Chapter 1: Dinner Party
Kaya
I press my cold hand against my throbbing forehead, lowering my silver eyes as if this small gesture could shield me from the intense scrutiny of those around me.
The dinner party at our pack’s estate has been in full swing for hours, yet I still feel like a fish out of water. No matter how many times I attend these events, I can never quite get used to them. I don’t belong here. And yet, here I am—draped in the luxury reserved only for the highest-ranking wolves.
I carefully scan the vast dining hall, ensuring my gaze doesn’t linger too long or accidentally settle on anyone in particular.
I don’t know most of these people. They are all men.
Tonight’s gathering celebrates a major political deal between the alphas of neighboring packs. That explains why only the male members of both packs are present.
To my right, several beta males lounge on leather couches, cigars in one hand and whiskey in the other, downing glass after glass as if it were nothing more than water. One of them has an omega maid perched on his lap, his large, calloused hand sliding slowly up and down her lifted skirt, his thick fingers grazing the smooth skin between her thighs.
His companions remain engrossed in their conversation, but every so often, they steal glances at her exposed skin, their eyes gleaming with predatory hunger.
It’s nothing unusual in the Dark Wood Pack—Alpha Damien knows exactly what the men want, and he uses that knowledge to his advantage.
I hear another maid squeak and snap my head in her direction, my silver eyes narrowing as I take in the scene. A gamma warrior playfully slaps her on the butt as she tries to wriggle away from him, the large, round tray trembling in her unsteady hands.