Chapter 7: Unexpected Encounters

Enora’s heart raced with anticipation as she drove towards the pack grounds, her mind buzzing with excitement at the prospect of finally being allowed to visit and to meet with Seth and Clovis. She couldn’t wait to see what it was like in one of those close-knit communities.

She looked at Google Maps and saw that she should be almost there, though there was nothing that was telling her that she was near civilization. There were all dense forests around her. And then she felt her car lurch suddenly, the engine sputtering before coming to a complete stop. Panic surged through her veins as she realized she was stranded in the middle of nowhere, with no idea how to fix her car, and no signal on her phone.

Enora was in despair when she finally saw a car approaching her. She got out immediately and started to wave towards the driver, hoping that he would get the message and would pull over. Fingers crossed that it wasn’t some creep!

“Hello, do you need help?”, she heard before the man got out of the car.

Enora’s heart skipped a beat as she turned to face the man who had stopped to help her. He was tall, muscular, but lean and had a ruggedly handsome face that was etched with concern. His piercing hazel eyes met hers, and for a moment, Enora found herself unable to look away.

“Yes, my car broke down.”, Enora explained, her voice trembling slightly with relief. “I have no idea what happened. I was just driving, and then it suddenly stopped.”

The man nodded sympathetically, his expression softening as he surveyed the car. “Let me take a look.”, he offered, stepping forward to examine the engine.

Enora watched anxiously as he tinkered with the car, his movements confident and assured. Despite the stressful situation, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of reassurance in his presence, as if everything would be okay as long as he was there.

After what felt like an eternity, the man straightened up with a satisfied smile. “I think I found the problem.”, he announced, wiping his hands on a rag and turning to face her. “It looks like your alternator belt snapped. I can fix it for you, but I would need to tow your car to my garage.”

Enora’s eyes widened with gratitude as she thanked him, overwhelmed by his kindness and generosity, but worried about how she would get to her destination.

“Where are you headed?”, he asked her. The man smiled warmly at her, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment longer than necessary.

“Moonlit community.”, Enora answered.

The man’s smile widened at her response. “Moonlit community? You must be Enora then.”, the man asked, knowing that no one else had been invited to the community. Enora nodded.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Adam.”, he said, holding out his hand to shake hers.

Enora shook Adam’s hand, feeling a jolt of electricity shoot through her at the contact. There was something about Adam’s touch that felt oddly familiar yet undeniable exhilarating, and she found herself drawn to him in a way she couldn’t explain.

“Nice to meet you too, Adam.”, Enora replied with a warm smile, trying to suppress the fluttering in her chest. “Thank you so much for helping me out. I really appreciate it.”

Adam’s hazel eyes twinkled with amusement as he surveyed Enora, a playful grin tugging at the corners of his lips. “It’s my pleasure. Plus, it’s not every day I get to rescue a damsel in distress.”, he teased, his voice laced with good-natured humor.

Enora couldn’t help but chuckle at Adam’s remark, feeling a sense of ease and comfort settle over her in his presence.

Adam managed to tow Enora’s car to his house, and from there he guided her through the community to the mansion where Seth and Clovis would be. Enora was happy to finally be able to see what the inside of the community looked like.

“Over there you will find Seth and Clovis, so you can get to work to plan this celebration.”, Adam said, as he pointed to the mansion from behind her. Enora felt this surge of energy rush through her body at his closeness.

“Afterwards, I will come to find you so we can have dinner and you can get settled for the night.”, he said, almost as a whisper in her ear. Enora could only nod.

“Thank you.”, she said, and walked up to the mansion even though every cell in her body was telling her to stay.

Enora took a deep breath and approached the grand entrance of the mansion, her heart pounding with a mix of nerves and excitement. As she entered the foyer, she was guided to the office by a maid.

“Hello, nice to meet you both.”, Enora said when she entered the office, shook their hands, and sat down in front of the desk. The reaction from both men was mild, but Enora didn’t want to be affected by that.

“Thank you for the invitation, I’m excited to be here and to help with the celebration”, she said, her voice filled with genuine enthusiasm.

“Yes, well. I think a traditional feast would be perfect for the celebration.”, Seth suggested. “Just like we have always done this. A speech, handover of the tokens, that’s it.”

Enora was surprised by his response, if that was all he wanted, then why did he hire her?

“Clovis? What’s your opinion?”, Enora asked, hoping that he would have a view that was more aligned to hers.

“I don’t really care. What he says is fine.”, Clovis answered, his voice laced with bitterness.

Enora was shocked and unsure of what to do with the situation. “So, why did you ask for the assistance of an event planner?”

“I didn’t. It is one of those stupid ideas of Adam. Too much distraction to what really matters if you ask me.”, Seth mumbled.

Enora’s heart sank at Seth’s dismissive attitude, her excitement deflating like a punctured balloon. She had been looking forward to contributing her ideas and expertise to make the celebration truly special, but it seemed that her efforts were neither wanted nor appreciated.

“I see.”, Enora replied, her voice tinged with disappointment. “Well, if that’s the case, I suppose I won’t take up any more of your time. Thank you for considering me.”

With a forced smile, Enora rose from her seat and turned to leave the office, her mind swirling with confusion and frustration. She had been so eager to make a positive impression and prove herself capable, but it seemed that her efforts had been in vain.

As she made her way out of the mansion, Enora couldn’t shake the feeling of disappointment that weighed heavily on her shoulders. She had been so excited to finally be allowed to visit the pack grounds and meet with the people, but now she couldn’t help but feel like an outsider, unwanted and unwelcome.

Lost in her thoughts, Enora didn’t notice Adam approaching her until he was standing right in front of her, his expression filled with concern.

“Enora, is everything alright?”, Adam asked, his voice soft and gentle.

“You could have warned me, you know. You should have told me that they didn’t want a party at all!”, Enora spat at him.

“I’m sorry, Enora. It’s just that you were so excited and happy, and I didn’t want to ruin that for you.”, Adam answered. “Besides, they are two old, bitter men. Why would you let them ruin your day?”

Enora chuckled. “Besides, it’s not them that get to decide anyways. It’s a celebration for new people to join leadership. You better talk to them about their wishes.”, Adam added.

Adam put his arm over her shoulders in a bold move from his side, and gently pushed her to start walking. “I always envision those two Muppets on the balcony when I have to work with them.”, he said to her as if he was sharing a secret.

That had Enora laughing again.

“Now, how about we go grab that dinner I promised you?”, Adam suggested, his eyes twinkling.

Enora’s spirits lifted at the prospect of spending more time with Adam, his presence serving as a welcome distraction from her earlier disappointment.

“I’d like that.”, Enora replied, her smile genuine.

Enora watched with fascination as Adam expertly worked on fixing her car, his hands moving with precision and skill as he replaced the snapped alternator belt. She couldn’t help but admire him while working.

“Wow, you really know what you’re doing.”, Enora remarked, her voice filled with admiration as she leaned against the hood of her car, while she took a big gulp from her bottle of beer.

Adam glanced up at her, with a twinkle of joy in his eyes. “You sound surprised.”

Enora laughed. There was something incredibly attractive about a man who was capable and handy, and it wasn’t something she came across often in the city. She found herself drawn to Adam in a way she couldn’t quite explain.

As Adam finished up the repairs and closed the hood of her car, Enora couldn’t help to feel a bit disappointed.

“Come, I will bring you to your cabin for the night.”, Adam said, as he wiped his hands on a rag. Enora nodded and pushed herself of the hood.

Adam and Enora walked in a comfortable silence to the cabin where Enora would be staying for the night.

“Thank you so much for fixing my car, Adam. And your help today.”, Enora said, and she leaned up to place a sweet kiss on his cheek. Without looking back, Enora walked into the cabin, and closed the door behind her.