Lina's POV
After an eventful start to the day, we finally arrived at the conference room, where everyone awaited us. With shoulders squared and chin lifted, Mr. Lowell confidently strolled into the conference room. "I hope you didn't wait for too long," he drily stated as he walked to the head of the table and sat down." The best thing about being the boss is that you are always on time, I think to myself. However, today, Mr. Lowell's position came in handy as we entered the conference room, and no one dared mention the delay, at least not in front of Mr. Lowell. Yet, I could see the death threats in Susan's narrowed eyes when our eyes met. Her gaze promised retribution. I slid into the chair next to her without meeting Susan's gaze again. "Let's start the meeting!" Mr. Lowell instructed everyone, and suddenly, Susan's attention deviated from me to him.
His younger brother, Rawson Lowell, sat directly in front of me. He looked much like Mr. Lowell but seemed younger and wilder. I let out a sigh. I was thankful everything seemed to work out, but now, just before starting my presentation, my nerves were kicking in. I took out my files from my purse and prepared for the presentation Susan should be holding. Today, representatives from various departments involved in the project for the cultural promotion of Wolfsville had gathered. They would present their projects and discuss their progress. The objective was to make Wolfsville more appealing to tourists. The Tourism and Leisure Department held a crucial role in this conference. However, the project also involved the Building Department, as we had recently constructed an addition to the Wolfsville museum and were currently working on a hotel and other cultural and recreational areas. Additionally, representatives from the finance, advertising, law, and public relations departments, among others, attended this conference.
Mr. Lowell signaled to Coco to commence the presentations, and she signaled back, saying, "The representative from Wolfsville Tourism and Leisure may begin the presentation." I started the presentation as planned. I addressed the basics and clarified the project's purpose: "The once small village of Wolfsville has transformed into a thriving city that extends to the green outskirts. Beyond the city center are residential areas where affluent individuals reside or spend their vacations. This growth has increased population and demand for leisure activities." Gone was the nervousness I felt just minutes ago. All eyes were on me, and I especially tried to concentrate on the presentation.
Alarick's POV
Lina continued, discussing the concept and the underlying idea: "Wolfsville derives its name from the frequent appearances of wolves in ancient times. Countless myths and legends around wolves and werewolves have origins in Wolfsville." I was impressed by this statement; Lina had certainly done her homework. "Unbeknownst to humans, werewolves have thrived in Wolfsville for centuries, thanks to these myths and legends," Lina nonchalantly added, abruptly pausing.
Her last statement caught us all off guard. True to form, Rawson almost spilled his coffee as his thoughts became evident. Tension filled the room. The pack members exchanged uncertain glances, eventually focusing on Rawson and me. The non-wolves appeared intrigued while Susan gazed at Lina as if she had lost her mind. Although I tried to maintain composure and wear a fake smirk, internally, a thousand questions raced through my mind. As the appointed alpha, I had no clue how to handle this situation, and I doubted anyone else did either. I attempted to remain calm and keep a stoic expression as we were finally relieved by Lina's following statement: "Or so say the myths that are widespread on the internet." A collective sigh of relief swept through the room. The non-wolves burst into laughter, except for Susan, who still seemed startled. Some pack members joined in with fake laughter, while others sighed, attempting to conceal their genuine emotions. As Lina continued the agitated postures relaxed once again and the room gradually returned to its earlier buzz.
Following the initial shock, the rest of Lina's presentation proceeded smoothly. I observed the room as she reported on the various plans and their progress. The insecurity stemming from Lina's shocking statement gradually dissipated. Now, she had the full attention of her audience, who eagerly embraced her plans. I paid particular attention to my brother, who shamelessly fixated on Lina. It was a struggle for me to stay focused. In the short time, I'd known Lina, she had managed to stir up a myriad of emotions within me, emotions I'd rather not dwell on, especially considering it was still morning. Honestly, I was uncertain about what to make of this girl, but she was undeniably intriguing.
The remaining presentations proceeded as expected, with a few minor exceptions. Overall, I was pleased with the progress. Nevertheless, I was grateful that Coco and Leon were also present at the conference, hopefully, more focused than I was. My gaze flicked from the presentation slides to Lina's face, her cleavage that deepening with every minute, then over to my brother staring at her. I shook my head slightly, trying to refocus. I felt like snapping his neck and kissing hers a truly concerning state of mind. I attributed my behavior to pent-up stress and the lack of interaction with females in the past three months. I'd never invested so much thought into any girl before. The female wolves in the pack constantly vied for my attention, and I had no interest in them. Non-wolf girls were off-limits for my family, so I never had serious relationships with them. Given these circumstances and my current workload, I unintentionally suppressed my own desires.
As the conference neared its end, I was relieved to know that I had a private meeting with Lina. The conference and this morning should have left me exhausted, yet I strangely felt rejuvenated. Somehow, I had already formed an opinion about Lina and wanted to get to know her better. My only concern was how to prevent my brother and Susan from tagging along. "We thank you all for the presentations. Please remember to work on the discussed aspects of the projects before the deadline," Coco concluded, officially ending the conference. "I will see you all at the next conference," I added. "Susan and Lina, please follow me and Mr. Lowell to my office. We still need to discuss the upcoming inauguration party for the new wing of the Wolfsville museum," Coco instructed the tourism and leisure department representatives.