by Terri L Vest
About that time, Claire was heading back and stopped when she saw Reika talking to a very handsome stranger. It even almost looked like she knew him. Claire had never seen him before so he couldn't be from the pack. There was something about him though, that said he was one of them. She didn't know if she should be worried or happy that Reika seemed to like him. For the sake of pack traditions however, she hoped that Reika wasn't becoming attracted to him. Silas would never let her mate with someone outside of the pack. But, oh did Reika seem happy right now.
Putting off that idea, she pushed ahead and rejoined Reika at the table. "Hi, who's your friend?" she asked.
Reika looked up and smiled at her mother. "This is Foster. We've just been chatting about the differences in how packs are run."
Claire nodded her head, she was right, he is one of them. "So, you're a shifter too, then?" she asked Foster.
"Yes ma'am. I thought I picked it up from Reika, heard you all talking about a birthday party and I just wanted to wish her a happy birthday. Then we just got to talking about a variety of things. She's very easy to talk to! I'm sure you are very proud of her. She seems like a very intelligent young woman!"
Claire smiled. He was very charming. . . almost too charming for someone who had just met them. She couldn't help but worry. "Yes she is," said Claire while smiling proudly at her daughter. "I hate to cut this short but we need to get going if we're going to buy that dress. You still need to try it on!"
"OH, of course, my apologies for keeping you from your shopping!" Foster said, saddened by the fact that his time with her was up for now. Remembering their appointment for lunch tomorrow, he brightened up saying, "Let me just say then, that it was very nice meeting you and I hope you find the dress of your dreams! Again, happy birthday and I hope your party is a huge success!" He winked at Reika and smiled at Claire, shaking her hand. "Good day to you both!" he said and with that he turned and walked away.
"He was a very nice young man," said Claire as she watched him leave.
"Yes, he really was," said Reika, smiling as she watched him, knowing that she would be seeing him again tomorrow.
Claire looked at her daughter and knew that what she feared was happening. Reika was attracted to an outsider.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
After returning to the dress shop and purchasing the dress she was hoping to get, Claire and Reika returned home to get ready for the party. Claire pulled together a quick, light dinner, considering the party would have food, and Reika focused on her hair and makeup. She planned to uphold the promise she'd made to her mother to give this evening a fair chance. She refused to pout or get upset about it any more and decided to make her parents proud of her instead.
Once she had showered and blow-dried her hair, she worked on achieving the most flattering hair style she could manage. Using the tools she had at her disposal, she smoothed away any excess frizz or unruly curls and instead, worked her long blonde hair into beautiful, loose ringlets that hung down her back. The front was swept away from her face to meet in the middle of the back of her head and was secured with a clip embellished with emeralds, leaving the hair to cascade down and blend in with the rest. She then added the perfect sized emerald studs to her ears and a simple emerald pendant hanging from a sparkling, white gold chain to complete the look. Simple, elegant, . . . perfect!
With excitement beginning to build in her, she stepped into the new dress she knew would have the young males panting! She'd never owned anything as stunning as her new party dress. The emerald color had an iridescence to it that seemed to dance as she moved. It had a sweetheart neckline that flattered her chest and was form fitting through the rib, waist and hip area and then slowly fanned out to move freely around her feet. It's light, silky fabric completed the flowing effect. To complete the picture she slipped on a pair of matching heels that gave her the height she'd always longed for. Looking at the final picture, she smiled with the confidence of a young woman who now understood the true prize she was thought to be. Now she felt like the daughter of an alpha. A beautiful, strong, intelligent young woman who could hold her own in a room full of males.
As she admired the finished product in the mirror, there was a soft knock at her bedroom door. "Reika, are you about ready?" her mother called out. "Can I come in?"
"Yes, mother, come in", Reika answered. As the door opened, Reika heard a soft gasp. She turned to find her mother staring at her with wide eyes and her hand over her mouth. "Mother, is something wrong? Did I miss something? Is something showing that shouldn't be?" Reika asked with worry in her voice.
Claire couldn't believe that the vision of beauty standing before her was her little girl. Somehow she had grown up over night and before her now stood a young woman! "Oh, Reika, nothing is wrong at all. In fact, everything is perfect! You are a vision to behold, my beautiful daughter!" Claire said as she fought the tears that were trying to slip over their edges.
Relieved, Reika smiled and asked, "Do you really think so? You don't think it's too much do you?"
"Absolutely not, my sweet. Everything is tasteful and elegant. You have outdone yourself! Wait until your father sees you. He may just rethink having this whole party once he does! OR, he'll be posting guards all around the room and one attached to you so that you're never alone!" Claire laughed. "There's no better wake up call for time moving on than to see your baby girl looking like a woman!" Both women laughed while thinking about the shock that Silas was soon to feel.
"However, enough of our chatter. There is a room full of eager young males awaiting your arrival downstairs. We shouldn't keep them waiting any longer!" With that, she reached for Reika's hand and led her out of the room and towards the foyer where she knew Silas was waiting.
As they approached, Silas was talking with Roy and didn't notice their approach until Roy began smiling and nodded his head in their direction. Silas turned and the look that spread across his face told Claire she was right about how he'd feel about his baby girl now. Nodding a greeting to Roy, Reika smiled and gracefully approached her father. "Hello father. Are you ready to introduce me to the available young males of the pack now?"
Silas was speechless. He couldn't believe the young beauty in front of him was his own sweet little flower that he had cherished and cared for all these years! Struggling to find his voice, he stepped towards her, taking both of her small hands into his own large ones and, staring deeply into her eyes, he softly said, "Reika, my flower, you have grown into such a beautiful young woman. Where have the days gone my sweet? I'm thinking that perhaps I'd better consider posting a guard or two around you to be sure these young males behave themselves!" With that, both women laughed at the resulting prophecy given by Claire. "What? Did I say something funny?" asked Silas.
"No, my love. I just predicted the proposed guard you just mentioned and you didn't disappoint me", she said as she projected her love for him in her smile.
"My dearest, you know me so well", said Silas as he embraced her.
"Alright you two, are we going to have a party or aren't we?" asked Reika as she smiled at the public display of affection she loved to see between her parents.
Reluctantly, Silas released Claire and turned to Reika. "My instruction to you for the evening is this - if you have a problem with any of these young men, you are to report to me immediately. I will not have any one of them disrespecting you! Am I clear?" Silas asked of Reika while holding a very stern and serious face.
Reika chuckled. She loved the way her father became stern whenever her well being came into play. She knew it was his way of protecting her and she loved him all the more for it! "Yes, father, I understand and will do as you ask", she said. She knew she wouldn't run tattling to him unless it was extreme or threatened her safety, but she knew her reassurance of obedience would make him more comfortable with the new territory he was now finding himself in. He wouldn't be protecting his youngest pup much longer so she let him have his final chances to prove what a loving and attentive par
ent he was.
Like her mother, she let her love project out to him through her widest and most sincere smile. Silas reached out and drew Reika into his embrace, then he softly whispered into her ear, "You look lovely, my sweet! I want you to enjoy yourself tonight. Have fun at your party and don't worry about the purpose, but rather the fun you can have with it. Flirt, be free and have fun with sizing up the choices. I want you to know, I trust your instincts now. I'll not be forcing anyone on you that you don't feel right about. I won't make that mistake again", he said as he emphasized his point with a firm hug. He released her and faced the direction of the room where all awaited her. Offering his arm to her he asked, "Are you ready for some fun?"
Reika smiled up at her father and said, "As ready as I'll ever be", then gave him a wink to show she would take it all in stride, promising no further resistance. Nodding he motioned to the door attendant to open the doors and he led her into the ball room that was filled with handsome young men.
The music that had been playing had stopped and changed into a lovely piece that was perfect for a Cinderella entrance. With all eyes on her, she felt like Cinderella attending her first ball. She had put a pleasant and welcoming smile on her face and she promised herself to give everyone a fair chance at catching her ear. Deep inside however, she was wishing a certain young gentleman that she'd just met had been allowed to attend. That would have made this a more perfect evening. Realistically however, she knew if he were there, she doubted anyone else would get much time with her, both by her own desire as well as his own she was sure. So, for now, she would enjoy the attention of those in attendance and eagerly await for her time with Foster, tomorrow at lunch.
As the evening wore on, Reika found she enjoyed being wooed by so many. She teased and flirted, and promised nothing. As each new hopeful asked for a dance and ultimately was replaced by another, she found that, though she liked each one well enough for a friend, no one had caught her eye or caused any butterflies. Father was not going to be happy, but, she would deal with that at a later time. He had told her to have fun with the party and she did.
With the end of the evening quickly approaching she was tiring of constantly having to smile and being available for another dance. She knew she would have to address the guests before they left and she was eager for that time to arrive!
Finally, with the playing of the last song, she chose a young male that seemed to stand out from the others as her final partner. Patrick was a first born of one of the council members and, should the need arise, she felt he would make a decent choice as a last resort. He seemed kind, intelligent and sensitive to her feelings. No sense in burning bridges just because someone else had caught her eye that day. Someone that could very well be off limits. When the song was over she smiled and sincerely thanked him for the dance. She told him she would be thinking over the events of the evening and hinted that she may be contacting him in the near future, without committing to it.
As the last event of the evening, she went up on the stage area to address her guests. She knew many hoped to have caught her eye and she hated to disappoint anyone but she simply could not choose them all. "To all my guests - I have had a wonderful time this evening and want to thank each and every one of you for coming to help make it what it was! I'm sure it's a bit unnerving to be pursuing the same woman as so many others, but I want to again thank you for coming and giving me so much to think about. On the other hand, with so many coming, I think my work is cut out for me!" Everyone nodded and chuckled, understanding that this indeed would be a difficult situation for her to be in.
"I hope that no matter what happens, I can still count on your friendship and I hope you can understand that not everyone can be chosen, so the chances are higher that you won't be. Please know that I appreciate you for who you are, but I need to choose the one that I feel is best for me. Thank you again for coming and throwing your hat in the ring! I'm flattered that so many feel me so worthy of being a life mate, and with that I bid you all good night!" Giving a slight curtsey and smiling, she turned and left the room.
"Phew! I'm glad that's over!" she said as she entered her bedroom and found her mother waiting for her. "I'm exhausted! I never thought I could dance so many dances in one evening! My feet are killing me!" she laughed as she took off her shoes and sat to rub her sore feet. "I think I'm going to use tomorrow just for myself and sneak away out into the woods to lie in the grass and take in the peace of the forest! I don't want to have to entertain anyone but myself for one whole day!" Reika said, giving herself the out she needed, and had been pondering, to be able to sneak out tomorrow to meet up with Foster.
Claire chuckled. "You did wonderfully tonight! You carried yourself with pride and grace and I think everyone felt like they got a chance to dance with you and talk to you. I don't think I could've done any better! I'm so proud of you, Reika, and I know your father is too. You do deserve to treat yourself to your own kind of day tomorrow!"
After a little mother and daughter conversation where Reika told her mother about Patrick, her mother finally wished her a good night and left to catch Silas up on the evening's success. She decided to take a quick trip around the grounds in her bare feet before she called it a night. She felt silly in her gown and no shoes, but the grass felt wonderful on her hot tired feet. As she reached the outer edges of the grounds, she got the strangest feeling like she was being watched. She turned to scan the grounds when a shadow moved out from among the trees. Reika gasped as she realized who it was.
"Foster! What are you doing here in Sweetwater territory? Do you realize the risk you're taking and what would happen if you got caught here without permission? Especially on the grounds of the Alpha's personal territory?!"
"I'm not technically on the Alpha's territory just yet", he said with a slight smile on his face. "I just had to come and wish you a happy birthday in person. I couldn't wait until tomorrow to see you. And now, seeing you in that dress, I'm especially glad that I didn't wait!" The look of appreciation tinged with lust was quite evident on Foster's face and it brought a blush to hers. Butterflies danced wildly in her stomach! Foster could tell that she wasn't going to turn him in and she appeared to actually be pleased to see him. He sensed a shift in her scent that showed proof of what he was picking up from her. Seeing her in her gown was doing more for him than he thought possible. The way it hugged her curves and how the color made her eyes that much more noticeable had him physically reacting more than he realized. She was noticing his pleasure at seeing her again as well.
"Did you have a good time at your party?" he inquired, trying to keep the conversation going and therefore lengthening the time he had with her. "Were you successful in locating a possible life mate?" This was not a question he was eager to get an answer to. This one night could end any chance he'd have with her.
"Well, it was pleasant enough, though my feet are killing me with all the dancing required of me", she laughed. "If we really are going to continue our conversation, I'd like to suggest that we take it further away from my home property and possibly even outside the Sweetwater pack territory!" She didn't think anyone would really come looking for her but she certainly didn't want to risk him getting caught.
"Would you rather change first? I'd hate to see anything that beautiful get dirty or torn", he said with a seductive smile.
"I don't think I should risk going back into the house. If I run across my mother or father, and they ask why I'm going out and where, I don't want to have to lie to them. I'll be fine, as will my dress, for the time I'll be outside", she said. "We are meeting for lunch tomorrow. I think we can save most of what we want to talk about until then." She smiled sweetly up at him, causing his own heart to skip a beat or two. This beautiful woman was proving to be more and more intriguing to him and he didn't seem able to get enough of her. Regretfully, he agreed and promised not to keep her very long. Being on limited time, he pondered just coming out and telling her what he was feeling to see if she was feeling anyt
hing for him. That could go very well, with her agreeing, or it could end everything, which would be terribly disappointing. He thought for a brief moment and knew which way he wanted to go.
As they began to walk towards the boundary between the territories, they chatted lightly about what they'd done with the rest of their day, about a few of the prospects she'd danced with and what was to be on the menu for tomorrow's lunch. After crossing the boundary, she visibly relaxed knowing that he was now safe from any repercussions of being found on their own territory. The evening was proving to be a very comfortable one and removed the worry of whether she'd get cold or not, dressed as she was. Reaching the perfect spot that was protected from both the wind and from sight, they both made themselves comfortable. Foster knew that if he was going to say anything, now was the perfect time for it. They were alone, she was visibly relaxed and the conversation had been flowing smoothly between them. It was like they'd known each other for a long time. Could it be yet another sign of his intended mate? He wondered.
"Reika, I've been battling with whether I should say what's been on my mind or if it was too soon. We only just met, but I feel like we've known each other for years. We seem to converse easily and appear to be quite comfortable in each others company. Do you feel the same way or am I being too presumptuous and overstepping my bounds?" He searched her face for signs of what she was thinking or how she was feeling and sincerely hoped she was feeling the same.
She softly chuckled as she turned towards him. "You know, you've been on my mind a lot since we met and I was beginning to think the same thing. It seemed strange that you should occupy so much of my thoughts after having only met earlier today. I found myself wishing that you could have been invited to the party this evening and how enjoyable it would have been to be able to dance with you. Although, I also had to see the foolishness of that because had you been there, I don't think anyone else would have gotten much time with me." Blushing with the boldness of her statements, she knew them to be true and she never ran from the truth. She wasn't sure what it all meant, but she knew she felt the same.
