Magic of Moonlight

Chapter 17 - The Alpha Ball

Ember watched through the Glacier-flatscreen. She wanted to go back and had been wanting to for a few days now. But there was a still tiny critical part in her brain that kept telling her this was all lies and that she was going back to be hurt.

She could see Sebastian was sweating. He had taken his time taking off his own clothes before taking off hers. He was now lying down next to her, his hand cupping her breast while trying to keep the effects of his rut under control. It was the second day of their heat/rut cycle and she could see him struggling.

"Do you want him to go find another she-wolf?" Glacier asked in a flippant tone. "He'll be driven into his rut haze soon and as you aren't exactly looking awake or alive, his primal instincts will make him seek out an unmated female who is."

"No." Ember sat up and pressed her hands to the flatscreen. She let out a very possessive growl. "He's mine. He can't go find someone else."

"He'll be driven to do that if you don't wake up," Glacier replied. She wanted to provoke Ember into action. She knew Ember was second-guessing herself and without the drive to fight for what was hers, she would continue to second guess herself.

"No." Ember's voice was stronger. Her hands pressed against the flatscreen, her eyes trying to will her prone form awake. "Sebastian!" She pounded her fist against the flatscreen. She wanted out. She wanted to wake up. Her heart was hurting with the thought of him being driven to seek someone else out because of her. Her head hurt going in circles thinking about who he might end up going to if she didn't wake up. She let out an enraged growl.

Glacier could feel Ember's doubt being driven away by the singular thought that Sebastian was hers and only hers. "Then wake up Ember. That's all you need to do. Wake up." She smiled internally feeling herself being pulled back into the void.

Ember's eyes opened. Her mind was confused. She could feel someone at her side. His hand snaked over her body and caressed her breast gently. She could feel his hard member poking into her thigh. Her breath caught in her chest. She was afraid of what she might have come back to.

"Ember!" Sebastian lifted his head up from her side. He had felt her suddenly draw in a shaky breath. His eyes sparkled as he immediately moved to kiss her deeply. She felt drops fall onto her face from him as she relaxed into the kiss. "I missed you so much, my love." Tears ran down his face. "I'm so sorry. I should have seen the signs. It's all my fault."

Wordlessly, she reached up and pulled him back down to kiss her again. Sebastian obliged and shifted his body onto hers, pinning her onto the bed. She could feel his member pressing against her between her legs.

When they broke again, she whispered. "I know... And I saw what happened," She bit her lip hard causing him to tap them lightly with his finger in an attempt to get her to stop. "I'm sorry I took so long to wake up. The critic in my head wouldn't stop telling me it was lies. I couldn't block it out. I doubted us so much."

Sebastian leaned down and kissed her again gently. He paused and whispered, "How did you get out?"

Ember's face reddened. He chuckled at her response, more curious now as to what happened. "Glacier said your primal instinct may make you seek out someone else to soothe your rut." She let out a possessive growl that sent shivers of excitement through him. "You're mine!"

Sebastian smiled down at her. He took in her green eyes glowing fervently with a werewolf's basal instinct of possessiveness towards their mate. "I'm yours. Every part of me from my heart right down to the very tip of my hair is yours." He let out his own possessive growl. He could smell her arousal growing stronger in their bedroom. "And you're mine!" He lowered his head and bit into her mark.

Ember gasped loudly. Her body rippled with sparks that emanated from her marking spot. She could feel her body quickly heating up to meet the intensity of his rut. "Yours," she replied holding onto him tightly. She felt his hands moving across her body. He released her mark and smiled brightly. "Darling… take me. I want you.” She murmured to him. She could feel his excitement at her calling him by an endearment for the first time.

"As you wish, my love." He replied softly before starting his intensive worshipping and devouring of her body.

***

"You had us worried there," Alpha Alexius said at breakfast after their heat/rut period finished. "I wasn't sure how I was going to break it to Sebastian that he would have to leave you here." He pulled out a golden envelope and placed it on the table. "I doubt he could take you on a flight in the condition you were in."

Sebastian sighed and stared at the golden envelope sitting on the table in front of him. It was an invitation to the Annual Alpha Ball where all Alphas from across Australia would attend and network. This year it was being held at the Regale Hotel in Perth.

The invitation was for the Alpha, Luna, and any children of the pair that were of age. If those children were mated then the mates were also invited. Sebastian hated the ball as Alphas of the packs who were not part of the Ancient Ten would try to push their daughters onto him.

“You don’t have as much of a problem this year,” Alpha Alexius replied with a slight smile in response to his sigh. “You have Ember now.”

“I’ll still have a problem,” Sebastian huffed. “There are some people at school who still don’t believe she is my mate despite us marking each other publicly. Do you think those Alpha she-wolves are going to believe it?”

"I remember Caius going to this," Ember said picking up the envelope curiously. "He always came back and would complain about a she-wolf named Nicole. Called her a leech."

"She is," Sebastian sighed again heavily. "She is a desert wolf with a city wolf mentality. Ever since the four of us, future Alphas came of age; she's been trying to get in our pants and make us take her as our chosen mate. She always attached herself to us and shamelessly flirt to try and get us to spend the night with her." He leaned over and took the envelope out of Ember's hands before placing it back on the table again in from of his Dad. "I assume it is still going to run for four days?"

"Yes. The expectation is for future Alphas to network with each other to ensure that they have awareness of which packs are nearby to assist if the need arises," Alpha Alexius replied gently.

"Would I even be allowed to go?" Ember asked quietly. "All the wolves there would be of age. I'm still underage..." Sebastian let out a growl making it clear that he wasn't going to leave her behind regardless of if it was allowed or not.

Alpha Alexius chuckled at his response. "His Majesty will be there so he can override the rules if need be. Also, the clause here states that mates to the children of the Alpha are also invited. While you are not of age to go as Alpha Marcus' daughter, you are able to go as Sebastian's mate.” He leaned back and chuckled lightly. “And besides… your birthday falls on the final day of the ball.”

"I see..." She turned to peck a kiss on Sebastian's cheek before adding "If any she-wolf touches what is mine, they won't like what I'll do to them." Sebastian pulled her into a hug before squeezing her tightly, producing a very amused giggle from her.

"Protect me from the leeches!" he proclaimed nuzzling his nose into her neck. "My own personal leech repellent."

Ember burst out laughing before patting his back. "You might need to bring a mask, darling. You'll inhale burnt leech if you aren't careful."

Sebastian joined her hysterics and replied, "I'll make sure to pack it, my love."

***

Ember raised an eyebrow at her sulking mate. They learned that the current Alphas and Lunas were situated on the floor above while the future Alphas and their mates were situated on the floor below. Caius and Violet's room was to their direct left, Logan and Toby's room was directly opposite, and Raven and Rita's room was diagonal across from them on their left. What was making Sebastian sulky was the wolves whose room was on their direct right and diagonal right.

The direct right was Nicole, who had already tried to get her claws into Sebastian before Ember intervened and told her what for. The argument that ensued between the two she-wolves caused both hotel security and the parents of both Ember and Sebastian to come running. After Nicole caused a scene by claiming an underage wolf had no business being here, Sebastian let loose a massive growl before showing her that Ember was his marked mate and, in nicer terms than he had used, to stop causing trouble. Nicole had stormed off but Sebastian was sure that it wouldn't be the last time he would see her during the Ball.

The wolf to his diagonal right was named Baylen. He was the future Alpha of the City River pack. He had propositioned Ember for a night with him as soon as he saw her. When she declined, he had tried to lay hands on her which earned him a significantly loud slap in the face from her. Sebastian was about to step in to intervene when Ember fired up and lectured him about putting hands on the marked mate of another wolf. She never told him who was her mate but made it perfectly clear that if he was to continue to do so, her mate would have no issue ripping his hands off for his trouble. Once again, security had to step in to separate her from the wolf. He continued trying to intimidate her into spending a night with him. He kept taunting her by telling her she was lying as underaged wolves never get marked.

Sebastian looked up at her and let out another whine before dragging his feet over to where she was standing. He took his time savouring how she looked in her forest green gown. The strapless dress hugged her chest tightly but not so tight that she looked uncomfortable. Loose strips of gauze wrapped over her biceps and trailed down to her wrists giving an almost airy look to the top half. The rest of the dress hugged her hips and partway down her thighs before becoming loose and airy, flaring out as she walked. A split ran up the right side to the middle of her thigh. He placed his hands on her waist before leaning down to kiss the top of her head.

"Let's go my little spitfire," he said softly. He didn't really want to but he knew this was one of those things he wouldn't have a choice. "Don't want to keep our parents waiting."

Ember smiled back at him before linking her arm to his. They walked out together and down the lift towards the ballroom on the ground floor. Sebastian was glad that they now shared a table with only their friends. In the past, it was only the four of them and thus four random future Alphas and children of Alphas were placed at their table. Now with Ember and her friends joining them as their mates, no one else could be seated at their table.

Entering the ballroom, he could see that Caius, Logan, and Raven were already there along with their mates. But only one seat was unoccupied. His eyes narrowed at the she-wolf sitting in Ember's seat.

"Leave Nicole," he growled angrily causing the she-wolf to jump and turn around to look at him. "Before I get security to make you leave."

"But this is my allocated seat," she purred at him. She pointed at the placard in front of her. "See?"

"We will see about that," He grabbed the arm of a nearby omega who was serving as a waiter for that night. "Please bring me the Master of Ceremonies for tonight."

"At once Alpha," The omega said with a bow before setting his tray down and running off to find him. Nicole sat smugly in her chair and gave Ember a grin of satisfaction. Ember returned her smile with a very sardonic, almost evil looking smile that gave Nicole pause.

"Future Alpha Sebastian," Antonio, the Elder of Ceremonies, said with a smile. "What can I do for you?"

"Is it true that my mate is not seated with me?" Sebastian asked with a level tone. He was bordering on wanting to accuse the Elder but didn't want to place blame where it was not deserved.

"No," Antonio looked shocked. "His Majesty expressly asked for me to seat her with you as she is your mate." Both of them knew the true reason why Ember wasn't seated with the other underage wolves who had to come due to care reasons. "Your Grandfather was with me when I place her card next to yours."

"Then explain that," Sebastian pointed at Nicole who now looked quite pale. "Nicole claims that this was her allocated seat. I was tempted to call security to remove her but I felt you were best to give me a direct answer."

Antonio growled at the she-wolf causing her to get up out of the chair. "Where did you put Ember's placard?" he growled again. Another growl was heard behind all of them forcing Nicole to her knees.

"I placed it on the children's table," she stammered unhappily. She was being forced to reveal her secrets to the King. "Why are you doing this, your Majesty?"

"I was the one who saw the proof with her mark that they were true mates," he growled causing the entire ballroom to fall silent. "I was the one who personally released Ember from the curse on underage marking. I was the one who allowed the early marking of her by Sebastian. They are marked mates and you, claiming you were seated there, are not only disrupting the proceedings but also attempting to separate them. Do not continue with this train of action or I will be forced to strip you of your status. Do you understand?"

"Yes, your Majesty," she replied meekly. Antonio picked up her placard and led her away to where she was supposed to be sitting. Lionel appeared and placed Ember's placard, which he had retrieved from the children's table, back where it was supposed to be.

Turning, he came forward and gave Ember a hug. "I didn't get to meet you properly after Trance's trial. I'm Lionel, Sebastian's Grandfather and the Elder of Familial Ties and Mates."

"Nice to meet you, sir," Ember replied softly. She had heard a lot about Lionel from Sebastian. He was a very firm and hot-headed Alpha during his time. He had gotten into a lot of fights and pack wars, but one thing that Sebastian made clear was that his Grandfather was big on family. That family had to be loyal to each other and extend that loyalty to the mates who entered the family. He expected those mates to be loyal to the family as well and any disloyalty was met with harsh criticism and punishment from him.

"Likewise, my dear, likewise," Lionel stepped away and smiled. "I leave you younglings to your friends now," he chuckled lightly before the King and he headed back to the front table where they were seated.

"Well that was interesting," Logan commented as they took their seats. "We were warning Nicole that she was going to embarrass herself but she wasn't believing us. She kept talking about how the underage wolf should sit with the rest of the children since it's protocol." Logan chuckled at the expression Sebastian was making at that comment. "We told her that you weren't going to let Ember sit away from you. We told her that if Ember was truly sitting at the children's table then you would more than likely join her instead of sitting here."

"She didn't believe us," Raven chimed in with a smile. "Rita was ready to tear Nicole's hair out if she kept insulting Ember."

Caius started laughing. "Violet as well. She was actually ready to kick Nicole hard under the table." He shook his head. "Nicole is going to up the ante and I'm guessing you will be her target, Sebastian. Out of all of us, only you have an underage mate. Meaning, in her mind, Ember can't defend herself if she partially shifts into her wolf."

Ember laughed lightly. "Well... She'll learn that she can't touch me. But..." She glanced up at Sebastian who was glancing back down at her. "It will force your hand, you know."

"I know," he whispered in reply. "I'm ready if I have to." Everyone nodded their head, understanding that Sebastian having his hand forced meant that they all would be forced to take on their future roles much faster than anticipated.