Chapter 5 A NIGHT OF STUMBLES

Talia's POV

"Talia, are you ready?" My mother asks through the door, snapping me from my thoughts.

"Yes, I'm coming," I respond though I hesitate before opening the door. My mind is a blur of thoughts as I walk down the stairs. I can hear the Packs hum and murmur from a distance; the gathering is already starting outside. The air is cooler now, the sun setting, casting shadows across the pack's territory.

Jackson is waiting by the door, tapping his foot impatiently. "Took you long enough," he says.

I ignore him, keeping my breathing steady as I step outside. The atmosphere is heavy with tension, or maybe that's just me. The pack is already gathered near the large clearing, where lanterns hang from the trees, casting a warm glow over the scene. The sound of laughter and music fills the air, and everyone seems to be in high spirits.

But I'm not like everyone else.

"Stay close, Talia," my father says calmly as he leads toward the gathering. My mother walks beside me, her hand resting on my back to reassure me that everything will be fine.

I nod, my throat too tight to speak. I'm trying not to think about all the eyes on me, the whispers that will follow. Instead, I focus on the crunch of gravel under my feet, the cool breeze brushing against my skin and the smell of roasted meat from the cooking fires.

As we reach the edge of the clearing, the crow's parts let us through. I can feel their stares, and my heart beats loudly. I keep my head down, hoping to blend into the background, but it's like trying to hide in plain sight.

The party is on, with wolves mingling, chatting, and laughing. The dignitaries from the neighbouring packs are easy to spot, dressed in fibre clothes and holding themselves with an air of authority. Alpha Bran is at the centre of it all, commanding respect as he speaks with the leaders of other packs.

I try to slip past unnoticed, but just as I'm about to move further into the crowd, my foot hits something. I stumbled forward and tried to hold my balance, but it was too late. My foot hits a wire, and the music suddenly stops.

Everyone turns toward me. Silence envelopes the place, and I can feel my face heating up as all eyes are fixed on me. My heart beats, and I don't know what to do. My parents' faces are pale with concern, but they're too far away to help.

"Talia," a voice growls dangerously; Alpha Bran is looking directly at me. He steps forward, and the crowd parts for him like a wave. "What are you doing?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to -" I stammer, trying to explain and escape the scene, but the words stick in my throat.

Before I can finish, I bump into someone. I feel the thud as I collide with a dignitary from one of the neighbouring packs, my foot coming down hard on his toe. He lets out a sharp shout of pain, and the whispers in the crowd turn into murmurs of disapproval.

"Talia!" Alpha Bran's voice is sharper now, halting the murmurs. He grabs my arm, pulling me away from the dignitary. "Enough. You're making a scene."

"I'm sorry, I didn't -" I try apologizing again, but he's not listening. He's already pulling me toward the edge of the clearing.

My parents rush over. "Alpha, please," my mother pleads, trembling. "It was an accident."

"An accident?" Alpha Bran echoes, the anger in his eyes could burn a whole house down. "This isn't the first time, Talia. You need to be more careful."

"She will be, Alpha. We'll make sure of it." My father says respectfully but firmly, stepping forward.

Alpha Bran looks between them, then at me. I think he will ban me from the gathering, but then he sighs, releasing my arm. "Fine. But Talia, you'll be sent home if there's any more trouble. Understand?"

I nod quickly, my mind still racing. "Yes, Alpha. I understand."

He gives me one last stern look before turning away.

"Talia, are you okay?" My mother asks patting my shoulder.

"I'm fine," I say, though my heart is still racing, and I feel like I'm about to collapse from the stress.

"You should stay," my father says quietly, looking into my eyes, encouragingly. "This is important, Talia. Maybe... tonight will be the night you find your mate."

His words make me want to laugh, but I have no humour right now. I'm too tired, too shaken. But I nod anyway, forcing a smile. "Yeah, maybe."

The party continued, and the music started again as if nothing had happened. But I know the whispers will follow me for the rest of the night. I can feel them, just out of earshot, reminding me of how out of place I am.

I move through the crowd, trying to keep to the edges, away from the main group. The last thing I want is to draw more attention to myself. But it's impossible to disappear entirely. Every time I pass someone, their eyes flicker toward me. I don't know if they're judging, pitying, or just trying to figure out what happened.

I can't seem to focus on anything. I keep replaying the moment repeatedly, wondering how I could have been so careless and clumsy. But no matter how hard I try to push it away, the embarrassment hurts.

I'm not sure how much time has passed when I hear someone approaching from behind. I turn, expecting another round of snide comments or whispered insults, but it's Jackson. Gazing pitifully at me.

"Hey," he says quietly.

"Hey," I reply, trying to smile, but it feels weak.

"You okay?" he asks, slowly as if he's afraid someone will overhear.

"Yeah," I lie. "Just... tried."

He nods. "You know, you didn't have to stay. No one would've blamed you if you left after... that."

"I know," I say, looking away. "But... I didn't want to leave."

"Why not?" he asks, curiously.

"Because..." I hesitate, not sure of how to put it into words. "Because I'm tired of running. I'm tired of letting them win."

"I get that." He says.

We stay together, enjoying the music and all, and then I begin to feel strange, like the world has slowed down, giving me a chance to breathe. Then suddenly a commotion at the centre of the gathering draws our attention.

I can't see what is happening but hear the panicked voices of the pack members.

"What's going on?" I question, turning to Jackson with the hope that he can see better since he's taller than me.

"I don't know," he says, squinting to see through the crowd. "But it doesn't look good."

We both start moving toward the source of the commotion, the crowd parting reluctantly to let us through. I can see the Alpha standing near the centre, speaking with one of the dignitaries. Then, just as we reach the crowd's edge, my eyes meet the Alpha's and I feel the connection. "Mate"