Blood Moon Falls (Book 1 in the Original SOCIETY Series) ✔

☙26❧

I stared up at the man descending the steps with his hands behind his back. His footing went at a deliberate slow pace. The entire time, he kept his eyes on us.

"It has been quite some time since I've been before a group of Weres this size," he pointed out, raising a brow. His dark gaze looking over each of the werewolves, "Or so many that are so... youthful."

He was in the middle of the stairs when his eyes flicked to the woman standing beside me and they darkened a bit more than they already were. His brow rose again when he acknowledged, "Penelope... Monroe... It's been a long time since I've seen you around here."

My aunt's jaw tightened when i glanced her way. She kept her eyes narrowed a bit at this old man and her fists clenched at her sides.

"Pritchet."

"Formalities are still required of you, Penelope," Mr. Hollow sneered when he turned to tell her this. He snapped that she knew the rules of the Society and would abide by them since she wasn't a werewolf I brought along who didn't have to. "You should have the decency to do at least that!"

My aunt raised a brow, her lip in a snarl at Mr. Hollow who looked just as ready to battle it out with her.

"That's where you are wrong, Hollow. I'm not part of the Society any longer. I haven't been for a long time! Seventeen years to be exact!"

They both looked back at the man descending the stairs, who nodded, "Right she is, Daven. Penelope has been missing as long as I can remember. And such formalities shouldn't be required of her either."

Mr. Hollow glared at my aunt, stepping back in line as the old man took notice of the Alpha standing protectively in front of our group. Mr. Dennison's chin lowered, his arms at his sides with his fingers curled inward. The old man's grin curled up more at this.

"Ahhh... I find an Alpha is in my presence, gentlemen. Such a long way from home he is."

The Alpha growled low, his gold eyes shedding warning.

"Now, now, calm down." The old man pried, using his hands in front of him to tap the air simultaneously in a motion for the Alpha to relax, as he continued down the steps at the same pace. He grinned, stating that he was just making an observation.

The man pulled his arms to hide behind his back again, nodding to the side, "And after all... I'm under strict terms to not harm any of you. So there's no need to get riled up, Alpha." and then got to the bottom of the stairs. He inhaled deeply, puffing out his chest before looking to his Hunters whom all automatically parted to the side to let their Head of the Society through.

The man nodded his grateful acknowledgment, proceeding to move forward after looking at our group. He came to a stop in front of the Alpha who had yet to move out of the way. I was a bit nervous for him to, though, which would mean I wouldn't have anything else to block him from getting to me.

"Stand aside, Alpha. I have a right to see my granddaughter, especially when this is what the purpose of this meeting is."

Pritchet Ray's dark gaze stood its ground with the Alpha's, the latter's back tensing through his t-shirt. I swallowed, stepping back a bit and held my breath. Auric, beside me, barely grasped my fingers to remind me to keep calm before letting go. Just as his father looked over his shoulder at me with worry in his eyes and then stepped aside, the others following suit. That is... Except for my boyfriend.

The other Weres kept a close on the old man as he was approaching me, this warm smile on his face as he was looking me over. He glanced to the side at Auric, raising a brow without a word and I swallowed down my nerves to turn to him and touch his shoulder. His jaw slanted to the side before glancing at me.