Hundreds of wolves had gathered at Midnight Moon. There were representatives from every part of Andior, and from almost every pack, apart from those that were at odds with the established order.
When twilight swept in, the festival started. It was a full moon – the festival was always on a full moon – and the sky was full of stars. That natural light would have sufficed, but dozens of torches had been placed around the centre to illuminate the festivities further. On one side of the centre, fires were burning, with large animals slowly turning on a spit above them.
Prince Aaron showed up fashionably late. Perhaps he liked to make an entrance, or perhaps his status meant he'd make an entrance no matter when or how he showed up.
"There he is," Ryleigh said, nodding in his direction. Jade was standing beside her, shaking like a leaf. A gasp escaped her when her eyes latched onto the prince, and Ryleigh shot her a look. "Remember to breathe."
Ryleigh let her eyes wander across the clearing. Several tables were set up with wine and food beside the fires. Everywhere she looked, people were talking and laughing, standing huddled together in little groups. A small orchestra was sitting off the side, playing all kinds of instruments. The music rising up from them was cheerful and fast, and people were dancing. It was a mesmerising spectacle, and yet Ryleigh was glad she didn't have to participate in the joyful occasion.
Aaron arrived with a grand total of six guards. They stationed themselves at even intervals around the clearing, watching Aaron's every move. Ellis excused himself from whomever he was talking to and walked over to Aaron with a big grin plastered onto his face. Aaron amiably clasped a hand on Ellis' shoulder, embracing him the way men do. They laughed, speaking some words that were lost amidst the abundance of noise.
"Goddess, that laugh," Jade said.
"Keep it together." Ryleigh slipped an arm around Jade's, keeping her steady – just in case. They were hiding in the shadows of the dining hall. From there, they could see everything, and no one could see them.
"Do you think he's handsome?" Jade asked.
Ryleigh chuckled. "Are you crazy? He's a work of art. Tall, strong, an alpha – and eyes to die for. I might have been pretty out of it when I met him, but I remember his eyes. You're lucky. Well, apart from the fact that he's a prince, of course."
"You better don't let Austin hear you talk like that."
"He's cute when he's jealous." She shook her head. "Mate bond or not, I'll admit Austin isn't nearly as drop-dead gorgeous as Prince Aaron. And I don't care. He's flawless all the same."
Jade snorted a laugh. "Look at you being all romantic."
Ryleigh nudged her elbow into Jade's side. "Watch your mouth. I'm no romantic." Her eyes searched the crowd, until she spotted Austin. He was standing beside Julie, handing her a cup of wine and doing his best to get a smile out of her, by the looks of it. She wasn't her usual cheerful self, and though that was understandable, she usually did a better job of pretending to be happy.
Jade ducked, backing up deeper into the shadows, jerking Ryleigh with her. "He looked this way. Do you think he saw me?"
"Relax." Ryleigh glimpsed at the prince. He was shaking hands with all kinds of middle-aged, boring men. "If he'd seen you, you'd know."
"Right. Right." She wiped her clammy hands on her dress. "Can you do me a favour?"
"Depends on what it is."
"Can you go near Aaron and tell me what he smells like?"
Ryleigh laughed, stifling the sound by pressing her hand against her mouth. "Can I what?"
"I just need to know what he smells like, alright?" Even in the dark, Ryleigh saw Jade blushing a deep red. "I didn't get the chance to catch his scent back then."
Ryleigh rolled her eyes. "What I wouldn't do for you. Fine. Stay here." She made sure no one was looking in their direction, then slipped out of the shadows. She bobbed her head up and down along with the music, slipping around some dancing couples. She was glad Austin didn't like dancing. There was no way she'd have consented to making a fool of herself. She snatched a cup of wine from one of the tables in passing, draining it in seconds and putting it down on another table. She told herself to slow down, but reason had never been her strong suit, so she picked up another cup.
"Ryleigh," Austin said, when she halted beside him. His hand moved to rest on her lower back and she allowed it, easing into his touch.
"How are you?" Julie asked.
"O, fine, fine. Just here for the wine, you know. What about you? I haven't seen you dancing yet. You seem the type."
"O, yeah," she said, shrugging one shoulder. "Austin hates dancing, so I usually dance with Ellis." She glanced down at the floor.
"Right. Consider me stupid for asking that question. Should've known."
She shook her head, forcing a smile. "No, it's fine. It's all fine. I'm fine."
"Very convincing. I'll do us both a favour and pretend to believe you. You know, I'm sure we can find you some handsome stranger to dance with. Come on." She shrugged off Austin's hand and hooked her arm around Julie's. "Maybe the prince, hmm? That's sure to make Ellis seethe with jealousy."
"Why would I want to make Ellis jealous?"
Ryleigh sipped from her cup. "Payback. No? Alright. You do look beautiful, by the way. I'd dance with you myself but I'm a disaster on legs."
Julie chuckled, but her enjoyment was fleeting. "I don't even feel like dancing, to be honest."
"What! Nah-ah. We're not doing this. You've poured your heart and soul into this festival. You're not going to spend the night sulking. O, that's a handsome fellow. You know him?"
Julie followed her gaze, squinting in the dark. "O, yes. It's the Crimson Claws' alpha. But he's not a really nice man. You know, I don't want to dance with strangers. I don't like dancing with people I don't know. I..." She broke off, shaking her head. Her eyes found Ellis, who was standing with his back towards her, talking to a group of alpha's.
"You like dancing with Ellis," Ryleigh said. "I see."
"Can we just walk about a bit?" Julie asked. "I'd ask Sky, but I don't know where she is."
"It'd be my pleasure. Who knows. We might come across someone handsome enough to tempt you. Maybe a nice widower who isn't going to surprise you with a fated mate." She raised her cup to her lips and downed the rest of the wine.
"I can't tell you how done I am with mates and relationships and everything pertaining to either or both."
"I feel you. Still, a bit of harmless fun never hurt anybody. But very well. I won't push you. Goddess forbid someone would try to pair me off with a stranger. I'd probably rip them a new one. The only one I'm flirting with tonight, is a good glass of wine." She raised her empty cup, tipping it as though toasting.
"That I can get behind."
Ryleigh guided Julie towards one of the tables, her eyes searching for Aaron. He had strayed closer to the hall, still greeting people and making conversation with whomever he passed. He smiled at everyone and Ryleigh wondered if his jaws didn't hurt from all that civility.
Ryleigh released Julie's arm, placed her cup on the table and picked up two new ones, handing one to Julie.
"Jade, you better be careful he doesn't get too close," she linked.
"I know. I already moved. Did you smell him?"
"No, I haven't had an opportunity to stick my nose into his personal space yet. I'm working on it."
"Are you linking Jade?" Julie asked.
Ryleigh frowned. "How'd you know?"
"You get that look in your eyes." She glanced around. "She's not here?"
"I get a look in my eyes? Well, I'll definitely need to work on that, then. But no, she's not here. She wasn't feeling great. She might drop by later. Who knows."
"Shame. She was looking forward to it."
"Julie?" A man popped up beside them. He was a bit older – maybe in his late fifties. Julie flashed him an amiable smile. "Dale! How very good to see you. Ryleigh, this is Dale, he's one of King Alder's councilmembers."
"Right," Ryleigh said. "How long have you been on the council?"
Dale pulled his brows down. "About ten years."
"Ah. In that case I guess it's nice to meet you. I'm Ryleigh."
"The Shadow Walker," Dale said, nodding. "I get it now. No, I was not involved in the decision to attack your pack."
"Good. Then we have no issues. If the two of you would excuse me." She nodded at them both, emptying her cup of wine too quickly. Her head spun a little, but it was a welcome distraction.
She spotted Aaron again and started making her way towards him. She came across Ellis and held her pace. He was talking to some people, making the rounds so he would hopefully have greeted everyone by the time the sun rose. He looked up when she halted beside him. She nodded her head to a quieter spot.
"Excuse me," Ellis said, smiling at the people in front of him. He stepped aside with her, bowing his head towards her to create a sense of confidentiality. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong." Ryleigh nodded towards Julie, who was still talking to Dale. "You need to ask her to dance."
Ellis' smile dropped. "I can't do that."
"Yes, you can. You have to. She's miserable and bored. She doesn't want to dance with anyone but you."
"She said that?"
"Well, she said she only liked dancing with you, which is not the same, but it's your in. You have to wiggle your way back into her good graces, and this is where you start."
He didn't seem too sure. "I'm not certain I should be taking advice from you, especially when it comes to charming people."
"O, yes, but I'm great at teaching things at which I suck. But you're right. I'm horrible with relationships – ask Austin – and I'm the last person you should ever listen to. On the other hand, I've watched her replay memories in her head all evening, and you feature in almost all of them. She might not love you the way you love her, but she misses you."
"She'll turn me down."
"Maybe. But you should try all the same." She patted his arm and left him standing there. After that, she didn't let anyone distract her from her mission. She snuck closer to Aaron. There were a lot of smells hanging in the air – roasting meat, smoke, sweat – and it was difficult to sense the prince's scent.
She stopped, sniffing the air. There – that had to be him. She frowned.
"I can't tell you what he smells like, J," she linked.
"Why? Just get closer if you have to."
She shook her head, even though Jade couldn't see that. "No, I mean, I can't. He smells like soap. Just soap. My guess is he doesn't let his wolf out enough, and he doesn't get out enough, and he bathes too much. He smells like soap. I can't tell you anything else. It's a citrussy soap, if that helps. You might be able to pick up his natural scent, but I can't."
Jade cursed softly in her head. "Fine. Thanks for trying. I'm on the other side of the hall now."
Ryleigh made her way there, but stopped when she heard a familiar voice.
"I'm not dancing with you." It was Sky. She was standing in front of Conall, her arms crossed over her chest.
"Come on. I know you can dance."
"I can't. I'll look ridiculous."
"I'd love to see that."
"Too bad." Sky shook her head and turned to leave. Conall grasped her wrist, pulling her back towards him. He flashed her a smile that might have made any weaker-hearted she-wolf swoon, but not Sky.
"I outrank you, remember?" he said. "What if I order you to dance with me?"
"Then I hope your toes are ready to get stepped on a lot."
Conall grinned and started pulling her towards the other dancers. She sighed and struggled, but she didn't pull loose.
"Ry, where are you?"
There was a quality to Jade's voice that made Ryleigh's head shoot up. "What's wrong?"
"I think he's seen me."
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A/N: Buckle your seatbelts; there's drama ahead ;)
Thank you for reading!