Max took it from her. “I will name one of my puppies after you if can find me another glass of this and an extremely full glass of whiskey to match it.”
“Having a queen named after you is hardly something you can say no to.” Adam gave his mate a slight nudge. “Make quick work of it.”
Danielle headed off immediately and Max turned back to Adam, whispering conspiratorially, “Pretend we are having an important and engaging conversation until she gets back.”
Adam snorted, but asked obediently, “Do you miss school yet?”
“Dreadfully.” Max turned to set the empty champagne glass on the table behind him. “I am thoroughly ready for things to settle down again.”
“And you are still playing football?”
“No, the season ended. I am wrestling now. I don’t like it quite as much as football, but it’s still fun. I am really looking forward to baseball season. I shine at baseball. The other teams never know what hit them. They think a big oaf like me can’t run or hit a ball.”
“Don’t give yourself away, Maxwell, no matter how tempting.”
“You sound like my father.” Max shook his head. “Susie and I are experts at blending. The humans will be none the wiser.”
“We plan to make it to one of your games this year, I promise.” Adam smiled broadly as Danielle broke through the crowd and made her way back to them. “She made good time. She must really desire a royal namesake.”
Max laughed and then eyed the two glasses in Danielle’s hands as she approached them. There were so many wolves around them it was messing with his sense of smell. “Which is which?”
Danielle held up the glass in her right hand. “Whiskey.”
“Excellent.” Max took the glass she offered him and drank every drop of it in several big gulps, finding that his throat had numbed to the point that he didn’t even wince at the burn it caused. He handed the empty glass to Adam and then took the other glass of brandy from Danielle. “My queen and I thank you.”
“Do not get intoxicated, Maxwell,” Danielle warned.
“That is a painfully difficult task to accomplish.” Max turned to resume his task of finding Susie. “But we seem to keep trying.”
Adam and Danielle laughed as Max walked away in search of Susie. Wolves continued to bow and repeat the same collection of phrases he had heard all evening, but having two drinks in his hands must have given him the appearance of a mission and no one engaged him in a deeper discussion.
He found Susie in a far corner, surrounded by a large group of admirers. She was talking animatedly in French, but was forced to stop every few minutes as others walking by approached her.
“Your king is dashing this evening,” said a wolf in a green dress decorated with a vibrant pattern. Her accent was noticeably from Africa. “The Gods blessed you.”
The female bowed deeply and Susie nodded politely. “Thank you.”
“He grows so tall. Your king is already powerfully built and he is not even fully grown.”
Susie gave a strained smile and then cast an apologetic look to the wolves she had been speaking too as she said, “Yes, it seems Max is in need of a new wardrobe every other month.”
“Blessings that your mating will come soon.”
Everyone within hearing distance held up a glass, “Gods’ blessings, may the spring and autumn Pairs come early to you and your powerful king.”
Susie wavered then, running a hand over her brow to hide her annoyance and Max made his way through the crowd in front of her. Ignoring the compliments and belated birthday wishes, he went to Susie’s side and leaned down to place a kiss on her cheek.
“I got delayed.” He handed her one of the glasses.
“I’ll say, delayed, you left an hour ago,” she whispered before she took a long drink out of the glass.
When it became apparent that she was intent on finishing the drink, Max smiled at the werewolves in front of them. “She’s parched.”
“Perhaps the moon is affecting ‘er?” one of the French werewolves suggested hopefully.
“I think it’s the heat in the room.” Max gave another strained smile. “Being arctic wolves, we’re sensitive to it.”
“Ah, but you can ‘ope, no?”
“Would you excuse us?” Max put a hand on Susie’s waist and handed her the other glass when she finished her first drink. “I think she needs some air.”
They walked away without waiting for a response. Fortunately, they were near a door that led to the outside terrace and they made haste, ignoring all other well wishes. They stopped only once when a server went by with a tray of champagne. Susie deposited her empty glasses on it and then helped herself to two fresh glasses of champagne.
Max grabbed two glasses for himself and whispered to the server. “I will give you a hundred dollars if you can bring me two whiskies and two brandies.”
“Rum,” Susie interjected. “Spiced rum.”
The server nodded. “Two whiskies and two spiced rums.”
“Full glasses,” Max said and then pointed to the terrace. “We’ll be right out here.”
“Very good, sir.”
“You can bring the brandies too, if you want,” Susie called after him.
Max choked back a laugh. “Did you scream that loud enough? I don’t think Aunt Emma heard you.”
“What time is it?” Susie asked and then took a long drink of one of her champagnes.
Max had to use his back to open the door to the terrace, balancing his two glasses as Susie walked past him. He let the ornate door close with a thump and then looked at his watch, a new Rolex he had received for his birthday. “Nearly seven.”
Susie groaned. “I think time has slowed to torment us.”
“Gods, I know.” Max set one of the glasses on the large, marble railing and then leaned over to look out at the palace grounds. A fresh layer of snow had just fallen. Max admired it as he took a long drink and then grimaced at the flavor. “I think I officially hate champagne.”
“I could never hate champagne.” Susie also set an empty glass down and started working on the other. She had finished half of it before she spoke again. “It’s a shame it’s not more potent though. Are you drunk yet?”
Max snorted. “No, do I ever get myself blissfully numb for these parties? If we were normal wolves, we’d be unconscious. As it is, I am not even relaxed. What a horrible down side to being an alpha wolf.”
Susie snorted. “That among other things.”
“I know.” Max met her gaze. “Can you imagine being honest when we get back to school? What did you do for the holiday, Max? Well, let’s see, my family hosted a werewolf running party where I spent three hours listening to dignitaries from all over the world praise my future sex life with my cousin. Just the mention of our first mating caused everyone within hearing distance to praise our future offspring, who are going to be born in alpha pairs, so they get to be even more incestuous than we’re supposed to be. So, yeah, nothing too out of the ordinary.”
Susie choked on her drink. She cleared her throat and looked at him with sparkling eyes. “That was quite a mouthful. One would think you’re bitter.”
Max pulled at his tie, feeling choked and hot despite the cool temperature outside. “No, I’m not bitter. I love being the king of a twisted cult. We should just run away together. We could do it now, tonight, while they are all caught up with the running.”
“Maxwell,” Susie hissed under her breath, turning to see if anyone was listening. “You said that within hearing distance.”
He raised his eyebrows and also looked behind him. “Did I?”
“The alcohol has finally loosened your tongue.” Susie let out a little giggle. She emptied her second glass of champagne and then set it on the railing with their other empty glasses. “I need to catch up. Where is that server?”
Max shrugged and finally succeeded in undoing his tie. He breathed a sigh of relief as he worked at the first few buttons of his shirt. “Gods, Sue, I’m hot.”
Susie looked at him in concern before she moved to stand in front of him. She cupped his face in her hands and studied him. “You’re flushed.”
He leaned into her touch and studied her. Susie’s hair was piled high on her head, spilling out over the sparkling diamond and white gold tiara to frame her face in long, spiral curls. Only full-grown females wore their hair down to running parties, so they had started hiring hair stylists to do Susie’s hair up in grand fashion so she wouldn’t be disappointed over being the only one to wear her hair up.
She wore a shimmering, pale blue gown that sparkled in the moonlight and highlighted her eyes in such a way that they seemed to glow like icy fire. Her cheeks were pink. Her lips full and red. She looked angelic, with her slightly upturned nose and nicely arched eyebrows that were a light brown despite her hair, which was still pearlescent in color.
His gaze drifted lower, noticing that her gown clung to her figure, showing off slim, feminine curves that she had only recently started to develop because werewolves were slower to physically mature than humans. His gaze lingered on the low cut neckline, honing in on the valley between her breasts.
“You do look radiant this evening.” He was still staring and wondering why he had failed to notice that she was quickly leaving puppyhood behind to become a stunningly beautiful female.
It hit him like a brick, the fact that though all werewolves were notoriously good looking, Susie really was the most beautiful female in attendance. He never had an ability to gauge before, never thought to look at any female for more than friendship. He was having a hard time grasping she was only fifteen.
“Max.” Susie’s sounded panicked as she shook his face lightly.
“Huh?” he said, finally bringing his gaze back to her face.
“You flashed,” she whispered, turning to look behind her before she went on. “I saw it. Your eyes flashed and you’re flushed and noticeably irritable.”
The heat he had been suffering from vanished, replaced by icy cold dread that flooded his system. He turned to look at the moon that was just now becoming visible. “You’re drunk,” he told her quickly. “You’re seeing things.”
“I am not. You flashed, Max, and you were staring at me strangely. What were you thinking?”
“I was just thinking that you’re beautiful.” He put a hand to his forehead that was moist with cold sweat. “Oh Gods. I think I was attracted to you.”
“Wow, what does it feel like?” Susie asked curiously. “I feel so left out at school. The other girls have such fun lusting over boys, you especially.”
“Really?” Max lowered his hand for a second before he frowned and covered his eyes. “Why do I care? I don’t care.”
“I think you do.” Susie reached up and grasped his hand, pulling it away from his face. “I think you’re getting the call.”
Max shook his head emphatically. “No. I just turned eighteen. I have at least another two years before the call to roam.”
“But, Max, you’re an alpha,” she whispered. “Everything is stronger in us.”
Max laughed incredulously as he pointed towards the ballroom. “They turn into hormone crazed beasts. There is no way something stronger than that exists.”
Susie bit her lip the way she always did when she couldn’t bring herself to say something. He had seen her do it a million times and never thought anything of it, but this time a definite spark of something shot through him. Though the feeling was in no way unpleasant, it still terrified him.
“Shit.” He fell heavily back against the railing and then sank to his knees. “I’m going to kill myself.”
“Max!” Susie gasped as she leaned down next to him. “Don’t joke about that. That’s an insult to the Gods.”
“Who said I was joking?” he told her seriously. “I am not going to the running. I am not going to be one of those animals that spend three days of every month fucking the first unmated female they can find. I’m not, Susie.”
The server finally showed up with their drinks and Susie gave him a look to be silent as she fished in his pocket for his wallet. She pulled several bills out of it and handed it to the server. She took two of the drinks off the tray and leaned down to hand them to Max. He started drinking the first one while she picked up her drinks and thanked the man.
Max sat fully on the ground and set the first empty glass next to him. He was drinking the second one when Susie came back to him. She sat next to him despite her elegant dress. When he finished his second drink, he reached for one of the glasses in her hand.
“What are you doing, Max?” Susie sighed.
“If I drink enough maybe it won’t hurt so bad.” His throat was raw as he set down the third glass and reached for the last glass in Susie’s hand.
“How do you propose killing yourself?” she asked, giving up her drink without an argument.
“I’ve got a full set of perfectly lethal silver knives and one gun loaded with six silver bullets.” He set down the last glass. “One of them should do the job.”
“Your father gave you those to protect us—Not kill yourself.”
“I am not going to answer the call,” he told her in a deadly whisper. “I
will
die first.”
Susie considered him for a long moment. “If you’re more dominant than the rest. If your body is stronger and your magic is more powerful.“ She shrugged, her eyes dull and sad. “Maybe you’re strong enough to resist the call.”