By My Side

In my bedroom, I change clothes and jump straight into bed.
Sleep is not long in coming and I am fully rested when I wake up the next day. 'Jace, don't forget. The meeting tomorrow morning. Be early, I won't tolerate you being late this time,' I warn my Beta in the mind link. Obviously, he's still asleep.
After a bath, I get dressed in a shirt and jacket.
As I go down the stairs, I run into Clark. “Hey man, good to have you here. Because of Jace, clearly nothing will come of him today”, I sigh. Together we walk to the conference room where a delegation of two packs is waiting for me. These business meetings are crucial for the region. They are more evaluations of bilateral alliance agreements between packs and pack politics. If they are held in Midnight Moon, I personally lead them but outside the pack Jace takes care of them.
“Alpha King, you know Jace is out for now. He has yet to recover from the rejection, it is a heavy blow for him”, Clark whispers to me. “Remarkable, actually. How can a rejection from a rankless she-wolf have such a big impact on a Beta?” he asks, still in a low tone. “And then a pup at it. Is Jace acting or has this strange mating toned him down? I advise you to keep a close eye on him. Is he slacking?”
I don't dwell on Clark's words for too long and start the meeting.
Fortunately, Jace has done much of the preliminary work through digital conferences and email exchanges and this conference is only meant to finalize the subjects. Afterward, we have a short informal chat with a drink, whereafter the guests are invited to the main dining room. But I won't join them, I must leave for my next obligation. When I step out of the conference room I bump into Jace. He looks apologetic. “Enrick, please excuse me. I had a bad night, the walls seemed to be closing in on me," he explains. “Gamma, thank you for replacing me at such short notice. I'll take over from you after this. The warriors and Cleo are waiting for you”.
I nod to Clark, who leaves immediately and walk with Jace to the front door of the packhouse.
“Alpha King, I've been waiting for fifteen minutes. You haven't forgotten our appointment, have you?" it sounds suddenly behind us. When I turn around I see Alcina standing there, dressed in a formal business three-piece. Even Jace looks up at her appearance, he can hardly hide his surprise.
“Will you come with us? Why?" My Beta goes into defense mode.
I'm sure this has to do with the possibility of Alcina standing next to me at an official event, a position destined for the Luna Queen. And Jace is in the circumstances to defend Drina's place. I stand here watching how everything evolves. “Alcina, we had indeed agreed that you would wait for me here”, I agree. "Come on, we're just leaving." I stop so she can step out in front of us. She strides past me but way too close to my body. Jace growls slightly as he stares at her.
When we get to the car, Jace holds the back door open for Alcina.
Pouting, she takes a seat while Jace occupies the passenger seat. As we drive away, I brief him about the meeting with the delegation and what needed to be done next. Jace is an intelligent guy, I don't have to use many words to make myself understood. He is the best man on the job, I wouldn't know what to do without his assistance. The issue of Erina is on my mind. I want to ask him about what actually happened but not in front of Alcina. Jace's powers are now at their weakest and I don't want to alarm the enemy.
When we arrive at our destination, a crowd is waiting for us.
Deftly, Jace ensures that Alcina doesn't get a chance to walk next to me. He maneuvers her behind us and walks to my right as we greet the people. I hear some bystanders asking each other who knows the woman behind us. Some are convinced she is Jace's mate, as they saw me with a woman a few nights ago.
“But where is our Alpha King's beautiful date? It would be good if she accompanied him again. She was so stately and elegant, a true Luna Queen. This one is just a weak human,” whispers an older woman. I'm sure Alcina heard the comments, Jace most certainly did. My Beta is grinning from ear to ear, clearly content with the approval Drina has received from pack members.
Even when we are assigned seats, Jace makes sure that Alcina is further away from me, much to the woman's frustration. Her face is stormy, she can hardly contain her anger. I suppress a grin, thinking my Beta is superb. Now I can entirely focus on the activity and be less alert to a pushy diva. When it was my turn to perform the official opening, I decided to give Alcina a gentle parody.
“I am delighted to do this opening. Not only are more pack members finding a job here, but entrepreneurship is promoted with this huge investment. It is offering our pups hope for a carefree future”, I say with a broad smile. “By the time my pups are allowed to apply here too, I hope more of these centers have been built.” I let out a dramatic sigh. “But then yes, I'll have to wait a little longer before the pups arrive. My mate is still in the dating phase. I hope to get her into the mating and expansion phase soon,” I add, without looking at Alcina.
The audience goes wild with laughter.
And everyone got the hint.
Jace chuckles like crazy, the moment is hilarious.
Previously, Drina was presented as my date and she was walking beside me on my hand.
Alcina hasn't been announced, I'll leave that to Jace. The difference between the women is crystal clear....