A Grand Gathering

Astor had decided he would do exactly as he was told. He would stay as far away from the guests as possible and act as if he were mute, looking at the floor most of the time. That's why when they entered the luxuriously decorated room where the so-called party was held he simply stood behind Niss and Nash, following them blindly. 

He had never been at a gathering such as this before. The bright yellow lights from the crystal chandeliers, the marble floors that were so neatly polished he could see his reflection or the soft sounds of the violins and piano accompanying the aesthetic of the room, were a first for him had he not been warned to not react in any kind of way he would be looking around with his jaw dropped. 

The werewolves of the Crimson Nightwalkers were completely different from those of the Highfangs as if they were worlds apart. The people in this room were stunning, their aura oozing a sense of glamour, dressed in expensive nightgowns with heavy jewelry and tailored tuxedos. With so much glamour, and so much beauty Astor was afraid they would know he did not fit in, it would show on his face. 

To his surprise, mostly because of Niss, the twins were serious and quiet, not talking to anyone as they walked immediately into the back of the room, their expressions blank as they gazed upon the crowd of their own kind. No one talked to them either, no excited greetings or conversations like in the rest of the room. Astor tried to put the pieces together, get an image of how things worked in this so peculiar pack. So Niss and Nash were not like everyone else here, he noted, curious as to why there seemed to be such a gap in their presence here and that of the guests. 

"This music always makes me want to sleep." Niss whispered, taking a sip from her champagne. She was dressed in a black gown, tight around her body. Its length hid her feet while on the right side, there was a long slit that exposed most of her leg up to her thigh. 

"Ren will be here soon." Nash told her, ignoring her comment. 

"I'm sorry but…" Astor said. "Why do you seem to be…"

"Ostracised?" Niss asked with a smile, as her eyes met with his. 

"I mean, if you wanna put it that way…"

"It's fine." Nash said. "The people in front of you Astor are the higher-ups of Ren's company. They own stocks or do most of the dirty work through their own groups. What they all have in common is that they have money and that their blood is pure." 

"Pure?" 

"Don't you have that in your pack?" Niss asked, looking at Astor as if he was an alien. "Werewolves are a creation of the moon god, we are its people, right?" 

"Yes, I know that…" The white-haired werewolf told her with a condescending look and she giggled. "Well, some werewolves are closer to the god than others. We have existed in this world for thousands of years and some bloodlines have mixed with humans. Since you know a human woman can bear a werewolf child the blood in their eyes has been tarnished. Their blood, of all the posh rich people here, is let's say almost ninety percent pure and that makes them something like nobles, they have special powers and…"

"They are obnoxious and annoying in every sense." Nash added with his sister nodding her head in agreement. 

"Is Ren like them?" Astor asked. 

"Ren is…" Niss mumbled trying to think of the right words to explain the whole situation. "He is a pureblood. Someone whose bloodline has never been spoiled. He is closer to the moon god than any of them. There is only a handful of pureblood families out there and Ren's is one of them. That's why even though the council wants his power no one dares to go against him." 

"I see…" Astor mumbled, his eyes wandering between the esteemed guests. Maybe that was the reason they had that aura, their sense of superiority. "It must be tough for him." he added, thinking how it would feel to be surrounded by people who wanted your power, your blood. 

"He seems to handle it just fine. Look." Niss said and pointed at a small group of people.

Between them stood Ren, watched by everyone as he talked, his golden eyes serious, his posture strict as they seemed to be hanging from his well-shaped lips. "That old dude over there is one of the Elders. My least favorite, August. He is rude and snobbish, more blatantly than the others, and he keeps on trying to get Ren to marry his spoiled daughter. He is like a snake, I'm telling you." The girl said. Astor watched the man she was talking about. He was tall, old-looking, maybe around his sixties but his true age must have been a lot more than that. His hair was brown with greyish strands here and there, pulled back with gel while his eyes had a dark blue hue, a thick beard on his face, and a few wrinkles in the corners of his eyes. He was smiling, focused on Ren with a glass of wine in his hand when suddenly, as if he had been shocked he turned his head, eyes landing right on Astor and their gazes met in an exchange that made his blood freeze. 

He was not a snake, no snake could smile, he was a hyena, Astor thought as he watched the man come closer, his steps confident, his head rising. Ren tried to stop him, they exchanged a few words but he seemed to brush the Alpha off, not caring at all about what he had to say. Ren's body became tense, his knuckles white but his face remained calm, and collected as he led the man named August to them, defeated. 

"Get behind us." Astor heard Nash whisper just before the two men reached them.