Proposition

We missed the rest of the party, as we had to speak to the police as well. Then the press showed up, more than happy to show hot-ass women in bikinis as heroes of the day. Since I was the one who found the boy underwater, they all wanted to talk to me. I brushed off the praise, saying I wasn’t the only one who rushed in the water. I was just lucky enough to find him in time.

I finally made it back to my stuff, pulling on the long shirt as the air started to chill with the setting sun. We drove back to the Summit location, arriving after dark. “We saw you on the news,” Alpha Leo said when we were close enough to link him. “You make me proud.”

“I love you, Unka Leo,” I said.

“Good, because there is a cocktail party going on now, and you and Adrienne need to be here.”

“Gee, thanks.” Adrienne had a knowing smile as she went back to her bedroom to change. I quickly showered and did my hair before pulling on a pair of black lace panties. I opened my little closet and reached behind the ball gown for the cocktail dress I brought. I couldn’t wear a bra with it, as the back had a daring dip to just above my butt. The lack of a bra didn’t matter with my athletic build, and I might as well take advantage of it while I’m young enough to pull it off. The off-the-shoulder bodycon dress hugged my figure, ending high on my thighs. I paired it with black-strapped low heels, not needing to raise myself any further with my height. Simple diamond stud earrings and a shark-tooth necklace completed my outfit.

I was watching the national cable news when Adrienne came out. “You look hot,” I told her. She was wearing a deep-red halter-top dress that hugged her curves to her thighs before a ruffled skirt continued to just above her knees. Lace accents gave a peek of skin, and her mating scar was visible in the front. She finished it off with matching red heels, pearl earrings, and a matching necklace.

“It takes a little more preparation at my age,” she replied as I stood. “Look at you! Rinse off the saltwater and pull a dress on, and you look fabulous.” I giggled a little as I went to open the door for her. “Vicki, where is the rest of your dress?”

“They ran out of material,” I said as I stepped down. The breeze felt good on my skin as we walked towards the main building.

“I think we need to put an armed guard on you. That dress is positively dangerous.”

“I’m not that little girl anymore, Luna. That bastard may not be here anymore, but I’m pretty sure the word will get back to him about what he gave up.”

She didn’t reply to that, and soon we were passing through the front doors. The party had been going for a while, and the room quieted when we entered. Someone started to clap, and it picked up momentum like a wave until everyone was standing and applauding. The Committee Chairman and his mate, Leland and Bonnie Carver, came up to thank us. He held up his hand, and the room quieted. “Most of you saw the news tonight, where a beach outing for a young mother nearly turned tragic. Thanks to Luna Adrienne Volkov and Vicki Lawrence, a human boy is recovering in the hospital tonight. You make us proud,” he said as he reached forward to shake our hands.

Bonnie gave us each a hug, and I was happy to see her. She’d been one of the Lunas who had taken me to the Atlanta Aquarium for my birthday as a young girl. We’d kept in touch since then.

Some of the guests started asking for a speech. Adrienne put a hand on my back and gently pushed me forward. “This one is all yours, Sharkbait. I just splashed around.”

“Thank you all. Is Luna Karen here?” She was encouraged to come forward, and I took her hand. “Many people responded, but three people combined to save the boy. I was lucky enough to find him where the riptide had carried him, but by the time I got him to the surface, I was out of air. Terry Foster pulled him to shore and began CPR with Luna Karen. We didn’t do anything special; we acted on our training, and it all worked out.” I looked around. “Did Terry make it back yet?”

An older man stepped forward; from his face, I could tell it was Terry’s father. “My son is still at the hospital with the family. Hopefully, that family will soon be OUR family, as my son informed me that the mother is his mate.”

You could have heard a pin drop in the room before there were shouts of joy and congratulations. I just smiled; he had a lot of work ahead of him, but my Mom proved it would be worth it. As the other Council members came through to shake my hand, the party got going again.

An hour later, I was ready to leave. Most of the people my age were off in the woods or at the pool. I was stuck here in a dress, listening to women I didn’t know talk about how I needed to meet their grandson or nephew. “Alpha, how long am I expected to stick around?”

“I’ll walk you back if you’re ready,” he told me.

We were nearly done with our goodnights when Chairman Carver pulled us aside. “May I have a moment with the two of you in private? And can you ask your mate to join you,” he said.

“Of course, Mr. Chairman,” Leo said. Adrienne joined us a few moments later as well as his mate, Bonnie. Leland led us to the second-floor offices, where he opened the door to a small conference room and asked us to sit. “What can we do for you, sir?”

“Lewis Wolfe, your Regional Chairman for the Midwest, will come to the end of his twenty-year term at next year’s Summit. He indicated he intends to retire instead of seeking reelection.”

“No,” Leo said.

The Chairman held up his hand. “Hear me out, please. The Regional Chairman is an important position, so we need to have the best candidate elected to the spot. Chairman Wolfe recommended the two of you as his replacements, and the Council agreed that you would be great in the job if elected.”

“Why,” I asked.

“Luna Adrienne. In most Alpha pairings, the female is not as active in the political and relational aspects of the job. Your experience as a Council mediator, combined with the decades the two of you have been respected Alphas, makes you the logical choice.” He looked over at me. “It’s quite the honor to serve as a Regional Chairman, and well-deserved. Your Alphas are perfectly suited for the job, and you are strong enough to take over the Miesville Pack for them.”

I just shook my head. “I’m not mated,” I said defensively.

“We know, and we also know now how mature and level-headed you have become. You didn’t create a scene with your rejection; instead, you handled it with class and maturity. You show a great deal of empathy and understanding, and no one will ever question your courage. The Miesville Pack is stable and healthy, and you will still have your Aunt and Uncle available to you if you need advice.” He could tell I wasn’t convinced. “I would have spoken of this earlier, but we had to see who Luna had selected for her mate. Timothy was a mantled Alpha, and if he wasn’t such a fool, you would have joined his Pack. I was hoping you would find a mate without a mantle and stay in Miesville, but that was not to be. Unless, of course, you choose to take the mating proposal of an unmated male.”

“NO! I have made my decision clear. I will not be the female that steals another wolf’s mate,” I said.

He nodded. “We respect your choice, Vicki. Nothing must be decided tonight, and the change does not take place until the elections next year. That gives you plenty of time for a leadership transition at Miesville.”

“Don’t say anything negative right now,” Adrienne warned.

“You’ve given me a lot to think about,” I said diplomatically.

“You are a worthy female, Vicki, and we all think you are strong enough to be Alpha on your own until Luna brings you a mate. Leo, Adrienne, you know how we feel about you. We all hope you will agree to step up and seek the Council position,” Leland said.

“As my niece said, Mr. Chairman, it’s a lot to think about,” Leo replied.

I let out a yawn, which Adrienne caught. “I think we need to get Vicki home. She didn’t get much sleep last night, and this has been a long day,” she said.

Leland and Bonnie went to stand, so we did as well. “Of course,” Bonnie said. “We can speak more in the morning if you have any questions.” She led us to the door, closing it behind us as we walked away.

“That was interesting,” Leo said.

“You know how I feel,” I told them. “It’s Andrie’s birthright to take over Miesville, not mine.”

“But you could hold the spot for him,” Leo countered.

“It’s WAY too early to be discussing anything other than what is for breakfast tomorrow,” Adrienne said. “Let’s get her back to the trailer. Are you going to sleep or head back out with the younger crowd?”

“Sleep,” I said as we walked out the front door.

“I’ll stay with her, and you can do the politicking,” Adrienne said.

Leo looked over at her like she was punishing him. “Didn’t he just say how you were so much better than me at the political side?”

She giggled. “Yes, but you aren’t wearing three-inch heels and a tight dress,” she countered.

Sleep that night did not come easy. If I turned down the Alpha position, I’d ruin any chance of Leo and Adrienne becoming Regional Chairs for at least twenty more years, maybe forever. If I took it, my dreams of going off to school and studying sharks would come to an end.

Either way, dreams were going to die.