Chapter 2 : They Like to Share

*Kenna*

I woke up the next morning to find that Juniper had already gone out. I looked at the clock and was a little annoyed to see that it wasn’t particularly late. She didn’t want to miss anything and I got that, but I didn’t want to venture out completely alone, especially not after what had happened with that creep last night at the ball.

I showered and got dressed, then headed down to find something to eat. My aunt Adelaide was in the kitchen when I entered. She smiled sweetly at me and motioned for me to have a seat at the kitchen island beside her. “Good morning,” she said. “Did you have fun last night?”

“So much fun,” I said with a smile.

We’d stayed out way too late dancing. I was a little sore this morning, and that was unusual for me. Once I got moving, I’d be fine. I reached for a bagel from a tray in the center of the island.

“I’m glad,” she said.

Aunt Adelaide was a soft-spoken, kind woman. She’d always been one of my favorite relatives to visit. She used to take Juniper and me out for girls’ weekends when we were teenagers. We’d get our nails and hair done, get a new outfit, and have a fancy dinner, then she’d take us to a VIP performance or a festival we’d been gossiping about. She always seemed to know what we were interested in.

She stood and walked around the island, then topped off her coffee cup. “Would you like some, dear?”

“Please,” I said. The bagel was delicious, but it made my mouth dry. Besides, I was groggy and the coffee would bring me back to full alertness.

She grabbed a mug from the stand and started to prepare a cup exactly the way I like it. “Juniper went out without me,” I said with a slight pout.

“She’s helping her father,” she said. She sounded amused. “She’s got princess duties to worry about during the festival too,” she said. “Being the daughter of the Great Lakes Alpha isn’t easy. I know it isn’t easy for you, either, dear, and I’m glad you’re finally able to have some fun after all the work you do for your pack. As for Juniper, I’m sure she’s slipped away to do something fun by now.” She had a fond look on her face as she handed me the coffee.

I smiled at her. “I’ll find her when I get out there.”

“I’m glad,” she said. “You girls need to be careful out there. Being a princess doesn’t necessarily guarantee your safety. There are thousands of people at this festival. We can’t keep an eye on all of them.”

“I know, Aunt Adelaide,” I said with a smile. “That’s why we’re going to stick together.”

She looked unconvinced. The face she made when she was suspicious was exactly like Juniper’s. They looked almost exactly the same, except that Adelaide had laugh lines at the corners of her eyes and her hair had gone a little pale.

“I’m not saying you can’t spend time apart. Just make good choices and trust your instincts,” she clarified. A nostalgic sigh escaped her and she crossed her arms over her stomach. “You know, I met Alex at the festival when I wasn’t much older than you.”

I took a drink of my coffee. A lot of people met their mates at the festival. It would be stupid to get my hopes up, but I couldn’t help but wonder if my mate was here somewhere.

After we’d both finished our coffee, Aunt Adelaide walked me out to the festival grounds. She was supposed to meet up with my uncle Alex soon, which meant that Juniper was on her own somewhere.

I walked the grounds without a destination in mind. I just wanted to see what was going on this morning, and see if I could find Juniper. There were crowds gathered in various areas that I passed. I stopped when I heard the sound of growling, which drew my attention. I followed the sounds to a circle of observers.

There were two wolves sparring at the center of the gathering. It seemed to be a good-natured brawl. Most of the people watching were men. I glanced around the circle and my eyes landed on a tall brunette man.

He seemed to sense me looking. His hazel eyes met mine and I felt a jolt in my chest. I stared at him as he slowly looked me up and down. He had a strong, square jaw and full lips that quirked into a wry smile as he looked at me. I blushed; I couldn’t help it. There was something in his gaze that got to me. He nodded in acknowledgment.

For a moment, I thought about approaching him. Then the guys he was watching the match with started to talk to him and he turned his head. Whatever they said to him must have been important, because he turned and walked away from the ring with them. I was disappointed, but I reminded myself that it was a long festival and I might see him again.

The fight didn’t hold my attention for long after the dark-haired man left. I wandered off and continued my search for Juniper.

Time passed strangely at the festival, apparently. I was getting hungry again and I still hadn’t found Juniper. It didn’t feel like much time had passed, but it must have been hours. There were a lot of places to get food around the festival grounds, and I walked for a while before choosing a food truck and getting in line.

It seemed like every pack had brought food that represented their part of the Great Lakes. This truck was from a northern pack, and I was excited to try a pasty. They smelled delicious, and I watched those in line walk away with envy.

I reached the front of the line and placed my order. As I was reaching for my wallet, a hand reached around my shoulder and handed the vendor cash.

“It’s on me,” a clear, breathy voice said.

“That’s so nice,” I said. I turned to face the mystery man and smiled brightly at him. “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome,” he said.

I was struck mute for a moment as I looked at him. He was incredibly handsome, with a strong jaw, high cheekbones, and thick, dark hair. He had smooth, tawny skin and dark eyes that held a glimmer of mischief when he looked at me.

“Would you like to join me?” I asked. “If you’re not busy.”

He smiled charmingly. “I’d like that very much. Thank you.”

I waited awkwardly until he had his food, then we walked together toward a dining area. “I’m Kenna,” I said as we sat.

“Reid,” he replied. “It’s nice to meet you. Not to tease, but you seemed a little lost back there. Is it your first time at the festival?” he asked.

“It’s that obvious, huh?” I asked with a nervous laugh.

“No, I don’t think most people would have noticed. How far did you come for this?”

“I’m from Nightingale,” I said.

“That’s a long trip,” he said in surprise.

“Well, my uncle is the host, so…”

“You’re a princess,” he said softly.

“Yeah, but it’s not a big deal,” I said quickly.

“Don’t worry,” he said kindly. “I’m not going to treat you any differently.”

I smiled gratefully. “Thanks.” It was weird how much a person’s demeanor toward me changed when they found out my father is an alpha king. Reid really didn’t seem that surprised though.

“What about you?” I asked. “Have you been to the festival before?”

“A couple of times,” he said. “It can be overwhelming. I’m surprised you’re out here alone.” “Well, I’m supposed to be with my cousin, but I don’t know where she’s gone off too.”

“She’ll turn up,” he said.

We talked for a long time, and he was so easy to talk to it felt like I’d known him forever. I felt so relaxed in his presence that I didn’t even realize how fast the time had passed.

After a while, he looked over my shoulder and smiled at something.

“Kenna!” Juniper’s voice called out.

I groaned internally. I’d spent all morning looking for her, but now I wished it had taken just a little longer. I felt like I could talk to Reid forever, and I wasn’t thrilled about being interrupted. But we both got up and started walking toward her.

“There you are, Juniper,” I said. “I’ve been looking for you for hours!”

She fell into step beside me with a wide smile on her face. “Hi, Reid. When did you two meet?”

“About an hour ago,” he answered. “It’s good to see you again.”

It had been an hour? It hadn’t seemed that long.

“You too,” she said happily. “How’s your pack?”

“Doing well, thanks. We’re glad to be back this year. We’re set up on the other side of the festival. Have you been by yet?”

I was surprised by the realization that he was an Alpha. I wondered how many other Alphas were joining in the festivities with their packs. I supposed if princesses like Juniper and I could use the festival to cut loose, it made sense that Alphas would, too.

“Briefly,” I said. “We made the rounds yesterday to check everything out.”

“Well,” Reid started. “If you want more than a passing glance, we’re hosting a party tonight. I’d love to see you there. It’s being held in the house I rented for the festival and is private, of course.”

“That sounds great,” I said. My tone betrayed my excitement, but Reid didn’t draw attention to it.

He gave me a charming smile. “I’ll see you tonight, then.”

***

After having dinner with Juniper’s parents and changing our clothes, we headed across the grounds for the party. I was way more excited about it than I should have been, and Juniper knew me well enough to see it.

We stopped at a pop-up bar on our way to the party to imbibe some liquid courage and conquer any nerves we may be feeling. Neither of us had been to a party like this without chaperones. At least, not without sneaking out.

We stood near the bar and watched the crowds pass by as the sun sank low in the sky and the shadows grew longer and darker.

“Reid’s so cute,” I said emphatically. “And he’s smart, and charming, and… he’s too good to be true, isn’t he?”

Juniper took a sip of her gin and tonic and nodded gravely at me. She couldn’t hold the serious expression for long and started to giggle. I was smiling like a fool and couldn’t stop. The festival was an amazing experience so far.

As if the universe wanted to correct me, the dark haired man that had harassed me last night walked across our path. The smile fell from my face and I grimaced in distaste. I took a swig of my drink.

Juniper didn’t seem to notice him. We finished our drinks and ordered another round before heading toward the sprawling home that Reid’s party was being held in.

Thinking about the dark haired man made me remember the blue eyed stranger that had saved me from him. The way he’d smirked at me was intriguing, to say the least.

“Hey, did you know that guy last night? The one that helped us out?” I asked. I didn’t know why it hadn’t occurred to me to ask her sooner.

“Oh yeah,” she said thoughtfully. “That was Jack Monroe. He’s the Alpha of the Wayne County pack up in Michigan. It’s a big pack. His territory includes Detroit.”

“So he’s kind of a big deal?” I asked.

She shrugged. “I don’t know about that, but he’s definitely well known.” She lowered her voice and added, “There are rumors about him, Reid, and another Alpha named Matt.”

“Oh,” I whispered. “What kind of rumors?”

“I’ve heard that they like to share,” she whispered with a giggle.

“Share what?” I asked at normal volume.

“You know,” she said with a waggle of her eyebrows. “They share.”

“I don’t understand,” I said.

“Are you messing with me?” she asked with a frown. “Because I don’t know how else to say it.”

“I’m not messing with you, I don’t know what your sentence fragment is supposed to mean,” I said in frustration. “They share… blank?”

“Oh my goddess, Kenna,” she said softly. As we neared the house the lighting improved and I was able to see her face more clearly. She was blushing. “They share women,” she whispered.

“Ah,” I said slowly.

I should have probably been scandalized and blushing like Juniper was, but the idea didn’t bother me. I pictured Reid and Jack in an intimate situation with the same woman and heat flooded through me. I nearly stumbled on the stairs because the thought made me so heated.

Juniper gave me a weird look, but I did my best to play it off. There was a line heading into the party and it seemed like someone at the door was acting as a bouncer. I was worried for a moment that we wouldn’t be allowed in, but they took one look at Juniper and stepped aside for us.

The party was packed, and we pushed our way through until we were in the main room and found a place with enough space to get our bearings.

I looked around the crowd, not really expecting to recognize anyone. Instantly, my eyes landed on Reid. His dark eyes were locked on me, and the hunger shining within them took my breath away.