Feral Bonds: Claimed By Rogue Alpha Brothers
Chapter 134: A Hell of a Night

Chapter 134: A Hell of a Night

Evaline:

Half an hour into the business dinner and not a single soul had even looked in the direction of the dining hall.

The ballroom was full of warm light and laughter, champagne flutes raised in toasts I didn’t understand, and music that played a rhythm I didn’t feel connected to.

Men in expensive suits and women in gowns glittered under the chandeliers, dancing, drinking, and talking in low, calculated tones. If there was a point to this gathering beyond social display and business gossip, I hadn’t found it yet.

The only good thing? No drama had found me.

Yet.

River was whisked away almost immediately, pulled into one conversation after another with humans whose names I didn’t recognize but whose body language was screaming power. I barely got a word in after we arrived, and part of me was glad for that. The last thing I wanted was to be pulled into something I didn’t understand.

"You’ll learn a lot just by watching," he had told me before disappearing into the sea of suits and silk.

So that’s what I did.

But there wasn’t much for me to actually learn - at least not in the way River probably expected. I was from the shifter world, born and raised there. And majority of the people here were human. Their world was structured differently. It was cold and polished, ruled not by physical strength or Alpha blood, but by wealth and manipulation dressed in designer labels.

Werewolves weren’t big on billion-dollar corporations. Packs were our priority, not portfolios.

Still, I was observant. And a fast learner, whether I wanted to admit it or not.

I picked up on small details - who was commanding attention when they spoke, who people were deferring to without question, who was laughing too loudly at someone’s joke and who was watching from the sidelines like they were calculating every move on an invisible chessboard.

I picked up names of companies that were dominating the market, and others that were barely holding on. I watched how people were shaking hands - firm, but not too firm - how they were making eye contact, how women were carrying themselves in heels that could kill a man if needed.

There was something to be learned here. Maybe not something I could use immediately. Maybe not something I even wanted to know. But still, it was knowledge.

Whether I belonged in this world was another matter altogether.

Feeling slightly overwhelmed, I made my way to the refreshment area where an almost endless display of appetizers and drinks were awaiting. I avoided anything suspicious-looking, especially the raw seafood, and instead picked up a few healthy snacks that didn’t scream "fancy poison" and a tall glass of apple and mint juice.

The couch in the far corner of the room was looking like a safe spot, tucked away but with a perfect view of the floor. I claimed it like territory, sinking into its plush cushions and silently observing everything around me.

Including River.

He was standing like he belonged there - commanding and still. One of the things that I learned tonight was that River Thorne was just as a big name in the human world as he was in the shifter world. He commanded respect and awe from both worlds.

He was holding a glass in hand with a small, polite smile that never reached his eyes. He kept nodding along as a man in his fifties talked animatedly beside him.

And then he glanced at me.

It was brief, half a second at most, but I caught it. That flicker of attention, the quick check-in, as if he was making sure I was still okay.

I blinked and looked away, focusing on my juice. That didn’t mean anything, I reminded myself. River Thorne didn’t care. He calculated. Everything he did was part of a game I didn’t even know the rules to.

An hour passed. Maybe two.

I lost track of time somewhere between my fourth bite-sized snack and my growing urge to leave.

Eventually, someone clinked a glass loudly and announced that dinner would be served in the adjoining hall. The crowd finally moved. I followed quietly, slipping into one of the seats at a round table mostly filled with assistants like me - young, observant, and mostly ignored.

River settled at a few tables ahead, still surrounded by the powerful and influential. I knew that he had already drunk quite a lot. But as dinner began, the glass in front of him was not left empty. It wasn’t because he was enjoying himself. No - his shoulders were tenser than usual and his jaw was tight. He was drinking because the night demanded it.

And that... wax worrying me.

Not that I could say anything. What could I say?

Hey, I know I don’t trust you, but you should really slow down before you pass out in front of half the business world?

Three hours. That’s how long the dinner lasted. Not including the endless introductions, toasts, and calculated banter. I barely tasted the food. I was too distracted by the constant watchfulness of being in an unfamiliar world with unfamiliar people.

By the time the last round of drinks was served and people began filing out of the hall, I was done. Mentally, emotionally, and physically.

And River?

He was worse.

I found him slumped slightly in his seat with his face a little flushed and his eyes glassy. But somehow, he was still looking handsome. Still intimidating. But definitely drunk.

"Of course," I muttered under my breath as I crouched beside him. "You just had to drink yourself into this state, didn’t you?"

His lips twitched like he wanted to smirk, but all he managed was a low, slurred, "Did...good tonight..."

"Yeah, yeah. You are a regular king of finance." I sighed and tugged on his arm. "Come on. Let’s get you out of here before someone sets their eyes on you."

I was talking about some particular women I had noticed taking extra interest him throughout the dinner. And right now, some of them were watching me very carefully.

Fortunately, I had exchanged numbers with his driver earlier, just in case. I fumbled with my phone and called him while trying to hold River up with one arm.

"Car ready?" I asked.

"Yes, Miss Evaline. Pulling up now."

The driver’s voice was calm and efficient, and I nearly wept in relief. I guided River out of the hall, half-carrying, half-dragging him toward the hotel’s front entrance.

He was leaning on me heavily, mumbling something incoherent that I didn’t bother asking him to repeat.

And there were definitely eyes following us... unimpressed and angry ones. I was just relieved that no one came to stop me and snatch him away, because I wouldn’t have known what to do then. After all, he gave me no instructions in this regard.

The driver pulled up just as we reached the curb, and I helped ease River into the back seat before climbing in after him. The door closed behind us with a soft click, sealing us inside.

I leaned my head back and let out a long, exhausted sigh. "Well... that was a hell of a night."

Only if I knew...!