Bora's Diary - The beauty and the beast

LORYS

"I really need to tell you something!" Leonardo insisted, while I was completely absorbed in my work.

"What the hell do you want to tell me? Can't it wait?"

"Yes, it can. But I think it would be good if you knew," Leonardo insisted, to which I rolled my eyes.

"Alpha, we have to go or we'll be late!" Linda, who was now standing in my office, almost shouted at me.

I rolled my eyes again and looked at Leonardo: "You heard it yourself, we'll talk after the ball, is that okay?" I stood up and ran after Linda while Leonardo looked after us.

Linda chased me to my room, where I got dressed and literally groomed. Linda could be quite bossy when it came to her job.

"No... No... That's how it has to be," she kept muttering as she looked me up and down.

"Perfect!" she said after what felt like an hour.

"Linda, can you explain to me what the topic will be today and what I even have to do?" I asked her, confused.

She looked at me and smiled: "Today's topic is "La Belle et la Bête".

I frowned and didn't know how I was supposed to understand that, because I couldn't say that I looked like a beast in this situation.

"How am I supposed to understand that?" I asked, confused, as she began to giggle.

"Quite simply, dear Alpha. You're going to turn into beasts and go hunting..." she winked and smiled at me.

Linda didn't have her after all... It was a full moon and we were supposed to go hunting.

"Before you go hunting, there will be an official ball dance so that you can get a taste of the atmosphere... Maybe you'll find what you're looking for. The women have a head start," she winked at me and I thought I was going to go mad.

"When did I agree to this idea?" I asked, confused, to which she shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, I gave Leonardo the papers and he signed them and brought them back to me," she explained, giving me pause.

Damn, that was the night I read the diary and blindly signed Leonardo's papers without looking at them.

"Don't you like the idea?" she asked me uncertainly.

The disappointment was written all over her face and I didn't want her to feel bad after all that effort. After all, it was my own fault, I should have looked at the documents.

"No... No, I mean, it's fine, but I didn't think you guys would be so particular about it. Don't worry about it..." I said to her, looking at her seriously.

Finally, she nodded and looked at me with satisfaction.

"So Alpha, let me tell you something. I want to see a future Luna by your side today, don't come to my house early!", Linda scolded me while I shook my head laughing.

"Maybe, who knows... Maybe there's something in it for me this time," Linda had a sense of humor. In fact, for many years I had come home from a ball disappointed every time - without a mate, and usually I had spent the evening drinking too much wine.

I was prepared for this time to be no different. I would be going home alone again.

After what felt like hours, we finally made our way to the ballroom. "You have to tell them that the dance takes place in here and then everything goes outside while the men change and the women run outside," Linda told me before disappearing into the crowd.

Great. We had a ball where we were also allowed to go looking for women.

There were already lots of people there and the hall was filled with hundreds of wolves.

When I thought it was time, I went to the stage and cleared my throat loudly. Suddenly it was completely silent and all eyes were on me.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor as Alpha of the Circle Pack to host tonight's event.

I am pleased to announce that this evening will be remembered fondly by many wolves. The theme for tonight is "La Belle et la Bête". Today, women will be sought, hunted and claimed in the truest sense of the word". I grinned into the crowd while a giggle echoed through the hall.

Apparently, people liked the idea.

"The ball will open with an official dance and then move on to the search. I ask you to grab a partner and line up.

I wish all the wolves every success and may the moon goddess be on our side tonight," the crowd applauded and men and women were already facing each other.

I walked down the stage and spotted Little Red Riding Hood.

I smiled and ran straight towards her.

"Ro-, Marga! Can I ask you for a dance?" I asked her, to which she looked at me uncertainly and finally nodded. She was probably wondering what had gotten into me. What kind of alpha asks a maiden to dance with him when we don't even appear to be mates?

"With pleasure," she replied, and we lined up.

I looked around and saw that Leonardo was also holding a woman in his arms, but I couldn't see exactly who he was holding, her back was turned towards me ...

In any case, he was served.

I wondered what he wanted to tell me. Well, he could tell me later.

The music started to play and there was dancing.

I looked at Little Red Riding Hood and raised an eyebrow, "How's your friend?" I asked her as I led her in the dance.

Little Red Riding Hood had dressed up and looked beautiful with her blue eyes, red hair and dress.

"She's feeling better, thank you for asking, Alpha," she replied.

Her hand was in mine, the other on my shoulder.

"Hmm Marga ... You weren't telling me something."

Her eyes widened briefly and she frowned: "I don't know what?" she said quietly, looking at me in confusion.

"You helped Bora to escape? That was treason, and yet you're standing here alive and dancing with me. How?" I looked her in the eye, spun her around once and pulled her close to me again.

It was as if she was speechless.

"The alpha followed her right in and tried to recapture her, he was angry and I told him she threatened me with a knife."

Clever of her to portray herself as a victim.

"Too bad she died in the process," I whispered softly to her as the music seemed to stop and we stood still.

She nodded weakly and said nothing more.

She made a small bow. "Thank you for the dance, I wish you every success," I said to her before mingling with the crowd again.

I looked at Leonardo, who looked like he'd seen a ghost.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked him in confusion, waving my hand in front of his eyes as he looked after Marga.

"I think my gut feeling was right... I think she's my mate," he almost gasped, leaving me astonished.

"Excuse me? You've only just realized that?" I asked him, confused, to which he nodded.

"I've only bumped into her once so far and the first time I wasn't so sure and thought it was garbage... I need to see her," he mumbled to himself as I held him.

"You really never questioned it?"

He shook his head and scowled at me "No?

I felt stupid because my head had been searching for peaches the whole time and he was standing there staring at them like an idiot.

"You, my dear, will come along and go looking like the rest of us. I don't want to give you that advantage," I said, slightly annoyed, and pulled Leonardo with me.

"But..."

"Nothing," I replied, noticing that he smelled of peaches.

"Can you tell me who you were dancing with?" I asked him, confused.

"That's what I wanted to tell you all along! You didn't let me finish...", he said, looking at me confused.

Linda came up to me again: "What are you doing all this time, come on, you have to announce the start of the search!" she snapped at me again and pulled me away from Leonardo.

I had a feeling that this ball was going to be a disaster and actually wanted to hear what Leonardo had to say. My senses were now completely focused on the peaches again

LEONARDO

I saw the maid I had found at the edge of the forest during the battle. It was a miracle that she was still alive. I had been wondering all morning how I knew her when it suddenly occurred to me. "Please take me with you ... Don't let me die in the dark".

Suddenly the image of when I had found her badly wounded in the forest during the battle appeared before my eyes.

"I thought you were dead..." I whispered softly.

"Did you say something?" she asked, turning to look at me "Oh, Beta Leonardo..." she apologized.

"Would you do me the honor?" I asked her and asked her to dance with me, whereupon she took my hand "I'd love to."

What kind of stranger comes up to you and says, "I thought you were dead"? It would have been funny if she had heard that.

The music started and I began to dance with her.

"You look familiar," I addressed her directly as we danced.

"Hmm... I don't know where else I've seen her except in the garden this morning," she replied, looking at me kindly.

She really didn't seem to know, but I knew who she was.

I was damn sure she'd succumbed to her injuries by the time we got to the pack, and when I saw her I wanted to confirm it for myself before I ran back to Lorys....

I had to tell Lorys, he was so fixated on knowing where she was. She was practically in my arms.

Luckily the dance was over and I bowed slightly to her, "Thank you for the dance, but I should go now," I said and quickly ran away from her to find Lorys. That was great news, he's about to be blindsided!

I saw Lorys and he was holding Little Red Riding Hood in his arms and dancing with her.

It was as if I'd been hit by a punch when I saw Little Red Riding Hood. The full moon made the impossible possible and I suddenly felt the urge to run to her when Lorys stopped me.

I believed she was my mate.... believed... Hell, SHE IS MY MATE.

I was torn by my thoughts and didn't know what was more important now. Bora or Little Red Riding Hood. Damn, I didn't even know her name... Why hadn't I noticed this before? The only time she had served me dinner quickly, I had already noticed how beautiful she was...

"What's wrong with you?"

"I think my gut was right... I think she's my mate," I stated, glaring after Little Red Riding Hood as Lorys held me.

"Excuse me? Have you only just noticed?" he asked me, which I couldn't think about clearly at the moment.

"No?" I replied. I had never actually thought about it because there was no reason to.

"You, my dear, will come along nicely and go searching like the rest of us. I don't want to give you that advantage," Lorys was already dragging me along, leaving me no chance to look for Little Red Riding Hood.

Crap. Now I was allowed to look for her.