Her Chosen Mate

Part 30

(POV - Marcus)

Trying to bury the annoyance that had bubbled inside him on the way over, Marcus kept his chin up as he walked into the banquet.

He'd had several arguments with both Jaden and Ryder, one of the sentries that Inara had selected to accompany Marcus into unknown territory. They discussed whether or not they should bother attending the banquet at all. He was well aware of what other packs and their Alpha thought of him. And a great deal had refused to work alongside his pack purely because of the fear they harbored for the infamous Alpha, who had wiped out an entire pack by himself.

He had never cared about the reputation that had fostered in his absence either, but that didn't mean he wanted anything to do with the cowards who shunned him for it.

In the end, Jaden and Ryder had won, and Marcus was resigned to his fate, walking ahead of them as if he was walking death row. They'd made sure to arrive later than necessary, but only because that had been one of the conditions Marcus had set.

He would attend the ridiculous banquet, but that did not mean he would arrive as requested, like some mongrel pup summoned by his master when called.

Jaden had seen right through his disrespectful little ruse, but Ryder had happily gone along with it, knowing that getting his Alpha to do anything meant compromising in some way. And it had seemed the least damaging request, especially coming from Marcus.

When they entered the banquet, several wolves from different packs scattered, inching closer to their own Alphas in search of protection from the 'Mad Alpha'.

It may have stroked his ego just a little, seeing the wolves scurry away in fear. He kept his shoulders back and stalked through the crowd. He ignored every side eye and every nervous glance thrown his way.

He heard the whispers that followed them and heard the quiet snarls from Jaden and Ryder that responded to each one. He'd have to thank Inara and tell her she'd done an excellent job training such a young wolf.

Even throughout their journey over, Ryder had stayed at the head of their formation, with Marcus bringing up the rear as usual to ward off any surprise attacks. Jaden scouted as well, but stayed close to the Alpha as a Beta was meant to do.

Ryder, however, had taken the dangerous mission of scouting miles ahead. He returned periodically with updates. He was methodical and thorough, and Marcus already liked him.

Their small group reached the far end of the banquet, situated close to the balconies that would allow for a swift exit if one was necessary. He stood with his back pressed against the cool stone of a wall, with Jaden and Ryder warding off anyone stupid enough to engage him in conversation.

They stood apart from the others, Marcus steering clear of the other Alphas, refusing to mingle with any of them. He hadn't come to the banquet to make friends or form new alliances. He'd done it solely to prevent any misunderstandings between him and this new Alpha.

He knew exactly what this charade of a banquet was for: this new Alpha had gathered all the Alphas in neighbouring territories in one place to show them he wasn't to be underestimated. It was a stupid, naive move. Stuffing this many Alphas in a tight space was a recipe for disaster. He felt sorry for the other wolves in attendance who had to breathe in the bolstered pheromones of the Alphas, all vying for dominance.

It was such a pathetic display that Marcus had to fight the constant urge to roll his eyes at all of them. They were so caught up in their own biology and their need to be the biggest, scariest Alpha in the room at any given moment that he honestly found it laughable.

As he surveyed the gathered Alphas, he felt a pair of eyes burning a hole into the side of his face. He turned and found the owner immediately. He was a young wolf, an Alpha, someone Marcus had never seen before.

His hair was a shocking white, the sides cropped close to his head while the rest had been allowed to grow out. He looked about as young as Marcus, although the hatred burning in his charcoal eyes seemed ancient.