11: Invited

Getting to the place, Jack could see how bright and wonderful the mansion looked. Fleets of expensive cars, owned by different packs of werewolves, that had travelled from far across the world, just to honour their invitation, and celebrate with the Alpha Barrington.

As Jack was being unwillingly driven into the party place, he remembered what Mr Barrington said, " Lad, I really hope to see you again, soon. How about you come by my place for the small party I'll be hosting real soon?"

Small party, he said. This was no small party. It was one of the largest and most crowded parties there was. Different werewolf packs came in their full, from their countries. 

If this was his definition of a small party, then he wondered what the imposed wedding would be like.

Inside the Mercedes Benz 500 k Roadster, young Loggman couldn't help but feel this anxiety and sweat drip from his palms. He was dressed in a fine black and white tuxedo, with waist-high black pants, and decently knotted bow tie. For a reason, he felt as if he was being choked by his tie, or was it by something else?

He normally wouldn't feel this way since he was use to large gatherings and parties, and being known and all. He was a confident fellow, but this time, he didn't feel like himself. He really did not want to see that werewolf girl that had ruined the wedding with the love of his life.

"Oh Lyya, forgive me" He said to himself.

Every car that came, had to stop by a checkpoint and show their invitation card. Huge statured men with dark shades, stood, guarding at every entrance.

Jack didn't recall being given an invitation card, but they let him pass anyways. 

The car was now driven into the mansion and was parked in front of a red carpet. 

Jack sighed humourlessly before stepping out, then the Benz zoomed off to go be packed properly.

By the sides of the huge pillars up high, were alabaster status of werewolves. Angry looking ones. 

Not too long before Jack had stepped out from the car, he sighted Leo coming towards his direction. He was dressed in a plum tuxedo, no tie, upper button of his black inner shirt unbuttoned, and fine black shoes. He looked like a million pounds, and also a bit more fashionable than his friend Jack. 

By his side, interlocked in each other's arms, was an attractive silver haired female.

Leo called out with a smile on, "Jack!"

They shook each other's hands as they shoulder-hugged. 

Jack made sure he said it in a whisper, "I thought it was Venessa?"

Leo said out knowing the lady by his side wouldn't understand, "Well, I'm a free man, unlike you that's about to loose that"

Jack chuckled sarcastically and Leo laughed along.

"As beautiful as the moon goddess" He now said referring to the girl by his side,who blushed giggling, as she stretched out her long white gloved hands that had a blue diamond ring on it.

He pressed a light kiss on the back of her palms. 

"Shall we?" Leo said as they now walked inside the place.

It was an enormous dance hall. So many people were on the down dance floor and up floor near the rails, dancing and chatting. 

Musical instruments played. Huge sized violins, harps and gigantic pianos joined in making such euphonious and harmonizing music. Male and female, dressed for the dinner party, indulged in a ballroom dance. There were people with tray that served the guests cocktail drinks inside fancy wine gasses.

Leo, with an arm at his back and with the other stretched out, asked his date to dance, "Milady?"

She giggled, accepting, as he dragged her by her waist very close to him with a slight force, making her to shout slightly in excitement. 

As they danced, twirling round the ballroom, Jack now took a glass of cocktail and gulped it once, as if trying to take out his frustration. To make things worst, he sighted a familiar blonde, chit-chat with the other three girls around her in this social manner. It was Natasha.

Also observing this, Leo came closer to Jack, still dancing,  "That girl, isn't she that New Orleans chick you once showed me and talked about?" He now mouthed this, "She's hot" 

Leo now went on with his intimate ballroom dance with this date of his. Jack looked around and saw that most of the girls around had once had one or two things with him. Natasha wasn't the only one. He walked looking away from her and the others as he didn't want to be noticed. Many couldn't tell, but he knew he didn't feel like the Jack Loggman he was that night. Avoiding many eyes, especially the females, to prevent any sort unwanted conversation, since he wasn't really in the mood to play at the time, he accidentally bumped into the mansion's owner; Alpha Barrington.

Jack felt a slight pain surge through his chest as he was greatly startled. He instantly regretted not going the other way.

Perhaps bumping into one of his ex-girlfriends would have been better?

With a welcoming smile , "Oh Jack. I've been awaiting you" Alpha Barrington said in a merry tone. "I almost thought you'd be a no-show. That would have really gone bad" 

Barrington laughed at the end, making the other men around him join in.

Jack also joined in as he gave a nervous chuckle. Though they all laughed about it, he knew well that his last sentence was a threat. 

"Come with me" Barrington said as he made Jack follow behind him to a place he had in mind.

As they exited the ballroom, the music playing, slowly started to sound lower, then fade away as they walked farther. They were now at a quieter place, still in the mansion.

They kept on walking to this uncertain place for a long time together, not even exchanging any words at all. This left all sorts of thoughts inside Jack's head. Like, 

Where were we going? And why the silence if we were actually going to talk?

The Alpha's presence tensed up the atmosphere that Jack felt a little, and the silence added to anxious feeling Jack was having. 

"It's a quiet lonely place," Jack thought in his head as they moved, "So it'd be easier to transform and kill me. I heard his wolf is as big as his human form, maybe he had just been putting up a show. Maybe he actually invited me to revenge for his daughter's broken heart?"

 He went on in his head as they now climbed up the stairs, "Oh moon goddess, I know I've been a bad wolf, but if you can save me from this, I promise to be a g-goo"

He stammered, even in his own head. He knew he was lying and couldn't even bring himself to say the actual word 'good'.

In another tall building, they were at the terrace. Now, they had finally stopped walking. 

Barrington brought out a pipe from inside his pocket, and put it in his mouth.

He said resting his hands on the rails, "You smoke?" 

Jack nodded negatively. He lied doing that. It was a false gesture. A very false one.

"You're scared," He said now smoking the pipe. These words shocked Jack a bit. He started wondering if it was actually obvious, even when he had tried his out most best to hide it , "Of your father"

Now this made him bewildered.

"You see Jack, I'm not him. I'm a different man with different beliefs. I've got quite the intellect there," He said this tapping his head with a finger.

"Why do you think I handle this situation this way?" He asked rhetorically "I'm not a fool Jack. I saw something in this. An opportunity. Look around you. What do you see, what do you want?"

Jack looked down around the place and saw the beautiful lighted up place. People in fancy clothes hanging and chit-chating outside, cars and so much more.

Barrington said this taking his time to speak each word, like he was tutoring a student, "Jack, I know you like the attention. To be known, not just in your city, but also in the England, and the world. Look at the crowd I gather in just a short time. When you marry my golden child, you will gain power"

Now feeling the need to speak, the young Loggman asked, "What opportunity do you speak of?"

Mr Barrington laughed out there a bit, " I may not have a son, but you will be family. And I will consider you as one. I know your father doesn't even think of making you Alpha after him. But you know, you may even have the chance to be one after all"

Jack now was getting more curious at this point as he spoke.

"Marry Clarrissa, and everything you've ever wanted to have. Fame, power. I will give you that as you will be my son"

Jack felt somehow strange there as it sounded so to his ears. He didn't really have a special bond with his father, but he sure didn't like to be completely denied of being his son. He was and will forever be  Jack Loggman.

He said mentally, "You're wrong. I wouldn't have everything I want" Jack spoke inside his head " I won't have Lyya"

"That's all. You can go off to enjoy the party" Barrington now said this slightly changing his demeanour into a non-friendly one,"Don't take my niceness for granted. You don't want to get on my bad side"

His words gave Jack a bit of the chills.

He now changed changed his demeanour again to the lively way it was before, "Now you should go say hi to Clarrissa. She must be waiting to see you"

Jack now went down, but not to the ballroom. He headed to the gents to free himself.

Now inside the clean sparkling gents, he washed his face like he was washing away the confusion and frustration feeling he felt. He looked at his face in the mirror, and he didn't recognize himself anymore.

He did not feel normal, neither did he look like his usual self.

Facing the men's toilet, he drew down his zipper and was about to take a piss, when he suddenly heard the restroom's door open. 

He assumed it was some other male, but it was heels he heard. The sound of heels clicking against the tiled floor, followed an unmistakable feminine voice. 

"You look like shit Jack." Clarrissa said. Clarrissa Barrington said.

Suddenly shocked and in a dazed manner, he turned the other way as he instantly pulled back his zipper.

"What the bloody fuck?! You're not even supposed to be in …"