Into the Alpha’s Keep Chapter 66: 66

The respect they felt for the elders and the laws they had created was admirable. Perhaps this was the reason why the packs worked so well, respecting the established rules.

"How about the party?" Mihaela asked.

"We'll keep the party, but we'll have heightened security. If they spot any suspicious wolf who doesn't belong to the pack, they should report it immediately to one of the guards. That’s the rule we set to keep the Samhain safe," Anton said.

I lowered my head and stared at my hands, feeling a bit distressed about all of this.

"Do you really think they have a chance of attacking the party?" I asked in a whisper.

There would be pups at the party, females, and many pack members there to have fun. No one else needed to die because of me.

"I highly doubt it," Fenrir declared, raising an eyebrow. "With the number of guards I’ve placed around the territory, they wouldn’t risk it. They won’t even be able to get close enough."

"And if someone betrays you?" I asked, very obviously.

He exhaled, seeming offended.

"No one would betray me, I’m their alpha." He scowled.

"But it could happen."

"It could, but it won’t."

"If anyone betrays Fenrir, they’ll die the worst possible death. I can’t imagine how that person could be so stupid as to trade information with them," Anton murmured.

"Exactly, because Fenrir wouldn’t be able to control himself. He’d kill the traitor the moment he found out the truth. If it were me, I’d send them to the elders' prison," Andrei declared.

"Elders' prison?" I asked, confused.

"Where the traitor wolves are sent. They never leave there, not until death finds them," Mihaela explained.

That made sense. There were five packs, keeping order among all of them must be... exhausting. Although each pack had an alpha to lead them.

"There’s nothing more satisfying than taking a life that’s worthless, especially traitors," Fenrir laughed. "Taking them to the elders’ prison would take that opportunity away from me."

"Have you never sent anyone to their prison?" I asked.

He shook his head.

"Not alive, at least."

They moved on to a lighter topic, discussing where the bonfires would be lit. I grabbed a knife and tried to carve a piece of wood, failing miserably at the task before giving up and going to the kitchen to prepare lunch for everyone.

I looked at all of them for a moment, and a smile spread across my face. Selena would like all of them, she would live happily in Dăneşti, if things were always like this.

***

The silver light was cast over the bonfires burning in tall pyres around the open clearing, and the early winter chill bit at my skin as I watched the pack gathered around the dancing flames.

An upbeat tune played as five wolves played different instruments, creating the perfect melody for the cold night. One played a cimbalom, another a flute, the third a violin, the fourth had a tambal, and to complete the band, an accordion.

Their voices echoed loudly, reverberating through the trees:

“Together we are strong, together we will sing. Under the ancient moon, dancing. Dăneşti, our glory, until dawn. In Samhain, our souls will be reborn.”

“This is amazing,” I whispered, the vapor of my breath marking the air.

“Wait until Beltane,” Alexandra replied beside me, rubbing her arms to ward off the cold. “Everything gets better in the heat.”

They danced around the bonfires, extending their palms, touching them as they spun in a perfect circle, scattering the leaves that had fallen to the ground through the air.

The snow hadn’t started to fall yet, but I suspected it wouldn’t be long, with the temperature dropping lower and lower.

“Finally, a new year,” Mihaela sighed, swallowing a bit of ţuică to warm herself. “I thought this day would never come.”

Their festive dates were different, following traditions too old for me to fully understand. In Twilight and Eclipse, the alphas thought it best to align with the human holidays, following contemporary times. But that wasn’t the case in Dăneşti. Although they used technology, modernizing with the years, they maintained these little ancient traditions. And in a way, I liked that, that originality.

“Why?” I asked, grabbing a shot of ţuică from the wooden round table in front of us. I took a deep breath and brought it to my lips, drinking it all. The warmth of the strong drink was comforting, but it made me shiver.

Mihaela shrugged.

“The last year was... chaotic.” She shot me a look. “I mean, don’t take offense, I’m not talking about the fact that you came into our lives,” she amended, blushing in embarrassment. “I’m just talking about the deaths, the whole chase and...”

“I understand, Miha. Don’t worry,” I interrupted with a hand gesture. “I’m not offended.”

“You showing up in our lives was the best thing that happened in the last few years,” Alexandra said. “Things were getting too boring.”

I blew out a laugh.

“For sure, I made your lives less boring,” I teased.

A few people passed by me, and they lowered their heads in a silent greeting. I gasped, stunned by that small gesture I wasn’t expecting. They used to ignore me at parties, avoid me as if I were the plague.

I grabbed Alexandra’s arm and leaned my lips toward her ear.

“What’s going on?” I whispered, looking around, startled.

She pouted, pondering.

“I think everyone has already heard how Fenrir has been ignoring Marilyn.”

“And?” I insisted, unable to contain myself.

“And that can only mean one thing: that he’s involved with you. As our alpha, they know you’ll soon become the queen of Dăneşti.”

I blinked, shaking my head in denial.

“They’re wrong.”

Mihaela laughed loudly.

“Really? This bite mark you carry on your neck, very similar to the one he’s flaunting on his own neck, is that ‘mistake’ you’re talking about?” she asked, mockingly, making air quotes with her fingers.

A heat rose up my neck, concentrating on my face.

I hadn’t thought about how the bite would look to them, but now that they were bringing it up, everything seemed so obvious.

Heavens.

“So... they think Fenrir and I are... together?” I croaked, my voice barely a whisper.

Alexandra lifted the beer mug in front of her lips, hiding a smile.

“Let me explain one thing to you, Sava, since you don’t seem to realize how things work with mated couples.” I fixed my gaze on her, nodding. “When a couple appears with a new bite on their body and one smelling of the other...” she flared her nostrils, “like you’ve been smelling like Fenrir lately and he’s been smelling like you, it means the couple...” she cleared her throat, “kind of mated.”

I blinked and tilted my head to the side, confused.

“Mated?”

Mihaela snorted and rolled her eyes.

“Had sex, slept together, renewed the mating vows, made love...”

“Heavens, I get it!” I stiffened. “Oh my God...” I gasped, looking around, feeling like I was going to die any second from the sheer embarrassment.

“It was kind of hard to get you to understand, so I thought I’d list all the synonyms for the act,” she clicked her tongue.

“Thanks a lot, Mihaela, I already got it,” I mocked, smiling awkwardly. “Fenrir and I, we didn’t... I mean... not in that way...” I had no idea how to explain to them that what had happened didn’t mean anything, much less what they were thinking. It happened in the heat of the moment, when adrenaline was taking over us.

“No need to explain anything to me, I’m more than happy about it,” Alexandra declared.

“Happy?” I raised an eyebrow.

She nodded.

“I really hope you two work out. Fenrir deserves someone like you.”

“I agree with her,” Mihaela said.

I sighed and looked down, staring at my makeshift outfit for the party. The simple brown dress went down to my feet, covering the warm and soft boots I had chosen to wear to make the night more comfortable. The dress was pretty, but the fur coat covered most of it. I wasn’t well-dressed, but I was warm and cozy.

“What are you guys talking about?” Andrei asked, stopping by my right side, and Anton stood next to him.

“About how Savannah mated...” Mihaela murmured.

“I’m loving the party,” I cut in, lifting my face and looking around. “Everything’s so beautiful and different.”

Andrei narrowed his eyes, suspicious.

“Hmm... are you sure that’s what you were talking about?”

“And why wouldn’t it be?” I hissed.

“Why are you so red?” Anton interjected.

I grabbed another shot of ţuică and brought it to my lips, feeling the liquid melt down my esophagus. I coughed, making a face.

“Because of the alcohol and the heat from the fire,” I lied, pointing to the pyre closest to us, where the flames were dancing high and the fire was crackling.

“Uh-huh,” Andrei said, disbelieving.

I grabbed a mug of butterbeer and drank half of it, trying to stave off the embarrassment I was feeling with the alcohol.

Normal couples were supposed to have sex all the time, that was a fact. But Fenrir and I weren’t a couple. And now the whole pack knew what had happened between us.

I swallowed, feeling hotter than I should in the mild weather.

I spotted Anca dancing with a dark-skinned male, a little older than her. Upon seeing me, she waved her hand and smiled, blowing me a kiss in the air before going back to focusing on the dance.

“My mom is a fan of yours,” Alexandra commented.

“Really.” Andrei huffed. “We spent a whole week at home listening to her talk about how beautiful, sweet, and kind you are.”

I smiled, happy with the compliments.

“She’s the one who’s kind.”