“What does it mean?” I muttered to him, mindful of everyone’s enhanced hearing. It almost seemed like an insult to send these two, when the alphas knew all too well the history between Kaden and Eileen. Then again, they were the betas, so maybe they were the only people the alphas trusted to send.
“I don’t know,” Kaden said. “But it doesn’t bode well for us.”
He looked on edge as Eileen and Devin walked up to meet us. The tension in the air was almost palpable as they stopped before us.
"Welcome," I said, hoping to break the ice a bit.
"Mae and Theo couldn't make it," Eileen said, her voice formal. "An emergency with their daughter pulled them away. They send their apologies and regrets, and have entrusted us to make decisions for the Sagittarius pack on their behalf."
"We're pleased to have you," Kaden said. "Please relax and have some food and drink. I'm sure the others will be here soon."
"Thank you," Devin said stiffly and held up a bag. "We brought some dessert for everyone. Eileen baked brownies and a few pies."
"That's nice of you," I said, forcing a smile. A lingering awkwardness sat between the four of us, but we were all working through it as best we could. When they walked away to speak to Wesley next, I finally let out the breath I'd been holding.
The Pisces pack arrived next. When they emerged from the forest, my heart leaped in joy at the familiar face heading toward me.
“Mira!” I rushed toward her. I hadn’t expected Mira to come, but she and her mate, Aiden, were there in the front of the small group, with the Pisces alpha only a step behind them.
She grinned at me and hugged me just as tightly as Wesley had done earlier. “I’m so happy to be here,” she whispered to me. Whatever she’d said to finally convince her alpha to come, I was grateful for it. Even just getting him here was a good first step. They might not ally with us, but at least they were willing to listen.
Mira’s gaze was caught on something over my shoulder, and when I turned to look, I realized she was staring at Wesley. I’d seen that look directed at Wesley before. Her lips parted a little, and then she shook herself and smiled at me again. I raised my eyebrows, surprised she still had her obvious crush on my brother even with her mate bond.
Wesley walked over to greet us, and Mira quickly looked down at the ground, as if she’d been caught doing something she wasn’t supposed to be doing. He opened his arms to Mira, and she hesitated, before giving him a stiff hug. "I'm so glad you could make it," he said. "I'm sorry about your parents. They were fine people and will be missed."
Mira glanced up and gave him a sad smile. "Thank you."
"We miss you in the Cancer pack as well," he continued. "I hope you're adjusting well to your new life as a Pisces?"
"Yes, they've been very kind to me." Mira rubbed at her chest absentmindedly, and I followed the motion with sharp eyes. That was where what I felt for Kaden popped up. Not in my gut, like with Jordan and the mate bond, but in my heart. Could her mate bond be fake too?
I opened my mouth to say something, but then Aiden joined us, and Mira quickly looked at him with obvious affection. He was broad-shouldered and muscular, handsome in sort of a dopey way, with sand-colored hair and green eyes. Mira introduced everyone, and he gave us warm smiles, but I couldn't forget that the last time we’d met he’d dragged Mira away from me, leaving me for dead. I couldn’t muster a smile for him, so I settled with a simple nod. Mira's face changed as she looked at Aiden, obviously enamored with him, and I began to doubt my earlier assumptions about her and Wesley. She probably just felt awkward around him now that he was alpha. That would be understandable. I'd just wished they were mates, since I wanted two of my favorite people together, and had probably been seeing what I wanted to see.
Wesley moved to speak with the Pisces alpha next, whose name I remembered was Amos. They shook hands, and my brother said, "Thank you for coming. We appreciate your support."
“I’m sorry about your family, and for not assisting the Cancer pack before,” Amos said, looking Wesley square in the face. He was probably in his sixties, with gray hair and a weathered face, wearing a flannel shirt and jeans, but somehow looking more dignified than anyone else here. “We don’t have many fighters, but we should have stood by your side during all of this. If there is anything we can do to help your pack recover, please let me know."
Wesley bowed his head and offered his thanks for the offer, and to my surprise, Amos turned to me next.