Chapter 32|The Engagement Party.

......

Lucas paced along the corridor that led to the East Wing from the West Wing with an impassive expression on his face. The arrival of the Lichen Pack members had his blood freezing to ice. Over the past few days that he's been with Arabella he felt her growing on him.

He knew fully well his attraction wasn't one-sided, the sensations he felt at their slightest touch was unlike anything he's ever felt in his life before and he damn well knew she felt it too.

The first time they got lost in the moment was when she found him in his wolf form, his wolf screamed mate at him and she turned until her eyes found his with a strange glint to her orbs. He had the wild urge to run to her and when she noticed his intention Arabella escaped from him. The second time was when they went on a ride to the city in his Bugatti veyron. He felt like it was the first time she let go of whatever it was that held her back from enjoying life for she did nothing to hide the exhilaration and excitement she felt at the ride and topped it off when they went to a bonfire party he was invited to.

His friend, Ben asked if she was up for the taking and Lucas almost killed him if their other friend Josh hadn't intervened. Josh had warned him to keep his calm and assured him that no one was taking his girl from him.

She was unaware of all that transpired as she was too busy getting carried away by the song that was playing out loud from the speakers while dancing with the other girls around.

"Luke where the hell have you been?" Josh asked after Ben left them to join the girls he came with.

"Around. Busy." He curtly replied never taking his eyes off Arabella who was laughing loudly at something Josh's mate Evie was saying.

Josh nodded before speaking, "Know how it feels when you meet your mate. I bet you find it hard to part with her for the briefest of moments huh?"

"What the fuck are you talking about? She's.." Lucas gulped unable to complete his sentence. Attaching her name to his brother's was something that never failed to irk him and jumble his thoughts until he was a seething mess. "Never mind." Lucas added after a minute long thought.

"It's complicated yeah?" Josh added taking a swig of his drink from the bottle. "Well, let's catch up with the girls shouldn't we? Tonight's not for sulking. Don't think hard, leave that for tomorrow. You and I have a lot of catching up to do 'cause you've been what? Gone MIA for some time."

Lucas agreed with Josh and spent his night having too much fun with his brother's intended and the woman he knew and felt to the tip of his toes was his mate. It could easily pass as the best night of his life.

Fuck. Lucas cursed as he took in the sight of his Brother walking side by side with Arabella. He had no idea that the Alpha was back from wherever the hell he went to.

Lucas walked out of the shadows meeting the couple with his usual carefree smirk plastered on his face. The vibes he portrayed to the outer world was the total opposite of his feelings. He felt like prying the two away from each other with a force that couldn't be reckoned with.

"Hello Brother." He casually greeted, his eyes never straying past Alexander's shoulder and neither did he acknowledge the woman beside him whose hand was holding tight unto his brother's.

Lucas clenched his jaw hard and found that his expression mirrored that of his brother.

They both were warring with their hearts and foremost needs all for the sake of the their Pack members' lives. He loves his brother and Lucas was never the type who acts selfishly impulsive. He might be impulsive yes but never on something he knew fully well was wrong. Despite his flaws and wayward ways Lucas knew when to stop and behave without having anyone laying out the obvious to him.

"Hello Luke." Alexander greeted back perfunctorily taking his hand out of Arabella's and staring at his brother attentively.

The two exchanged pleasantries and parted ways without Arabella and Lucas bothering to acknowledge one another.

It was at that moment that Lucas vowed to oblige by what the edict decreed despite his heart being against it with the whole of its being. The knowledge that his Brother too had found happiness in his mate but it was short lived all because of the Godforsaken edict fueled his decision to abide by it too.

But for now since Alexander said nothing about the chore of following Arabella around, Lucas decided to apprise him about everything he's found out.

Including her trip to the abandoned building.

.....

Isabelle's P O V.

A feast was held in celebration of the De Luca Pack Alpha's betrothal to Arabella of the Lichen Pack. Pack members from all around the world on short notice attended the event bearing gifts and words of praises to the newly engaged couple.

I was literally forced into a Peach satiny dress by Leah before the latter garbed herself into a Black knee length body fitting dress with Black respresenting her emotions as per her words. She even had me puckering my lips so she could apply lipstick on it.

I was helped into the ballroom by Francis who held me by the elbow murmuring words that emboldened my resolve. He for one knew just how recent Alexander and I spent the last few days in each other's company. To say I was heartbroken would be a joke. I was devastated and the feeling was soaring upwards by every step we took.

It was customary for every guest to personally wish the betrothed couple well with a gift or a flower so Francis helped pick up a gift for Arabella while I deliberately plucked a rose from the garden earlier. A rose filled with thorns that bit into my sensitive skin until blood peeped from my fingers.

The hurt I felt when it pierced through my skin was nothing compared to the one I felt when I took in the sight of Alexander dressed in an immaculately tailored suit. He was garbed in black, only the flower clipped over his suit front was red.

His expression went from all smiles to what only I could decipher. It was the look he gets whenever he sees me with Francis. A sort of gloomy expression washes over his face as his eyes stay rooted to the point where our bodies meet, his scorching glare felt like he was wordlessly demanding at Francis and I to let go of each other.

I know what his concern was regarding the two of us. He hates that Francis gets to hold my hand in public while he doesn't, Francis gets to talk to me, go out with me, have fun with me while he's forced to sit back and watch without taking an action and it was grating at his nerves knowing he couldn't do all those things to me and furthermore he couldn't stop anyone else from indulging in the privilege of being with me.

"Congratulations My Alpha, the Future Queen." I acknowledged both of them the same way Francis did before handing my lone rose to the Alpha.

In the short time span of him collecting the rose from my grasp, with his thumb Alex rubbed on my pricked finger, soothed its pain with his eyes in mine. Before we were forced to move away for Damon and Leah to say their well wishes I caught him wiping his finger that was stained with my blood over his mouth in a very brief and sharp motion that had me shivering.

Francis took me to our designated seats, as the Beta of the De Luca Pack, his seat was always at the right hand of the Alpha, then the Delta next. But in occasions as such a space was created for a plus one which meant I was seated between Francis and Damon.

Damon held my eye and gave me a reasssuring nod that had me feeling fourty percent of my worries subsiding because this is unfeeling and unemotional and unperturbed Damon we're talking about. From how he's portrayed to be heartless around here I assumed he cared less if I was Alexander's mate or a weekend fling. This small gesture had the respect I had for him multiplying tenfold.

Feeling slightly overwhelmed, I nodded back in gratitude.

The meal was eaten in silence save for the occasional clink of cutlery hitting ceramic and whispers between a couple or two.

I twirled the food in my plate round and round until Lucas mentioned that I was supposed to be eating my food and not twirling it about. My cheeks heated up as everyone's attention diverted from their plates to me. I felt warm all the way from the tip of my red hair to my feet.

Way to go Luke.

Over the past two days since Leah and I returned to the Pack manor Lucas has began acknowledging me as a person of my own not only as the girl Alexander came with and claims to be his mate. We've had a few conversations and it got more obvious to me why he was said to be the carefree brother to the uptight Alex.

A lot has happened over the past two days, first the Lichen Pack members coming to set a date for the wedding and engagement party. Next thing we knew it was scheduled for two days after. Alexander returned yesterday and we only met once. That was when he came to meet Old Bea, he had no idea that I was in the room as he admitted to not wanting to play along for the engagement party tomorrow. She assured him that doing so will lead to nothing but war and his own people will turn on him, loathe him for being a failure and a self-centered leader for refusing to agree to the Blood Oath. Alexander sat with hunched shoulders and left after Old Bea promised him that things were going the right way as long as he was patient.