Stronger as One (#1, Completed)

15. A little party never killed nobody

RILEY

"Wow." My brother and Connor said in unison as I walked down the stairs, while Anna giggled next to them. That was until she saw my hair.

"Oh my god, Riley-what happened to your hair? How did you do that? It looks beautiful but I didn't expect this." Anna exclaimed in surprise.

I couldn't help but give her a playful wink. "A magician never reveals his secrets, Anna."

Lucien, on the other hand, gave me a big hug. This was hardly an emotional moment but there was something about the way he held me that struck a chord inside me, especially as he spoke in a voice low enough for just the two of us to hear. "I am happy and proud that you are going as you, sis. I know that mum and dad would have been too. Now let's go show the world my beautiful sister."

***

The car stopped by the red carpet that lay in front of the Windcrest packhouse and a formally dressed valet opened my door and took my hand to help me out of the limo. I looked at the building in front of me and couldn't help but be impressed. The castle-like Scottish baronial mansion was magnificent and significantly bigger than the Blackwood packhouse.

It's not that the Windcrest pack was richer than Blackwood- Lucien and Connor already explained to me that we were just as rich and powerful as they were. Yet, whereas our pack preferred to spend its money on the needs and development of the pack, the old Alpha Macalister favoured more materialistic things or just anything that would help him show off his financial abilities. The private garage that we drove past on the way from the front gate- clearly open to allow all guests to see the 10 supercars parked inside- was one of his many ways to make his point. The lavish birthday bash for hundreds of guests was another. Still, Macalister was also smart enough to invite the most influential people in the UK shifter world and stay on their sweet side by giving them the VIP treatment.

As we walked into the ballroom, I could see that no expense was spared for this event. Premium champagne and alcohol, exotic flowers for decoration, chandeliers with thousands of hand-crafted crystals, gold chocolate bars covered in 23K of edible gold and filled with £2,000 cognac. Opulent was not a good enough word to describe this party.

I was not here to compare hospitality notes, however, and soon Lucien pulled me to his side to introduce me to different shifter leaders from all over the country. There were bears, foxes, tigers, lions, wolves, dragons- it was truly mind-blowing to be at an event like that as a human. Many of the shifters seemed to size me up, probably suspecting that there was a secret that I was hiding but the fact that I was the sister of the Alpha of the Blackwood Pack was enough for most of them to try and give me a warm welcome at least. I was impressed by the number of women Alphas, Betas and Gammas that I met. Many of them were just as fierce and commanding as the men in the room, if not even more.

"Riley, can you please join us?" I heard Lucien say and motion for me to go over. He was surrounded by Anna, Connor, Callum and some impressive men that I had not met so far. They all oozed authority and respect. I tried to give them my best smile as I finally joined the group.

"Gentlemen, my sister, Aurelie Moreau! Riley is our new Head of Security and Training, together with Connor, so if you have anything to discuss with my pack on those matters, the two of them are the right people to reach out to."

"Riley, you look magnificent tonight- beautiful and unique, as I have a feeling that you are!" Callum spoke up and gave me a knowing smile. He looked delicious in his suit, making me wonder whether we might find ourselves on our own at some point tonight. Lucien must have been reading my mind though as he interrupted my thoughts.