and your other siblings were so welcoming and nice. They don’t deserve the day being ruined. You said your mom was over the moon to meet me finally, didn’t you? I really like her. Please don’t make me the reason for a family fight.I pause.Please, my Alpha. He is your brother. You can deal with it differently.
He loosens his grip slightly, turning to face me fully now. I don’t tear my gaze away, noting how the darkness in his eyes slowly diffuses.
I decide to try it with a little bit of humor. “Please don’t kill anyone before dessert.”
Felix and Aurelia exchange a short glance before they burst into giggles. Even Dario grins.
A hint of amusement flashes in Liam’s blue eyes. “So, after dessert, it's okay, huh?” He lets go of Marius completely and pulls me into his arms, breathing in my scent.
“All right then,” Flora appears next to us. She looks pleased when she looks at me and very pissed when she glances at Marius. To my surprise, she takes control of the situation immediately. So that’s her when she slips into her Luna mode, I realize. Of course, she has to be a strong Luna, considering she is Elden’s mate and co-leads this huge pack. “We are going to have lunch. Now you,” she points at Marius. “Apologize. No discussion, do it. And you better put some effort into it.” She turns around to the group of siblings. “And you, Finn, I need your help with the extra chairs. Aurelia, please help him.” Finally, she turns to Elden. She suddenly looks like that ethereal being again. “My dear, how about a glass of wine with your wonderful wife?” She twirls around cutely before stopping, a frown and a look of confusion gracing her face. “Where have I put the wine glasses?”
Elden sighs. “A glass of wine, it is.” He turns towards the man who follows Flora around all the time. He has to be the Gamma, I figure. “Aurel will help you find them.” He shoots Marius one last glare. “We will talk about this later,” he says evenly.
I feel slightly sorry for Marius. I’m sure Elden is not someone you want to upset.
I walk back to the sibling group. “You just saved his ass,” Aurelia mutters.
“Quite literally,” Felix points out dryly.
Aurelia and Dario burst into helpless giggles again.
My gaze shifts towards Flora, seeing how she shuffles around and distracts her mate by giggling and winking at him playfully.
I can’t help but admire her. She is so small and looks almost filigree; yet she rules the room. If I ever imagined a fairy, she would be it. She looks ethereal, her skin whiter than usual for a wolf, like she is made out of glass. She is of small frame, almost fragile, moves elegantly, and her long blonde hair is braided into a beautiful ponytail. She moves like a feather in the wind. Liam told me she has the mindset of an artist, sometimes in her own headspace, seeing butterflies and rainbows where there aren’t any, singing and humming. Yet she was able to save the day by stepping in at the right moment.
She might look like a cute fairy, but she has to be strong to hold that family of Lycan Alphas together.
“Please forgive my insolent son, dear,” she smiles warmly when she approaches me again.
“Well,” I smile weakly. “It’s no family outing without a little drama. At least that’s what my father always says.”
Aurelia and the twins chuckle. Finn, on the other hand, doesn’t look too amused. Liam is even less so. The two brothers exchange a glance.
Gladly lunch distracts everyone because Flora indeed went out of her way and had ordered all kinds of food. More classic stuff like roast beef, slices of steak, vegetables in all varieties, mashed potatoes, all kinds of salads, and more fancy dishes like beef tartar, chicken scones, Halloumi fries, mini-Scotch eggs, little burgers, and slices of cold roast beef.
I’m internally crying because I already know that I won’t even be able to taste everything. It looks like a lot, but there are mostly Alphas and strong Betas around – Aryanna and Dante have joined us as well, as did Beta Vincent and an older guy whom I assume is Elden’s other Beta, Calvin. There is also Gamma Aurel and a young warrior around.
“Is it weird if I take a photo and send it to my brother?” I ask, feeling a bit awkward for doing so. But I should send my little brother a photo of this impressive buffet.
Flora beams at me. “Go ahead and do so, my dear!” She turns towards one of the maids shuffling around. It’s an Omega, I notice instantly. After years of practice, I learned to tell wolves apart by reading their auras. Celine once told me she could do that too. “Gloria,” Flora calls out. “You really outdid yourself.”
Gloria smiles brightly at the praise. “Is it to your liking, Luna?”
“It’s fantastic!” Flora looks at her warmly. “Why don’t you and the staff join us and have some of the food? I know you are training a few new kids right now. They can get to know my family that way.”
Gloria’s eyes widen. “Would that really be alright, Luna?”
“Of course,” she turns towards Elden. “What do you think, my Alpha?”
“Absolutely,” he agrees. “We can’t eat all of it anyways.”
I’m stunned. “Gloria is the head of the kitchen personnel,” Flora explains. “Every year, she goes out of her way to prepare delicious food for all the festivities. I always set up the menu together with her. She has fantastic ideas.”
“Who is working in the kitchen?” I ask.