REJECTED AND LOVED BY A RED WOLF

FAMILY DINNER

CHAPTER 8

Ava looked at herself in the full-length mirror, she smiled-- pleased and contented with what she saw.

She wore a light golden evening gown, with a dramatic A-line silhouette and a plunging neckline, which formed in her body perfectly. The color of the gown highlighted the beauty of her amber eyes with the yellow and brown hues glowing against the light's reflection.

A pair of nude three inches heeled Prada shoes on her slim feet, diamond stud earrings her mother gave to her many years ago in her ears, her red locks neatly styled in a low bun with a few stands dropping on her shoulders, and lastly, her slightly made-up face completed her appearance for the night. Simple but elegant, such a look could easily make her the person of the hour.

But--being stared at like some kind of a deity was not her intention. It just so happened that as a member of the Stark family she had to dress appropriately for every occasion--it was expected from them.

Before she left the room, she took the engagement ring Brandon gave her from the drawer. The ring no longer needed resizing, it perfectly fit on her ring finger.

Tonight's dinner would be the first formal affair Ava would attend after a long time. She avoided attending company events after Kevin died and if ever they have a family celebration, they usually held it in the community, which did not necessitate dressing up so formally.

But tonight was different--there was no way she could excuse herself from attending the formal gathering. Tonight's affair would be in honor of Brandon’s family and her family–- their first meeting day, seven days before their wedding.

It was Anon who invited Brandon first, upon their arrival from their world trip, a week ago. When Brandon's father learned about the invitation, he decided to fly to London from South Africa with his wife and children and arranged the formal dinner.

Ada was not into parties or formal dinners but this invitation she looked forward to, mainly to know more about Brandon. She knew, that if she would ask him about that information, Brandon would never give her the right response. She was hoping that through the people who adopted him, she would find some answers to the nagging questions in her head.

The Abioye family had reserved a function room to accommodate everybody. Ava was informed by Brandon’s secretary Mina, who did all the coordination and preparations for the said dinner. Brandon never once spoke to her about it.

Ava had let his lack of enthusiasm pass. She was aware that Brandon had pressing business matters he was busy with, and on top of his busy schedule, he reiterated beforehand that details about their wedding, he never should be bothered about. His disinterest was unlikely for a future groom but--there was nothing normal about their arrangement. It was useless to think so much about it, Ava thought.

Brandon’s father had booked at Ritz Carlton Hotel, a century-old establishment but still preferred by the elite class up to the present time. Their service remained impeccable, the food tasted otherworldly, and the ambiance inside the hotel brought the visitors centuries way back--no wonder it was still one of the best hotels in the heart of London.

It didn’t take long for Anon, Ada, and Ava to reach the hotel. Ava spotted Brandon waiting for them near the hotel entrance before they even reached the drop-off area. He was dressed in a black tuxedo, with a white shirt under and a black bow. He looked so much like the powerful and attractive half-man and a half-wolf that he truly was.

Her siblings had arrived almost the same time as them in separate vehicles. Brandon’s parents and siblings were already inside the venue since they booked their entire two weeks stay in London at the same hotel.

Like what they agreed upon, Brandon looked ready to show himself as a considerate and caring fiance in front of their family. Ava was also careful because she knew her father was very perceptive, and Anon could read minds. At their slightest mistake, Anon would know about their real situation and Ava didn’t know the extent of her father’s fury, once he knew that his beloved daughter was forced in a way to sacrifice herself for the good of their company, her father could harm Brandon.

Up to the present time Anon remained a very strong primordial wolf, his bloodline was a mix of werewolf and vampire. He never grew old beyond thirty years of age, never weakened and his gifts were all intact. Brandon’s clan, on the other hand, had no special bloodline but Brandon has strengths far greater than an ordinary Alpha.

However, in a physical battle between a primordial wolf and an ordinary Alpha— the ordinary alpha was bound to lose.

Strength, gifts, and bloodline were not openly discussed in ordinary conversations, it was a family secret, that as much as possible only stayed within the family. There might be words circulating in different communities of wolves but those secrets were neither denied nor confirmed by the parties involved. Brandon was bound to discover Ava’s descent when the time comes.

To Ava's surprise, Brandon was a better actor than she thought. He could easily be bestowed a Laurence Olivier award for his performance for the night. He transformed into a very considerate fiance, very attentive to her all through the night, and expressed to her parents how he was looking forward to their marriage.

On her part though, Ava didn’t need to act at all. Her blushes and modest smiles on her lips were genuine, as sincere and real as expected from a soon-to-be bride in front of her soon-to-be husband.

The Abioyes were people of color, Brandon’s Yemenis' slightly lighter skin tone was noticeable. But—when they were together, the affection among the family was genuine, almost tangible–palpable. The deep-rooted endearment was there, especially among the siblings, They have four daughters with ages ranging from 14 to 20 and they were very fond and respectful of Brandon, and the latter returned their affection.

Maybe it was the reason why they adopted Brandon, Ava thought. They needed a patriarchal leader, a strong Alpha like him to lead the Black Moon Pack. They were one of the respected families in Southern Africa, an old clan of werewolves in that part of the world and considered with a royalty lineage.

Through the conversation, Ava learned that the troupe of Brandon in South Africa was not so big with over a thousand members. As compared to their five thousand pack members, it was relatively small. The decrease in the number of werewolves was highly attributed to war among werewolf troupes in the past and up to the present time.

The family dinner had progressed as if both families were just one. Despite the easy and lively flow of conversation, Ava couldn’t help but be affected by the merriment inside the function hall.

When she had the chance while everyone was engrossed in their topic of discussion, Ava made her way to the adjoining huge terrace. As soon as she got there, the cold air against her face felt so good, and it brought a smile to her face. Despite the chilling coldness since she didn't bring with her— her coat— still the fresh air and a little time alone were a welcome escape for her.

She let her arms cross below her breast and looked at the sky above. It was the last quarter moon, and unlike the previous nights she had looked in the sky, that night the moon was impressively visible and the millions of stars were shining so bright in the sky. As if heaven was celebrating with them and blessing the two families that would be one, in a matter of days.

Before she could utter anything to the Moon Goddess, she felt a cloth had covered her exposed skin. Instantly, she recognized the scent of the owner of the coat that was now wrapping her delicate form, and his disturbing presence without looking in his direction crowded her head space.

“It is cold here—“ he murmured in a voice that Ava liked so much. Without a trace of sarcasm and mockery, his voice was like music to her ears.

“I just need to breathe a little.”

Ava was amazed that he was able to talk to her, without anger. He made a good performance tonight, his acting was so believable. She was a bit concerned earlier that as soon as he found an opportunity to talk with her alone, like now—he would blow his cover and spat words to her that her red-haired self would find hard to let pass.

“You might catch a cold if you stay here longer. Why don’t we go inside and consider it a night?”

He reminded her as if she was not a werewolf, their kind has a very high tolerance for coldness.

Ava murmured to herself. Brandon followed her so that they could both dismiss everyone. She didn’t bother to look up at him to see his reaction, anyway, he had played his role so well. Every time they were near each other he made sure that his arms were around her waist and he gave her a few kisses on her forehead. She didn't stop him even if small bumps covered her body whenever he would act that way. She also felt the heat on her face, which had spread to her neck and ears. Their actions were expected and appropriate for a recently engaged couple. As if they were unbothered by their surroundings, unconcerned if one could see them, while they expressed their emotions to each other. It was sad, though, that it was all pretense.

And they were no way near the end of the pretense…in fact, they were just beginning!

"Perhaps it is alright to let everyone take a rest. It had been a long night for everyone and it is already past eleven in the evening," Ava considered.

The almost four hours that they were all together was more than enough, to assure the families that they have nothing to worry about with their decision to get married in a hurry.

Ava had insisted that their wedding be held inside the civil registry with only Brandon and herself and their two witnesses would be present during the wedding ceremony and a celebration would follow after which they could receive family and friends.

Anon and Brandon’s dad Noah, questioned their plan at first, stating that the parents were present and they had time to prepare for the wedding to be officiated by the elder in the Stark community, but Brandon supported her, emphasizing it was what they agreed upon. In the end, both fathers gave in.

Ava had fantasized about a traditional wedding ever since she was young or even a church wedding, with all its glamour but the marriage between Brandon and herself was far from the ideal wedding that she had wished for. Too much spending on the farcical wedding was not necessary—it was just a waste of money.

Brandon surprised her once more before they finally separated that night when he wrapped her in his arms and gave her a gentle kiss on her lips, in front of their parents.