Chapter 33 - Trinity-Pack Visits Planned
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Trinity
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It was Friday now, three days since I had explored the house and found out about Reece's mom, and six days since I was marked. The mark was still just the crest surrounded by dark gray blurs, almost like a giant bruise. It was no closer to changing into its final tattoo-like image.
I was now being forced to have a meeting with the Elders and Reece again. Ugh! I had hoped when he said we were nothing to each other and we were going to ignore each other outside of pack business, that it would be more than three days in between each time I had to talk to him.
Noah had come to get me when I was in the solarium reading. It had quickly become a favorite place of mine. And since I could handle the cold better than a human, though not as good as a wolf (I hated being so different sometimes), it didn't bother me that it was October and got chilly sometimes.
He marched me straight to Reece's office and into the room. He had asked me how I was adjusting to my new life. If I was ok, and how my classes were going. I don't think it was easy for him to be loyal to the pack and me at the same time. He seemed to be having a hard time since he knew that there was still a division running between us all.
When we walked into the office, I saw Reece sitting at his desk, my eyes going to him immediately as if of their own accord. Stupid traitorous eyes. Then I saw that the only elder in the room was Michael, which was confusing, but I said nothing.
I took my usual seat, which seemed to be reserved just for the Luna.
"Welcome, Miss Luna, how are you girl?" Michael asked me. It was a little condescending, the way he spoke to me, but I had heard him talk to Reece the same way. I know he respected Reece, so I guess it was just how he spoke, especially to someone so much younger than him. Maybe this was how other old men talked to their grandchildren and people young enough to be their grandchildren, who knows.
"I'm fine Michael, and how are you today?" I asked him, trying to sound like a proper Luna, I noticed Noah hide his smirk behind Reece and fought the urge to glare at him.
"Wonderful, I'm simply wonderful my dear. I can already feel the power increasing among the pack now that the Alpha has formed his mate bond and finished his circle." Michael beamed at me. "I am certain that the two of you will be the greatest Alpha and Luna there ever was." Yeah, don't hold your breath Michael. I thought to myself all while smiling sweetly at him.
"Thank you so much for that lovely sentiment." I told him sweetly. "Now, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" I asked.
"I am here to discuss the Hunter's Moon event, and there are a few packs that the Alpha needs to go and visit over the next few months, you will need to accompany him on a few of those visits. Mostly as an introduction to formally introduce you as his mate." Michael was beaming as he spoke, like he couldn't be happier.
"Well, sounds like I will be busy then, doesn't it?" I giggled.
"It does indeed." He laughed as well. Reece cleared his throat to get our attention, grudgingly, I looked back at him.
Reece was sitting at his desk wearing a dark green button-up shirt, once again he had the top two buttons undone to show just a little flash of skin at the top of his chest. He had undone the buttons at the cuffs as well, pushing the sleeves up to his elbows. I couldn't see if the shirt was tucked in, or anything else, as he was blocked by his large desk, but the color of the shirt was striking against his honied complexion.
"I'm so sorry sweetheart, we have so much to discuss and you must be busy. We should get to work." I smiled at him sweetly. He blinked in surprise momentarily.
"Isn't she just so considerate?" Michael cooed looking at Reece with a smile as well.
"You have no idea." Reece smiled as well, the tension between us was thick, and probably misunderstood. "Let us get to business. As Michael said, we have a busy schedule coming up. This time of the year isn't usually as busy for me, but we need to introduce you to the neighboring packs. Especially the ones we have treaties with and those that swear fealty to us in exchange for protection. They may have their own Alpha and Luna, but we are still Alpha and Luna to them as well." He informed me, sounding serious.
"So how many packs do we need to visit?" I ask him, nervously.
"In all, we will be visiting ten packs. But we will not be visiting them all at once. We will break the visits up so that we do not leave our pack for that long." I looked at him confused.
"Some of the visits will be a quick exchange, but it will still be difficult to visit more than one in a single day and not have to stay away for the night." Michael answered for me.
"Ahh." I breathed, letting his words sink in. I hope we can have separate rooms, and that it's in a hotel and not another Alpha house. I said to myself.
"When we visit fealty packs, we will most likely spend very little time there, a morning or early afternoon meeting, then we can follow that up with a treaty meeting in the evening. We will be invited to dinner and stay in their Alpha house. The neighboring packs are close enough that we do not need to stay at most of them. If we end up needing to stay overnight, we will stay in a hotel along the way." Reece seemed to be able to read what was going on inside my head, that was disconcerting. I've gotta work on my poker face.
"When will these visits start?" I asked him. "And on what days of the week?" I wanted to make sure I didn't have to miss class, but I had a feeling that I wasn't going to be very lucky in this case.
"We will begin on November the 6th and return the next day. We will try to leave either Friday evening or Saturday morning when we are able to. This should work out for the both of us, as you have your studies, and I have business to attend to."
I was starting to think he was doing this for me, a sort of kind gesture, but then Noah spoke and almost made me laugh. As it was, I barely hid my smile.
"You would choose any weekday if I let you, but you have work, and I won't let you push that off onto me." Noah laughed, grinning at the back of Reece's head. Reece growled at him.
"Shut up Penguin boy." I wrinkled my eyebrow at that. He really does like making up animal nicknames for people, doesn't he? Michael laughed while I silently thought to myself.
"You kids are what keep me so young." He said laughing at Reece and Noah. Reece glared at him while Noah smiled.
"We will let you know the finer points of the travel plans a few days ahead of time, but for now, Noah will give you the list of prospective dates." Reece droned on, ignoring Michael.
"Thank you."
"Now, about the Hunter's Moon event." Michael smiled, moving the discussion onward. "That will be in two weeks yes?" He asked.
"I don't see why we have to have this meeting every year, the only thing that ever changes is the date of the event. It always happens on the day of the full moon." Reece grumbled.
Now that I thought about it, the last gathering was actually two days after the full moon. The Harvest moon on October 1st, but the gathering had been on the 3rd.
"Umm, can I ask a question, since the pack business is still new to me?"
"What is it, child?" Michael asked me. I know he didn't mean it condescendingly, so I tried not to take his wording personally.
"Why was the last gathering not actually held on the day of the full moon?"
"Well, we felt since it wasn't ceremonial or traditional in nature, that we could move things around a little. And since it was a party and people were supposed," he paused looking at Reece. "supposed to be out until late, we felt it would be nice to have it on the weekend so they would be less likely to have work or school the next day." He answered with a smile.
"That makes sense. Thank you." I smiled.
"Not a problem. I'm glad you're trying to be a good Luna for your people."
"Anyway." Reece grumbled, drawing the attention back to the discussion. "The Hunter's moon event will be the same as always. Any adult member of the pack, or teenaged member with a wolf, may participate. Nothing in the way it is run will change from previous years."
"Yes, I know, but we still have to have the meeting, it is tradition. I have to make sure there is nothing changing. You know what they say about assuming. If I went into this assuming it was to stay the same and it was different, what would that make me and the rest of the Elders look like."
"You're just insufferable." Reece told him, but he was actually grinning. I think he was just mentally calling Michael what you call someone who assumes something.