Page 2 of Impregnated By the Alpha

“That’s a sensible plan,” I replied.

As unexcited as I was about the prospect of meeting so many new people at once, I was aware that this was part of the job I had signed up for.

“Tell that to your face,” she replied with a chuckle.

“Huh?” I asked, furrowing my eyebrows in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that you look like someone just tricked you into eating a sour lemon, and you’re considering how to get back at them for it,” she teased. “You may want to try a more… softened expression. The Dark Moon Pack has come a long way since they moved to Pinedale, but it would be better if you didn’t look like a threat.”

I smiled at her analogy, realizing she was right.

“Sorry, this is just my thinking face,” I said, composing my face into a more pleasant expression. I couldn’t count the number of times I had been told I looked angry when I was deep in thought.

April squeezed my hand reassuringly and led me through the living room into the dining area. Luckily, there were fewer attendees at this impromptu gathering than I had expected from the assortment of outerwear in the front hall. Aside from myself and my hosts, three men and one woman were sitting around the table.

“Welcome,” the woman said, greeting me with a smile. “You must be Violet. Please, come and sit with us. My name is Cynthia Walters.”

I thanked her for her invitation and took the seat beside her.

The men sitting across from us at the table appeared less receptive to my presence. The man furthest from me, who appeared to be the oldest, curled his lip and gave me a look of disdain. I decided to pay him no mind and turned my attention to the man sitting directly across from me.

“Thank you for having me,” I said to him. Instead of responding, he avoided eye contact completely, angling his shoulders toward his left, where Alpha Jasper had just sat down at the head of the table. The man to Jasper’s right noticed the snub and gave me an uneasy smile. What had I gotten myself into?

“We’re glad you’re here,” April said, taking her seat to my left, directly across from her mate.

“Indeed, we are,” Cynthia echoed. “After Luna April joined us, we had hoped to receive an ambassador from Sparkle Hollow sooner. But it’s better late than never.”

“I agree. It took some time to settle the details, but our pack is keen on making sure that we are all able to live peacefully together,” I said.

The longer we sat together, the more at ease everyone became. April passed around a bottle of wine, which turned into two. By the time we finished our meal, the room was full of laughter, and when Jasper brought out an apple pie for dessert, I felt like I could finally relax. Perhaps this task wouldn’t be as difficult as I had feared.

“Now that we’re all fed, I want to thank you all for being here tonight,” April said as we sipped our drinks. “As Violet said when she arrived, both of our packs know just how important it is for us to have peace as we go forward. The Pinedale alpha wasn’t able to be here tonight, but he and his pack also wanted to assure us that the future of this blended community is their priority as well.”

“That’s why I wanted to speak with each of you tonight,” Jasper said. “He and I discussed it, and we think the best way to move forward is for Dark Moon and Pinedale to seal their dedication and trust in each other with a more formalarrangement. A marriage. We have decided that he will be taking a mate from our pack.”

His announcement was met by nods of approval from his pack members. It wasn’t standard practice to arrange marriages, but allied packs still relied on the use of family bonds to ensure future stability. I could see nothing wrong with their plan and wondered how quickly they intended to put it into action.

“Has the female from your pack been chosen already?” I asked.

“No,” Jasper said, staring intently into my eyes. “I was actually hoping you would volunteer for that honor.”

“Me? I’m not a member of your pack,” I responded, confused at why he would want me to become the Pinedale luna.

“Maybe not, but you are our ally as well. What better way to show that Sparkle Hollow supports us than by joining our community?” Jasper asked.

I took a drink from my glass to give myself time to consider his statement. Jasper hadn’t waited long to test the peace between our packs. If I said no, I risked breaking the trust between us and throwing the territory back into chaos. But if I agreed, I would become the link between all three packs. Not only that, but I would be in a position of power and able to help ensure that the peace lasted for generations to come. He had clearly thought through my options already and had come to the same conclusion.

“There is no better way,” I agreed. I was determined to pass this test. “I am honored to accept the mate bond with the Pinedale alpha.”

Jasper smiled as I gave him the answer he hoped for. I could tell it was genuine, so I returned it.

“That’s settled, then,” April said brightly. “You must be tired, Violet. Can I show you to your room?”

I nodded and bid goodbye to the rest of the dinner party. They stood and began moving toward the front door as April showed me to a guest room on the second story of their home.

“Are you really okay with this plan—marrying someone you haven’t met yet?” April asked, concern clouding her eyes.

“Honestly, I am,” I assured her. “I’m here to do my duty. Not just to my own pack but to all the werewolves that live near here. Peace benefits all of us. If I can help in any way, then I’m going to do what is necessary.”

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