Dusk has settled over the woods by the time the Moore pack made it to Sullivan borders. Considering it wasn't for another battlefield, they weren't particularly in any rush to arrive there and they all knew it would irritate the Sullivan alpha if they were tardy. Their alpha practically ordered them to take their sweet time getting there. They met up with some of the Sullivan wolves who guided them to the Sullivan estate, where they were welcomed with bright lights and delicious food. Nathan Moore glanced over the pack house and shrugged at it. It could use some work if it wanted to compare to his pack house.
His tall stature had him oozing out power to the wolves around him who tilted their heads in respect as he walked towards the back porch of the two story home to meet Melissa Sullivan, his most hated foe. She stood, waiting for him at the stairs with a smug but irritated expression over her face. He could see she was trying hard to not be bothered by their tardiness.
"Right on time," She greets, holding out her dominate hand with a hard smile. He grasped it, smirking down at her small frame.
"Did you think I'd be late?" Her grip tightened and he let out a low growl of amusement before she dropped his hand and left it at that but it wasn't hard to see how much she wanted to rip into his throat. He welcomed the challenge anytime.
He looked across the porch to where a small desk had been placed with two sheets of paper lying on top. Each had a fancy, black pen next to it as he stepped closer. "Is this the treaty?"
"Two exact copies," She assures him, following him despite the blow it caused to her alpha pride. "You can look them over. All they need is a signature and a date from each of us." He ignored her as she rambled on about a small change she made to one of their verbal terms and picked up one of the sheets. His eyes skimmed through it, carefully reading the clause for the territory lines and making sure every detail was correct. Then he compared it to the second sheet. They were both typed and printed the same way with not one line different.
"They look fine to me." He tells Sullivan, earning a smile from her.
"Then," She says as she picks up one of the pens. "Ready when you are, Alpha Moore."
They both signed and dated each of the documents and picked one for their own records. With one final tense handshake, it was official and wolves from both packs were cheering for a peace party. Melissa nodded across the field and music blasted through the place, echoing off the building and the trees. Both of the packs started to eat and talk and dance together as peacefully as possible in hopes of returning back to enjoying life. Melissa and Nathan both watched sternly, keeping an eye out for an misbehaving pups while trying to ignore the fact that they were standing next to each other. Nathan knew that if the war had continued, she would have continued to be the first person on his list of people to kill. Not though, it was hard to take a liking to her - especially after she managed to escape his attack before without a rematch to restore his pride. She's the only person who has been able to escape his attack so far and that isn't something he can accept so easily. It is something that would mark his record for a long while.
"Excuse me." Nathan recognizes the Sullivan beta as he climbs up the stairs. He bows his brown covered head in respect and Nathan narrows his eyes. It isn't the first time he's come to contact with Gavin Reade. Gavin stands straight, completely ignoring Nathan's presence and turns to the Sullivan alpha. "I demand a dance, mate."
Melissa giggles girlishly at his smirk. She looks at Nathan from the corner of her eyes and takes a step forward, leaving with him. "Then, Nathan, enjoy yourself."
Nathan scoffs, watching the two with disgust. Ever since he turned fourteen eight years ago, he had waited patiently for his mate to reveal herself. He had always wondered what she would be like, how strong she would be and how powerful they'd be together. With all of his land and territory at hand, he had no doubt that even if war was raging beyond their borders, that they would dominate every enemy they came across and his sons would inherit all that they win. But after six years of waiting, he started to give up. Now, he's much too focused on warfare to even think about getting a mate let alone claiming and protecting her from his long line of enemies. And living with one woman seems too dramatic and stressful for him after he witnessed his third's mate going haywire over something incredibly stupid.
"Would you like a beer, sir?" He turned, facing one of the omegas from his pack - one of the Locke siblings - and growled lightly, accepting the bottle. He took a swig and then waved away the girl, focusing more on what was happening in front of him. For almost an hour, he did this while drinking his beer slowly and keeping a close eye on some of his more rowdy brothers and sisters. He knocked down his ego enough for them to sign this treaty and did not need them to do something stupid to mess it all up. He could easily see that the Sullivan pack wasn't quick to socialize with them though. In fact, they almost seemed nervous or intimidated. He couldn't help the smirk forming on his lips every time he saw one of them muster up the courage to address a Moore wolf and then chickening out.
"Your pack enjoys parties, don't they?" He glances at Sullivan who had joined him quietly. He didn't know how long she had been there but he wasn't too happy by her arrival or her ability to sneak up on him.
"They have one every weekend." He replies as he bends down to sit in one of the chairs a Sullivan brought for them.
"Even during the war?" She asks, looking at him with shock covering her features.
"Especially during the war." He sees the bewildered expression on her face and chuckles. "We're a warrior pack, Sullivan. We enjoy it." She glares at him and he smirks back. "Don't look so worried now. We're allies as of today."
"I know." She tries to sound indifferent though he noticed her dismay with it. Before he can converse more with her, a car came around the side of the house and pulls up as close as possible to the party. He hears Sullivan muttering about who it might be and stands up with her, preparing himself in case it was an enemy.
"Who the hell is that?" She asks her beta with frustration as the car sits there. It's headlights are glaring onto the party but the person inside is taking their sweet time coming out. His wolf sits on the edge of his mind, ready for a challenge.
"Don't know," Gavin answers with a cool shrug, moving softly so that he is slightly standing in front of his alpha without stabbing her pride. "Don't recognize the car. It looks like a rental."
They hear the click of the door and the headlights turn off and suddenly, it was like the air is filled with the scent of some wild flower, suffocating Nathan.
"No way!" Nathan hears Melissa muttering and immediately, a group from her pack races towards the car, howling and cheering in happiness. Within seconds, the tense atmosphere disappears and is replaced with the party buzz. Nathan stands still, attempting to try and recognize the flower scent. It wasn't new to him. He has smelt it before but he couldn't remember where or when. He didn't like the fact that it was all he could smell now. It was nagging him, teasing him as he attempted to look over the tall men surrounding the newcomer.
When the crowd of Sullivan wolves cleared, he went rigid and narrowed his eyes in a sharp glare. He instantly recognized the newcomer as an old prisoner of his from the war. He never did see her again after she escaped. He always assumed she had died and that thought suddenly left him feeling empty and void of everything happening around him. The giggles of the alpha next to him brought him to senses immediately.
"Good thing we signed that treaty today, huh?" She looked at him with a smirk. "Otherwise, you would have never been able to be with your mate." He growled menacingly at her, momentarily ruining the party environment, and turned back to the newcomer.
She has curves that are less defined by her small frame and height and well-rounded breasts that peaked his interest. He couldn't understand why he and his wolf were aroused by just the mere image of her walking towards them but it didn't seem like he was the only one. One of her hands has been grasped by a young male wolf looking to be her age while her arm was entangled with an older wolf male and he found himself growling possessively.
"Audrey!" Sullivan cries out with joy as the girl finally reaches them. She pulls her into a hug and together they dance, mumbling their greetings, talking over each other like noisy girls do. Nathan watches as the girl did so while eyeing him from the corner of her eye. He was relieved to know that he captured her mind but that relief is replaced with disappointment as soon as he recognizes her ranking. She's an omega and he remembered now that she couldn't phase either. She's weak. What good would his wolf do with a weak mate?
"I wanted to surprise you." Audrey tells Sullivan with a large smile. "I had some business to take care of with Jasper and Blaze so ti took a little longer than I thought."
Nathan didn't even want to think about the possible identities these Blaze and Jasper could be.
"That doesn't explain why you didn't call!" Sullivan scolds, holding her at arm's length. "Do you realize how worried we've all been? If it weren't for Ralph, we would've thought you were dead!"
"And by that, she means she really missed you." Gavin states next to them with a smirk. Audrey shrugs.
"Sorry," She smiles. "But in my defense, Jasper and Blaze practically did kill me." Sullivan and her beta laughed before she turned to face Nathan who, after hearing those words was on the verge of a killing spree. He had planned on glaring at her the whole time to tell her immediately that he rejects her and be done with it. He had planned to do that and then prey on one of the unmated she-wolves in his pack to celebrate with. But when her eyes met his, he's lost in a daze of beauty. He has never seen eyes - especially those os a werewolf's which are usually brown, green, hazel or even black - so blue in his life. Her eyes are a stunning blue that are glowing like a light in a very dark place, paralyzing him and making it hard for him to breath.
"It seems like you've come home at a good time too." Sullivan comments, an amusing smirk growing large across her face. Audrey's eyes narrowed and she quickly turned away from him to face her alpha. His wolf whimpered under his growl of anger.
"I don't plan on accepting Nathan Moore as my mate anytime soon, Melissa." She replies sternly before turning around and accepting the hand of a different male wolf. Sullivan looked at Nathan with a grin and wiggled her brow at his angry expression. He couldn't believe what he just heard. His own mate - an omega of all ranks - just rejected him. An omega rejected him?
Further more, who the fuck dares to offer their hand to his mate?
"Don't think that just because she's an omega that you can have your way with her, Moore." Sullivan started, nearing him with amusement, obviously enjoying the karma that came with being tardy to her party. "She's stronger than she looks."
"If she thinks she can get away with that just because she's in your pack, she's wrong." He sneers. "She's my mate which makes her mine before she is yours." Sullivan shrugs nonchalantly.
"That's the general rule, yes. But your mate is currently ignoring you and dancing with them." He follows her finger and finds Audrey dancing with her back up against another male. His inner wolf growls menacingly, nearly breaking the barrier and he feels his head become dizzy with jealousy and anger. "I have no say in your relationship with her, Alpha Moore. You know that well."
"So don't."
"If you want to drag her off him and back to your pack house, you are more than welcomed to. But we can use this as an opportunity for the both of us anyway." She continued, ignoring his interruption.
"How so?" He asks through gritted teeth though he didn't know if he could pay attention to her much longer. His eyes never left Audrey's body as she sways her hips back against the guy. Nathan's grip on his beer tightened and without warning, the bottle shatters in his hands. Sullivan jumped but she glances at him with complete amusement, pissing him off even more.
"Audrey can be our security to make sure your side actually follows through with the treaty. She'll live with you for one week and if you haven't rejected each other properly by then, she'll stay. If she sees that you are ignoring the treaty though, she will return with or without your permission. She's stubborn like that. Likewise, one of your wolves will stay here with us for the week to make sure we uphold our end of the treaty."
Nathan barely heard a word come out of her mouth as she spoke. He's entirely focused on the male wolf's hands slowly gliding up Audrey's thighs and over her hips to hold her steady at her waist. Their grip tightened, squeezing her back against him while her smile grew larger and her eyes look like they're sparkling. She's actually enjoying the puppy's touch on her!
"Sounds good to me."
His vision completely blanks out and he barely has control as he makes his way towards her. He can hear Sullivan's laughs fading as he passes one of the loud speakers and pushes his way through couples to reach her. When his hand grips her arm, chills run over his skin and down his spine. His wolf purrs and through instincts, he drags her back toward the house. She struggles against him, attempting to pull herself free but he isn't about to let go.
He reaches the car she used and pushes her inside, locking the doors with the child lock mechanism. All the while, he can hear Sullivan laughing on the back porch, watching it all.