WHEN HENRI MET DAN

After lunch, Dan was promptly led up to the Alpha's Office. Like everything else in Moon Bell, the Alpha's Office was surprising and magical. Dan was quite sure by now that if a unicorn appeared, he would have simply wrote it off as a Moon Bell thing.

There were no unicorns in the Alpha's Office. In fact, there wasn't even an Alpha. Beta Damien, let them into the glass roofed room on the top floor of the Bridge (the connecting wing between the Alpha House and the Packhouse.)

The cats had come with them. At least Dan was sure Peony and Peri had come. Edel, he only suspected because he heard a loud purring and spied the tell tale dent on one of the leather sofas in the room.

The white stone paving the office floor was reminiscent of Snow Moon's white stone buildings, There was also a curved white wall made of the same solid stone, but the rest of the room was glass walls and ceilings, and large exotic tropical plants growing in a wrap-around garden around the white stone floors. It was like putting an office inside a greenhouse garden, and done so artfully, that Dan felt he had stepped into one of those life-size fancy installation art pieces displayed at Gold City's art museum.

The centerpiece overarched the Alpha's desk and chair was a large single spreading chestnut tree. Dan was very sure it was a chestnut tree because there were ripe chestnuts littered all over the office floor. It wasn't in season, but the tree was blooming and fruiting all at the same time. Of course it didn't make sense. Nothing in Moon Bell made common sense. Dan shrugged and decided that he was rather getting use to these magical discoveries. He gave himself a mental pat on the back. Good job, he was adapting rather well given the circumstances.

He supposed Alpha Henri would possibly ask him how he found Moon Bell, and Dan already knew he would answer that Moon Bell had been surprising, magical, and very pleasant.

He was so ready for this first meeting with Moon Bell's alpha! Even if Alpha Henri came in as a white unicorn, Dan was ready to make all the correct bows and answer all his questions with the appropriate charm and acumen of a world class diplomat.

So when Beta Damien announced, "Alpha Henri is here."

And everyone turned from the Chestnut tree to bow at the Alpha's entry, Dan was completely and properly stunned when instead of a unicorn, what came in was the most perfect and beautiful woman he had ever seen.

He swore he wasn't exaggerating it. She was like the unicorn of all wolves - Dan had no idea until today that long black hair was like a glossy waterfall of ink... Or how the creamy curve of a woman's cheek, and the slope of her fair neck against the jet black hair was the most alluring sight.

Dan forgot everything, he forgot his mentally prepared speech, he forgot he was meeting Alpha Henri, he even forgot that he wanted to live. But the most regretful thing he forgot that moment was that his mouth had somehow unhinged and was largely hanging open. To be honest, he forgot he had a mouth, he also for the life of him couldn't remember how to move the parts in his mouth to make any semblance of intelligent speech because when Wolfgang said, "Alpha Henri, please meet my friend, Dan Lion."

Dan said, "Uh...ah, yah..."

It was not the smoothest moment of his life.

The beauty growled, it was a quiet low sound, and only momentarily.

Luckily, or unluckily, Dan couldn't say for sure, but at this crucial first meeting, his mind was a complete blank and when he attempted to recall something, anything at all, the cats' earlier advice was all that came to him by virtue of their repetition: Look disinterested. Look good.

He broke eye contact, forcefully dragging his gaze away from the silvery grey eyes and took a step back. When the beauty stepped forwards, he tucked himself behind Wolfgang - not his most manly move, no, but his brain was currently out of order.

Wolfgang looked from the beauty to Dan and frowned a little. Did the fire wolf think he was chickening out? Dan would give this one to him. For some reason, his heart rate had picked up in his panic, and his palms felt unsophisticatedly damp.

To Dan's surprise, Wolfgang stepped up and squared his shoulders. Eh, was he being protected by the Lord Fire Wolf? Momentarily confused, Dan looked over at the nearest other person with him. Wilhelm gave him a reassuring smile.

It was Beta Dante who said something though, "Alpha, you're scaring the human."

Dan hadn't even realized that the beauty had entered accompanied by a beta.

Alpha Henri had two betas - Dante and Damien. They were twin brothers, both tall and broad shouldered, with black hair, emerald eyes, and a naturally imposing attitude. If Dan had to be objective, the two betas looked even more intimidating than the beauty they followed, but he found himself drawn into the silvery eyes and even though he was human, he knew instinctively that she was the Alpha.

If Dan had to qualify it from a human perspective, he would have to say that what set apart an Alpha Wolf from all the other wolves was his Alpha charisma.

Dan had met more Alphas than the average human in his lifetime, and he had to concur with all the usual stereotypes - Alphas were proud, domineering, intimidating, and physically strong. Many of them did harbor a short and rather explosive temper, but the ones who Dan met were also reasonable and practical and intelligent.

What was seldom said was how an Alpha also had very charismatic presence.

Alpha Henri was the first female Alpha Dan had met though, but her charisma was beyond the charts. He found his gaze gravitating back to her silvery eyes and had to step further behind Wolfgang's broad back to keep himself from losing it.

Alpha Henri growled again and Dan feared that he had irrevocably pissed her off.

The cats decided it was their turn to step in. Peri made a "Mrrrr…" sound and lifted a paw and Alpha Henri opened up her hands for it to move from Wolfgang's arms to her own, "Dan Lion is here to discuss the possibility of some kind of trade or negotiation table with is kingdom."

At this, Alpha Henri stopped growling, "I see."

And suddenly the tension in the air disappeared. Dan could have sworn the clouds above the glass roof parted and the sunlight poured into the airy enclosure at the exact same moment, but that could have been his imagination, or just a coincidence.

"How long would you be staying, Dan Lion?" Alpha Henri asked.

Dan had no choice but to step out from behind Wolfgang to address the beauty. He took a perfunctory bow, "As long as it pleases you, Alpha."

He had meant to say, "As long as it takes, Alpha."

But it was a relief that he was able to speak at all really, so Dan wasn't going to nitpick on the wording.

"I see." Alpha Henri said again. She looked over to Damian who nodded a bow, "I'll see to it."

And then she looked to Wolfgang, "What are you thinking, Sir?"

Because wolves called their trainers and teachers this way, even after they had long outgrown their classes.

"Dan Lion is my friend and I believe he is able to open the doors for Moon Bell to re-enter the political and business arenas in most places on this continent." Lord Wolfgang declared, "I will leave him in your care. Whatever he requires during his stay with you, if it is beyond your expectations, feel free to charge it to my account."

"There is no need for that, Sir." Alpha Henri answered quite calmly, "I will take care of him."

"He doesn't eat much." Peri pipped in looking quite comfortable in Alpha Henri's arms. It occurred to Dan that Peri's fur matched the beauty's eyes, except its fur was more grey while her eyes was more silver.

Dan quickly adverted his gaze again. It was very hard to look disinterested.

"He is also just a weak human." Peri continued, "Edel can protect him for you, but you'd need a healer on hand. Humans are prone to sickness and diseases."

The conversation was also not quite progressing in the right direction.

"His wardrobe is also only half full." Peony hopped up on the alpha's table, "It's good quality cloths but its sparse. Your father had way more."

"I'm traveling so I only brought what I needed with me." Dan tried to explain to the cat.

"Wolfgang is also traveling, but his wardrobe is still double of yours." Peony said.

"You were in my wardrobe?" Wolfgang asked.

Which Dan felt was a good point. Why was the cat checking out all their wardrobes? But he was currently supposed to be disinterested.

"I like your fur lined coat." Peony informed him.

"Thank you." Wolfgang muttered, but he had to press his fingers against his temple.

Wilhelm had a hand over his mouth. Dan suspected that he trying to keep from laughing out loud.

"Very well." Alpha Henri considered all this, "Damien, assign him a strong healer to keep him on max priority status, and see if Uncle Ki is free today or tomorrow."

"Yes, Alpha." Damien nodded a quick bow.

"Is there anything else you would need during your stay here?" Alpha Henri asked.

Dan shook his head. What exactly was happening?

Dan was supposed to meet Alpha Henri, make a good first impression, and gain permission to be a guest at Moon Bell...which technically did happen, just not in the way Dan was used to.

Then again, nothing ever went as expected in Moon Bell.

"Well then, now that our first greeting has been made, I will be taking Dan and Wilhelm to the Walking Fortress." Wolfgang informed the Alpha, "The Snow Wolf Delegation have arrived and would greet the alpha formally at the Friendly Tournament tonight."

"Dinner." Alpha Henri said it as if she had decided it at the spur of the moment.

"I beg your pardon?" Wolfgang said.

Alpha Henri hesitated, and then repeated, "Dinner. I would like to have dinner with Dan Lion."

"Oh." Wolfgang nodded and bowed, "As you wish Alpha. I will be sure to return him in time."

Dan barely managed a bow alongside Wolfgang and Wilhelm as they excused themselves with a customary, "Thank you for your guidance, Alpha."

He quickly followed the other two men out.

Beta Damian and the cats stepped out of the Alpha Office with them.

"So Dan," Beta Damien grinned as he shut the door firmly, "Dinner with the Alpha is at 7. The Friendly Tournament is at 8. Dance party straight after all the way till dawn. I'll let you sleep in, but Beta Ki would be here for your wardrobe tomorrow at 1pm. I'll also introduce a healer to you by tomorrow. If there is anything else you need, feel free to text me at this number."

"Thank you, likewise." Dan managed to receive the card and exchange it with his own.

This was a feat given that Dan barely followed the itinerary the beta had just rattled off. He decided to just take note of today's events for now and then text the beta later for a listed itinerary for tomorrow.

Beta Damien almost tripped over Peony while turning around, "Damn cats, why are you out here?"

Peony only tossed its large orange head and jumped up so that Dan had to catch it.

Beta Damian took pause at that.

"The cats seem to have taken a shine for Dan." Wolfgang explained, Peri already perched comfortably in his arms.

Beta Damian snorted a laugh, "Well, even Henri's being shiny."