The Dark Alpha's Light

The Royal Social

Lenore

I double-check my luggage, hoping I have everything I need for the conference. Dad told me to bring at least three nice dresses for the parties. I know he meant that for Simon, but I packed three nice dresses anyways.

Astrid has been acting strange the closer we get to leaving. I keep having to push her to the back of my mind to concentrate. Her whining and pacing have become too much. I have a suspicion that I may be meeting my mate soon, and it has me nervous as hell. I may be nineteen, but I am not ready for my mate. I don't want to be tied down to anyone, especially an alpha.

"Lenore, sweetie, are you ready?" Dad pokes his head into my room.

"Yes, Daddy," I respond.

He steps into the room with two omegas. "Is this what you are taking?" He asks, and I nod. He points to my bags. "Take those down to the car, please," he instructs the omegas.

I grab my phone and drop it into my purse. "Do I look alright?" I ask nervously.

Dad shrugs. "Of course, you look beautiful, Lenore. I think Simon Dante will approve," He winks.

"Daddy," I sigh. "I am not dressed like this for Simon," I huff.

"I didn't say you were. But I think he'll like it," He laughs, touches my shoulder, and sighs. "You look more and more like your Mom every day." He turns away from me. "I’ll be waiting downstairs with the others,” He says and walks out of my room.

I take one more look around the room before walking out. I pass a mirror and look at myself. Bethany did a French braid on my hair, and I chose to wear a pair of jeans and a white flowy shirt with flowers on it. Satisfied, I leave the suite and head downstairs. I run into Judi and her older brother Theo on the way. Theo is going to be the next beta of the pack. “Hey, Theo,” I greet him.

“Lenore,” He smiles at me.

Judi elbows me, “I get it. Greet my brother before your best friend,” She snarks.

I elbow her back, “I already saw you today,” I laugh.

She rolls her eyes. “I’m glad that you are going to the conference too.”

“Well, my Dad is convinced that I’ll find my mate there,” I sigh.

“Mine too,” Judi snorts. “He can’t wait to get me out of the house.”

“That’s not true, Judi,” Theo joins in. “Dad just wants you to be happy.” Theo met his mate, Lacey, two years ago, and they have a daughter named Breanna.

Judi rolls her eyes at her brother. “Right, Theo.”

We get to the ground floor, and our dads are waiting for us. Theo's fist bumps Ryland. “Ready for some fun, bro?” Ryland asks Theo.

“You know it,” Theo responds.

“You aren't going to party, Theodore,” His father Carl grumbles. “You are going to learn.”

Theo straightens up. “Of course, Dad,” He glances at my brother with a knowing look.

Theo and Judi’s mom, Tammy, is standing next to Carl. “You kids mind your father there. I wish I could come, but someone has to stay here and mind the fort,” Tammy laughs.

Carl puts his arm around her and plants a loving kiss on her lips. My father looks over with longing. He looks at Ryland and me. “Judi is riding with us, Lenore, while Ryland is riding in the other car.”

I squeal and clap my hands. “Did you hear that, Judi?” I squeal.

“I have ears, Lenore,” Judi snorts.

Gamma Brent walks up, “The cars are all ready, Wyatt.”

“Good, Brent. You keep a good eye on my pack,” Dad says to the Gamma. “No hostile takeovers.”

“Oh come, Wy, take all of my fun away,” Brent laughs.

We go outside and climb into the waiting Escalades. I sit in the back with Judi while Dad sits upfront with a warrior named Ryan. Besides the car with the beta, there are two more filled with warriors. The king allows each alpha up to ten warriors to accompany them. We wave as the vehicles drive away.

“So, did you dress cute for Simon?” Judi asks, looking me up and down. “I mean, you even braided your hair.”

“Why does everyone think I dressed like this for Simon,” I huff. Dad looks back at us with a smirk. “And Bethany braided my hair because she wanted to practice.”

“Right,” Judi rolls her eyes. “Just admit that you like Simon.”

“I don’t like Simon, Judith,” I spit out. “I mean, not like everyone wants me to like him. He’s just a friend.”

Judi folds her arms, “Friend,” She looks at Dad. “Friend, Wyatt,” She laughs, and Dad laughs back.

“Friend,” Dad repeats while Ryan laughs.

“Oh my god, everyone stop,” I protest. “I’m listening to music now,” I pull my headphones out and plug them into my phone.

“So, are you hoping to meet your mate, Judith?” Dad asks my best friend as I turn up my music.

I lean against the window and watch the trees speed by, and eventually, I find myself dreaming. The black wolf runs beside the car while Astrid howls with happiness. He is so handsome and strong, and I sense a powerful aura coming from him. I call out to him, and he keeps running. “Come back,” I shout out loud and hear laughing. I open my eyes to see my father and friend staring at me. “What?”

“You were talking in your sleep,” Judi laughs. “Who were you dreaming about?”

“No one,” I glance at Dad, whose left eyebrow is raised. “No one, Daddy.”

He looks at the warrior beside him, “That’s what she wants me to believe, Ryan.”

Ryan laughs but says nothing.

I look at Judi. ‘Okay, you caught me. I have been dreaming about a black wolf,’ I mind link her.

“Sure you’ll mind link Judith but not me,” Dad protests.

“Daddy!” I say to him.

Judi looks at me. ‘You think it’s your mate?’ She mind links back.

‘Yes,’ I sigh.

‘You don’t sound so thrilled about it,’ She looks at me.

‘I’m not,’ I respond. ‘You know my plans. I can’t be tied down by some alpha that will probably want pups right away,’ I explain to my friend.

‘I get you, Lenore. I don’t want my mate yet, either,’ Judith agrees. ‘You and I are free spirits, and we need our freedom.’

We both giggle, and Dad glances back at us. “Ah, the laughter of teenagers, Ryan,” He laughs.

“I know what you mean, Alpha,” Ryan replies. “My girls are at the giggly teenager stage.”

“Oh right, Taylor and Hailey just turned thirteen. Man, I can’t believe it. I remember when they were tiny pups,” Dad chuckles.

Judi and I continue chatting via mind link for the rest of the trip. It takes about four hours to reach the royal territory. Our kingdom is called the United Kingdom of Werewolves, and King Tyrell Stone rules over all of us. I haven’t met him, but Ryland tells me he is a bit of a jokester. Which is unusual for a king, but he is serious about his job and keeps every pack in the kingdom safe.

“Oh, I wish you were the king’s mate,” Dad says dreamily.

“Daddy, he met Queen Elinor like ten years ago,” I argue. “I was nine.”

“I know, sweetie,” Dad shrugs. “But you would be a fantastic queen.”

“My dad said that Torben Ambrose is making an appearance,” Judi says.

The name Torben Ambrose sends shivers down my spine and makes Astrid hum happily. I shudder. “Alpha Ambrose?” Dad repeats. “That hardass decided to show up?”

“He is King Tyrell’s cousin,” Judi responds. “And mine, I guess. I forget.”

“Your grandfather and King Tyrell’s grandfather were brothers,” Dad explains. “Torben Ambrose is the nephew of the former queen. You are related to Tyrell’s father.”

I shudder again when Dad mentions Torben. I have heard about Alpha Torben. He is said to be a strict and ruthless alpha. He doesn’t allow any sort of fun in his pack and punishes members for laughing. ‘He better not be my mate.’ I grumble to myself, and Astrid makes a strange sound.

“Lenore, you are awfully quiet,” Dad touches my knee, and I jump, and he laughs. “Sorry.”

“I was thinking, Daddy,” I sigh.

“About what?” Dad asks.

“Simon,” Judi adds.

I elbow her. “No,” I huff. “You all suck,” I fold my arms and look out the window. The royal palace sticks out like a sore thumb on the landscape. It looks like a Greek palace in the middle of Idaho. A large city surrounds it with everything a werewolf could need. King Tyrell allows other supernaturals, including vampires, to reside in the city. There are also some humans who are aware of the supernatural who live here.

We are stopped in a line of other SUVs waiting to get into the palace grounds. We come up to a guardhouse, and a man dressed in royal garb steps out. “Name?” He asks dryly.

Dad leans over Ryan, “I am Alpha Wyatt Moonglade of the Moonglade Pack. The three SUVs behind us are with me. My beta, Carl Stewart, is in the second car, and the other two have my warriors,” Dad explains to the guard.

The guard gives Dad and Ryan instructions on where to go. It takes us almost another hour before we stop in front of the palace. King Tyrell is standing outside with his mate Queen Elinor.

“s**t, she is so pretty,” Judi breathes out as we step out of the SUVs.

“Judith!” Carl snaps nearby. “Watch your language.”

Judi rolls her eyes, “Oh, hi, Dad, I didn’t see you standing there.”

Ryland and Theo walk over to us while my Dad and Carl stand in front of us. The warriors have gone to another part of the compound. Carl turns to us. “Okay, no bad words,” He says to us.

We line up behind him and Dad and march towards the king. “Carl Stewart,” Former queen Rebecca Stone steps towards the beta with her arms out. “It’s good to see you. How is your mother?”

“She is good, Aunt Rebecca,” Carl bows slightly to the former queen.

“Alpha Moonglade,” King Tyrell shakes my Dad’s hand. “It’s good of you to make it.”

I stand beside my brother while our father talks to the king. The smell of Scotch is coming from the king, and it is making my wolf act up. I only know what Scotch smells like because my father drinks it. I lean towards King Tyrell and inhale. The king stops talking to my father and eyes me.

“Lenore,” My brother elbows me. “Stop sniffing the king,” He whispers through gritted teeth.

“Sorry,” I mumble.

` Dad chuckles, “Do you remember my son and heir, Ryland, your majesty?” Dad gestured to my brother.

“Ah yes, Ryland. I remember you getting into some trouble with Simon Dante during training,” King Tyrell laughs.

“It wasn’t my fault, your majesty,” Ryland says to the king.

“That’s always the excuse,” The king jabs at my brother and then looks at me. “And who is this, Alpha Moonglade?”

“This is my daughter Lenore,” Dad replies.

“Well, if she isn’t a lovely young she-wolf,” The king winks at me. “Trying to find her mate, are you, Alpha?” He jokes.

“Or something like that,” Dad chuckles.

“Well, it’s good to see you again, Alpha. Go on in. My beta will have your room assignments,” The King points to the door.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Dad bows to the king, and we do the same. We walk in, and a tall man in a dark suit is standing at a podium.

“Name?” He asks my father.

“Alpha Wyatt Moonglade of the Moonglade Pack,” Dad replies. “And these are my children, Ryland and Lenore. Then there is my Beta, Carl Stewart, and his two children, Theodore and Judith.”

The man nods, “I am Royal Beta Alistair Yates.” He looks at the podium. “Today, I am playing hostess,” He chuckles. “You are in the west wing in rooms 207 thru 211.” He hands my dad some paperwork and key cards. “Your luggage shall be brought up shortly.”

“Thank you, Beta Yates,” Dad bows and gestures for us to follow.

“Are there separate beds in the rooms, Wyatt?” Theo asks my dad.

“I don’t know,” Dad responds and smirks at Carl. “Kids.”

“Tell me about it, Wyatt,” Carl snorts.

We go towards an elevator, and Dad spots Edwin Dante and Simon. I let out a low annoyed sigh as they approach us. “Eddie,” Dad says to the other alpha.

“Wyatt,” Edwin greets my father. Edwin’s beta, Joel, is behind him.

Carl greets Joel while Simon steps towards me. “You look hot, Lenore,” He smirks at me.

I shrug, “This is just some old outfit I threw on,” I look at the ground while Judi snickers. I elbow her.

“Well, do you want to accompany me to the social in the lounge later?” Simon asks.

“I don’t know,” I shrug again.

Judi elbows me hard, “Of course, she will.”

“Judi,” I whisper loudly as my wolf growls. ‘You hush, Astrid.’

‘You shouldn’t be seen with a male who isn’t your mate,’ Astrid warns me.

‘I don’t know my mate yet, Astrid,’ I argue.

Judi elbows me again, and I jump. “Quit yammering with your wolf,” She says through gritted teeth.

Simon is still standing there waiting for my answer. “Yes, I’ll accompany you to the social, Simon,” I respond robotically.

“Perfect,” He grins and clasps my hand. “I look forward to having the most gorgeous girl here on my arm.”

“Simon, come along,” His father Edwin says. He and Simon move away, and we get into the elevator.

I lean against the wall as I catch the woodsy scent from earlier. Astrid starts pacing, and it makes my head hurt. The doors open, and everyone files out but me.

“Lenore,” Dad taps my arm. “Come on, sweetie,” He tugs on me, and I follow. “What’s with you? First, you sniff the king, and now-“ He trails off.

I shake my head. “Nothing, Daddy. I am fine.” I mumble. He puts his arm around me and guides me down the hallway.

“Dreaming,” He laughs. We stopped in front of the rooms we were assigned. He hands me a keycard. “Here, you and Judi take this room.” He kisses my cheek. “We’ll see you, girls, later for the social, alright?”

“Yes, Daddy,” I respond and amble into the room with Judi on my heels. I look around, and it’s a nice-sized room with two queen beds covered in upscale linens. There is a large couch facing a big flat-screen TV and a kitchenette. Judi heads toward the kitchenette and opens the fridge filled with snacks and drinks.

“Alright, booze!” Judi pulls out a small bottle of rum and drinks it right down.

“Don’t get drunk, Judi,” I laugh as I lie down on one of the beds.

“What are you? My father?” She snorts. She lies next to me and downs two more tiny bottles of rum. “We get to live a little, Len.” She laughs and hands me a small bottle.

I open it and drink the contents. I cringe as I am not a fan of alcohol like she is. “Smooth,” I choke.

“Lightweight,” Judi laughs. “So, why were you sniffing King Tyrell earlier?”

“I-I wasn’t sniffing him,” I sit up and fold my arms. “I was sniffing the air around him.”

Judi sits up and downs another bottle of rum. “Oh, the air,” She nods. “Does it have anything to do with your dreams?”

I look down at my hands. “Maybe,” I sigh. “Astrid was acting all weird,” I say as my wolf whines. “Is acting weird.”

“Hmm, maybe your mate really is here,” Judi laughs. “I haven’t smelled mine yet, or Yolanda hasn’t said anything.” She mentions her wolf.

“Lucky,” I mumble.”

“Who do you think it is?” Judi presses.

“Judi,” I whine and lay back down.

“What?” Judi nudges me. “Come on, Lenore. I know you want to wait, but you have to have fantasies about your mate. I do.”

“Really?” I look up at her. “I don’t know. The scent was coming from King Tyrell, but it wasn’t him. Like he hugged someone with the scent.”

“Hmm,” Judi scratches her chin. “Dad did say Alpha Ambrose was coming. He is the king’s cousin too.”

I cringe. “Oh gods, no.” I cry out. “It better not be that hardass.”

“Who knows,” Judi chuckles and lies down beside me while downing another bottle of booze. “Oh, whiskey,” She giggles.

A few hours later, we are getting ready for the social. I put on one of my dresses, a short black cocktail dress with a slit up to my thigh. I put my hair in a smooth high ponytail and some dark makeup. I look over at Judi, and she is wearing a purple baby doll dress and has her blondish hair teased while she puts on some smoky makeup.

“Do we look like whores?” I ask.

“Maybe,” Judi snorts while putting on bright red lipstick.

We finish, and there is a knock on the door. I open it to Simon Dante, dressed in a blue Armani suit. He whistles, “Damn Lenore. You are making my d**k hard,” He laughs and hands me a small bouquet of roses.

“Simon, we are just going to a social,” I tell him.

He eyes Judi, “You can be on my other arm, Josie.”

“Judi, i***t,” Judi snarks, “It’s Judi.”

Simon shrugs. “Whatever,” He snorts.

“I’m going stag,” Judi flips her hair.

I take Simon’s arm and walk out just as my dad walks out of his room. He looks me up and down.

“That dress is a bit short, Lenore,” He remarks.

“Judith Erin Stewart!” Carl yells from behind dad. “You are not going down to the social dressed like a tramp!”

“Dad!” Judi yells back.

Simon grabs my arm and pulls me away, “I think you look just fine,” He whispers.

I look back and wave at my father. “Use protection, Mr. Dante,” Dad jokes.

Simon and I walk to the elevators and ride down together. I notice a few other males eyeing me as we walk towards the lounge. “Everyone is staring at you,” He smirks.

The scent of Scotch is hanging in the air, and I look around as Astrid comes alive and starts whining. I shake my head and lean against Simon.

“Are you alright?” Simon asks me.

“I’m fine,” I respond while looking around. We walk into the lounge, and Simon pulls me straight to the bar.

“What are you having, babe?” He asks while ordering a few vodka shots.

“Something fruity,” I respond. “More fruit than booze.”

Simon rolls his eyes. “Come on, Lenore.”

“I like fruity, Simon,” I argue.

“Fine,” He looks at the bartender. “Martini for me and something girly for her.”

“How about a cosmo?” The bartender suggests.

“Great,” I reply.

The bartender hands us our drinks, and Simon walks me around the room. We chat with some of his friends. They all look at me hungrily while sniffing the air. I eventually see Judi with her brother. She is in a different dress, looking cross. I move toward her, but she suddenly sniffs the air, and her eyes go wide. I watch as a tall male with short brown hair walks up to her.

“Mine!” He growls and pulls her away from Theo.

Judi looks at him with a shock that melts into a smile. She winks at me. ‘I’ll talk later.’ She mind links me and lets the male pull her from the lounge.

“I can’t believe it,” Theo says. “My little sister mated to Ryker Collins,” He shakes his head and downs his drink.

“He is?” I ask.

“The future beta of the Glass Moon Pack,” Theo answers.

“And that’s a bad thing?” I ask.

Theo shudders, “He is just an ass.”

“Judi seemed happy,” I remark.

Simon walks up to me and nods at Theo. “Want to dance?” He asks me.

I shrug and let Simon lead me out to the dance floor. A nineties slow song plays, and I let Simon hold me close. I detect the scent of Scotch again. It is stronger and making my head buzz while Astrid starts growling and pacing. Simon is saying something to me, and I can’t concentrate.

“Uh, huh,” I respond absentmindedly.

We stop dancing, and Simon places a finger under my chin and leans in to kiss me. A loud thunderous growl shakes the lounge, and Simon is pulled violently away from me. I watch him fly a few feet away while I am grabbed and pulled into a hard chest. I look up into a pair of dark eyes.

“Mine!” I hear from the one holding me.

‘Mate!’ Astrid barks happily as I look into the eyes of Alpha Torben Ambrose.