Chapter 12

—Third Person POV—

Sienna had done a beautiful job with the banquet. The main square of the pack had been completely transformed, the twinkle of string lights spread across the space, giving it a cozy ambience.

There was a dance floor in the center, the edges lined with food and drink. Asher wasn’t sure where the money for this had come from, but it was perfection.

“You did an amazing job,” Asher murmured to Sienna, standing next to her at the edge of the square, awaiting the first arrivals.

She didn’t reply, her eyes trained straight ahead, desperately watching for anyone to show.

What had started to bother Asher was the fact that Sienna was so deliberately keeping her distance from him since his comment about Mia.

While she stood right beside him, she purposely kept herself from touching him at all. It’s like she was precisely one centimeter away from him at all times.

The wolf in him started to mumble. That one centimeter feels like a million miles.

She’s mad about the comparison I made to Mia, Asher said back. Not sure why it affected her like that.

Because she cares, his wolf replied, sounding smug. She noticed you getting jealous over Julian, no?

Asher tensed a little. Probably. Was it that obvious?

Yes. His wolf didn’t hold back on the honesty.

Why would she care so much? Asher pondered, glancing over at her.

She looked stunning in a form fitting black dress, stitches of the Nightwind emblem on the sheer fabric clinging to her arms.

His wolf chose not to respond, knowing Asher already knew the answer to that question himself.

Guilt bit away at Asher the more he looked at Sienna, knowing he’d given her the silent treatment for days after finding her with Julian at the boundary.

Now it was her turn to give him the silent treatment.

Maybe he deserved it.

After all, he’d been pretty awful to her, too. He never should have brought up Mia like that, not when he was having such a moment with her.

He’d ruined a really magical moment.

“Are you going to keep a centimeter between us all night?” Asher hummed in her ear, watching the way her eye twitched as she tried so hard not to react.

She didn’t answer, her eyes still trained on the path into the square.

“A unified couple wouldn’t silent treatment the other, now, would they?” he chuckled, nudging her.

“Asher,” she snapped, quickly placing herself that single centimeter away from him again.

“Yes, m’lady?” he said as charmingly as he could, batting his lashes. An energy was starting to hum between them.

“Behave.”

“What if you make it hard to?” Asher purred, knowing that would wind her up.

And it did.

She grabbed his arm, twisting it slightly, a jab of pain shooting through him.

“I said behave. Don’t ruin this for me.”

What he didn’t say was that she was contributing to the ruins of it with her silent treatment. The inspector would notice that immediately and hone in on them.

They had to be on their absolute best behavior - which meant they needed to flaunt their chemistry a lot.

The minutes passed by, and still, no guests arrived.

Not one.

The first person to show was the inspector, and even he was more than fashionably late. He approached the two of them, peering into the empty square with a harsh judgement.

“Isn’t that just embarrassing for you?” he scoffed. “No one else is here but me?”

“Guests are coming,” Sienna responded cooly, and Asher knew she was doing all she could to hold herself together.

“Your influence isn’t making a very good impression so far,” the inspector said wryly. “I heard, through the grapevine, that Alpha Julian might now attend?”

“Yes, among others,” Sienna nodded. “Please help yourself to a drink. Festivities will start soon.”

“I’m sure you’re beginning to regret your decision to marry a gamma,” the inspector muttered, brushing past the two of them.

Asher frowned, appalled by how rude the man was.

“Don’t let him get to you,” Asher said gently to Sienna, seeing her bottom lip quivering a little. “Trust that they’ll show.”

As if on cue, Julian walked up, and a prickle of annoyance tickled down Asher’s back. He was trailed by a few other members of his pack.

At least the guest count is rising…

Asher could have sworn Julian was in the same suit he’d been in the day of the ceremony. Of course he would wear that.

“Sea,” Julian grinned, ignoring Asher completely. Two could play at that game.

Sienna nodded at Julian - very curtly - and motioned him into the square.

“Changed your mind yet? Now that you’ve seen all the problems Nightwind has to offer?” Julian chuckled, strolling past. “And the issues with your mate.”

All of that without a glance at Asher, of course.

Shouldn’t an Alpha be polite to everyone? Asher muttered to himself. If only he knew the truth about me.

“Lucius will be here soon,” Asher leaned into Sienna, her body stiffening at his closeness. “And he’ll remind sweet little Julian over there of his place as second-in-command.”

That got a little snicker out of Sienna.

Julian, apparently still in earshot, spun around, a nasty sneer on his face. “Lucius would never attend a pathetic event like this.”

Sienna let out a sharp exhale, doing her best to keep it together. She’d been so oddly quiet that Asher was starting to worry - she had to perk up soon, or the inspector would label her influence as even poorer.

As if Lucius heard the snide remark, he appeared around the corner, striding up the path.

Like Asher, Lucius drew a lot of attention. It was clear in Sienna’s expression that even her breath caught at the sight of such a handsome man.

Lucius resembled Asher’s old self, his hair a striking black, falling just over his ears with a slight wave. Pair that with the most striking blue eyes - like Asher’s - and you had a real heart stopper.

There wasn’t a pinch of fat on Lucius, either. His entire body was toned muscle, his cheekbones like a greek gods.

Lucius approached, and Asher could tell Sienna was holding her breath.

“Alpha,” he bowed, making Sienna even more flustered, though she still bowed back.

Little did she know, Lucius was actually bowing to Asher. But that was their little secret.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Lucius chuckled, nodding to Asher. “I brought as many as I could. They’re on their way.”

“Thank you so much for being here,” Sienna said, still blushing, finally leaning into Asher a bit more for the comfort.

Lucius gave one of his beaming smiles, the whites of his canines startling. “I look forward to chatting once you’ve welcomed everyone in.”

“Absolutely,” Sienna smiled, making Asher grin as she gripped his arm a little tighter.

Lucius stepped away, and Sienna’s sigh of relief was audible. She looked up at Asher rather shyly, a slow smile slipping across her lips.

“I told you he would come,” Asher whispered to her, squeezing her arm gently, loving the way she subtly leaned into his grasp.

Now, it was time to make this the biggest success they could.