Sarise pulled the top of her dress up around her bust roughly, checking to make sure it was covering everything before she pushed the doors open.
She was regretting wearing a strapless gown as she walked into the room, pulling it up lightly even now and then as she moved through the crowd.
Around her dozens of people moved around, most she didn't recognise, yet the all exuded power and wealth.
She felt out of place walking among those obviously born of money.
"Well look at you." A voice called and she turned, seeing Xander standing behind her a smile on his face as he reached forward to peck her cheek.
"You look stunning."
"I must admit." Sarise stated, stepping back and looking over him. "You don't scrub up too bad yourself, must have taken a while."
Beside Xander a woman burst into laughter, getting a frown from him as she leant forward.
"Casey." She stated, offering Sarise her hand.
"Sarise." She answered and Casey smiled.
"Ahhhh, the new Beta to the Queen." She answered, rolling her eyes at Xander. "He's been banging on all night about how much you remind him of Jacob." Sarise laughed.
"Are you Xander's..." She began and Casey snorted into her drink.
"Goddess no, he wishes." She laughed, smiling into the crowd and Sarise turned to see Merric talking to someone. "I'm Merric's mate."
"Ahhhh." Sarise smiled, the smell of pine hitting her nose.
She turned quickly, her earring banging against her chin as she tried to find the source.
How strange, maybe there was pine in the flower arrangements tonight.
She turned back to Casey and Xander.
"If you'll excuse me, I have to find Amelia." She said with a smile, lifting the hem of her dress up slightly as she spoke to Casey. "It was good to meet you."
"Likewise." Casey answered, lifting her glass to her. "I suspect we'll be seeing more of each other."
Sarise smiled, inclining her head to the two before she walked away.
Amelia was easy to find, a large crowd of people hovered around her, each praising her on one thing or another.
Sarise giggled at the look on her face, seeing Amelia speak to the people around her before she walked towards Sarise.
"Where have you been?" She demanded, wrapping her arm in Sarise's.
"Getting ready." Sarise answered as they walked through the crowd. "Do you know how hard it was to pour myself into this dress?" Amelia laughed.
"You look amazing." Amelia stated, lifting her nose in a snobbish way. "Very regal."
The two women burst out laughing before Sarise grunted lightly, catching a hint of pine again and lifted her nose to try trace the scent, feeling her wolf perk up.
"Pine." Sarise stated, turning to Amelia. "Are there sprigs of pine in the vases?"
"I don't think so." Amelia answered. "But I didn't do the flowers for tonight so anything's possible."
"Ah there you are." A voice called and Sarise turned, seeing the Royal Alpha wrapping his arm around Amelia's waist as he gave her a quick kiss on the lips.
"I've been searching for you." He smiled at her before turning to Sarise. "How are you settling in?"
"I think I may have to make a map." Sarise stated, sipping her wine. "Place is like a rabbit warren."
"Amelia mentioned much the same thing when she first got here." Noah laughed, looking at Amelia.
"I am glad she has a proper companion with her now." He looked at Sarise and winked. "Goddess knows she always complains about not having one here."
Sarise giggled as Amelia rolled her eyes before looking at her.
"Well she's here to stay now." Amelia stated and Sarise smiled.
"At least until we get into trouble." She answered, throwing Amelia a wink.
Amelia giggled and a groan issued from Noah.
"Why do I have a bad feeling about that comment?" He said lightly, looking down at Amelia.
"I swear you see discord in every shadow Noah, especially when it comes to your beautiful mate." A voice stated from behind Sarise as the smell of pine intensified.
She turned to see who the newcomer was as he continued to speak.
"Why not let the women have a bit of..."
His voice trailed off, eyes going wide as he looked at Sarise, flashing lavender.
Sarise nearly forgot to breath as she stared at him, watching as his mouth formed the same word hers did.
"𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘦."
*꙲꙲ ꙲꙲*꙲꙲ ꙲꙲*꙲꙲
"I can't believe it." Amelia breathed, dragging Sarise down the corridor. "You're Jacobs' mate."
"He doesn't seem at all please by the concept." Sarise pointed out, glancing over her shoulder at the Royal Alpha conversing with her mate.
After realising he was Sarise's mate, the Intelligence Alpha had firmly added that he didn't need a one and had gone to leave.
Noah had grabbed him, instantly causing a scene which had alerted the not only other two Alphas, but the entire room that someone was amiss.
Sarise had felt her wolf howl in pain at his comments about not needing a mate, realising that he was rejecting her.
Seeing Sarise's face heat up in anger Amelia had quickly pulled her away from the two men, dragging her down a corridor towards her office as Noah tried to defuse the situation.
"Give him some time." Amelia said lightly as she walked into the room. "I'm sure..."
"He's probably gay." Sarise stated, walking in behind Amelia as her eyes went wide with shock at Sarise's comment.
"I've seen Jacob take plenty of women to..."
"Doesn't mean he's done anything with them." Sarise pointed out, pulling her dress up again before walking into the heart of the room.
"I mean statistically speaking there had to be at least one Alpha that preferred the same sex."
"Yes, because that's the only reason a man would not want a mate." A deep voice called and both women turned to see Jacob walking into the room, pulling at his bowtie.
"Forgive me Amelia, may we?"
"Of course." Amelia answered, looking over at Sarise, mouthing 'behave' to her, as she walked to Jacob, giving him a light kiss on the cheek and left the room.
The door clicked close behind the two and Jacob indicated a seat to Sarise as he pulled his pants up slightly and sat down.
"I think I'll stand." Sarise answered, leaning against the desk and folding her arms across her breasts.
"If you wish." Jacob answered, throwing his right arm along the back of the couch as he looked at her.
"So, did you come here to officially reject me?" She asked.
"I came here to offer you an explanation." Jacob responded and Sarise held up her hands.
"Please none needed." She retorted. "I get it. The all mighty Alpha of Intelligence believes in his infinite wisdom that he doesn't need a mate, that a mate will merely muddle his mind causing his perception to be off." Jacob frowned. "Wisdom is more important to you."
"I never said..." Jacob started to say sitting forward.
"You don't need to. I know how the Intelligence Pack works." Sarise continued. "Wisdom comes before everything. Even pleasure of the flesh at times." She shrugged.
"Your bevy of women, or men; provide you with the physical release you need, when you need it. Yet your focus is on wisdom and how to procure as much of it as you can. When you decide that you need to mate, you'll merely take a choice mate, breed, have pups and..."
"Do you ever stop talking?" Jacob asked lightly, standing up and running his hand through his black hair, turning his back to her for a moment before swinging back to look at her with his light green eyes.
"My mate was not something I expected to come across at this particular stage in my life."
"My apologise." Sarise snarled, folding her arms across her breasts again. "If the Immortal of Time were around, I'd ask her to wind back the clock and ensure we didn't meet until another stage of your life. Goddess forbid we disrupt your precious life timetable."
"If you haven't forgotten there is a war going on." Jacob pointed out, walking slowly towards her, stopping a few feet away.
Sarise snorted, glaring at him as he pushed his hands into the pockets of his pants.
"I'm from the Zones, Alpha. I grew up in a perpetual warzone." She retorted, shrugging. "Listen I get it. You don't want some lowly girl from the Zones, who you assume has no education and probably can't even spell her own name, to be your mate. After all you're the Alpha of Intelligence." Jacob went to speak but Sarise continued.
"However, intelligence isn't measure by education alone."
Jacob frowned lightly, his hand coming to his chin as he gripped it in thought, his eyes wandering over her slowly, taking in every curve of her body.
Sarise rolled her eyes at him.
"I'm also not some whore to be used for the entertainment of an Alpha." She added, dropping her arms and going to push past him when his hand shot out and grabbed her upper arm.
The contact of his skin against hers caused sparks to surge through her body and she gasped involuntarily.
"Firstly." He said lightly, looking at her. "Don't roll your eyes, it frustrates me."
Sarise rolled her eyes again and he growled lightly.
"And secondly?" She asked
"Secondly, my name is Jacob." He replied.
"Is there a third?" She snapped and Jacob shook his head lightly.
"Not at this stage, although I reserve the right to add to the list at my discretion." He answered, letting go of her arm and taking a step back. "I apologise for my reaction. I honestly hadn't expected to come across my mate so soon."
"I'm not apologising for disrupting your precious timeline." Sarise answered, folding her arms across her breasts again. "It's not like I was out hunting for my mate either. I'm quite happy with where my life is right now."
"Yes, just named Beta to the Queen." Jacob said lightly and Sarise shrugged.
"We grew up together. I've always got her back." She added.
"You're aware you cannot accept the position." Jacob interjected and Sarise frowned, dropping her arms to her sides again.
"Why not?"
"Because you're the mate of an Alpha." Jacob reminded her.
"Have you entertained the notion that I may reject you." Sarise stated, rolling her eyes at his presumptuous manner.
Without warning Jacob grabbed her, wrapping an arm around her waist as he pulled her against him.
His other hand came up to firmly hold her chin as he pressed his mouth to hers.
Sarise gasped at the sparks that surged through her at the physical contact and Jacob used the opening to push his tongue into her mouth, massaging hers in an aggressive manner.
As quickly as he had kissed her, he pulled back, leaving her breathless.
He tightened the hold his hand had on her waist, pulling her flush against his body and through his tuxedo she could feel the flinching of muscle.
The hand that held her chin ran down her neck slowly, running across her collarbone.
"If you wish." He breathed in a husky tone that vibrated through her body before he released her, walking towards the door.
"I'm going back to the party." He stated, grabbing the door handle. "I'll see you out there?"
Sarise was unable to reply, still trying to find her centre of gravity and she heard him sigh as he pulled the door open and walked from the room.
The instant he was gone she fell to the floor, the strength going from her legs as she touched her lips with her fingers.
Goddess it had been so long since she felt the touch of a man and damn, he had felt so bloody good.