Shattered Pieces

Chapter 23 Dinner

Sapphires POV

"Dinner is ready, we need to head back," Mark tells me, while we take control of our wolves, they would be out all night in the woods if they had their way.

We quickly run back to the edge of the forest,  and shift back to our human form, behind a tree and get dressed, the pack members don't need to see my naked body. Plus I don't know what Mark will do if someone else lays their eyes on me, even if being naked is second nature to us.

I can't wait to have dinner with this pack, it will certainly be a new experience, I wonder how they do things here. Both of my family and the whole pack will be in one place. I can feel myself getting nervous the closer we get to the hall.

Mark grabs my hand and gives it a gentle squeeze, snapping me out of my head and stopping me from worrying again.

He leans over and whispers into my ear. "I have you, you have nothing to worry about." He pulls back and kisses my forehead, making shivers go up and down my spine in a good way.

When we are at the door I take a deep breath in and out, letting Mark lead me to the head of the tables. Zavier and Conner are already sitting at them, they both give me a reassuring smile which helps calm my nerves.

When I look around the room, I spot Dad sitting at a table with Zander, Emerald, and some other pack members. When Zavier stands up, the whole room goes quiet.

"Welcome everyone, as you know we are celebrating the return of our lost pack member Zinnia, but please call her Sapphire." He waves his hands, signaling me to stand up.

I stand up and look around the room again. The whole pack house erupts into cheers and wolf whistles, and I hear Mark growling. It looks like a sea of happy faces, some of the pack members have tears running down their faces, and I smile at them all, making me blush at their response.

"You all know her mate ......  Mark" he stands up and wraps his arm around my waist bringing me closer to him, he has the biggest smile on his goofy face and I see a lot of love in his eyes when he looks at me. We sit down looking at each other with affection and love.

"I would like to introduce you to Travis her Dad and his children, Ava, Evelyn, and Dean, from Night Star Pack and they will be staying with us for a while" They each stand up when their names are being called out, then quickly sit down. Some of the boys in the hall wolf whistle at my sisters, making them go bright red, while the pack members cheer again, it is very loud, making it hard to hear, but Zavier waves his hands and everyone stops cheering.

It is my pleasure to also introduce them as Ezra and Fleur's grandson and great-grandpups. The whole place erupts again, some of the pack members stand up and clap and scream out excited.

"I know you will have many questions, so I will give you a brief rundown." He takes a deep breath before carrying on.

"Most of you will remember Cindy Smith." there was a murmur around the hall at that name. "She is the one who took Sapphire". Growling is heard around the room. "Settle down," he commands, and they all go quiet.

"Travis was her mate and had no idea about Sapphire's disappearance. So please show him and his children the respect they deserve, we will forever be grateful for the love and care they have shown Sapphire while she was growing up." The crowd erupts in cheers again.

"In one week we will be celebrating the change over of the Alpha, Beta, and Gammas titles"

"Time to celebrate!" he announces, then sits down.

I look at Mark confused, he leans over and whispers in my ear "he has told them about Cindy, because everyone knows who you are, and the perpetrator probably knows you are here, and he doesn't want any negative comments directed at Travis of your siblings.

"How did you know that is what I was thinking?"
He smirks at me and winks, "Because I'm your mate"
I laugh at him, he is so cute.

Dean and Ruby look like they have an invisible string attached to them, where one went the other followed, mostly Dean following Ruby around like a love-struck puppy.

Ava and Evelyn are sitting at a table with Zane and his friends, and it looks like they are hitting it off. It looks like he is halfway through a story about what he and his friends get up to, In some parts he whispers so the parents can't hear, and the girls giggle and laugh at the stories he is telling them.

OMG, they start telling him the crazy stuff we used to get up to now and then, and all of them laugh while looking at me, they quickly go back to what they are talking about, when they see me looking.

Dad and my parents are getting on well, it looks like they have been best friends for years not a day.

Mark, Zavier, Conner, and I are talking and having fun, I feel very happy and content looking at everyone.

I can feel more and more anger and frustration about not knowing who my family is slowly leaving me, the more time I spend with everyone. My heart feels like more broken pieces are being put back together again.

I sense Mark's intense gaze on me, when I look at him our eyes lock together making my body heat up with pleasure, I give him a sexy look that takes him by surprise and his eyes change color.

"I'm surprised you two have not mated yet, by the looks you are giving each other. Get a room!" Conner chuckles taking a deep breath before carrying on. "Oh, wait you have one and have not used it yet.... I know that when I find my mate, we will not be leaving the bedroom for a week" he laughs at his joke.

I go bright red in the face while Mark whacks him on the back of his head, I see a lady coming towards us dragging her mate and children following. Making Mark stop whatever he is going to say to Conner.

"Where is she?, there she is!, my new daughter-in-law!" A lady runs up to us and lifts me out of the chair a little bit before hugging me in a tight embrace, then placing her hands on my shoulders, taking a step back but not breaking contact with me. 

I can hear Mark groaning next to me. "Mum" he sounds exasperated, then wraps his arms around my waist pulling me closer to him.

"I'm Eleanor, Marks's mum and this is retiring Beta Lennox his dad, Twin Sister Sabrina, and younger Twin Brothers Jett and Jay."

"Hi." I take a step closer to them and Mark reluctantly releases his hold on me, so I can hug his Dad and sister and shake his brother's hands.

"Welcome to the family Sapphire, we are so excited that you are his mate, you are gorgeous, and you two will have beautiful pups one day."

"Muuum" Mark groans I chuckle at them both.

"Don't pressure them, Eleanor we want grand pups," Lennox says.

"Dad you are just as bad a mum!" he huffs

It was a great night getting to know more about my family and Mark's and Travis' families as well as some of the pack members.  I'm looking forward to tomorrow to see how this pack trains, I'm still shocked that Dad and I have been asked to help train the pack members.