The Inauguration

“Do you think he’ll want to play with me today?”

“I don’t know sweetie,” she sighs,” you know he’s busy”.

“I…I just wanted to play,” she watches as his lips begin to tremble and she pulls his small frame onto her lap letting him sink into her arms.

He squeezes his arms around her waist and she gives a tight squeeze back before running her fingers through his forelocks. She watches how the sun gives the room a perfect honeycomb shade.

Even in the warmth, she felt cold and even with him in her arms she felt like something was missing. Her sombre mood had started the morning they had woken up in the meadow.

She was content carrying the little alpha back to the pack when she suddenly felt her heart drop as if she had received big, tragic news or something in that category.

She hadn’t had time to deal with these emotions because as soon as she came back, Lugar Cronin, her alpha had told her that the Ethereal Pack would be visiting later on in the day for a meeting.

Their son had found a mate, though she did not know why it concerned anyone that he had found his other human half, everyone was happy and she guesses his parents were so thrilled that they wanted everyone to know.

Frankly, she didn’t care. She didn’t want to know, nor did she want to be presented to their son and mate but it’s not like she had a choice even though she was the second in command.

But even in this century and time, women are still considered below men, especially in the supernatural domain. You would have to work harder to just prove yourself and your worth. She had to do that every day in her pack.

Sure she was respected but that respect didn’t come lightly especially considering where she came from and what her family was involved in.

The slight change in the atmosphere and the light shift of wind that comes in her room tell her of the long-awaited guests that had just arrived. She nudges the sleeping boy in her arms, and she gets a response of small snores.

Rolling her eyes, she gets up and tucks him into her sheets before leaving the room and hurrying down the stairs to the ground floor to meet Lugar, who’s dressed in a black slick suit. His red locks were combed and straight, which is not often what it looks like.

His dull blue eyes catch hers, as cliche as it, every time she looked at him she couldn’t help but think about that boy that plays Archie in the show the teens in her pack are always drooling about.

Well ever since she caught one of them talking about how the alpha and Archie had similar attributes that she couldn’t quench the curiosity and wanted to see it for herself.

And by the goddess, she agreed with them.

“Where is he?”, he asks looking around her.

“He’s sleeping Lugar,” she tells him with a tight smile not wanting to have another argument about the boy in front of the pack, but her wishes were futile.

“He should be here not dreaming about catching butterflies,” he grits while fixing his collar.

“Well he was tired from catching all those butterflies alone since someone bailed on him,” she hums as four sleek black Mercedes pull up to the french doors.

She hears him huff and she knows she gave him something to think about rather than lash out at a seven-year-old boy. The sound of the humming engines come to a stop and ever so gracefully the car doors open.

The colour of royal blue catches her attention and that’s when she realizes not only were they getting a visit from the Ethereal Growlers but the council as well. She turned to Lugar to make sure he was just as confused as he was because of this unexpected visit and he was. His brows were slightly up before they relaxed into their normal stature.

“Alpha Cronin,” she turns to the voice that had filled the silence.

Her eyes fall upon a male of average height, his brown hair having small strands of grey, his skin was tanned and you would presume he was still young if it wasn’t for the obvious grey hair and the lines that stretched under his eyes. His brown eyes illuminating with age.

” Councilman Arald,” he says with a slight bow of his head,” I didn’t know the council was tagging along”.

The Councilman, Arald, chuckles whilst shaking hands with Lugar, “well no one wants to miss such an iconic moment like this”.

Cronin goes silent for a moment and she guesses it’s from having to understand the words that had come out of Councilman Arald’s mouth. She too was confused on what iconic moment could happen in regards to the Therealts’s son having a mate.

“Ohh and who might you be,” she met his smile with her own, with his hand out to shake hers,” I know I don’t travel a lot but I know a new face when I see one,” he says while patting her hand to carefully.

She couldn’t help but notice how soft his hands were, gentle at the same time and her smile grew even bigger, ” Solani Volksvisoch, Beta”.

His smile falters for a minute before it returns but this time she notices the difference between the smiles. One of genuine and one isn’t.

“Well, that’s quite unfortunate,” his hand pats her hand once again before turning to enter the building.

The statement punctures something in her heart and she breathes away the subtle pain that wants her attention and pushes it away as she continues to greet the rest of the council.

She stops and waits for the cars of the Ethereal Growlers to drive up the path when she turns and calls after the head Councilman. He turns and gives her a small smile.

“I’m sorry to disturb but what iconic moment would this be Councilman Arald?”.

At the end of her question, she hears the sound of cars rolling up and the Councilman tangles her arm in his as they walk back through the french doors waiting at the steps.

They watch as the Therealts step out so gracefully looking to know something that everyone around them didn’t and Councilman Arald chuckled in what she thought was glee.

“The moment were the werewolf community becomes a Monarch”.