"Shouldn't we change first?" Alaric wondered as they hurried along through the mess of makeshift shelters, rubble heaps, and trash piles Lou was used to calling home.
"What for?" Lou replied.
"Professionalism?" Alaric suggested. "Ideally a bath would be nice too before entertaining guests."
Idly, Lou wondered what kind of world Alaric had been living in where such trivial things seemed that important. At least, she thought they were trivial. Now that Lou thought about it, Draven was often lecturing her on the importance of style.
"We would be making them wait," Lou retorted. "Besides, if they're going to be complete snowflakes about us being in training gear, they shouldn't have visited in the middle of daily training."
Alaric looked like he wanted to argue, but he kept his thoughts to himself. Lou sensed she had upset him, but now wasn't the time to fuss over feelings. If there were delegates from multiple packs present, that could only mean that they had the deeds to her territory and the revised contract.
"Alpha Lou, you look quite, healthy… today." A wolf she knew only as Zimmerman sneered. He was one of Abram's lackeys, and about as pleasant to deal with as his alpha.
"Too bad I can't say the same about you," Alaric replied brightly without missing a beat. "I do believe you've become even more gaunt and sallow over the years. Has your mate not been treating you well?"
"Witty as ever I see," Alpha Keith bowled past Zimmerman and clasped Alaric's hand firmly as he shook it. "Pick up on that sharp Brit humor while overseas, eh kiddo?"
"Alpha Keith, you're being rude," Alaric stated sternly though he seemed remarkably at ease. "My mate is Alpha and you should greet her first. Even Zimmerman extended at least that much curtesy."
Lou eyed her little mate critically. It was impossible for her to guess what he could be thinking, and it both excited her and drove her bonkers. He seemed to take to his role like a fish to water, but continued to defer to her dominance even though they barely knew each other.
"Forgive me Lou," Keith turned to her and extended a hand. "I've known Alaric since he was a baby, and didn't even think about it."
"No problem," Lou replied with a grin as she took his hand and gripped it tightly. "We all make mistakes."
She held back a satisfied smirk when Keith winced at her grip. She had learned early on that a handshake was a quick, non-hostile way to establish dominance in a situation. It could also effectively lay the groundwork for earning respect, provided the other person wasn't an insecure twat like Abram.
"Right," Keith cleared his throat. "Anyway, as you may have guessed, we're here with the correct contract, as well as the deed to your territory."
"Indeed. There is much work to be done, so let's dispense with the pleasantries and get down to business," one of the delegates agreed while stepping forward. She recognized him as the Gravefang beta and knew him to be just as strict as Alpha Zed, which is likely the only reason he was trusted enough to handle the documents in Zed's place. That said, Lou couldn't remember his name for the life of her.
"It's awfully rude to make us stand out here," Zimmerman piped back up, sneer in place. "Shouldn't you take us somewhere better suited to doing business?"
"If you are feeling sick enough to bitch about standing on your feet, then you can sit your boney ass on that stump over there," Lou snapped. "If that's not good enough for you feel free to leave."
"You can't talk to me like that!" Zimmerman protested. "I'm-"
"If you know what's good for you, you'll shut up!" Keith snapped. "Gods, your voice is annoying! would you stop trying to pick a fight already? You have no power here, and its obvious she could tear you apart if she felt like it. None of us would stop her either."
The other delegates looked annoyed as well. It was clear enough none of them wanted to be there and were eager to leave. Furthermore, notwithstanding their respective oppinions of her, most of them were professionals. Zimmerman realized as he looked around at their stony expressions that he had no allies here. Lou watched with great satisfaction as he visibly deflated.
"Beta Jarvis, could we see the contract now?" Alaric extended a hand. So that was his name! Yet again, Lou felt grateful to have Alaric at her side, even if they didn't see eye to eye.
"Of course," Jarvis retrieved a leatherbound folder from the brief case he carried and extended it to Alaric. Seeing her Luna looking through the documents garbed in shorts and a sweaty tank top as he stood before the beta who was dressed in a suit, Lou realized why Alaric had expressed concern about their appearance. That said, her sentiments still stood.
"There are a lot less pages here now," Lou noted as she scanned the documents over Alaric's shoulder. "I think less than half of what we read before."
"This is the true form of the document," Jarvis stated with an apologetic look. "The only conditions that you need to uphold were the marriage to an eligible male, which has been fulfilled, and the completion of pack responsibilities that we discussed prior to that fiasco at the harvest moon celebration."
"What terms were those?" Alaric glanced up.
"Forgive me… ah… Luna," Jarvis struggled with the title. "I forget you weren't present for the initial negotiations. Essentially, Lou has agreed to fulfill the traditional role that had been assigned to the syndicate prior to their expulsion from the council. There have been some amendments to that role, as you've likely noticed written in the clause dealing with pack responsibilities, but essentially the Syndicate will be responsible for policing the city. Guarding the boarder, manning crosswalks, breaking up brawls, you get the idea. I have a book with more detailed descriptions of the proper regulations and enforcement that I am to give you upon the completion of your contract. You will need to work closely with city law enforcement so I have also included a list of contacts…"
Lou felt herself tuning out as Jarvis continued going over everything with Alaric. She was grateful he seemed to understand what the beta was explaining, because she was struggling to focus on his dry monotone. To try and avoid looking too bored, she surveyed the other delegates.
Alpha Keith, the only alpha among the delegation, was watching Alaric closely. She noted with some interest that there was a certain fondness in his expression. He had mentioned earlier that he'd known Alaric for most of the younger wolf's life, which could explain it. Lou felt there was more to the story, however, and was eager to hear it.
Unsurprisingly, Zimmerman was sulking and had apparently lost all interest in the discussion. She suspected Abram had sent him for the sole purpose of harassing her. As far as she knew, he was some kind of mid-rank wolf who honestly shouldn't have been tasked with a diplomatic assignment; more proof that Abram was actively working to insult her in every way possible.
To his left was a young female with thick, curly chocolate hair and a heap of freckles littering her nose. Based on the insignia she bore, she was representing the Silkwood pack, and her nervousness indicated that she lacked experience. If Lou remembered correctly, her name was Hannah and she had recently been mated to the pack beta.
The remaining four delegates from Ironfang, Goldmane, New Moon, and Red Dawn were all male and most of them sons of their respective packs' betas. Essentially, their presence suggested that those packs cared enough they wanted to hear about what happened during the diplomatic exchange, but weren't concerned about the results. Many other packs hadn't bothered to send delegates, which was fine by Lou. There were already too many people there for her liking anyway.
She was relieved when the process of reading, discussing, and signing everything finally ended what felt like hours later. The moment the deed was placed in Lou's hand, the majority of the delegates departed. Only Alpha Keith lingered.
"Was there something else you needed?" Lou asked.
She tried her best to sound polite, but all the paperwork left her head spinning and she was eager to explore the boundaries of her restored territory. The sooner she could ascertain the condition of her lands and identify potential threats remaining on its borders, the sooner she could move her people out of the rubble and squalor they had been forced to dwell in for years now.
"I just wanted to take the opportunity to have a friendly chat," Keith shrugged. "Besides the fact you are probably the most terrifying woman I've ever met, I don't know a thing about you, and it's been years since the last time I was able to chat with Alaric."
"So does this mean it's true that you still harbor feelings for Luna Marissa?" If he was going to insist on taking her time, Lou wasn't about to beat around the bush. "Is this why you give my mate so much attention?"
"Blunt, aren't you," Keith offered her a terse smile. Alaric glared in her direction, but she ignored it. Now wasn't the time for fancy diplomatic bullshit.
"I have shit to do, talk fast or don't talk at all," Lou stated.
"Yes, I am still in love with Alaric's mother Marissa," Keith replied, smile falling. "It's only gotten worse since my mate passed away."
"Was he on good terms with her?" Lou turned to Alaric.
"With the late Luna Victoria?" Alaric clarified. "Yes. I had never seen a man more devastated. You see, she died in childbirth while delivering their second child due to complications from an undiagnosed and untreated condition. It was a miracle the baby survived."
"Fascinating," Lou replied. Based on the reproachful look Alaric shot her, the reaction wasn't appropriate. That said, she wasn't sure what else to say. It had been more information than she really wanted.
"Let's talk about something else," Keith suggested.
"Sure," Lou agreed. "Do you plan to do anything about these feelings for Marissa?"
This time, Alaric smacked her arm. He looked furious, but it was hard to take him seriously. In her eyes, he looked too damn cute.
"There's not exactly anything I could do," Keith chuckled uncomfortably. "She is still very much married, and it's not like divorce is an option. She and her daughter would lose everything."
He was stubborn, Lou had to give him that. To a degree, she had been hoping the awkward topic would send him packing.
"Sure there is," Lou replied with a smirk. "Why bother with a divorce anyway? All you need to do is kill her useless husband."