f*******n by the Alpha

Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

The air is thick with the scent of wildflowers and the heady musk of werewolves in celebration. Laughter ripples through the evening like a brook over stones, and the clinking of glasses provides a sporadic melody. It's a night designed for joy, but there's a tightness in my chest that refuses to yield.

"Everyone seems so happy," I muse aloud, more to myself than anyone else as I trace the rim of my champagne glass with a fingertip.

"Weddings tend to have that effect on people," Mark replies from beside me, his voice a low rumble that seems out of place amidst the gaiety. I glance at him, at those deep brown eyes that have always been too perceptive for my liking, and I wonder if he can hear the discordant thrum of my heartbeat.

Before I can ponder on it further, an unexpected hush falls upon the crowd. The sudden silence is jarring, like a note held too long in a song. I turn toward the source of the interruption and stiffen.

They stand there, unannounced, their presence an affront to the carefully curated peace—a pack of shadows outlined by the golden hue of the setting sun. My nostrils flare as I scent them, the familiar tang of pine and river stone mingling with the unfamiliar. They are not of our territory, not part of this celebration. They are intruders.

"Who invited the River Run Pack?" I murmur under my breath, feeling my hackles rise.

"Nobody," Mark answers tersely, his stance shifting ever so slightly as he steps forward, asserting his role as Alpha before our pack—and now, before our uninvited guests.

Whispers snake through the crowd like a chilling breeze, carrying with them years of buried tensions and whispered grievances. The River Run Pack, our uneasy neighbors held at bay by a truce as fragile as a spider's web, stands at the threshold of our merriment, their intentions unreadable.

My gaze darts to Mark, seeking some clue as to how he will handle this unwelcome complication. His jaw is set, a silent testament to the strength and resolve required of an Alpha. Yet, when he moves, it's not with aggression, but with an unexpected grace that belies the power coiled within him.

"Welcome," he announces, loud enough for both packs to hear. His voice carries the weight of authority but also something else—a hint of diplomacy that I hadn't anticipated. "To the union of our pack members, we extend our hospitality to you as well."

I nearly choke on the air itself. Is he serious? After all the skirmishes along our borders, the stolen prey, the veiled threats—Mark is inviting them to break bread with us?

"Mark," I say quietly, trying to keep my voice steady despite the turmoil swirling inside me. "Is this wise?"

"Peace is always wise, Isla," he replies, not taking his eyes off the other pack's Alpha. "And sometimes peace requires us to embrace those we don't understand, or even trust—yet."

As the River Run Pack hesitates, caught off guard by the offer, I can't help but feel a begrudging respect for Mark's gambit. It's a bold move, one that could either mend old wounds or tear new ones.

"Let's show them how the Pine Pack celebrates," he says to me with a challenging smile, though it doesn't quite reach his eyes. He knows the risks, but he's willing to take them for the sake of something greater.

"May this night be a new beginning," he calls out, raising his glass in a toast that feels more like a declaration of intent than a mere gesture. And as the River Run wolves cautiously make their way into the throng of revelers, I'm left wondering if tonight will indeed mark the dawn of a new era—or the dusk of the old.

As the River Run wolves filter into our midst, a curious energy pulses through the air. The music resumes, a lively tune that feels almost defiant in the face of potential discord. My fingers toy with the delicate lace of my wedding dress, the fabric alien against the rawness of my nerves.

"Care for a dance, my bride?" Mark's voice, warm and strong, breaks through the murmur of voices.

"Of course," I reply, but as I place my hand in his, my gaze strays over his shoulder.

There, threading through the crowd with an easy grace that belies the tension hanging over us all, is him—a strange wolf I’ve never seen before, not much older than my eighteen years. His brown hair is a tousled contrast to the crisp lines of his suit, hinting at a wildness that no attire could tame. When his laughter rings out—clear and unguarded—it tugs at something primal within me, a note that resonates with the restless wolf inside.

"Who's that?" I ask, unable to keep my voice from betraying my curiosity.

"Alex," Mark answers, his tone neutral, eyes following my line of sight. "He's got a reputation for being...charming."

"Charming?" The word tastes like honey and danger on my tongue. "That could be useful."

"Perhaps," Mark concedes, spinning me in time to the music, but his eyes are stormy, the skies before a tempest.

My breath catches as Alex's gaze finds mine across the room. There's a pull, an almost magnetic draw that makes my heart stumble in rhythm. Blue eyes meet green, and for an instant, the world narrows to that silent conversation, a myriad of questions and possibilities sparking in the air between us.

"Enjoying the view?" Mark's question is softly pointed, a gentle prod back to the here and now.

"Always," I answer, too quickly, the lie a fluttering moth in the space between us.

"Remember who you are," Mark murmurs, and there's a warning woven through his words, a reminder of the vows we've just made.

"Remember who we both are," I counter, because this night isn't just about us—it's about our packs, our futures. And as much as it pains me to admit it, maybe someone like Alex, with his disarming smile and his outsider's charm, could bridge the gap between what was and what could be.

"Let's not worry about them right now," Mark says, reclaiming my attention with a kiss to my temple. His touch is meant to anchor me, but the strange allure of the unknown keeps my senses adrift.

"Right now," I agree, though my voice is distant, even to my own ears, my thoughts still tangled with the blue-eyed wolf who watches me like he knows secrets I've yet to uncover.

"Right now" becomes a mantra, a tether to the moment as we dance beneath strings of twinkling lights, surrounded by those who wish us well and those who might wish us anything but. It's a dance of diplomacy, of new beginnings and old fears, and I can't shake the feeling that the true test of our union has only just begun.