Alpha King’s Wolfless Mate by Scarlett Higgins

Chapter 75

**Blake POV

The Lunar Festival was an annual celebration of the Moon Goddess and the gift she had given us by connecting us with our wolves. It was a time for packs to celebrate nature and give thanks for a prosperous year.

It was also an opportunity for packs to celebrate the contributions of their Luna. With this being Nora’s first Lunar Festival with the pack, it was an extremely important day for her. I had chosen a more subdued outfit for the evening so that I wouldn’t take any attention away from her.

I straightened my cloak as I looked into the mirror. It had been a long time since I’d worn traditional clothing.

The cut of the wool jacket accentuated my broad shoulders and the thin, white linen shirt beneath contrasted nicely with the deep blue color. The clothes always suited me, but they took too long to get in and out of. I didn’t have the patience for dressing up like this very often.

Nora was taken to the room next door to be helped into her outfit by the seamstress that had made her gown. It wouldn’t have been considered proper for me to help her into the clothing, despite how eager I was to see her in the gown. It was probably for the best. I might be more tempted to remove it more than lace it up.

Besides, Nora was angry with me. She had every right to be. I should have warned her that Graham and the others might be staying for a while. I didn’t mean to spring it on her, but Maisi e and I hadn’tdecided on the course of action until late the previous night and Nora and I hadn’t had a chance to talk about it.

If Graham wasn’t so damned early, I would have been able to discuss it with her over brunch. Maybe I should have woken her this morning and gone over the change of plans with her, but she had looked so peaceful. Besides, it was going to be a long night and I wanted her to be well rested.

I wasn’t happy that the Lanecreek delegation were here for an extended stay either.

Maisi e had made the very persuasive point that getting to know Graham outside of my uncle’s influence would be the best way to determine if he was involved in whatever plot the old man was hatching. I simply didn’t have a strong enough argument to contradict her point.

If Graham really did want prosperity for his pack, then he would be foolish not to take the opportunity to observe the city. The loyalty of the pack and their ability to persevere through the chaos of the last few years would be inspiring to any leader, but particularly to someone like Graham who had never known the peace that existed in our city.

In some ways, I felt for him. He had grown up in chaos and probably didn’t know how to lead without the constant threat of attack. It wasn’t easy to change your approach to leading the way you had to during peacetimes.

I was pulled from my thoughts by a fi rm knock at the door. I turned away from the mirror and called out,“Come in.”

The door opened to reveal Maisie, dressed in acustom tailored dress with a dark frock coat. She glanced over my outfit, but didn’t comment on it.

“It’s midnight,” she said simply.

“Let’s go then,”I answered.“The pack is waiting.”

As I descended the stairs with Maisie, I could hear the rumbling of the pack outside. The party had started hours ago, but the introduction of the Luna to the event was one of the main highlights of the evening. I was to escort Nora to the event just after midnight.

For a moment, having Maisi e by my side felt wrong. Since the loss of my own Beta, Maisi e had stepped in to fill the role and I appreciated her willingness to do so. Still, there were moments when the bitterness of continuing on without my true Beta was overwhelming.

I had to shake the thoughts from my mind. This was a time for celebration, not mourning. I had to be focused and observant, I couldn’t afford to lose myself to negative thoughts. I tried to force my focus back to Nora.

I could only hope that her irritation with me had faded by now. I would feel terrible if I had ruined her evening after all of the work she did to make this festival happen.

In the anteroom just off of the garden entrance, I could see Nora waiting for me. Maisi e inclined her head slightly, then continued outside. She would inform the priestesses that our entrance was coming.

Nora’s entrance would signal the commencement of the full celebration. She would perform a ritual in honor of the Moon Goddess along with thepriestesses, then the pack would be free to cut loose fully and celebrate until dawn.

I waited until the door had closed behind Maisie before I approached Nora. I could practically feel the nerves radiating off of her. This would be the first time since our wedding ceremony that the entire pack would be focusing on her. It could be a frightening feeling to be watched by so many.

I was raised in the castle, and the feeling still got to me sometimes. The knowledge that your every move was being scrutinized could fill a person with self doubt. It took years to learn to drown out the judgemental looks and act according to your convictions no matter what.

Nora had done a truly admirable job stepping into a role that she had never asked for. She was incredible. I needed to make sure to tell her that, sometime. She always got so uncomfortable when I praised her, but she needed to know that she was handling her responsibilities with a grace that couldn’t be taught. She was a natural.

Nora must have sensed me staring at her, because she turned to look at me. When our eyes met, she smiled brightly at me. I was relieved to see that she didn’t seem to be holding a grudge.

The room was dimly lit, but I could still see Nora clearly. Her jewelry was glittering in the faint light and her eyes seemed to be sparkling as she looked at me. I saw her eyes move over my b*dy and I couldn’t help but grin. I was taking my time looking her over too, after all.

The silky fabric of her evening gown accentuated her curves nicely and the silver tone of the dress complimented her complexion. The thought thatshe was born to be a Luna popped into my head. She looked so naturally beautiful right now.

She gripped her skirt lightly and spun in a circle, sending the fabric twirling around her legs, showing off the shape of her hips.

“What do you think?”she asked shyly.

I took a step forward and gently touched the flowers woven into her hair. It must have taken hours for her to get ready.

“You look stunning,” I said.

Her cheeks colored at my words and the sight sent heat coursing through me. I couldn’t wait to ravish her and see her pretty hair tousled and that expensive gown crumpled on the floor. The thought nearly made me growl.

Under any other circumstances I would be tempted to take her here and now. Her big doe eyes staring up at me always made me weak. Instead, I stooped and k*ssed her forehead.

“I’m so nervous,” she admitted softly.

“That’s only natural,”I assured her.“But the nerveswill fade soon enough. You’ve done an amazing job preparing for this evening and I have no doubt it will all go off without a hitch. The pack is having a great time already, just listen to them.”

She turned her head towards the window. We could hear music and howling intermixed with laughter coming from the direction of the festival. I watched Nora’s face as she listened to the pack enjoying the event she had worked hard to bring to them. The smile returned to her face and she looked back at me with excitement in her eyes.“Are you ready?”I asked.

Nora took a deep breath and nodded.“As I’ll ever be.”