Chapter 222

Agnes

The next morning, I was pleasantly surprised to find a formal invitation slipped under our hotel room door. It was addressed to both Elijah and me, requesting our presence at the morning’s meeting. I waved it at Elijah as he emerged from the bathroom with his towel wrapped around his waist.

“Look at this,” I said with a cheeky grin. “I think the ladies made an impression yesterday.”

Elijah took the card and skimmed it, a smile spreading across his face. “Well, would you look at that? Richard’s actually taking your not-so-subtle hint.”

“I wonder if all the Lunas got one, or if it’s just me because I made a scene,” I mused, pulling out the dress I’d planned to wear today. It was a simple gray sheath dress, professional without being too stuffy.

Elijah smirked. “Well, if you were the only one, then I guess you’ll just have to stage a coup.”

An hour later, my questions were answered when we entered the conference room to find it already bustling with activity. Twice as many chairs as yesterday had been set up around the large table, enough for all the Alphas and Lunas. Many Lunas were already there, taking their seats and chatting. I felt my chest warm with happiness upon seeing the scene.

Richard was standing at the head of the table, overseeing the setup. When he saw us, he nodded in acknowledgement, although his face betrayed nothing in regards to last night’s events.

“Alpha Elijah, Luna Agnes,” he greeted with a polite smile. “I hope you don’t mind, but I took your suggestion to heart. All pack leaders should have a voice at these meetings.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” I said with a grin.

We found our seats, and I noticed that while some of the Alphas looked less than thrilled about the arrangement, none of them voiced any complaints. Apparently, our little demonstration yesterday had made an impact.

Once everyone was settled, Richard called the meeting to order. As a formality, his Beta took attendance before getting into the meeting.

“Alpha Henry and Luna Krystal of the Alpine Pack?” Richard’s Beta called, looking around the room.

There was no response.

Richard frowned as his gaze found their seats, which were both empty. “Has anyone seen Alpha Henry or Luna Krystal this morning?” he asked.

Murmurs rippled through the room, but no one had any information. The Beta marked something on his list.

“They’ll be marked absent,” he announced. “Moving on…”

The meeting proceeded without further interruption, covering various topics from territory disputes to trade agreements between packs. I found myself engaged in the discussions, offering insights when appropriate. To my satisfaction, several of the other Lunas did the same, and their contributions were valuable and thoughtful.

By the time lunch break was called, I felt a sense of accomplishment. And also hunger.

The hotel had set up a buffet in an adjoining room for the attendees. I filled my plate with a selection of roasted vegetables and some kind of herb-crusted chicken, then looked around for a place to sit. I spotted a group of Lunas gathered at a table, heads bent together in conversation. One of them waved me over.

“Agnes, join us,” she called. “We were just talking about Henry and Krystal.”

I slid into an empty chair. “What about them?”

The Luna next to me leaned in conspiratorially. “I have the room next to theirs,” she said in a low voice. “Last night, I heard them arguing.”

“Arguing?” I echoed, surprised. Henry and Krystal were known throughout the packs as one of those disgustingly perfect couples. Childhood sweethearts who turned out to be fated mates, they had three beautiful children and, from all appearances, a rock-solid relationship.

The woman nodded eagerly. “It was loud, too. I heard something break, like glass shattering. Then Krystal yelled something I couldn’t make out, and a door slammed.”

“Strange. That doesn’t sound like them at all,” another Luna commented. “They’re always so… happy.”

“Maybe they got into it over something silly,” someone else suggested with a shrug. “Even the most perfect-seeming couples fight sometimes. Maybe even more often than the ones who seem to hate each other.”

“Well, they’re not here today,” the first woman pointed out. “Makes you wonder.”

A Luna across the table smirked. “Or maybe they’re still in bed, making up.”

The table erupted in laughter. I rolled my eyes at the gossip as I poked at my chicken, but couldn’t help chuckling along.

By the time the formal meetings were adjourned for the day, my head was spinning, but I felt energized. Elijah and I spent the remainder of the afternoon in separate groups; he met with a couple of Alphas to discuss security concerns, and I met with a group of Lunas to offer insight on a charity initiative they were starting in their packs.

I didn’t see Henry or Krystal all day, not that I had much time to look closely since I was so busy. Maybe I missed them at some point. Someone suggested that a stomach bug was going around, so maybe they were sick in bed.

Elijah and I finally reconnected as evening fell, both exhausted but satisfied with the day. After a quick “nap” in our room—which involved no napping and resulted in accidentally leaving a ding in the wall behind our bed’s headboard—we decided to have dinner at the hotel bar.

The bar was cozy, with dim lighting and comfortable seating. We found a booth in the corner and ordered drinks and food—we were both starving, so we even splurged on an appetizer. All around us, other conference attendees were similarly unwinding, although keeping mostly to themselves.

Henry and Krystal still weren’t there, I noticed. I wondered if they really had gotten sick.

After dinner, we lingered over drinks, enjoying the peace and quiet of the evening. The bar eventually emptied, leaving only a few people sitting around and talking quietly. One Alpha and Luna joined us briefly to discuss pack matters over a glass of wine, although it quickly devolved into laughter and gossip.

Later, as Elijah and I made our way back to our room, both tipsy and tired, I was struck by a thought. “I’m going to check on them,” I announced.

Elijah gave me a curious look. “Henry and Krystal? Agnes, it’s almost midnight.”

“I know, but I just want to make sure they’re okay. Their room is on the way to ours anyway.”

Elijah sighed, but didn’t argue further. We took the elevator to the fifth floor, where both our room and theirs were located.

Henry and Krystal’s room was five doors down from ours. I approached and knocked lightly, not wanting to wake them if they were asleep. There was no answer. I knocked again, a bit louder.

Still nothing.

It was then that I noticed the “Do Not Disturb” sign hanging from the doorknob. Maybe they really were just taking a sick day, or perhaps the other Lunas were right, and they were engaged in more pleasurable activities.

Either way, it wasn’t my business to intrude. I stepped back from the door, shrugging at Elijah.

“Guess they’re asleep,” I said, turning away.

Elijah nodded, already heading toward our room. I cast one last glance at the closed door before following him.