A/N: This chapter is dedicated to chatoyants- for making me this cover, I appreciate it!

Guys IDK I'm not really happy with how this chapter came out but if I keep editing it I might pull my hair out. SO FOR THE MEANTIME lol

Wolf Chase [32]

Describing the dinner of Everglades as 'elaborate' would be a severe understatement. For one, it was not like a typical dinner held at Dark Falls, where massive bowls were placed in the center of a huge table and the family huddled around together and ate wherever there was space. Here, their eating was held in a massive ballroom organized to look like a buffet. Large basins holding all varieties of different foods lined the edge of the wall, with long and short tables periodically placed for people to sit. She felt like she entered the food area of some fancy resort. Even the amount of people was impressive. They walked around everywhere, socializing left and right. How the heck did they have so many people?

"I told you Massie, these people mate faster than rabbits," Jordan murmured, after she unknowingly said it out loud.

Massie continued to gape in awe. If it weren't for Sebastian's steady presence in front of her and his firm grasp, she would've probably stayed rooted to her spot and continued to take it all in. Judging by the direction he was going, their group was headed to a decidedly better looking table in the center. All the tables were covered in beautiful gold-white tapestry and topped with silver utensils, but this table in specific was more detailed in its decoration. Even the chairs were covered by a gold-spun fabric, the whole ensemble gave it a regal appeal.

For being barbarians, they sure knew how the live like royalty. And dress like one too.

"Your tongue, woman." Sebastian scolded, squeezing her fingers in his hand. Massie muttered a quiet 'ow' and decided she really needed to get focused so she could stop accidentally saying her thoughts out loud. But truly, these people went all out for dinner. And to think that this was everyday.

All around her she saw their members parade in the latest fashion trends. The women in particular were more decked out then the men. They went the whole nine-yards by wearing heels and their hair perfectly styled. Even their make-up was impeccable. What were they all, models or something?

What amazed her most was how different the people of Everglades were compared to Dark Falls. In contrast to the Cult's darker features and reserved dispositions, the people of Everglades looked like balls of blond sunshine that left explosions everywhere they went. They were loud, boisterous, and rather lively. Compared to them, the Cult dressed in simplicity and their stealthy steps could afford them an easy blend to the background.

When they reached the center table, the first people she noticed were the couple seated at the head. They looked older, and as Sebastian completed his duty by being the first to give pleasantries, she found out the couple was in fact the alpha and his wife, Jasmine. They didn't all shake hands as she expected them to. The couple made motion to stand up, but Sebastian lifted a hand to halt them. To the couple's amazement, the Cult gave them a small bow in unison. Massie was caught a little off guard but managed to blend in since she was hid behind Sebastian.

"Sebastian, still proper as ever. No need to be so formal boy!" The man bellowed, laughing loudly and patting him on the shoulder.

"Alpha Stephens, thank you for welcoming us here," Sebastian replied, sounding as serious and monotonous as ever.

"You're free to come as often as you like! Ahh, and who is that little doe I see hiding behind you?" He inquired, twisting his neck to get a better view of her.

Sebastian moved to the side, exposing her to the scrutiny of two ocean blue eyes. There were mild signs of crows feet at the edge of his eyes, and some vague lines of wrinkles on his forehead. It revealed that despite his carefree disposition, he was a man that carried many worries with him to bed.

"This is my fiancé, Massie," Sebastian introduced, not once letting go of her hand.

Massie smiled brightly, feeling more at ease and not so out of place now that she was introduced.

"A fine choice!" Stephens cheered, clapping his hands. Then, he looked around the vast dinning area with high urgency. "Come to think of it, now that you're engaged, you can give my son a word of advice. Stevens is dealing with a confused period, and flops far too much. I can't have him lag behind now can I!"

Massie held back her laughter. It felt like everything Stephens said was screamed or yelled. Anyone from around the table can hear his thunderous voice and gather hints of his side of the conversation.

"I'm sure I will encounter him today." Sebastian's response was vague, and offered no promise of giving this so called Stevens-dude any advice, but as far as Alpha Stephens hearing went, that was as good of a yes as anything else.

"Excellent! What a wonderful man you've grown to be! How's Samuel?"

Stephens wife, who had otherwise remained disinterested and awkwardly detached from their conversation, noticeably perked at the mention of Sebastian's father. It made Massie wonder what kind of history these older folk had. It was also interesting to note that Papa Saurus and Mia looked a more youthful and happier duo than these two.

"My father is doing well. He sends you his regards."

The wife seemed disappointed at Sebastian's brief answer. She looked beautiful, decked out in the finest jewelry and elegant clothes. She sat in a high chair beside her mate, they looked a excellent power couple and yet...she looked burdened.

"Fantastic! Well go enjoy the food! We will talk about the boring stuff later, hehe, no boring stuff around the meal table!" He boomed, followed then by laughter at what he perceived to be his own funny joke.

Massie laughed with him, because quite honestly this man looked like a comical baboon and it was great to watch. His wild hand movements were often times avoided by his wife, who appeared well-versed in not getting hit or having wine sloshed on her clothes.

"I like this one! She has great sense of humor!"

Sebastian nodded out of politeness and then guided their group to one of the buffet tables.

"Finally, food!" Noah grumbled, being the first to grab a large cream-colored plate stationed at the beginning of the table.

Massie followed after him by being second. "That was cute how you guys all bowed, very official looking," she complimented, serving herself the rice.

Sebastian shrugged, seeming to find the earlier action nonconsequential. "It wastes less time. We can all bow at the same time and get it over with. Shaking hands with everyone would be a hassle."

"Still looked cute," she countered, making a point to kiss him on the cheek. He gave her one of his heart-stopping smiles and pat her side to make her move forward on the line.

"Yeah Sebastian, I looked freaking cute, let me be complimented," Noah added, giving himself a generous helping of a sloppy joe. "And where's my kiss?"

Massie made move to give him one too, but Sebastian's hand on her belt loop prohibited her from going forward. "You don't get one," he answered smoothly.

The purple-eyed beauty giggled, he was getting progressively more possessive as the days went. It was moments like these that reminded her that although he wasn't as forward as other men when it came to pursuing her, he still had a clear interest. After serving themselves, they found an empty table spacious enough to fit the five of them.

"Did you guys notice how excited the alpha's wife got when he mentioned Papa Saurus?" Massie brought up, unable to hold it in any longer.

Jayden was the first to respond. "I did. No doubt has to do with their previous history."

"Ooo! Someone spill the tea!" she enthused, dropping her fork on the plate. Her food was already forgotten as she grasped the edge of the table and leaned forward.

Jayden cocked his head to the side, confused. "There is no tea on this table. And why would I make a mess?"

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Massie, if you wish to be nosy, just ask my mother. She'll tell the story to any soul willing to listen to her long babblings."

She gave him the thumbs down. "I give you a horrible rating, I want at least some kind of information to keep me placated until we go back."

Noah chuckled. "Long story short, Jasmine used to have some kind of relationship with Papa Saurus. She's actually originally from our pack. Then Aunt Mia came into the picture. Drama. Stephens stole Jasmine away from Samuel. More drama. Jasmine regrets leaving Samuel, but too late. Happy ending and Sebastian is born."

Massie ruffled Noah's hair. The story was concise and lacked details, but knowing his low attention span it was to be expected. She'd get the juicy details from Mia later. She'd been meaning to hear of her love story for a while now. "I appreciate you, for a guy that was great."

He took a big swing of his soda and burped. "Thanks princess, I'm glad you see my good qualities."

"This food is very sub-par," Jayden commented, shoving a spoonful of salmon into his mouth and shaking his head at the flavor.

He did have a point. While the food was excellent in presentation, it lacked the most important essence—its taste. "That's because you're a talented chef, out of all of us you would notice it most. Actually... I'm going to get some dessert," she mused, getting up from her seat. She hadn't eaten much of her food yet, but the idea of sweets sounded pretty good right now.

In the dessert area, she skipped over the cookies and brownies, feeling they were too basic to grab her attention. She opted for a piece of carrot cake, four chocolate covered strawberries (which were so fun to place in the flowing fountain), and a glass of some syrupy drink. She was slowly surveying the other options when a looming shadow came behind her.

When she turned, she was met with aquamarine eyes and pale blond hair. A cocky smile was on his lips, and he radiated confidence. Instantly she knew the type. He was casually waiting for her to start conversation and even flirt with him. It's what he was used to, and while it's great he had high self-esteem, he needed to step off her personal space.

"Sorry, I'll let you get a better view" she said, moving to the side under the pretense of letting him see his dessert options.

His eye openly appraised her, and judging by the way they glittered she knew he was liking what he saw. "No need to go anywhere doll, the view was fine from where you were," he responded.

Massie blinked. Oh. Definitely flirting. Time to nip it in the bud before it got out of hand. "Sorry blondie, you're not my type."

"I'm not your type?" His expression was one of incredulity. It was obvious he had never gotten turn down before. With his boyish good looks, it's not surprising he was used to having girls fall at his feet. Massie could relate to him, she felt the same way when she first met Sebastian and he purposely avoided her. Nevertheless, there was a first time for everything, and this would be his.

"Yeah, I've already went through my playboy phase. Now I'm into the tall, dark, brooding types who are in denial of when they like a girl." It was funny to think that in another period, she would have probably entertained him, but things were different now. Her heart was already taken.

"You're kidding me," he deadpanned, disbelieving.

Massie held up her engaged finger. "Nope. Thankfully, they eventually come around." She smiled.

"Dang it, guess I lost my chance huh?" He chuckled.

"On the bright side, there are many beautiful single girls here." Her eyes fell to a pretty she-wolf dressed in impossibly high-heels. She looked like a glorious sky-scaper. Up, up, in the merry sky-erm, ceiling.

The blue-eyed wereman followed her line of sight. "Her? No thanks, I don't want my dick bitten off." He said sourly.

Massie laughed whole heartedly. She had to hold her drink away to avoid it splashing over her.

He gave her a toothy grin. "Ahh, I made you laugh. What's your name female?"

"Massie." She placed her drink down and held up her hand. "Nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine," he murmured suggestively.

He didn't offer her his name, but she didn't care enough to ask. Not like she should be making male friends around here anyway, the worst that could happen is they misinterpret her meaning. Out of habit, she pushed her hair off her shoulders and began to pick up her drink again, but his new interest was undeniable.

"You're engaged, but not marked." He smirked in satisfaction and took a step closer. Massie took a step back. Of course, she should have remembered that they didn't do things the 'old fashioned' way by giving women a choice. They just bit them at their own fancy. Even with an engagement ring, he still felt he had a chance.

"I will be marked very soon," she stated firmly, hoping to cut through any ideas of his.

He closed in on her, like a snake sliding up to his prey, but she wisely stepped away from him the nearer he got. "You've ever heard of that saying, finders keepers, losers... well," he smiled deceptively, letting her figure the rest out.

Suddenly, a tall frame intercepted them. The air switched from light-weight to one filled with hostile energy. So much so, that it made the blue-eyed man move several steps back. Massie felt the cackling power at the edge of her senses, warning. It felt like a dangerous buzzing current, poised to wreak havok and major destruction at any given moment. She had never felt something so intense, what was this?

"You will stay away from her, Stevens."

Massie sighed in relief, grateful to have Sebastian with her. She felt all the tension leave her shoulders. She was safe. At the mention of the wereman's name, she immediately realized this was the alpha's son, the one whose father asked Sebastian to help him settle down.

Stevens chuckled. "A female with matura. It's been high time since your pack has indulged in another of this type. Please tell me she is only your ward, and that the man she's engaged to is a lesser wolf."

Sebastian's eyes narrowed. "Don't try my patience. She is not only my ward, but my engaged."

"Ahh." He acknowledged sourly, holding his hands up in surrender. His eyes filled with grudging acceptance. "Don't worry brother, I'll make no moves romantically. I won't even touch her. You have my word. Friends only."

Massie placed a calming hand on Sebastian's arm. Stevens was the alpha's son; she didn't want him to get into bad terms with him, although it seemed like there weren't very friendly to begin with. "Yes, friends," she agreed.

She tried to pull on his arm to gear them back to the table, but Sebastian didn't budge. He stared down at the man until he finally huffed and slipped away.

Without a word, he grabbed her and led her back to the table. "Wait, my sweet drink!" She protested, realizing it was left on the table.

Sebastian grunted, but managed to reach for it in time. When they reached the table, Noah expelled a low whistle, indicating he saw the incident near the dessert area. He waggled his brows at her suggestively. "Starting a ruckus already?"

Massie stuck her tongue out, Noah was such an instigator. "Don't look at me, Sebastian was the one who started the argument over there."

"We were not arguing. I was establishing boundaries," Sebastian corrected.

Massie couldn't stop the snort from escaping her lips. "He said he won't touch me, but people do what they want."

At this, Jayden felt the need to interject. "Both of them have alpha blood. When they give each other their word they have to fulfill their end, otherwise the man loses integrity, amongst other things..."

Massie wisely decided to leave the topic at that and not delve much deeper. Instead, she decided to focus on the fact that her man had made his presence known. She passed an arm around his shoulders and drew him near.

"So, Sebby, were you jealous?" she teased.

He pushed away from her and continued eating his food. "I will not answer."

[o-o-o]

The air was hot and misty, almost suffocating to breath, but despite the temperature Massie leaned back against the comfortable wooden bench and let her hands fall her towel. It was wrapped around her snuggly, and with her sitting down it wouldn't be going anywhere.

Not that it really mattered.

It was a female-only sauna, and it amazed her that despite the sheer number of people in this pack, no one thought it nice to enter here in the late-night hours. When one of the butlers offered to give her a tour, she quickly accepted and follow him around like an excited puppy.

Their home was massive and amazing in every sense. Unlike Dark Falls, it was not surrounded by forest and trees, instead they had a humongous swimming pool, a basketball court, two fields, and even a workout room. As if it couldn't get anymore luxurious, they doled out comforts and this sauna was one of them.

Massie really hoped the whole 'expelling out toxins' stuff was true because she expected to come out of here glowing. Sebastian better do a double-take next time he sees her, otherwise this stuffy air won't be as worth it.

Just as she started to close her eyes, girlish squeals followed by some giggling caught her ear. Looks like she wouldn't be alone for long. In moments the small door opened, and in entered three girls, all dressed in similar manner with towels draping their curvy forms. They were beautiful, all three of them. But what amazed her was how different they looked. One was ebony-skinned with plump lips and brown hair tied up in a bun. The next one was tan, she was more on the slender side, but it was her vibrant red hair that caught most attention. The last one was pale, she was short with near-translucent hair. Three pair of eyes fell on her, and the previous loud chatter was now replaced by a curious hush as they assessed her.

"Are you a new Addition?" The brown-haired girl asked, breaking the silence between them.

Massie sat up straighter. "New addition? I don't know what you mean. I'm visiting with my fiancé while he does business with Alpha Stephens."

The three nodded in unison. "I'm Raven," the same girl said, introducing herself, then she gestured to the other two. "That's Ruby and she's Blair."

The names were easy to remember, and funny enough it went with their hair color. "Nice to meet you, I'm Massie." She held her arm up to shake their hands, but when she raised it Ruby gasped.

"Oh my gosh! You have an engagement ring?!" she cried, clutching her hand. The other two also gaped and drew attention to it.

Massie laughed. Did they not hear the part when she said she came with her fiancé? "Of course, I'm engaged."

The other girls blinked. "Yes, but you're not marked. All three of us are Stevens' fiancée until he picks one of us to mark. None of us have gotten a ring." Ruby crooned, her voice oozed of yearning. It was clear she wanted a ring.

Raven was the first to let go of her hand while the other two continued fawning over the gem. "Not that it would make a difference. Even after being chosen we still wouldn't get a ring. I've never seen a marked woman in this pack get one. Rings aren't a part of werewolf culture," she reminded.