New Action

‘December 25th, 2017’

‘Lumen’

Eve

I walked into the Yule Ball alone.

I knew Raphael and the other Millennium Wolves would already be there, doing their politicians’ duty. They had to greet the townspeople, had to see and be seen.

Same with the West Coast Pack leadership.

Gabriel and Zavier were right at the front of the ballroom, plastic smiles glued to their faces. I saw them the second I walked through the doors.

I didn’t mind walking in alone. In fact, it was kind of nice.

It made me think of a time when I didn’t have anything or anyone else to worry about, when I could wear a dress and intimidate my suitors without checking to see if the Alpha of the Millennium saw me do it.

It made me realize I longed for that freedom.

I liked dressing up. I liked having all eyes on me, knowing that every person in the room was eyeing me, watching me, wondering who I was.

I hadn’t liked it back then, back before I had powers, before I had strength.

It was frightening then because I hadn’t known how to defend myself. But now I could defend myself against anyone.

So, yeah, I liked the stares.

I was nearly to the bar when I felt a hand on my elbow.

I turned to see who it belonged to, expecting to have to tell off an overzealous young man for touching me, when my breath caught in my throat.

It was Raphael.

And he looked goddamn delectable.

The haze was still in the air, and I could feel myself get wet just looking at him.

He was fucking glowing, his unruly hair combed back, his eyes dancing with mischief.

He wore a tux—the same tux as every other man in the room—but it looked different on him. It looked like it was designed for his body and only his body.

The way it emphasized his size, his strength. He’d never looked more manly.

And his eyes were devouring me with the same intensity.

“You look ~insane~,” he growled into my ear, pulling me close.

“Raphael, stop,” I said, pushing him gently. “We’re in public.”

“I don’t care,” he growled again. “That dress, that body…” He trailed off, and a shiver ran through me.

“Pull yourself together,” I ordered, just as I saw a good-looking couple approach us.

I knew the man was Aiden Norwood, the Alpha of the East Coast Pack. And his mate… she looked familiar. I knew I’d spoken to her before.

“Alpha of the Millennium,” Aiden greeted, shaking Raphael’s hand in that bro-ey way. “Great to see you.”

“Likewise, Aiden. Sienna.” He nodded at the girl, a pleasant smile on his face. ~That was it. Sienna.~

“Hi,” she said, and she gave me a lingering look. Like she was trying to figure out how to tell me something important. But instead, she just asked, “Are you both enjoying the Ball?”

I took in her long red hair, her form-fitting ivory gown. She really was beautiful. She was young, but I could sense her strength. And I liked that in a girl.

“It’s a beautiful celebration,” I said, my words surprising Raphael.

I didn’t think he’d ever heard me use the word beautiful to describe anything before.

“How long have you two been mated?” I asked, trying to make conversation.

“A few years now,” she exclaimed, looking at her Alpha with love. Then she turned back to us. “And you two?”

“Oh, we’re not mated,” I said quickly. I didn’t have to look at him to know that Raphael was smirking.

“You’re not?” she asked, confused. “You just seem so… in tune.”

“We’re not.”

“But do you think you… you will be?” she pressed, clearly not taking the hint.

I could feel frustration bubbling inside me.

I didn’t care how strong this girl was. I wasn’t about to be interrogated about my private life by a girl I barely knew.

“No. I don’t. Excuse me,” I said sharply, turning on my heel and walking across the dance floor.

“She’s not feeling great,” I heard Raphael explain to the couple as I stormed off, which only made me angrier. ~How dare he make some excuse up on my behalf!~

He had no right to be protective. He had no right to be territorial. He was not my mate!

Officially, he was nothing to me.

Nothing but a good fuck.

I needed freedom. I craved it.

I grabbed the first man I saw in the middle of the dance floor. He was young, maybe around twenty-one, so we looked to be the same age.

He had thick blond hair and a surfer vibe, even in his tux.

The second I touched him, his eyes went wide.

“Uh, h-hi,” he got out, excitement all over his features.

“Don’t talk. Just dance,” I instructed him, my arms snaking around his neck.

His hands moved to my hips, holding me as we moved in time to the up-tempo song.

The more I danced, the more I felt his nerves slip away.

~Good.~

~This feels good.~

I was dancing with a stranger, and it didn’t mean anything. There were no feelings, no obligations. I could walk away whenever I wanted to.

But for now, I’d just enjoy it, looking at the face of a cute young man with shaggy hair. Looking at the face of a cute young man who was honored to be looking back at me.

He whispered something in my ear, but I couldn’t really hear him over the music.

“What?” I asked.

“Can I get you a drink?”

I smiled at him. He was adorable, like a puppy.

“Soon. Let’s keep dancing,” I said, just as the music changed to a slower beat. I looked around, seeing couples moving closer to each other.

I spotted Martin in the corner of the room, drinking a glass of wine by himself. He watched the couples around him, a faraway look on his face.

He was missing his wife. I didn’t have to read his mind to know that.

I turned back to the young man in front of me. He was waiting for me to make the first move.

Apparently I had a gentleman on my hands. Again, I reached my hands around his neck, letting my body move closer to his.

There was nothing sexual about it. I wasn’t interested in him.

All I wanted was to feel the freedom, to feel other people’s desire for me, and be able to do whatever I wanted with it.

To act on it or ignore it, whatever I felt like.

We were moving in tune, swaying together as he guided me in and out of other couples on the dance floor.

It was nice, simple. I didn’t have a care in the world.

Until a harsh hand grabbed my shoulder, yanking me backwards.

Hard.

I’d turned, ready to lose it, when I saw Raphael’s seething face looking back at me.

“What the fuck are you doing?” he growled, eyes darting between me and the shaggy-haired young man.

“We were just dancing, Raphael,” I said, feeling my eyes roll before I could stop them. “Relax.”

But ~relax~ wasn’t the right thing to say to an Alpha about to blow up with rage.

His face went red, redder than I’d ever seen it, and his hands clenched into fists. “You’re ~just dancing~ with some kid?” He snarled. “Why? To make me jealous? To prove a point?”

“I don’t need to answer to you,” I said, pushing past him, past the crowd of onlookers that had started to form. I heard his footsteps behind me, but I didn’t look back.

Turned out I didn’t have to because, a few seconds later, he was in front of me, blocking my path. “You ~will~ answer me.”

“Is that an order from the Alpha of the Millennium?” I asked dryly.

I could’ve sworn smoke blew out of his nostrils. “Eve.”

“~What?~” I snapped.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m not trying to make you jealous. I’m not trying to prove a point. I’m ~not trying to do anything,~” I replied.

“Then ~what are you doing~?” he repeated.

“I’m LIVING!” I shouted, not caring that it was loud enough to cause heads to turn our way.

“We’re not mates,” I continued at a lower volume. “I made that clear to you. I need my freedom. I can’t be restrained. Not by you. Not by anyone.”

“That’s what this is about? Your freedom?” He snarled.

“You show up in ~that dress~. You know just what it does to me. What it does to every man in this room. You chose to wear it. You chose to be looked at.”

“And?” I said, my fury expanding by the second.

~What right does he have to criticize my outfit, to judge me~?

~NONE.~

“And I can’t help but feel territorial. Mate or not, you’re mine, Eve. You know that deep in your bones. I know it at my core. And having other men look at you, touch you—”

“I don’t belong to you!” I raged.

He ignored that. “You knew exactly how I would react to you dancing with that kid.”

“No,” I shot back. “I didn’t think you’d be such a Neanderthal.”

We were both shaking, with anger, with frustration, with suspense at how this would all end.

Our eyes met, and I saw something else behind his. Something more vulnerable.

“Do you care about me at all?” he asked, his voice suddenly raw.

The way he looked at me was like we were the only two people in the ballroom. Like we were the only two people on earth.

I couldn’t take it. I couldn’t take his look or the way it affected me. As his words hung in the air between us, I felt my lungs go dry.

I couldn’t breathe. I needed out.

So I ran.

Reyna

Jed and I were standing by the bar when we saw Eve run out of the ballroom.

She looked more pissed off than I’d ever seen her, and that included the two times I’d witnessed men with strange powers try to kill her.

“I wonder what that was about,” Jed said, his eyes following Eve out the door.

I shrugged. “She’s usually so cool and collected.”

“Enough about her. Let’s talk about you… in this dress…” He trailed off, looking me up and down.

The butterflies were back, and they were even stronger now. And I didn’t just feel them in my stomach, either. I felt them somewhere more… sexy.

Before I could think twice about it, I was moving my face closer to Jed’s.

We were an inch apart when I stopped myself—~come on, Reyna, you were so close~—but then Jed closed the space.

He kissed me.

We were kissing!

And it felt so… good.

But then I felt a tap on my shoulder.

“Uh… Reyna?” I turned to see my dad standing there, a look of shock on his face. My mouth dropped open.

“Dad!” I exclaimed, more than a little embarrassed. “I… uh...”

But before I could get anything else out, Jed grabbed my hand and guided me away from my dad, out the ballroom doors.

“Enjoy the ball, Mr. Morgan!” he called out, and then we were in the courtyard, walking through the flowers.

“Oh my God. I can’t believe that just happened!” I exclaimed. Jed pulled me into a hug, and then he kissed me again.

“It’s okay,” he whispered. “You’re seventeen. You’re allowed to make out.”

“Am I allowed to do other stuff?” I asked, not believing how bold I was being.

Jed’s eyebrows shot up. Then he nodded so fast I thought his head was going to pop off his neck.

“Let’s go somewhere. Somewhere warm,” he said, pulling my hand and taking me inside the Pack House.

When we got to the library, the same library we were in the night of the Equinox Assembly, Jed kissed me again.

He was pressing me up against the wall, our make-out session getting way more intense.

Just as I felt this weird sort of heat building right between my legs, I heard a man’s voice speak from the other side of the room.

“You must be Reyna Morgan,” the man said. “You’re a hard queen to catch.”