Elder Patsy and Elder Thomas were irritated that Damon invited them to a party without any set agenda, and then he left them to their own devices to guess the reason why they were here, and no one confirmed or denied the relevance of Marcy.
Alpha Damon was sitting at the table leisurely and ignoring his guests.
Dawn showing up here all dressed up was the trigger to make them go and vent some of their frustration. How can a plain Omega join a party with Elders and act like she belongs there?
But now that Damon revealed she was Commander George's mate, Dawn was not just an Omega. This was serious.
Elder Patsy and Elder Thomas were not sure what to do.
"Will you apologize? Or are you expecting me to do it in your place?", Damon asked two Elders stiffly. "If Commander George doesn't feel your sincerity, I will need to ask you to leave. As a host, I can't allow my guests to be uncomfortable, and tomorrow he will decide on how to deal with this. I believe that we all agree on the point of how jeopardizing our relationship with the Red Moon pack is not a good idea."
Elder Patsy and Elder Thomas exchanged quick glances.
'What should we do?', Elder Patsy asked Elder Thomas through the mind-link.
'Do you think we have a choice?', the other one responded.
'It's either you apologize, or I put you in the dungeon for colluding to start a war.', Damon's stern voice was heard by both Elders who looked at Damon in horror. Somehow, they forgot that Alpha can effortlessly get into any mind-link communication between his pack members. Nothing is private. That's the power of an Alpha.
Elder Patsy was first to bow to George. "I apologize. It was my mistake for acting without thinking."
George scoffed. "It's not me you need to apologize to."
Elder Patsy's face paled. Was she supposed to apologize to an Omega? But what were her options?
"I hope you will be magnanimous and forgive this old woman for her shortsightedness.", Elder Patsy said to Dawn.
"Please accept my apologies as well.", Elder Thomas was quick to add.
Dawn blinked once, twice, and then she looked up at George who was smiling at her.
"It's on you to figure out if they are sincere enough.", George said to Dawn.
Dawn glanced at two Elders who still had their heads lowered. Were they sincere? Absolutely not! She knew very well that if not for George's identity, and Alpha Damon being there, those two wouldn't spare her a single glance. But they were making a spectacle, so Dawn decided to be the bigger person. However, she needed to vent some of her frustration.
"Elder Parker.", Dawn called. "You hurt my feelings. You know my grandma well, and you watched me grow up. How can you assume that I will come to this kind of a party because I seduced a man? I forgive you, but I am disappointed."
She looked at the other Elder. "Elder Thomas, you and my grandpa go fishing together every Sunday. I will tell him what you said, and how you embarrassed me and our pack in front of my mate."
"Thank you, dear.", Elder Parker said, and she tugged Elder Thomas to move backward with her, and after bowing to George and Damon, the duo swiftly walked to the other side of the event hall.
"Thank you.", George said to Damon.
"No need to thank me.", Damon said. "This gave you firsthand experience into what I'm dealing with. There are not many in my pack who would look down on Omegas, but I can guarantee that most of them are right now in this room."
George understood that Damon was not telling him this without a reason. "How can I help?"
Damon shook his head. "This is my mess, and you shouldn't dirty your hands with it. Tomorrow morning, let's meet in my study and discuss opportunities for future collaborations. As for tonight, I hope that you won't contribute to the recoil after I make my announcement. That's all."
Damon walked away, and George looked after him with a complex expression.
"George?", Dawn called. "Do you want to eat something? Or…"
"I want to feed you.", George interrupted her and went to fetch two plates. He returned by Dawn's side and eyed the table that was full of various food items. Every table had one plate with bite-sized appetizers, but this table was full of all kinds of delicacies, and George was not sure from where to start.
"What's good here?"
"Everything is good.", Dawn said and glanced at Zina who was still there, but a few steps away, to give them privacy. "My best friend made these so they must be delicious."
George glanced at Zina and gave her a small nod before starting to pile up food on plates.
Dawn looked at Zina and the two friends exchanged smiles. Zina waved and left the event hall, happy for Dawn, but feeling a bit lonely.
Normally, this would be Zina and Dawn together, excitedly chattering about hot guys they spotted or some gossip they overheard while refilling serving trays, but now it was just Zina, and there was no one to talk to.
Zina wondered when will she find her mate. Dawn was twenty years old, and Zina turned twenty-five already. If they followed some order, Zina should be first, but it seemed that the Moon Goddess had other plans for her.
"What took you so long?", Ivy asked when Zina appeared in the kitchen. Ivy and Lily were finalizing preparations for the dinner.
"I saw Dawn and we spoke a bit.", Zina responded.
"Is the mark forming on her neck already?", Lily asked excitedly.
Zina confirmed and decided to change the topic. "Is there anything else to take there?", she asked Stephanie.
"No. Dinner will be served in fifteen minutes.", Stephanie said. "Pour soup in serving bowls. Zina, you will be in charge of ensuring that everyone is served in a timely manner. Ivy, you take care of breadsticks, Lily, you are on beverages…" Stephanie started issuing orders and she summoned Rose and a few more Omegas to help them with serving. Dinner was the busiest part of the evening and it needed to be perfect.
Dawn continued looking at the side door for some time after Zina's figure disappeared through there. She guessed what her friend was feeling, and she wished for the power to help Zina find that special someone who will make her happy.
Dawn looked at George and her eyes widened when she saw that he was holding two plates heaping with food, and he was still putting food on there!
"That's enough.", Dawn spoke with urgency. "This is before dinner."
George gave her a lopsided smile. "It's fine. We will need it." He winked. "The night is long, and I plan to use every minute of it."
Dawn could feel her cheeks heating. The way he looked at her made her feel naked, but she didn't hate it. That was her mate, her other half. It was supposed to be that way.
