They sipped their wine and chatted happily, their conversation drifting to park safety and recent patrol updates. Their laughter echoed softly, blending into the background music.
Prince Andy approached their group with his usual calm presence.
"Supreme Alpha," Prince Andy said. "Thanks for coming. Honestly, I didn't think you'd make it today."
Kim gave a small smile. "I didn't have much on my plate, so I thought I'd drop by."
"That's kind of you. We appreciate it," Kim said, nodding respectfully.
Franc glanced at the time and groaned. "So, when exactly does the party start? I'm getting restless."
"They're just fixing a few last-minute things," Prince Andy replied with a chuckle.
"Of course they are," Franc muttered, rolling his eyes in playful annoyance.
Prince Andy smiled again. "If you need anything, feel free to call any of the waiters. They'll assist you. I'll catch up with you later." With that, he excused himself to attend to other guests.
The dancers approached the stage, the music shifted, and dancers began to twirl and move across the stage, their bodies flowing gracefully like water.
"Wow, they're really talented," Loisa exclaimed, leaning forward to watch.
Thema grinned. "This is just a warm-up. There are a lot more performances comingsome of them are even more mind-blowing."
A waiter approached them politely. "Good evening, ladies. What would you like to eat?"
"We'll just take juice," Thema said.
"Yes, juice sounds perfect," Loisa added with a smile.
As the music continued, Loisa leaned in, prompting Thema, "Okay, so where did we stop?" Thema asked while smiling
"Vampires," Loisa replied, tapping her chin playfully.
"Oh yes, vampires. Let's continue."
"Well," Thema resumed," Trolls are huge—massive, really. Their bodies are dead but brought back to life. When they move, they create pressure on the earth which causes earthquakes ."
"Whoa! That's terrifying," Loisa gasped.
Thema nodded. "Yeah, and then there are rogues—werewolves without a pack. They form rebel groups that attack other packs. They're brutal. Some of them even kill innocent wolves for fun."
"That's awful," Loisa said, her expression serious.
"It is," Thema agreed. "Now let's talk werewolves and lycans. When werewolves reach around eighteen, that's usually when the mate bond starts revealing itself. And... you're turning eighteen soon, right?"
"I already did," Loisa replied with a shy smile. "I'm eighteen now."
"Perfect timing," Thema said, grinning. "Well, mates are like soulmates—"
Before she could finish, a voice interrupted.
"Hey, beauties!"
Loisa looked up, startled, to see a stranger standing in front of them. Before she could react, he took her hand and placed a light kiss on it.
"Uh... who are you?" Loisa asked, pulling her hand back, clearly caught off guard.
The man smiled, charm radiating from his every word. "Forgive me. That was rude—I should've introduced myself first. I'm Arlo Wyatt."
Loisa stared at him, unsure how to respond.
Thema leaned forward with a protective tone. "I'm Thema. What do you want?"
"I saw you ladies here and thought I'd come say hello. Mind if I join the conversation?" His eyes were locked on Loisa as he spoke.
"Sure, you can," Thema replied casually, ignoring Loisa's sideways glance of disapproval.
Trying to steer the conversation, Thema added, "Anyway, I'm heading back to school next week. You know, classes resume soon."
Arlo's gaze lingered on Loisa a moment longer before he turned to Thema, smiling as if to blend in.
Meanwhile, Loisa remained quiet, still processing the sudden interruption and the stranger's bold introduction. Something about Arlo made her feel... uncertain, but she still had to blend in.