Wolfsbane

Chapter 2

I talked to all of the guards that I had working tonight. There was a hundred of them, and they were divided into two groups. Those working inside and keeping watch over the large ballroom, and then the ones that would be outside patrolling the grounds and watching over the pack lines. When I finished giving my orders, I put my clipboard down on a nearby table and headed into the kitchen to grab a quick bite before the main event. 

The kitchen was large and full of people rushing around and talking with each other. Everything about the pack house was large and over the top. The pack house was huge. It had hundreds of rooms that were mostly never used. The only ones that were used regularly were for the higher-ranking pack members and some of the guards. It was more convenient for them to be close in case something was to ever happen. Most Alpha's set up their pack houses similarly. It was for these specific events that a larger house was needed to accommodate all the Alphas. Seeing as we were so far spread across the globe it was just convenient for us to stay at the pack house when visiting other packs. Each pack was divided throughout the earth by hemispheres. The Lycan royalty moved us from one clustered area to our own territories to minimize fighting. Werewolves felt things at greater heights than humans, and we were more likely to lash out and fight than we were to stay calm if offended. The close proximity of the original packs caused lots of accidental deaths.

 Spotting a basket full of muffins that was pushed into a corner, long forgotten by the kitchen staff, I made my way over to it and grabbed a the first one I saw. I grabbed a water out of the fridge and quickly ate. It was around 4:45 p.m. The guests were being led into the ballroom now and soon all the Alphas would be here. Dinner would start in an hour most likely. I sighed and made my way back to the top of the stairs. I stood guard at the top on the balcony overlooking the tables that were set up. There was a staircase on either side of me sweeping down to the floor in a semi circle. There were sparkling chandeliers that made a soft glow on the entire room. From the banisters we had hung flags that proudly displayed all the pack crests. Everything was beautiful. Zeke's mate should be proud. She really outdid herself with this one, I thought to myself as I looked around the room.

At this point, almost all of the Alphas were here. We were just waiting on one more. Looking at my watch it was nearly 5 o'clock and I was getting impatient. The sooner the Alpha got here the sooner I could-

My thought got cut off as I felt a presence behind me. Dominance radiated off into the room, causing a visible effect on the people in the room. I swear I almost saw the other Alphas flinch on the other side of the room. The change in the air was like a shock wave rippling over the crowd. I felt my entire body stiffen as if I had just been paralyzed. I refused to look behind me or even move from my spot. Never once had I dared to meet the eyes of Alpha Hades Crane. I had only met him once before and it was one too many times for me. He commanded power and respect just by walking into a room. He never seemed to have his wolf in control and that was dangerous. For him and everyone around him. I felt his movement behind me pause for a second before he and his pack descended the stairs. I exhaled a breath that I didn't even know I was holding. Worry gnawed at the back of my mind. We hadn't had all the Alphas on our land together in a very long time. I was patrolling the grounds at the last initiation, so I don't know what happened. I just prayed tonight they would keep those volatile tempers in check. 

My eyes drifted to Adrian, the center of attention tonight. He looked like he was holding up, but I knew him better than that. He was nervous, yet he was excited and didn't know what to do with himself. I could see him fidget as he kept a stoic look on his face. He was currently talking with one of the Alphas. Alpha Jowan, one of the northwestern packs. Jowan laughed at something Adrian said before slapping him on the back. Hopefully Adrian was also keeping his temper in check. I could feel tension rising from the dominance the was exuded into the room from the head men. Everyone one anticipating the main event. I growled low in my throat knowing no one could hear me. All the people that gathered, laughing and smiling as if something horrible wasn't going to happen at midnight, was pissing me off. They acted as if this initiation wasn't a horrible ritual. A messed-up tradition that we still held in high regard. I never cared about the sadistic nature of this practice until I realized that my baby brother could die from it. He was the light of my life for the past two hundred years, and that light could be snuffed out in seconds. I felt powerless knowing that I wouldn't be able to protect him. I felt powerless knowing that there was little that anyone could do if he wasn't strong enough.