She quickly packed the remaining clothes and her precious human scrolls(books)and dispatched them to the Vance Clan Territory via protected courier.
That evening,both Elara and Ryder received coded invitations to a mandatory Alpha/Beta dinner gathering from an allied Clan.Since the invitations were sent separately—one in the name of the Vance Clan and the other in the name of the Thorne Clan—both of them arrived at the event alone.
When Elara reached the Neutral Zone gathering point,she saw Ryder exiting his armored transport with Lyra clinging to his side.
Ryder noticed her and,displaying a flicker of Alpha discomfort at the public optics,stepped forward.“My apologies,Mate.I should have ordered a patrol transport to collect you from the Den.”
“It is of no consequence,Alpha,”Elara replied with a polite,brittle smile.“Besides,I secured my own escort.”
As more guests—high-ranking Alphas and Betas—arrived,someone from an older,more traditional Pack asked curiously,“When did Alpha Thorne and Beta Vance become so close in proximity?”