The Mates of Monsters novel Chapter 39

The formal dining room is separate from the cafeteria where I met Bonny. It is a long room in the initial, stone brick building, and in the center of the room sits an impossibly long table with enough seats to sit everyone. Something about it seems medieval; the metal-forged chandeliers and repetitive arched windows along the right side draw in my eyes the second we arrive. An impossibly detailed rug runs underneath the dining table with hues of red and gold, and the table itself is dressed for a king.

We are one of the last pairs to arrive beside the two solo men who enter together, chatting with glasses of ice and brown liquid in their hands. David finds our place and pulls out my chair. I touch his hand and sit while seeing who exactly we'll be accompanied by. Directly across the table are Alpha and Luna Lovegreen. On my right is Alpha Godoy and, next to him, Bonny. She leans forward and sends me a sleek smile.

"Luna Amin," Luna Lovegreen states, taking notice of my presence. "What a treat; I was worried I'd have no one to entertain myself, but I have much to find out about you, don't I? It's always nice to have new company. It gets rather boring hearing the same stories again and again."

"Please, Luna, call me Brigette."

"Then you must call me Mary. It is only fair."

Her English accent reminds me of my mother's favorite period dramas. I nod and say, "Mary it is. And I will entertain you the best I can."

Her interrogation begins with the story of how David and I met. He tells her and Alpha Lovegreen of his traveling and his poor luck of my pack being one of the last on his journey. Surprisingly, he says I wasn't very impressed at first, and Mary looks to me.

"I've never heard of such a thing," she says. "What more could you have hoped for?"

Our first plates are sat in front of us, and I say, "I was just a bit nervous, and it was hard for me to leave home."

"I remember the feeling," she recalls, her mind drifting to far memories for only a moment. "Alpha Lovegreen had no sympathy for me—taking me from my mother and father, brothers and sisters."

He grumbles, "That is not true."

Mary waves him off. "You have siblings, Brigette?"

"No. It's only me."

"Oh, you must want children then. I hear only children try to, well, create the feeling of a large family with their own. I have three myself—two boys and a little girl."

"Children," I draw out, "of course. I suppose I'll have as many as my body will let me. Have to make sure the bloodline is secure, as I hear so often."

I glance to David with a pleasant, lovable grin. "I'm sure you're happy to hear that, Alpha," the Luna chuckles, lifting her glass to her rose-colored lips. Her lipstick smears against the rim. "The young ones always start enthusiastic. Talk to me after your first, Brigette, and then we'll see how you feel."

"It's always easier said than done," I agree, having a sip of my own drink—dark wine that makes me feel like a vampire. "How old are your children?"

The conversation flows nicely, but I excuse myself when I notice Alpha Nicodra taking leave into the hallway. I mutter to David about how I have to use the restroom—the timing of our courses perfectly aligning with my schemes as the staff takes away the scraped-clean plates of our second.

I catch sight of Nicodra's back as I enter the empty hall, suddenly calling, "Alpha," down it as a timer ticks away in my head. He peers back and halts when he sees me, giving me time to catch up.

"Brigette, what a lovely surprise. Are you enjoying your time here so far?" He asks, plain conversation, nothing I'm interested in.

"Actually, there's something I wanted to ask you."

"Is that so?" He queries, stepping toward me.

"It's about your plans for tomorrow—your proclamation."

I smile. "You're a hothead, Nicodra, and a fool."

The tips of his fingers dig into my neck with a blood-curdling rage, and my hands automatically spring and claw for freedom. "I'll be watching you on your way out," I seethe. "Good luck convincing Alphas to agree to your plans w-when you c-can't...be here to share them."

"Little bitch," he spits and drops me.

I stop myself from slipping to my behind, grasping at the wall and straightening. "But I'll be here," I choke, nursing my throat. "What a bruise this will leave for everyone to see what a psycho you are. Untrustworthy. Unstable. Dangerous."

Nicodra says, "I've been here for much longer than you. I've known these leaders for decades—what are you but a weak girl mated to one of them?"

"You wish they would see it that way, don't you?"

Nicodra scowls and turns the other way, storming down the hall. I dash for the main dining room in my pretty dress and cling to the first familiar face—Luna Papadopoulos. I grab her arm—the first place on the left side of the table—and she promptly turns to me, her eyes widening as she asks, "Brigette, is everything alright?"

"I need help" I gasp, desperation leaching from every pore. "I-It's Alpha Nicodra—he's gone mad. He attacked me."

The Luna and the others around her stand from their seats. The news spreads down the dining table like wildfire, and Alphas search in the direction I point them. Lunas flock to my aid and examine the reddening mark on my neck—mothers suggesting what to do, sitting me down, and fetching me something cool to compress. I let them care for me even though the pain doesn't bother me much.

David walks from our end of the table to understand the sudden commotion. The moment he sees me, his Alpha-persona truly takes over. He kneels in front of the chair I've been sat in and my nurses give us some space. He takes one look at my throat and ignores my attempts to explain. "Stay here," he says and walks out of the room not needing to run—deceivingly undisturbed. Just as he turns into the hall, I see a flash of his hands clenching into fists. He knows what happened; he knows the culprit whether or not he heard my exasperated rambling.

The Lunas draw in once again.