Chapter 214

• Glancing around the room, I see some familiar faces, but mostly unfamiliar ones. Some don't even try to hide their suspicion and judgment, but most of them are simply curious. Realizing that it is prudent for me to make a strong impression right off the bat, I force myself to meet their gazes head on and not shy away from them. It feels strange and a little unnatural, but with a little help from my wolf, I'm able to stand tall and confident against those who visibly show judgement. I realize that I desperately want the Pack to accept me, so I make sure to smile and keep my expression as open as possible as well.
• "Allow me to introduce you to everyone, darling," Esme begins, releasing my hand as she instead places a warm, comforting hand at the small of my back. Making it easy for her to lead me around the room.
• Each female gets to her feet and greets me both sweetly and politely, however there are a few that are unable to hide their obvious dislike of me. My wolf snarls at each of these, locking their scent to memory. I have a feeling that the next Pack Phasing will be interesting. Each of the founding families (Cullens, Swans, Whitlocks and McCartys) are represented, but through several marital unions over the years, there are quite a few other families represented as well. As Esme makes her introductions, she makes sure to explain which family each person belongs to and who they have imprinted on so that I can see the connections. She consistently uses the males last name with the mated female and it makes me wonder if I'm supposed to be called Isabella Cullen from now on. The abrupt name-change feels very strange and I decide not to address it at this moment. It's difficult enough to keep up with Esme, and I feel like I am faced with an enormous puzzle of some sort, but I do my very best to follow and save each piece of information to memory. I notice that there is a certain hierarchy within the Pack from the way Esme introduces me and how the pack members react both to her and to me.