Ethan's POV
I do not like Alpha Lucien. I am doing my best to remain cordial and professional because this alliance would be very beneficial for us, but so help me, this guy is getting on my last nerve. Upon meeting Scarlet he was overly flirtatious. Now, every time I spot him, he is either eyeing her or talking to her. He's even touched her multiple times. Maybe I'm being possessive, after all it has only been her hand or back, but in the werewolf community most know it is in bad taste to touch another person's mate. Werewolves are inherently territorial and possessive over their mates, especially those that have Alpha blood in them.
As I spot the servers on their way out, I instantly go up to Scarlet and guide her away, even though I know we will be sitting with the Silver Shadow Alpha. We reach the table and I pull out the chair that is seated to the right of the head of the table. She smiles at me gratefully and slides a hand down to smooth out her dress as she sits down and I push her in. Lucien approaches as I am taking my seat and remarks, "Alpha Ethan, you have outdone yourself. The food smells divine. I can't wait to dig in."
I force a smile at him as he sits in the chair to my left. "Only the best for our guests," I assure as plates are set before us with small portions of several of the restaurant's best sellers.
"Oh yes! I find that the Crescent Moon Pack has been quite welcoming. Going above and beyond to please me and my pack. I do look forward to negotiating new terms with you for our alliance," he gushes before taking a bite of his grilled beef filet. He lets out an exaggerated moan as he looks at me and then Scarlet. "Absolutely delicious!"

"I'm glad you have found everything to your liking," I remark as calmly as I can, despite that I seem to be getting more and more agitated.
"Most definitely. Even the lovely Scarlet has been most gracious," he replies before shooting her a toothy grin that makes me want to punch him in the face. I can't decide if he's simply trying to make friendly conversation or if he is trying to stir up trouble.
"I think he's putting on an act. I think he wants our mate," my wolf insists with a growl.
I look over at Scarlet who seems to be oblivious to the heinous undertone that I am picking up from our illustrious guest. Unless she is just better at faking her dislike than I am. If that's the case, she'll certainly make an excellent partner in pack negotiations. "Even if she's buying this shit, she won't do anything with him. We can trust her," I insist to my wolf.
"It's not her that I don't trust. It's him," my wolf answers back grimly. I only smile and nod at Alpha Lucien's comment, not wanting to fuel whatever he is trying to accomplish. I'm only half listening while having a conversation with my wolf anyway. Unfortunately, he takes this as an opportunity to continue.
"Yes, she has agreed to pose for me so that I can have a featured piece for my art exhibit."
That instantly draws my attention back to him. My hands clench the utensils I'm holding as though they are around his scrawny neck. I struggle to keep my composure as I turn to look at Scarlet with narrowed eyes. Her magnificent violet orbs are wide and her red lips hang agape as though she has just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"Oh, did she now?" I ask, my gaze not leaving her face and my voice coming out in a harsh, even tone.
She quickly closes her mouth and smiles tightly as she reaches out a hand to place over mine. It's like she is trying to reassure me, calm me. She turns to face me and uses a sugary sweet voice as she responds, "Yes. He was worried that he didn't have anything that would work and asked me if I would be his next subject. He's even letting me have sixty-percent of the profit for whatever it sells for."
"And why do you need that kind of money?" I question, continuing to control my anger to the best of my ability. If she thinks I'm going to let her pose for the kind of paintings this guy is known for then she's dead wrong.
"I'm going to donate it to the shelter. There are so many things the packless could do with that kind of money," she insists.
"You already bring them all of our leftovers. What else do they need?"
"Well, it is starting to get cold. I could buy them new blankets and coats. I could get them more food and drinks. Maybe I can even get them a working heating and cooling system," Scarlet continues excitedly.
"I don't like the idea of some other wolf having a picture of you," I state, trying to keep my composure but it comes out more like a growl.

"Then I guess you'll just have to buy it yourself," she remarks playfully with a wink.
"If that's the case, then I can just give you the money for what you need, no posing necessary. You're not doing it," I finally say in a low voice through gritted teeth, no longer willing to try to reason with her. She looks at me, shocked for a moment before her brows furrow at me and her expression turns into a glare.
"That's not your decision Alpha," she remarks. "Lucien has assured me that I can remain fully clothed if that's what you're worried about."
Well, at least there's that, but 'Lucien?' When did she start referring to him so informally? This time, Alpha Lucien chimes in, "Most definitely. We will not do anything that Scarlet is not comfortable with."
I look between Scarlet and Lucien, placing my hands on the table as I inhale slowly. "I'd assume both of your guards will remain with you?" I ask my mate. Despite their assurances, I still don't like it and I don't trust Lucien. However, I don't think I'll be able to continue to argue on this, especially if I want to be able to pursue negotiations with the Silver Shadow Pack. As much as I don't like Alpha Lucien, I can't afford to have him as an enemy. My pack is known for having the best fighters in the country, but Silver Shadow Pack is almost ten times larger and is the closest werewolf pack outside of our surrounding allied packs which means they pose our biggest threat.

"Of course," Scarlet replies before Alpha Lucien speaks up.
"They can certainly wait outside, but I don't want anyone seeing the painting before it is finished," he insists.
I hold back a scowl and sigh. "Fine. They can wait outside."
"NO! What are you doing?! You can't let her be alone with him!" my wolf yells in my head, clearly furious.
"It's not worth the fight right now. Her guards will be right outside the door. If Lucien tries anything then it will be the last thing he does." My wolf simply growls ferociously, clearly not happy with my argument. Unfortunately, I don't see any other options at the moment. Maybe I'll decide to stop by for a surprise visit.
The rest of dinner goes by smoothly aside from both Nicole and Lucien eyeing Scarlet and me. Nicole looks like she wants to jump my bones and strangle Scarlet. Whereas Lucien seems to be undressing Scarlet with his eyes and looking at me with a smirk like he thinks he's somehow won. When I catch Xander's eyes he gives me a questioning look and I shake my head almost imperceptibly. "I'll tell you and Alex about it when we get back to my penthouse." He nods and returns to his conversation with the Alphas sitting around him. This dinner can't get over fast enough.


*****

The next morning, I begin getting calls from other Alphas from all over the country. They have all heard about the art exhibit and auction that we are holding and want to partake. So now I'm scrambling around trying to make accommodations to house all our unexpected guests. I have people dealing with making more food and ordering more supplies. People are reworking the seating and layout of the gallery. Everyone is running around and the entire pack house is in chaos. This is not what I wanted to be dealing with right now. I don't even know how all these alphas found out about this.
I haven't seen Scarlet all morning which bothers me. She had her meeting with Alpha Lucien this morning to pose for his painting. Levi informed me when they got to his floor, but other than that I haven't heard anything else. I checked in a couple times, but all they could tell me was that she was still with him. I found the whole thing to be infuriating. Something about that guy really rubs me the wrong way.
Suddenly a panicked voice enters my head, "Alpha, get to the penthouse immediately. It's an emergency. It's Scarlet."
I instantly drop everything and rush out the door. If that asshole Alpha touched a single hair on her head, I'll kill him.