The three tears I had let fall were now dry and stiffening along my cheeks. I wiped at them until I was sure all signs of their existence were gone. Behind me I heard the door slide open and I pressed my forehead against my knees; as if that would keep me unseen.
There was a moment of silence before the door slid back. Boots hit the deck twice before coming to a stop.
I knew who it was without having to turn. There was only one person who'd rather stand on the sidelines rather than be in the party. "I hate saying goodbye." I told him after a second.
A cool breeze cut through the porch and I pulled my knees tighter against my chest. I didn't receive much warmth, but it didn't really matter. I didn't care about the cold.
"Sometimes it feels like that's all I do." I whispered; now talking more to myself than to Michael. I could hear him walking closer to me, but I still didn't look at him. I didn't feel like I had to.
"That may be true on most days," Something heavy fell onto my shoulders and I lifted my head to see Michael draping his coat over me. It was warm, which told me he'd been wearing it for some time, "But it won't be tomorrow."
I frowned slightly and tilted back my head so I could look at him. "What do you mean? Of course I'm going to say goodbye tomorrow. Weren't you listening to Alex earlier? My parents are leaving, again." I narrowed my eyes at him in frustration for a second before turning my glare to my knees.
Michael's hand whipped out and cupped my chin with his fingers. "Don't look away from me."
"Isn't that what I'm supposed to do?" I spat bitterly. I was upset, emotional, and too outspoken for my own good, but at that moment I didn't really care. "You're the Beta. I'm submitting to you."
Michael forced me to turn back around so I was staring directly into his eyes. He was pissed; I could read it in his eyes and see it by the way he was leaning and gripping the back of my chair. "Don't insult me, Elaine. I know you well enough to know when you're submitting to me and when you're mocking me."
"I'm not mocking you." I'm trying to get away from you, I added silently. It wasn't just him. I was trying to get away from everyone. Why else did he think I left the party? I pulled against his hold, but like with Gabriel at London camping, I was stuck.
I glanced behind him, to find someone helpful, but only came to realize just how alone I was with Michael. Everyone else was still inside enjoying cake and ice cream.
My eyes were locked on his and I felt my heart quicken in my ribcage. It was heavy and fast and forced me to recognize the danger in this situation. I wanted nothing more than to get out of this position. Arguing, yelling, and even some physical fighting I could handle. Feelings these emotions, ones I didn't know how to describe, I could not handle.
Then he blinked and I saw the inner battle that he fought to get the emotion that had leaked out of his emotional mask back under control. "Go back inside." Michael straightened up and let out a long loaded sigh.
CL
The next morning I dragged my feet as I went downstairs. Mom was standing in the hallway with a checklist in her hands. She was practically famous for them. Where ever she was going she always had a list of things she needed to take and needed to do before leaving.
She said it was something her father had done. I said it was her controlling werewolf personality.
I walked up to her and wrapped my arms around her waist from behind. "I hate when you leave." I had whispered, but my tone was strong and firm; unlike how I was feeling.
Mom glanced back at me and gave me a strange look. I suddenly felt very subconscious, "But you're coming with us." She glanced over her other shoulder. I followed her gaze and saw my dad and Michael walking out of the kitchen.
Michael's eyes met mine almost instantly.
"Why didn't you tell me?" I was torn between running up to my room to pack a quick overnight bag or staying to yell at the Beta. He'd let me lose an entire night's sleep when he could have eased my worries the night before. He had plenty of opportunity to tell me I was going with them, while we were on the porch.
"You hardly gave me the chance." Michael told me almost patronizingly.
I scoffed, but instantly stepped back and lowered my ignorant gaze from his. I didn't want him to change his mind and make me stay, because I was being disrespectful. "Give me five minutes." Then, without wasting any more time, I bolted up the stairs.
Chapter Nineteen
The Romanesque building stood tall and solid despite the damage that it had endued during the Second World War. I stood on the concrete street and peered up at the many towers, dark windows, and chipped stonewalls. Engravings of what looked like Celtic symbols proudly stared down at me. I stayed on the sidewalk even though my parents had walked ahead.
It had been years since I had set foot in Germany. I had been away from the Gross St. Martin church even longer. The last time I stepped up to those huge doors was nine years before when Nathaniel had brought Pavel and me here for a meeting with the German alpha's. Standing here brought back than just my own memories, but those of my people. The city, then village, of Cologne was where the ways of Lycanthropy began, or at least the public version. Just miles from here were where humans first saw the reality of werewolves.
Hundreds of years had passed since that shocking event, but things hadn't changed much. We still hid our nature and sang to the moon silently so humans didn't catch on to the truth, or at least tried to.
"That's what I hate about this place." Alexander's voice, right behind my left ear, made me jump. I tilted down my jaw in respect as my alpha stepped up to my side. "It makes me think."
I glanced at Alex out of the corner of my eye and saw that he was studying the church. Instead of awe, like the expression many tourists wore as they passed the building, I saw anguish, anger, and the dull flicker of pain that he was trying to mask.
A second later he turned to me. His expression grew serious once more, "You'll sit with your parents." He told me, "Don't speak unless spoken to."
I nodded once and watched Alex turn his eyes back to Gross St. Martin's. I followed his gaze and saw my mom waving me over. After a nod to Alex I attempted to walk faster than a walk to where my parents were waiting. Moving faster than a cautious walk was hard enough for me, in these heels and the dress I was decked out in.
The dark skirt fell loosely to my knees and swayed with each step I took. My top was just as dark as my skirt, almost black, and had a modest neckline that didn't make me blush whenever someone's gaze turned to me, thank goodness. I was nervous enough without knowing my face matched my mom's red lipstick.
I kept my face neutral as we walked up the steps. Once we reached the door I saw someone walking out them. The church was closed to the public for today, so even if I hadn't recognized the man, I knew it wouldn't have been a human.
Emerson, the German alpha male, was a tall man. He was at least 6"7. His hair was dark and thick while his eyes were a mix between mud brown and deep honey. He was definitely pure German. His features were strong and long; especially his jaw, and his lips were thin.
"Alexander Durand," Emerson and Alexander met each other at the stairs, a few feet away from where I stood, and shook hands firmly.
Alexander grinned at his friend, "Are we the last to arrive?"
"Nein, Alexander." Alexander met Emerson on the stairs. The Germany Alpha shook his head, "The United States alpha's have yet to arrive."
Then, after Emerson shook all of our hands, a German custom of greeting, we turned to the doors.
Alexander and Michael went inside first, with Emerson at Alex's side. I walked a few feet away from my parents. My eyes danced over the walls as I took in the structure, the paintings, and the huge ceiling that was painted with angelic figures.
I remembered my last trip to this church. Pavel had been staring at the ceiling and had asked aloud, "What is it with churches and having naked angels, with their butts, painted everywhere?" I had laughed so hard. Nathaniel and Emerson, on the other hand, hadn't found th
e comment amusing. Personally I thought Nathaniel had a German sense of humor, meaning hardly any at all.
"Frau Elaine," Emerson pronounced my name more like Helen than Elaine, "I can't say I'm surprised to see you here." His dark eyes turned to me. He had to look over his shoulder because of how far I was standing from him.
I grinned gently, but didn't say anything since I hadn't been asked a question. Plus I didn't really have anything to say… unless I wanted to lighten the mood with a joke about the butt's that were painted on the ceiling. But I didn't particularly think that would make my parents happy. Besides that, I knew my place, even though I didn't act like it most of the time. Normally I loved to crack jokes, but Germany was one place that I was always watching my tongue. Their sense of humor was different than those from London, or England.
"You shall sit with Michael, then."
I actually tripped over my feet when he said that. Thankfully I didn't fall, and no one had been looking at me at that moment, so my clumsy moment wasn't very noticeable.
"Excuse me?" I asked politely.
"Did I not say that right?" Emerson glanced back at me, in confusion. His English was pretty good, but I knew he preferred to speak in his native tongue. I understood his feeling. He most likely felt vulnerable because he could easily make a mistake.
So, I switched to German. "No, Herr Kuhn, I am just confused. I had assumed I would be sitting with my parents."
"You shall sit at Michael's right." Emerson already had the whole seating arrangement planned out, I was positive. German's were very plan oriented and werewolves were control freaks. Put those two personalities together and you can get a man that plans his life out to a t.
I nodded and then, thankfully, everyone's eyes were taken off me. We walked through two wide doors and came into what looked like a boardroom. A long table with chairs lining each side sat in the center of the bright room.
There were nine main members of the alpha senate. There were others, but most of them preferred to stay out of European issues; such as African, Asian, and the Australian packs.
I scanned the room and was shocked to see around fifty people standing, and sitting, in the expansive room. There were a few that I recognized, but there were more whom I'd never seen before in my life.
Automatically my mind began categorizing each pack. I could pinpoint the alphas and betas easily, but remembering each of their names and pack was a different issue altogether. It wasn't like they wore badges or something like that.
"Sasha!" A man with bleach blond hair exclaimed from the other side of the room. He waved his arm excitedly and I glanced back at my alpha to see his reaction. Not even I would call him Sasha.
"Boris," Alexander's eyes narrowed slightly, but I didn't see any anger. He actually looked rather amused, considering his lips had curved up into a grin. "мой друг."
Boris, Boris, Boris… I chanted silently; trying to figure out where I had heard that name before.
The question of the blonds' name must have been written on my face, because Michael came up to me and said, "Boris Alyabyev." He paused, "He took my father's place as the Russia Alpha."
A light bulb went off and I nodded in understanding as I watched the man approach us. He had a firm jaw, bright hazel eyes, and enough muscles to win world's strongest man. I had never seen so much muscle on one person before, and I took a step back when he was only an arm's length away from me.
Michael's arm found my shoulders and I stood in his embrace without much hesitation. "How you?" Boris's English was worse than Emerson's. If I wasn't familiar with the Russian language, and accent, I wouldn't be able to have understood him.
Then Alexander began a conversation in Russian with the other Alpha. I partly tuned them out and turned my attention to the rest of the room.
For about an hour nothing happened more than harmless chitchat and conversation about what's been going on in everyone's territory. I had been escorted to my seat, surprisingly near the head of the table, and once I sat down I saw Emerson leave.
Michael was the only thing separating me from the head of the table, where Alex sat. I felt like I was under a microscope or a spotlight. I felt odd enough being at this meeting, let alone sitting at the table.
The table was meant for Alpha's and their second's only. Not even my parents had a place at the table. They stood close enough so they heard everything and could see if any threats arose. They were the bodyguards of the evening, as were the other mid-ranking werewolves that accompanied each pack alphas.
"It's interesting to see you here, Elaine." Leo's seat was across from me and a few seat down, so we were sitting diagonal from one another.
I nodded, "It was a surprise to me, as well."
"I didn't say it was a surprise." Leo quipped.
I gave him a questioning look.
Leo just smirked gently. Then he looked away from me.
I followed his gaze and saw Emerson entering the room; this time he brought two other's with him.
I recognized Casimir, the United States Alpha and second Elder, instantly. However, the woman next to him was a complete mystery to me.
Her hair was short, in a pixie cut, and was the color of the moon. The tips of her locks seemed to sparkle in the light. Then there were her eyes. They were as blue as the night's sky and I found myself falling into them. Warmth swallowed my body and I relaxed into the back of my chair.
"Elaina,"
Alexander's voice snapped me out of whatever trance I had fallen into. Only then did I realize that the woman was standing right in front of me and that I was standing. My alpha placed his hand on my shoulder, but I couldn't look at him. Those blue eyes were captivating my soul. I hadn't even realized that Alexander had called me Elaina; which he only does when he's in a particular emotion mood.
"This is a dear friend of mine, Dorothea Manus." His grip on my shoulder was loose and anchored me to where I was standing.
I smiled and extended my hand to the silver haired woman.
She smiled, if not more enthusiastically, down at me and I saw a sparkle enter her deep eyes. "It's a pleasure, darling." I had never heard the accent that she used before, and it made me smile even more.
Her gaze didn't waver, and I had no urge to lower my gaze in submission, so I didn't. I let the warmth take over once more.
"Dorothea, you're charming the poor girl." Casimir's deeply amused voice entered the conversation.
Alex's grip on my shoulder tightened and I snapped out of the trance once more, even though part of me wanted to be lost in her gaze forever.
"Oh, I'm sorry darlin'." Dorothea chuckled gently, sheepishly. "I couldn't help it. You have gorgeous eyes."
I gaped at her a second, "I think you're confusing me for you."
She laughed again.
"Let's take our seats to begin." Emerson stood on the other side of the table. His seat was at Alex's right and directly across from Michael, who had suddenly appeared behind me. Of course, he could have been there all along. I hadn't really been paying attention to anything except Dorothea.
Alexander surprised me by pulling out my chair for me. I frowned at him for a second before he gave me a commanding stare. That's when I took my seat.
I was so tense I could have passed for a wall. On one side of me I had my Beta, Michael, who was buy talking in a hushed tone with his father. Then, there was Casimir, an Elder and the United States alpha male.
"Relax, Frau Elaina." Emerson told me from his seat diagonal from me. My eyes snapped to his. "We won't bite."
"At least, not unless you ask." Casimir interjected from my right.
Michael chuckled gently and I felt his heavy arm fall onto my shoulders. He gently pulled me so I was angled towards him. I stared at him and attempted to pull out of his grasp. I was nervous enough. I didn't need him, or anyone else, giving me any more attention.
After that the meeting went fairly smooth. Territory discussions were first on the agenda. Apparently the Russian and It
alian packs were still fighting over the Adriatic Sea. Who knew?
Then Leo stood. The calm, cool, and collected atmosphere disappeared as soon as the London alpha said, "It had been agreed that I will be taking Sloan's position as the Third Elder."
Casimir tensed beside me, but I noticed that he was the only one, besides Alex, Michael, and Leo, who didn't react aggressively.
"This is absurd!" Bennett, the alpha of Paris, jerked out of his chair, "Leo has been alpha for a decade!"
"He can't control his own pack, let alone anyone else's." Emerson agreed, although not as violently as the French.
Leo glared, "We are not asking your permission or for a vote. The decision has already been made."
"You imbecile!" Bennett lashed out. He went right past his chair; causing it to crash to the floor, and stalked over to Leo. "You think because you have Alexander fooled that you can come here and expect all of us to bow in submission at your feet!" He spat angrily, shoving the London alpha back, "I never bow! I never submit! I never will to you!"
Then, in a blink of an eye a fight broke out.
The bodyguards that had aligned the walls were now busy getting in between the alphas as growls erupted, furniture was thrown, and claws extracted.
Leo and Bennett crashed down on to the table as Alex shoved them apart.
I jumped out of my seat. I didn't know what to do. I could barely make out who was fighting, who was moving, because of their inhuman speed. For all I knew a pair of hands were coming at me to strangle my throat.
Just as that thought popped into my head the arm that was wrapped around my neck that I had forgotten about pulled me out of my chair.
I gasped in a breath, to scream, but I was jerked back once more. The wind knocked out of me as I hit a hard chest.
"Stay behind me." Michael growled out.
I stepped into a fighting stance as someone approached, but force when I saw it was Dorothea. She ignored both of us and went straight to the battling alphas a few feet away from our feet.
Howl (Howl Book 1) Page 25