47. Cade
Cade
The day of the tournament arrived. There were fifteen packs in total that had come. As the Alphas and the Lunas came and introduced themselves to both Kaya and me, they would always linger on Kaya. I knew she would get many looks with her facial tattoo, her long black hair, and her tan skin. They all knew she was from the north, and other than the few who had interacted with her at the party at Nightshade Pack, they didn't know much about her.
Nightshade Pack was not attending the tournament. They didn't want to travel when winter was on the cusp, and they already had a Luna, nor did they want any of their warriors to pair up with Annalise. I worried that many of the packs would feel the same once they met her. But there was more at stake than just finding a match for Annalise, alliances.
I knew many still didn't like that our pack had made a comeback. I knew that most packs hated that we had lots of rogues and that they set them on edge. This would show them we are a pack that is not a bunch of degenerates. I grabbed hands with one of the few alphas that had come as they had no Luna. He would be here to win Annalise's hand, I thought.
He shook my hand. "Nice to meet you. I have heard a lot about you. I am Howi, Alpha of the Daybreak pack. "I knew who he was. I had invited him, but this was our first actual face-to-face introduction. I looked down at him. He was not a super tall man. But he had a sturdy frame. His black hair was cropped close to the sides of his head. His tan skin resembled Kaya's.
He then looked at her. "This is my mate, Kaya." His face contorted, but then it relaxed. What was that face about? I didn't linger on it as I had to meet many others. There was so much to do. Getting everyone settled in the huge tents we had arranged. They were nicer than the ones we stayed in out in the north. It was more of a glamping situation for the tournament. Heaters had been set up all over the camp so that it was nice and warm at night.
Helen had told me that Kaya suggested they just tough it out. Still, with a lot of pushing from Helen, Kaya had yielded, and thus, we had a campsite that resembled a resort kind of feel. Huge tents had been set up with tables for eating. It was a colossal affair. I know Kaya had helped a lot, but I also knew Helen had to have helped because Kaya would not have paid this much attention to detail.
The first day was just a meet and greet. Everyone was to mill about getting a lay of the land. Tonight, we would have a giant ball. Which would be a way to present Annalise. Luckily, her father was here to introduce her to the party. There is no way Kaya would have been okay with me moving her around the room on my arm. But I would be required to introduce and update her about prospective mates.
I hoped Charlie from Red Moon Pack would get along well with her. Charlie and I were good friends; he was an alpha from a small pack. He also had an alliance with us, so I knew I would be a good match. I just didn't know if he could stand to be saddled with Annalise. She was vain and selfish. She could fight, but clearly not as good as my mate.
In truth, Annalise had been scared to get close to Kaya after the last time she ended up in the hospital. She understood that I was clearly taken, and she was scared to get another beating from Kaya. Maybe her father told her that when he fought Kaya, it was a draw. That would have been enough for her to stay away. But whatever the case, I was glad she had not been badgering me. I really hoped someone would agree to be with her. I needed to end this deal with Jack. I needed to be free of him without making an enemy.
Kaya came into my mind. "I feel bad I can't talk to anyone." I grabbed her hand. "It is okay. You are here. That is all that matters." And gave her a quick kiss. Kaya and her friends had handled all the food for the whole week. They were not cooking it, but they had brought in trout, moose, elk, deer, turkey, and pheasant. They had hunted and fished to provide more than enough food for the tournament. There was a whole range and not a shortage of any meat.
She and her friends worked in a tight team. I wondered how she planned to teach others in our pack to hunt. I mean, she had been doing it most of her life. But she said she could teach them. It was her goal to make them more self-reliant. Also, she planned to start teaching sign language as soon as the tournament was over. Initially, she wanted to make it optional for everyone, but I had said it would be mandatory.
I wanted her to feel accepted, which meant everyone would be learning to sign. She told me the babies would benefit the most as they could communicate their needs before they talked. It seemed reasonable enough to me. Kimi came up to Kaya. She was signing and saying something about their dresses, I thought.
Kaya looked apprehensive as she signed back. I noticed some people watching the two women conversing with their hands. The few who saw them looked disgusted. Like they were gross and a disappointment. I noticed Howi again; he was watching from the side of a tent, but I couldn't tell what he was thinking, unlike the others, who were disgusted.
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