Moment

RORY

For a moment, I think that I must still be daydreaming as Everett walks toward me, cutting a line through the throngs of dancing students.

But when he wraps his arms around me, I know that it’s real.

My dream came true.

He pulls away from me for a moment and, grabbing hold of my hand, he spins me around.

“Aurora,” he says. “You look incredible.”

“This was supposed to be my mating ceremony dress,” I say to him, my cheeks flushing as his eyes continue to burn into my form.

“I can’t believe I almost missed seeing you in this thing,” he says. “It’s—you look—I’m speechless honestly.”

It’s been a while since I’ve seen pure desire in his eyes, not laced with any other traces of anger or frustration.

And I’m soaking up every second of it.

“Thank you,” I say, butterflies taking flight inside my stomach, inching their way down to my core.

“Now ~I’m~ the underdressed one,” he says, staring down at his white tee and slacks.

“I don’t care,” I say to him. “I’m just so happy that you came. But what about the alpha inauguration?”

“I was there for the important part,” he says. “But then I knew that I needed to come see my girl.”

He lifts me in his arms and places a line of kisses on my cheek until he reaches my ear. “May I have this dance?” he asks me.

“Of course,” I say.

He leads me onto the dance floor. A slow song is still playing through the speakers. I wrap my hands around Everett’s neck and he grips my waist.

We sway together to the music, under a sea of twinkling lights.

I look around at the other couples, who all appear to be locked in the same pure bliss that we are.

Even Freya has found a guy to dance with, and they’re looking awfully cozy.

I catch her eye and shoot her a wink. She rolls her eyes at me but keeps holding him close.

Everett pulls me into his chest and I feel the rhythmic beating of his heart as his lips press against my forehead.

Then, he literally sweeps me off my feet, lifting me in his arms so that our noses are touching.

Our lips collide, as we practically melt into each other.

~This is it,~ I think to myself.

~This is the perfect high school moment that I have been hoping for.~

~The perfect dress. The perfect song. The perfect guy.~

I just know that I’ll remember this for as long as I live.

He places me down on the floor again. He’s wearing a huge smile on his face.

“What?” I ask him.

“Nothing,” he says.

“Tell me,” I say.

“I just—I missed you,” he says.

It’s a strange thing to hear because we’ve been sleeping in the same bed each night. But I know exactly what he means.

“I’ve missed you too,” I say.

The song ends and a crackle from the microphone sounds as Principal Herda makes her way onto the stage.

“Hello boys and girls,” she says, pushing her thin, red-framed glasses up the bridge of her nose. “I have an exciting announcement to make.”

There are cheers from the crowd as she pulls a slip of paper out of her pocket.

“What’s going on?” Everett whispers to me.

“They’re about to announce Prom King and Queen,” I tell him.

He looks confused.

“It’s like alpha and luna of the class,” I say. “But the only qualification is being hot.”

“And the Prom King and Queen are…”

Principal Herda pauses for dramatic effect before reading the names:

“~Oliver and Bethany!~”

There are ecstatic cheers from our entire grade as the beloved couple make their way onto the stage.

“This competition is rigged,” Everett whispers in my ear. “We’re ~way~ hotter than them.”

I can’t help but let out a laugh.

As Oliver and Bethany get their crowns, Freya appears next to me.

“Who could have guessed that they’d win?” Freya says sarcastically.

“Yeah,” I say. “A real nail biter…”

Freya turns to face Everett. “Hey there,” she says. “I see you’ve come to steal my date.”

“Pretty much,” Everett says.

“Well, it seems like you were getting ready to ditch me for Greg Larhoff,” I say to her.

Instead of a response, she just swats my arm.

“We were just dancing,” she says. “Anyway, since the class clearly isn’t going to award us with any titles or prizes tonight, I thought I’d make one especially for you.”

She holds out her hand and opens it up for me, revealing a small button in her palm. On it are written the words: “Prom Klutz.”

“Freya, this is amazing,” I say to her as Everett laughs loudly over my shoulder.

I didn’t think this night could get any more perfect, but I was wrong. I pin it onto the front of my dress.

“Prom Klutz and proud of it,” I say.

When the music starts back up again, Everett and I walk over to the punch table and each grab ourselves a glass. Then we stand side by side and look out at the scene in front of us.

“I get it,” Everett says. “I get why you like it here.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Everett says. “It’s sort of like a pack. There are traditions. And hierarchies. And they definitely don’t all make sense. But at the end of the day, it’s a family.”

~Exactly.~

~That’s what I’ve been trying to communicate to Everett all along.~

Before I had him…this was the only real family that I had, flaws and all. And I’m really going to miss them when it’s over.

“So, you’re having fun?” I ask him.

“Yeah,” he says. “Although if I’m being honest, I wouldn’t mind getting out of here and doing dirty things to you in that dress.”

“I’d like that too,” I tell him. But another slow song is starting, and I wouldn’t mind reliving that ~perfect~ moment all over again. “How about one more dance first?”

He nods in agreement, and, taking me in his massive arms, he carries me to the dance floor again.

Standing directly under the disco ball, we hold each other. I rest my head on his chest and close my eyes.

“I could stay here forever,” I say to him.

I wait for his response. But it doesn’t come.

And then, all of a sudden, I can feel the pace of his calm, steady heart rate starting to quicken.

~Oh Goddess…~

For an instant, I worry that maybe he has spotted Jax somewhere in the sea of students and is ready to lunge at him again.

“What’s the matter?” I ask him. “Do you want to leave?”

He leans down and whispers in my ear.

“Yes, Aurora,” he says slowly. “We need to get out of here…now.”

The tone of his voice tells me that we’re definitely in danger. And while he’s speaking to me, he’s not looking at me.

I turn my head, following his gaze.

And then, I see something that I never could have expected... something that sends a creeping chill up my spine.

In the sea of loved-up students, there is another couple holding each other close, dancing to the music. But instead of looking into each other’s eyes, their gazes are locked on ~us~.

It’s Nickolas and Victoria.

Just like that, my prom dream has turned into a bona fide nightmare.