by Noah Harris
Liam watched him, looking amused, as if he could read his thoughts. “Yes?”
Dante shook his head. “It’s nothing.”
“Just like you had nothing to say about being a piece of meat at a market?” Liam asked knowingly.
Dante laughed. “Exactly like that. I guess the thought just slipped my mind for a minute there.”
Liam’s dark eyes shifted past Dante with a smile. “Well, if you think of it again later, you can always find me. I’ll be around for a few days yet. If the sept is going to offer to house even some ragged mongrel Loner like myself for a few days without a catch, I’ll take advantage of it.”
The farewell Dante was about to voice brought him up short. “They’re heading this way, aren’t they?”
“Handsome and smart. Look at you,” Liam said with a laugh, taking a couple of steps backward.
Dante glanced over his shoulder to see a group of people heading his way and braced himself. When his gaze returned to Liam, he blinked in surprise when he realized the man was completely gone. Nonplussed, he jerked his head left and right in an attempt to find him. He found nothing but milling groups of partygoers, watching him intently. It was as if Liam hadn’t been there at all or had somehow managed to disappear into thin air.
“Neat trick,” Dante grumbled, a little impressed.
“And the charming one speaking to himself over here is him,” Dante heard Elder Marrow say in a jovial voice.
Tensing, Dante turned back around, remembering in a flash why he was standing there in the first place, like a piece of artwork on display. Elder Marrow stood, looking slightly impatient and definitely expectant, before a small group of werewolves who were all watching Dante curiously. A large werewolf, an alpha by his bearing, stood beside Elder Marrow with an equally curious and expectant look on his face.
The man Dante took to be Noah stood at about Dante’s height. He was slightly broader in the shoulders and chest than Dante, which was a feat considering Dante himself was no runt. His thick, sand colored hair was cropped short, accentuating bright eyes which looked almost golden in the firelight, eyes that never left Dante’s face. He certainly looked the part of an alpha, his posture regal, and his bearing dignified. There was a scar along his jaw that drew attention to the strong angle of it. To Dante, he looked every part the noble alpha who routinely led his pack into battle, armed with both teeth and claws.
He wasn’t surprised when Noah spoke with a deep, resonating voice. “Good evening, Dante. It’s an honor to finally meet you after hearing so much about you.”
Knowing he was expected to say something, Dante drew himself up straight. “And a good evening to you as well Alpha Noah, it’s my honor to be here at this meeting.”
At the sound of the formal return, Dante could see Elder Marrow sag with what he knew was relief. If he could have gotten away with it, he would have scowled at the older werewolf. For all his wild nature and tendency toward irreverence, Dante knew what was expected of him and knew what to do when the moment came. He wasn’t fond of all the expectations placed on him, but he hated how everyone seemed to also expect that he would end up falling short. He might give people in the sept a hard time, but...
Ignoring Elder Marrow, and his own thoughts, Dante extended a hand to Noah. “I hope our sept has also shown you the honor and respect you deserve.”
Noah gave him a small smile. “They have been most kind in welcoming myself and my pack. It is good that we can finally cement the bond between our two septs, binding us in peace.”
And there was the other element that bound Dante to the rigidity of following the old tradition that inevitably would make him Noah’s mate. The arrangement had been formed years ago during peace talks between Dante and Noah’s septs. It was a formal agreement, akin to the human’s signing on the dotted line as Erik had once said to him during one of their private conversations. After all these years of peace between the two septs, there was an air of expectancy that the mating between Noah and Dante would be the final step to ensuring it. Dante didn’t think the peace would fall apart if, for some absurd reason, he and Noah didn’t end up becoming mates. The peace had existed for far too long, and it had been too fruitful for both septs for it to fall apart simply because he and Noah didn’t end up together.
“I look forward to the opportunity for us to grow to know one another,” Noah said.
Dante wracked his brain for the proper reply. “You honor me. I hope we can get to know one another better very soon.”
It wasn’t a perfect response, but Dante didn’t care. The intent was obvious, and he’d managed it without a single contraction or swear word. He’d never had the stamina to maintain speaking in overly formal language before and being in front of the whole sept with strangers looking on as well was draining him faster than he had expected. He loathed the necessity for such stiff proceedings and wished they could simply skip to the part where he and Noah were left alone with one another. The alpha would eventually be exposed to the part of Dante he was actively trying to repress right now, as they stood before everyone Dante knew.
“Would you be willing to meet with me on the morrow?” Noah asked politely.
Dante’s glance passed over Noah’s pack behind him as he replied. “Certainly. That would please me greatly.”
Noah nodded. “Then I shall see you then. You and I can greet the sunrise together.”
That was earlier than Dante would have liked, but at least the question of whether the alpha would be alone or not was answered. He couldn’t imagine trying to get to know the man with an audience present. Dante hoped his relief was less obvious than Elder Marrow’s had been moments before when he smiled, nodding low and slowly.
“I look forward to seeing you then,” Dante said, happy that the formal meeting was wrapping up so soon.
“May the rest of the evening bring you happiness,” Noah said as he and his pack backed away slowly.
Dante waited until the group was far enough away to let loose a harsh sigh. “Gaia, I’m so glad that’s over.”
Elder Marrow snorted, having stayed behind. “You did well, as well as could be expected.”
Rosa, to no one’s surprise, appeared at Dante’s shoulder. “He did better than that; he did marvelously. I’m proud of you, Dante. I think you made quite the impression.”
“I sounded like an idiot,” Dante grumbled, hoping he spoke quietly enough that he wasn’t heard.
“Nonsense. You sounded like a proper heir, befitting the future mate of one of the most honored alphas of a respected sept,” Elder Marrow said briskly.
Dante didn’t think there was much of a difference, but he knew better than to say it aloud. He could deal reasonably well with being paired up with a stranger before he was old enough to have changed yet. The exhausting part was the ritual formality that felt to him like an awkward dance. All too often, he was left feeling half-drunk when he tried to maintain the mindset necessary to please his teachers. Formality wasn’t in his nature, and it took more effort than he was given credit for to keep up appearances.
It was over and done with, however, and he could breathe a little easier now that he’d gone through the song and dance with everyone watching. Now came the part where he and Noah were expected to go through another dance: the awkward and uneasy dance of courtship. The two of them were expected to be mates, but they would have to go about it properly. The next couple of weeks would be filled with the two of them spending time with one another, learning about each other. Dante’s time would be consumed by deciding if he and Noah were truly compatible, while knowing he was expected to say yes, no matter what. His life’s course had been decided for him many years before, all that was left was to go through the motions.
Dante took another deep breath. “Can I have that drink now?”
Chapter Four
Dante awoke at what he would have sworn was the first chirp of the birds outside. He sat up, his blankets wrapped around him, blinking at the dark room in confu
sion before realizing he was awake. It was the sound of the birds outside that told him he hadn’t simply awoken in the middle of the night. The sun would be creeping over the horizon soon, and that meant Noah would be at his door even sooner than that.
Groaning, he swung his legs out of bed, pausing to stretch his arms up to the ceiling. It felt as if he’d hardly slept at all, but he appreciated the feel of his muscles pulling comfortably beneath his skin. He leaned over to fumble with the bedside lamp, turning the oil-soaked wick up until it lit. It wasn’t quite bright enough to illuminate the whole room, but it was enough to make him wince against the glare.
He stumbled to the nearby shallow wash basin, splashing some of the cool water on his face. Shaking his head, he began searching for clothes he thought might be appropriate. There had been more than enough people over the last couple of months who’d drilled him on what he was supposed to say, how he was supposed to act, and even what he was supposed to wear. The problem was, most of that attention had been focused on the more formal moments Dante would share with Noah. Very little of it had focused on the private moments.
“I guess I’m supposed to figure that out on my own,” he told the armoire, frowning at it.
Picking out an outfit for something more than just spending his day with Erik was something he generally left to Rosa, who was notably absent this morning. He suspected she and the Elders were leaving the first real meeting between him and Noah to Dante. He didn’t have a clue whether he was supposed to pick out something slightly formal or stick with casual. Was it important that he looked regal and dignified when all they were doing was watching the sunrise together and talking? Would it be important that they’d probably share breakfast together? His head spun as he tried to figure out what he was supposed to do, realizing how unprepared he was.
Huffing in annoyance, he settled on a loose shirt he barely wore, and a pair of clean pants. If Noah showed up at the door in more formal wear, Dante could always run back into the house saying he wasn’t quite ready yet. There wouldn’t be anyone else around to know he was making it up, and it was the only way he could think of that would preserve whatever dignity he might have left.
Three soft knocks came, spaced apart enough that the noise wasn’t jarring in the early morning silence. It did nothing to stave off the sudden tightness in Dante’s throat as he realized Noah was there. With a final flurry of movement, he yanked on the cleanest pair of boots he had, tying them in a hurry and pulling the cuffs of his pants over the mess he’d made of the laces.
Before he could second-guess himself, he threw open the door with what he hoped was a welcoming smile. “Good morning, Alpha Noah!”
To Dante’s immediate relief, the man on his doorstep was dressed casually. His clothes still somehow managed to look nicer than Dante’s, but that was more due to the man’s regal bearing than to the quality of the clothing. Despite his nerves, Dante had to admit the alpha was a striking presence, even in what amounted to a simple button-up shirt and light-colored jeans. The alpha paused just as Dante opened the door, taking in the sight of Dante standing there, which did nothing to help his nerves.
After a moment, Noah looked Dante in the eye and smiled. “Good morning, Dante. I hope I’m not too early for your liking.”
Ignoring the fact that he’d literally just pulled on the last of his clothing, Dante shook his head. “Certainly not. I’m ready to go when you are.”
Noah’s eyes flicked to the top of Dante’s head. “If you’d like, I can give you a moment more. I tend to be extremely punctual, sometimes to the point of being early, so if you would like more time…”
Dante’s hand shot up to try and smooth down the hair that was obviously still sticking up from his pillow. “No, but would you like something to drink before we go? Sunrise isn’t for a little while yet, and I make a fairly passable cup of coffee.”
Noah glanced over Dante’s shoulder. “I wouldn’t be imposing upon you, would I?”
Glad that he’d had the forethought to recently clean his home for just this reason, Dante shook his head as he stepped back motioning the alpha inside his house. “No. By all means, please come in.”
“I appreciate it,” Noah said with a smile, the emotion behind which Dante couldn’t quite figure out.
His house wasn’t large by any means, but Dante wasn’t ashamed of it as he let Noah into his home. His room was the only space separated from the rest of the house, his door had been left partly ajar hiding his bed and armoire from view. There was enough space in the remaining room for a small kitchenette, a dining table fit for two, and a couple of comfortable chairs. There were a few pieces of his life lying around from his years of living in the home that had been assigned to him as a child. Rosa had lived in the house with him at one time, but that had passed years ago once Dante was deemed capable of taking care of himself.
“I hadn’t known you lived on your own until I arrived,” Noah said, as if explaining himself.
“The sept built this house for me when I was young. Rosa, the woman who’s been like a mother, nanny, teacher, and anything else you can think of, to me, used to live here until I was old enough to live alone,” Dante explained as he started a fire in the stove to boil the water.
“They specifically built this for you?” Noah asked, sounding surprised.
Dante glanced up from the stove at the tone of the alpha’s voice. “Yes. It was decided it might be too cruel for me to continue living in the home of my original pack. I didn’t know that until I was older, of course, but I’m thankful for it.”
“I imagine it would have been painful to continue living where your family had once lived,” Noah said.
The sting of the old wound kept Dante quiet as he began to add ground coffee beans to the heated water. He didn’t bear Noah or his sept any malice for a war Dante himself could barely remember. It had been too long ago, and there was too much goodwill shared between their septs for him to hang onto it. Time had dulled the sharp edges of the pain he felt when he remembered his family, but there were times when the memory welled up within him and brought a familiar ache with it. He didn’t talk about his early childhood memories, both good and bad, with anyone.
“I apologize. I am speaking out of turn,” Noah said hastily.
Dante shook his head. “No, it’s quite alright. It was quite some time ago.”
Noah seemed to quickly accept that, leaving Dante with a pang of doubt. It wasn’t that he expected Noah to pull him close and tell him everything was going to be alright. He was definitely old enough to be beyond the need for comfort at the loss of a family he knew only from past memories. Still, he couldn’t help but feel that something that could have clicked into place between them had slipped away. Instinctually, he knew the other man hadn’t suffered much loss in his life, and especially hadn’t lost anything to the war of their younger years.
“I hope your family is well,” he said, trying to find a better topic to discuss.
“My pack is healthy and strong. My immediate family, my mother and sister, remain back in my sept’s territories, busy with their own responsibilities. My father passed a few years ago, leaving me to vie for control of the pack,” Noah said as if he were spouting off a list.
“Your father passed? I’m sorry to hear that,” Dante said, trying for sympathy.
Noah shook his head, “No need to be sorry. He was a strong leader and taught me everything he knew before he died in battle. His death was noble, and he honored me by teaching me.”
Dante made a noise that he hoped came across as interested as he turned to begin pouring the dark coffee through a sieve into a mug. For a brief moment, he wondered if his earlier assessment of Noah’s history of loss had been wrong. The utterly clinical way Noah spoke of his father’s passing dashed that hope, however, and he was glad to have a moment to hide the expression of dismay that crossed his face. They were only a few minutes into getting to know one another and he was already wondering how the hell he was going to
find a way to connect to the alpha werewolf.
Chapter Five
Dante flopped onto the sandy beach with a groan of relief. It had taken until the late afternoon, but he had finally managed to shake Noah. The alpha had been polite, well-mannered, and attentive throughout the entire time they’d spent together. Keeping up the pretense of looking well-bred had been easier on Dante than it had been with an audience, but it had still worn him down by the time he’d politely managed to excuse himself from Noah. They would, of course, be spending more time together the next day, but Dante contented himself with having the remainder of the day to himself to unwind.
Now that he was finally facing the very situation the Elders and Rosa had spent years preparing him for, they had remained at a distance from him. He knew full well they were watching the proceedings, hoping for the best possible outcome. All Dante wanted was a sense of normality since his life had been turned upside down in the course of a day. To his disappointment, Erik had been sent out into the field, as the scout’s talents were apparently needed elsewhere. Dante didn’t want to be cynical, but he sensed the Elder’s hands in that decision. He suspected he would see little of his best friend over the course of the next couple of weeks. The Elders were clearly hopeful that Erik’s influence would be diminished.
“Interfering at every turn,” he grumbled into thin air.
“Do you always talk to yourself?” a familiar voice asked.
Dante craned his neck, startled at realizing he was not alone, to see Liam perched on a large rock further up the beach. “How long have you been sitting there?”
Liam tilted his head, a playful glint in his eyes. “Long enough to see you walk up, throw yourself on the beach like you’ve been carrying around a sack full of rocks all day, and then begin talking to yourself.”