LEUKAS

It had been, at the last moment, decided that the event would be live broadcasted on the television, with only the elite and politically influential from all over Azzuire and Abattohn attending for security reasons. A more open party would be held for the whole pack after Lanthe and Jason returned and would be leaving for the final time. The event was being held in the huge events room in Fort Ahbyss. It was huge and on the ground floor, so security would be more manageable. Atlas and I had arrived an hour before the event, dressed and ready to mingle with the guests, well as ready as I would ever be. Atlas was anxious and eager to make sure everything in the décor, the food, the drinks and the program was okay. It was hard work accommodating so many different species with different allergies, but since the list was exclusive and only included about three hundred people; about five representatives per species. Atlas being inducted as Alpha meant he was getting an exclusive seat in the main circle of the elite in all of Azzuire meaning he had a vote in all things which involved the whole supernatural world, and it was a big deal having all of those huge figures in one place was an honor and a headache. Nothing could go wrong, and with Atlas being labeled by everyone as nothing by my replacement in the position, he had a lot more to prove.

Despite the fact that continuously seeing everything I’d grown up preparing myself for go to my brother instead was hard and a bit bizarre, I knew that Atlas had worked extremely hard for this position despite the fact that he hadn’t wanted it in the first place and he deserved to be on that seat. Because despite all the things that had led up to this, Atlas was truly good at all the aspects of being a leader, even the ones where Jason fell short, and where I inevitably would have too. So I had dragged myself early to a party I hadn’t wanted to attend in the first place and was following him around like a lost puppy as he made sure everything was okay. The manic happiness I had been feeling only a while back was nowhere to be seen and I refused to acknowledge were it had gone. Unconsciously I fingered the black and red bracelet that Adrian had made for me a week before and a small smile grew on my face at the gesture. Even though he had been very flippant when he gave it to me, muttering about ‘a stupid mandatory arts and crafts’ class he had been forced to take almost shyly but dismissively telling me to keep it if I wanted it. I couldn’t miss the smile he had when he saw me wearing it the next day. Now I found myself reaching for it constantly, for some kind of balance within and I needed it more and more recently. Ever since I slept with Aleks.

“Missed me.” A husky voice muttered, startling me from my thoughts and I turned to be further surprised when I saw a glamorously dressed and made up Fletcher, smiling enticingly at me while I stared at her in confusion.

“Fletcher, What are you doing here?” I asked, shocked by her presence. As far as I was concerned, she was in Erebus, negotiating with the Council of the Gnomes for them to finally consider joining the supernatural council, which she was a member of as a representative of Abattohn. The Trolls had ancient laws on their side allowing their right to isolation and their whole land but some secret study had found their land flowing with some mineral which would help some supernatural beings with serious allergies and restrictions, I hadn’t asked for more details on the matter. All I knew was that it was very important for Fletcher and she had been excited and eager to seal the deal herself. Her presence here after such a short time was shocking.

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“Hi.” She said with a giggle. “I couldn’t miss Atlas’ induction Leukas. You and I are getting married in three months it’s good publicity for all these people to see us together.” She said with a careless shrug, her eyes scanning the room intensely before she smiled at me again.

“But what about Erebus and the Gnomes?” I questioned, confused by her sudden interest in our marriage. First with the suggestion of us having babies and now this.

She waved off my concerns. “Agnes took over. This is more important Leukas. My father thinks we’re not taking this marriage seriously, and with the arrival of your….of Aleksander, he’s beginning to think we won’t mate at all and he’s looking into fixing me up with someone else. I need to invest myself into this wording, Leukas, and seeing us here, together as a couple will calm him. People have even forgotten we’re engaged.” She explained. Our conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the only other person Fletcher and I had hung out with we were still at school b a guy whose intelligence rivaled my own, Hunter Cross.

Hunter hadn’t really fit with most of the kids since the first grade because he was mostly human, and only part lycan. Something about his silence, his almost feminine beauty and the quite intelligence had drawn me to next to his chair then, and even though it took a while before he actually spoke to us, he was Fletcher and I's silent partner and sounding board. We were close but mostly in the sense that we silently understood each other so well and could spend hours in each other’s presence without saying a word. He was one of the only people who'd done what I wanted after my whole ordeal; he left me mostly alone and sat silently with me as I made the decision to leave.

Over the years, he'd grown to become an upstanding man with substantial wealth from all his inventions which had changed Abattohn and all of Azzuire for the better. But most of all, he was the guy Atlas has had a massively unhealthy fixation on since fifth grade, which was why his early arrival and admittance wasn't surprising in the least. Hunter had learnt pretty early on that when Atlas summoned him, he came running because when Hunter didn't do what Atlas asked, Atlas went nuts.

“Hello guys.” Hunter greeted Fletcher and I quietly and without eye contact, his hands in his pants pockets while he looked around the room, clearly uncomfortable with all the activity happening around.

“Hi.” I responded with a slight nod and a smile in his direction.

“Hey Hunt, how's it going? “Fletcher asked, linking our hands together and laying her head on my shoulder. I was surprised because PDA wasn't really her thing but I chalked it up to her father stressing her out. Hunt looked surprised as well but didn't comment on it as he looked around, presumably for Atlas who immediately appeared and pulled the touch-averse Hunter into his arms while glaring at me for being so close to Hunter. Hunter melted in Atlas' arms and I could see the tension that had been plaguing Atlas all day melt away into a dopey grin as he and Hunter hugged like no one else was in the room with them. It was such a usual occurrence that no one even stared anymore.