The Mating(18)
Eventually they reached the offices, which turned out to be behind the closed doors that Elise had seen from the front foyer. Helen knocked and then entered without waiting for an invitation, shooing the men out with threats of no dinner if they didn’t hustle. Kane was the last to exit and Helen grabbed him by the arm and began to scold him for his neglect. Surprisingly, Kane listened respectfully and then thanked Helen for her opinion. Elise watched the exchange, barely holding back a gasp when he winked at her over Helen’s head, then grinned and made a face.
As they turned to walk down the hallway to the dining area, Kane whispered in her ear. “Helen thinks she’s everyone’s mother and can’t resist pointing out the error of our ways. She means well and she was right. I was caught up in something, but it was no excuse for ignoring you on your first day. I’m sorry. Do you forgive me?”
Elise nodded, taken aback at his admission. Her father never would have done that. Kane gave her a quick kiss, grabbed her hand, and hurried her down the hall. “Carrie and Helen are great cooks. I can’t wait to see what they’ve concocted for us tonight.”
The meal was pleasant, with general conversation. Elise mostly listened, trying to absorb as much information about her new pack as possible. It was just the five of them at the table tonight. Had the others stayed away because of her? At her old home, there’d always been extra people for dinner. She couldn’t remember how many times she’d been sent to count noses, so they’d know how many plates to set out. Was this pack not as close-knit?
As if reading her mind, John explained. “I told everyone to stay away tonight. Since it’s your first day, I thought you might find it a bit overwhelming to have everyone here. With only four new faces, you can sort of ease into things.”
“That was nice of you.” Elise smiled at the tall blond-haired Beta. Everyone was certainly trying to be considerate of her. Maybe it was time to explain some of her own feelings. These people were supposed to be her new family and no doubt could sense the unease coming off of her. “I...I must admit that I’m finding it a bit unsettling to be the new wolf in the pack. I feel like I’m violating your territory by being here. It’s just old instincts kicking in, but there’s this underlying idea that it’s dangerous to be walking around and that I should retreat as fast as possible.” She shrugged hoping she hadn’t made a tactical error.
Helen nodded in understanding. “This doesn’t feel like your home yet. You’ll be edgy and nervous for a while and then one day, you’ll find that your scent has blended with ours and you’ll wonder why you ever wanted to be anywhere else.”
“Changing packs is still a new concept,” John added. “A hundred years ago it was almost unheard of. With few exceptions, Lycans lived and died within the same pack. But the world’s changing and we have to change with it. People go away to school, get jobs in new cities; packs have to adapt if we’re to survive. Some don’t like the new ways—they want to cling to the ancient traditions—but our very existence depends on our ability to integrate undetected with the rest of the world.”
“And it’s even healthy for the packs to have new members.” Carrie chimed in. “New members bring new blood. There was too much inbreeding in the past.”
Elise was pleasantly surprised with how forward thinking these people seemed to be. Her old pack wasn’t exactly in the Dark Ages, but they did tend towards the traditional. “Thanks, that makes me feel a bit better. I hope everyone else in the pack feels as you do.”
“It will be fine. You’ll find your feet soon enough.” Kane hadn’t said much yet. Now he reached over and squeezed her hand. She was surprised at the comfort the gesture seemed to bring.
“She’ll find her feet a lot faster if her mate spends some time with her.” Helen pointedly looked at Kane and he grimaced.
“Yes, mother.” He replied with mocking subservience. Helen threw a roll at him, which he promptly caught and bit into. “Thank you. How did you know I wanted more?” Helen scowled at him and the others burst out laughing.
The rest of the meal progressed in an easy, affable way and Elise felt herself relaxing around her new pack mates. Even Kane seemed approachable, gently teasing her and laughing as she boldly replied with snappy come-backs. She found herself enjoying his company and felt some hope for the future. Maybe she and Kane could eventually become friends, at least.
Dessert was being served when the phone rang. John excused himself to get it but returned quickly, his face grave. “Kane, we have a problem. Thomas was out patrolling the far edge of the property today. Julia just called to say he never came home and she can’t make a mental connection with him.”