27

Word Count: 2135

~Dove

For a moment, I know peace.

My sister dances in her mates arms a few paces in front of me. Soft, delicate music plays as they gaze at each other, entirely unfocused on those that watch them.

This is true love. The kind of love Eden and I spoke about for so many years.

Now she has it. And I'm so undeniably happy for her.

We've returned to Ciella's manor for tonight's celebration. Everyone is a little tipsy, preparing for a night of debauchery that is common here in Varian's pack.

The ballroom is decorated beautiful and there are plenty of drinks and food laid out. Massive doors are pulled open, revealing the outside lawn that stretches out to meet a small lake.

Eden will be happy here. I envy that.

My senses bristle as a figure comes to stand next to me. They raise their arm, taking a long drink from their wine flute as they watch Eden and Ciella sway to the music.

I don't even need to glance over to know it's Claude.

"Beautiful couple, aren't they?" He muses quietly.

I angle my head to look up at him to my surprise, he's gazing upon them with genuine admiration. The mellowness of his expression seems foreign on him. It's disconcerting, in a way.

"They seem so happy," I admit wistfully. Ciella pulls Eden a little closer against her, murmuring something into her ear.

"The mate bond is a crazy thing." Something feels tired about the way Claude raises his glass to his lips again. It's not bitterness or envy, he's just...tired.

We all want that kind of true, authentic love. We all hope to rush the mate bond, but it's a fickle thing. It reveals itself only once a sufficient connection has been established.

I still remember laying awake at night, wondering where in the world my mate was waiting for me.

"How did it reveal?" I ask.

Claude's smile turns dark and wicked. "Apparently through sex, but you didn't hear it from me."

"Hmm." I pluck the glass from Claude's hand, draining the rest of the wine. It tastes sweet with an edge of citrusy bitterness.

He watches me, bemused. A servant trailing around the room lets me set it on the tray while I take another.

If I'm going to get through the night with these males present, I'm going to need more than what I got from Dev earlier.

"So what's with the guy?" He asks, turning his body to face me, as if his presence alone isn't overwhelming enough.

"Deven? You don't remember him from the bar?" I ask lightly, starting my way toward one of the heavily laden refreshment tables. Claude remains right at my back, but not before snatching for another flute of alcohol for himself.

He sidles up next to me while my gaze passes over the table. "Oh I do. I also remember you telling me he wasn't your boyfriend."

I wince. Shit.

"Please don't tell Varian," I plead lowly, opting for a small bowl of green grapes before turning back to watch the dance floor.

This is where sudden, impromptu lies get you. Now I'm at Claude's mercy, which is where I suspect, he has wanted me all along.

Instead of grinning wolfishly while announcing all that I should owe him, a wariness pulls the lines of his face taut.

"He's tortured enough you know. He doesn't need to think you're with someone else to feel like shit," he murmurs.

I ignore the stir in my gut, opting to distract it by popping a grape into my mouth.

Varian deserves to be tortured, and I'll happily subject him to more of it. Him being jealous of Dev is unreasonable. His mark doesn't mean he has any real claim to me.

"I just want him to leave me alone." I keep eating the fruit, enjoying keeping my hands busy.

Claude only watches me knowingly. "Uh huh."

I look at him sideways. "What?"

He doesn't respond until a pair of girls flit by, lifting their wine glasses to clink together with a bright laugh before disappearing into the crowd.

Vulnerability looks strange and displaced on Claude's face.

"As much as I would like you to want me instead, it's obvious you're attracted to him," he murmurs, his eyes scanning the room for the Alpha, although he's nowhere to be seen.

I swallow thickly. Maybe I'm a little drunk, or maybe I'm in the mood for revenge. Or maybe a part of me really is attracted to Claude, and I'm moments away from giving into his relentless seduction.

Either way, I feel like playing.

I set my bowl down before turning to face him. "Who says it's not you I want?"

He scans my face quietly, blue eyes bright and keen. A sudden grimace appears on his face, like he's experiencing a sudden jolt of pain.

"Don't do that."

I frown a touch. "Do what?"

"Toy with me," he breathes, leaning so close I can smell every subtle note of his luxurious cologne. "If I invited you to my room tonight, you wouldn't come."

My entire body is buzzing — mostly from the alcohol. It's making me braver than I ever have been before, luring me into dangerous territory I cannot easily step out of.

What is one night of fun after a year of men practically stumbling over themselves to get away from me?

"I guess we'll never know then." I smile against the rim of the fresh glass I take from a server.

"How much have you had to drink tonight?" Claude queries, inspecting my flushed skin and glazed eyes.

I gaze up at him, admiring the desire churning in his eyes. "Enough to realise I'm going to swim in the lake and you're going to see me naked."

He smiles wickedly, clearly taken aback by how forward I'm being. It feels good to turn the tables on him, to have him wondering what to say.

"I like this version of you. It's fun," he muses.

If I stay here a moment longer, I'm going to let him drag me off to the bedroom right now, when the celebrations haven't even finished yet. I need a breath and a bit of time to sober up before I tumble into bed with him.

"I'm going to get another drink. Of water, this time," I say lightly, giving him one last smile before I turn, striding toward the other end of the ballroom.

Claude audibly groans at my departure, but he lets me leave.

I head toward the open doors, sighing in relief as the cool night breeze brushes against my alcohol warmed skin. The party is starting to ramp up, the music becoming wild and foreign sounding. People press even tighter together as they dance, so keeping near the door keeps me out of their paths.

Before I can make it outside, I catch sight of dev's fiery red head of hair in the crowd as he rushes toward me.

"Slight problem," he says breathlessly as he sidles up next to me.

"What happened?" I scan his person, but other than looking a bit ruffled with his shirt untucked, he looks perfectly normal.

He glances back the way he came. I follow his gaze, watching Varian emerge back into the party, his expression stoic as he takes everything in.

"Your Alpha lover just stopped me in the hallway and interrogated me," he hisses lowly, panic flushing over his face.

I inwardly groan.

I'm sure Varian was waiting all night for Dev and I to separate so he could advance on him like a predator to ask him all manner of questions. My haphazardly constructed façade has probably fallen away into nothing.

"What? What did he say?"

Dev shifts in front of me, holding his hands out as he dramatically recalls the scene.

"I was admiring a painting done by Claude in Ciella's main corridor," he explains, his face lighting up. "It's made of blood, can you believe it? He told me himself."

I grab his shoulder, giving him a little shake. "Deven. Can you please concentrate on one thing at a time?"

"Yes, sorry." He shakes his head a little. "He was asking me how we met and how we fell and love and everything like that."

I put my hand to my mouth. "Oh no, did you freeze?"

"Hello? I'm a professional, so absolutely not," he scoffs. "Although if he asks we met volunteering at an orphanage and a kid bit you so I rushed you to a healer-"

"Tell me you're joking," I beg.

"Then you got infected with something and got really sick and I fell in love with you while you were at your worst." He sighs roughly, as if this story is true and he's sacrificed a great deal to be with me. "And don't look at me like that. Try being loomed over my an Alpha who could kill you with one hand. Plus I really needed to pee the entire time he was talking to me, I mean, I was going down the hallway for a reason."

I rest my hands on his chest, trying to get him to breathe. He summons a shaky breath, fanning himself.

"Your sacrifice is noted," I tell him soothingly.

I'm grateful that my friend is so okay with lying on my behalf. Varian could have killed him, and although he's using this as a chance to make himself look good, he's taking a risk.

I just hope Varian isn't seeing through this.

When I look across the room, I see him looking at me through a sea of faceless, dancing people. My entire body stiffens, his eyes darkening as they weave over to look at Dev.

"I could pass out," my friend says, sweeping his hair off his forehead.

I pluck a glass of wine from a tray as a server passes by, putting it in his hand. He drinks it down quickly. I probably should have gotten him water instead...

"You could have just told him how we actually met you know?" I remind him.

"Hello? He's an Alpha?" He shivers. "I was horny and afraid."

"Alright, why don't you take a breath outside for now? I need to salvage this." I straighten my dress, summoning calm over myself.

Before I can walk off, Dev grabs my arm again.

"Did you hear what I said about the paintings? I heard Claude gets the blood from small animals." He pulls a face, shuddering at the thought.

"It's women he sleeps with, actually," I correct. "Believe it or not I could have had one made in my honour."

He doesn't even bother hiding his disgust. "How gruesome."

"Yeah."

"You need to stop monopolising all the good looking men." He pouts before grinning, trying to pinch my cheek but I dodge away just in time.

I shoo him off. "Go away."

"Fine, I'll be near the performers trying to sub in." He grins, giving me a wink before he heads off to where the performers are creating the vibrant music.

As he disappears, my sister rushes up to me. Her lipstick is smudged around her mouth and she sports a smile so wide it almost hurts to look at. By now she's changed into a much shorter dress, which I'm sure would reveal her underwear if she bent over too far.

"Dove, come dance with us!" She sings, clasping my hand in her damp one.

Ciella claps, ushering me over. "Yes, come!"

"Alright..." I giggle, letting my sister sweep me onto the dancefloor, just as the music ramps back up again.

"Drink this sister. You're going to need it." Eden shoves a brightly coloured drink into my hand as she twirls me around, nearly spilling the contents onto her dress.

"Thanks." I take a sip. It's a sweet, syrupy mixture that almost masks the taste of alcohol. Almost.

For a while, we just dance. The movements are uncoordinated and random, but the rest of the dancers float away from my consciousness as I focus on Ciella and my sister.

Ciella and I twirl a laughing Eden between us, trying to match the fast pace of the beat without slipping over.

After what could have been seconds, or possibly hours of dancing, Eden clashes into me, bringing her mouth close to my ear. "Alright, I think it's time for the final part of our celebration."

I lean back, my eyes widening. "Oh no."

I know exactly what that means. It's time for all of us to strip down and jump into the lake entirely naked.

🧡••🧡

As always, you can read this book 16 chapters ahead on Inkitt and 10 chapters ahead on Radish!

Your support means a lot to me!

~Midika 🐈‍⬛💜