“Blood promise,” I agreed, feeling a strange sense of camaraderie with this foreign Alpha.
“Good,” he smiled, stepping back. “I have a meeting with your father and that brother of yours on Wednesday. I look forward to seeing you again, Keska Sutter.”
With a final wink from his unbruised eye, Alpha Camron turned and walked away, leaving me standing in the middle of the dance floor, completely bewildered.
Chapter 7
CAMRON: I couldn’t stop thinking about the hazel-eyed girl as I mingled with the rest of the Alpha’s at the reception. My eye throbbed, a dull ache that I could have healed quickly by shifting, but Bane told me to keep it. *A badge of honor,* my wolf had rumbled in my head. *She is strong. I like her.*
*Down boy,* I told him. *She’s Drake’s daughter. And she’s not of age yet.*
But there was something entirely captivating about Keska. When I had watched the drama unfold before the ceremony, I saw how her grandmother had treated her, how her family had just stood by. I saw the quiet dignity with which she walked away. When I found her setting up tables, doing the work of an omega, I had intended to tease her, maybe flirt a little. I certainly hadn’t expected to be tossed like a sack of potatoes and punched in the face.
I found Alpha Drake standing near the buffet table with his Luna, Carla, and their older twins. I approached them, putting on my best diplomatic smile.
“Alpha Drake,” I greeted, extending a hand.
Drake turned, his eyes widening slightly as he took in my face. “Alpha Camron. Good to see you. Though it looks like you’ve had a bit of a run-in.”
I laughed, a rich, booming sound. “Ah, yes. A little sparring accident earlier this morning. My Beta got a lucky shot in. Keeps me humble.”
I lied smoothly, keeping my blood promise to Keska.
“Of course,” Drake nodded. “This is my son, James, and my daughter, Jessie.”
I shook James’s hand, noting the arrogance in the boy’s posture. He was trying too hard to exude dominance. Jessie just battered her eyelashes at me, a sickly sweet smile on her face. I suppressed a shudder. They were nothing like Keska.
“I was hoping we could finalize that border trade agreement we discussed last month,” I said, turning back to Drake. “I’ll be in the area next week. How about I come by Blue Crescent on Wednesday for a meeting?”
“Wednesday would be perfect,” Drake agreed. “James will sit in, as part of his Alpha training.”
“Excellent. I look forward to it.” I nodded to them and walked away, Bane purring in my mind. Wednesday couldn’t come fast enough.
KESKA: The reception dragged on, but I stayed out of sight, mostly hiding in the kitchen or hanging around the security perimeter. By the time 8:00 PM rolled around, the family was finally ready to leave.
I made my way out to the third SUV, the one parked furthest away with the security detail. Frank, Pete, and the other warriors were already loading in.
“Hey Kes,” Pete smiled as I climbed into the very back row. “Thought they might have forgotten you again.”
“Not a chance. I’m riding with the cool kids,” I joked, pulling my backpack onto my lap. “I brought dinner.”
I started passing out the sandwiches and bottles of water I had packed earlier. The warriors eagerly took them, thanking me profusely. They were big guys, and catering food never quite filled them up.
“So,” I said, taking a bite of my own turkey sandwich. “Did Dave manage to keep Seth busy?”
Pete chuckled around a mouthful of bread. “Oh yeah. Dave told the coach that Seth was bragging about his slap shot speed, so the coach made Seth run drills for three hours straight. Dave said Seth was puking in the locker room trash can by the time practice was over. He didn’t even look at his phone until after 4:00 PM.”
I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “That’s brilliant. Please tell Dave I owe him big time. And I owe you, Pete. You guys really saved me a massive headache today.”
“Anytime, Keska,” Frank called from the driver’s seat. “You treat us a hell of a lot better than the rest of your family does. We’ve got your back.”
The words warmed my chest, settling the lingering ache from Mimi’s rejection earlier. My family might not want me, but at least I had Mackie, and I had the respect of the pack warriors.
The drive home was long and dark. The guys talked about sports and pack patrols, and I eventually dozed off against the window.
When we finally pulled through the gates of Blue Crescent, it was past midnight. The first two SUVs had already unloaded, and the family was nowhere to be seen. I thanked Frank and Pete again and quietly slipped into the pack house through the back kitchen entrance.
I crept up the stairs, avoiding the creaky third step. As I passed Jessie’s room, I heard her whining to James through the cracked door.
“I can’t believe Seth didn’t text me back all day! He said coach kept them late, but I bet he was just ignoring me.”
“Who cares, Jess? Seth is a meathead anyway,” James replied dismissively. “Did you see Alpha Camron today? The guy from Red Wood? Father says he’s coming here on Wednesday.
He’s an Alpha. You should be aiming for someone like him, not a hockey player.”
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