Sunday brought an atmosphere of excitement to the bustling halls of the castle. I constantly bumped shoulders with servants as they scurried about to prepare for the ball throughout the day. A mouthwatering aroma clung to the air, coming all the way from the kitchen where Edda had her chefs cooking up a storm.
Strangely, I haven't seen Rheon at all this morning or afternoon. I haven't seen any Balfour, now that I thought about it. The only people I crossed paths with was Fallon, Astrid, and Freya, who also had no idea where the Craven Pride werewolves have disappeared off to. As far as Astrid knew, her youngest sister Kenna and Clemmy decided to visit Direfair, and Seren was probably with Larkin.
It made sense; Clemmy and Kenna were about the same age and were bound to become fast friends. Seren and Larkin, on the other hand, haven't separated since they discovered they're mates last night.
By late noon, I had enough of waiting around. The Nightstar and Crescent Moon packs were heading towards their rooms to prepare for the ball, so I did the same after spending most of the day browsing through Netflix. I did make the discovery of the century, though - Rheon likes to watch Bridgerton.
With that information in mind, I made for my room where my dress was still hanging in the closet. Just seeing it caused my stomach to flutter in exhilaration.
I started my preparation with a shower, washing my hair and shaving my legs for... just in case. After blow-drying and pinning my hair up in a bun, I started on my makeup. Unlike Madison, who took forever to get ready, I finished in just under an hour before finally moving on to the dress.
The final look took my breath away. I felt like a princess with the dress hugging my figure at all the right places - it even made me look taller if that was possible. Twirling in front of the mirror, I heard my phone ring on the bedside table. However, upon seeing the caller ID, my heart did a swan dive right into a pool of toxic waste.
Swallowing thickly, I answered, "Hi, Dad."
"Hello, Ashlyn." The tone of his voice could curdle dairy. "Are you enjoying your holiday?"
"It's not a holiday, Dad. I'm working." I hated how my voice shook.
"Doing what, taking pictures of the Loch Ness Monster? I know you lied to me. There is no travel agency in Direfair which makes it hard for me to understand why you're still there."
"I didn't lie to anyone," I muttered, "Someone I met at the wedding is starting their own travel agency, they want me to be their -"
"And how are things between you and Matt?" He cut me off. "He told me you're not exactly speaking to him."
My throat tightened. "It's complicated, Dad."
"Complicated enough to break up with him? No relationship is perfect, Ashlyn. Don't you think your mother and I also fight from time to time?" I opened my mouth to defend myself, but he continued, "You should be mature enough to look past the complications. Matt's a good man, you won't find better than him."
That struck a nerve. Grinding on my teeth, I said through the speaker, "I have, actually."
A short silence followed before my father hissed, "You what? Heaven's sake, Ashlyn, you were gone one weekend. You can't rush into a relationship with a man you just met! You and Matt have been -"
"Matt cheated on me, Dad!" I interrupted him, "Did he fail to tell you that?"
"What are you talking about? He'd never do that."
"Well, he did. Next time you see him, ask him about Courtney and how long they've been dating." Biting the insides of my cheeks, I decided I had enough. All he ever did since I graduated high school was criticize my choices, half-forced me into a relationship I didn't want and tried turning me into someone I'm not. "I'm tired of this, Dad; of you not having any faith in me. Would it kill you to encourage me now and then instead criticizing me? Why is it that you're the only person who thinks I don't have what it takes to succeed?"
"Because of your lack of responsibility -"
"I am responsible, I have been for a while now. You're just too blind to see it." Squeezing my eyes shut to prevent them from welling up, I said, "I have to go. Tell Mom I say hi."
With that, I hung up before he could utter another word of criticism. There was no way I'd let him spoil this evening for me, not while I've been looking forward to this ball for the past couple of days. What excited me the most was the thought of Rheon seeing me in this dress. Tonight will be magical, and my father wasn't going to spoil that as well.
A knock on my door brought me back to reality. "Come in."
It swung open and a very dashing-looking Craig marched in, wearing a dark silver suit that matched his salt and pepper hair perfectly - might I add he's combed his hair for once?
"Miss Ashlyn Grace, I've come to escort ya to the -" His eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw me. "Queen's bollocks! What have ya done to Ash?"
Blood rose to my cheeks. "I take it the dress works?"
"Works?" He wiped at his eyes. "If yer not turnin' heads t'night, then every one of them's an eejit!" Shaking his head to focus, he held out his arm for me to take. "Don't know if I'm worthy enough to escort a pretty lass as yerself, but I'll try my luck."
Rolling my eyes, I walked with him through the castle towards the dance hall. It still blew my mind that the Balfours had their own ballroom. I would use that as an excuse to throw a party every weekend, which I'm sure Seren tried at some point because she strikes me as that kind of person.
And speaking of the Balfours, I still had no idea where they all disappeared off to today. "Say, Craig, where has everyone been today? I couldn't find Rheon anywhere."
"He had to be present at the meetin' with the Bloodrose pack," he explained, "They had to discuss Seren's courtship with tha' Larkin lad. Somethin' 'bout her joining Bloodrose cuz he's supposed to take over from Colin. It's like grandpappy Lachlan always said, soon there'll be a Balfour in every pack in Scotland and we'll truly be the largest pack in the world."
The closer we ventured to the ballroom, the louder the music became. Craig stopped at the entrance of the dance hall, and I was awestruck to find it alive with music and dancing people. I saw Emric and Rieka gliding over the dance floor with Reyna and Alexander on their heels. Clemmy had coupled up with Kenna and the two were adding their own moves to the waltz, while Seren and Larkin only swayed on one spot, too caught up in their own world to care.
And then I spotted him at the other end of the room, looking as handsome as ever in that navy blue suit that clung to his figure just right.
My heart jumped as Rheon's eyes found mine, only to freeze once he saw the dress. I could feel him drinking me in, admiring every inch of my figure. His gaze set me ablaze and if not for the room full of people, I would've felt obliged to strip down the dress and give him an even better show.
Craig made himself scarce as Rheon approached us, muttering something about asking if his mother wanted to dance. Once the Alpha of Craven Pride was standing in front of me, he lifted my hand and placed a delicate kiss on my knuckles.
"You're breathtaking," he muttered against my skin, glancing up to meet my eyes, "This was worth the wait you put me through."
"You don't look too bad yourself." I blushed, wishing they could turn the AC up for my face to cool down.
"I am truly the luckiest man alive to have you as a mate." his fingers brushed against my cheek, leaving a burning trail in their wake. Just like that, he stepped back and held out his hand. "May I have this dance, my lady?"
His compliments have rendered me speechless. All I could seem to do was nod as he led me onto the dance floor and through the guests.
Finally, he stopped in the center and placed a hand on my waist, pulling me flush against him. We were chest-to-chest, so close I could smell the champagne on his lips and count the tiny flecks of green in his eyes. Every part of me his hands touched, left a burning trail in its wake, making me feel like I've plummeted into a fever that can't be broken.
I was hit with a familiar sense of déjà vu, taken back to that night at Reyna and Alexander's wedding when he pried my camera from my hands to dance with me. The strange thing was that nothing changed since that night; I still didn't mind his hands on me. In fact, I still wanted him to touch me, explore every inch of my body until all I could do was melt underneath his fingers.
Those thoughts no longer scared me as they used to. Yes, the guests were staring as we waltzed past them but only because they saw me for the new person I became, the Alpha of Craven Pride's mate.
We moved with complete and utter grace, gliding across the dance floor like clouds in the sky. His eyes never left mine as he guided us through the guests, lifting me up and twirling us around, setting me down and spinning me out and back again. We danced until the world around us disappeared - until all I could think about was him and his hands on me.
The music softened and he pulled me impossibly closer to him, resting his forehead against mine. As the song came to an end, we fell into a gentle sway, drowning in each other's warmth.
"It might be too soon for you to feel the same," his breath fanned against my neck as he whispered in my ear, "but I love you, Ash. With every breath I take, I love you. And if only we had more time, I would have proved that to you however you wished."
I froze, my body shaken to the core. With eyes wide of shock, I looked at him, wondering if I heard him correctly. My heart raced a thousand miles per hour, my breath was shaky, and my thoughts scrambled to a point where I couldn't find any words to say.
So instead, I did the simplest thing I could think of.
I kissed him.
The moment our lips met; I knew I was hooked. His lips were like a drug, molding perfectly with mine, getting me high on their taste and warmth. Rheon's hands were on my cheeks in a flash, kissing me back with fervor like a thousand-year-old instinct that's awakened.
My mind was hazy when he pulled back. I would have gone right back in if he had not grabbed my hands and was leading me outside to the gardens. The cold night air stung against my open shoulders and back, but I didn't care. I only wanted to feel his lips on mine again.
He stopped at the fountain where all that was left of the ball was the distant hum of the music.
Then he kissed me once more.
We sat down on the fountain's edge, our lips never parting as he went down on his knees in front of me, moving in between my legs. My fingers found their way into his hair, pulling him closer and closer until his chest pressed against mine. His hands explored my back, burning me with every touch. My thoughts went blank when his lips trailed down to my neck, his teeth grazing against the vein.
All of a sudden, he pulled back with a face pale of shock. He turned his back on me in a flash, but I already saw it, his fangs.
"I'm... sorry," he breathed, "I got carried away."
'I almost marked you,' he meant to say.
Standing up from the fountain, I ran my hands down the length of his back and whispered, "What if I wanted you to get carried away?"
Rheon's head jerked around to look at me. "Ash, you don't have to -"
"I love you too." I saw how my words shook him. He was as still as a statue, looking at me like I was the Goddess Three herself. "I think I knew it all along. My common sense told me it's irrational to fall in love with a man I just met... but I love you, Rheon. I finally came to terms with it during the run last night. And if leaving my family and home behind and becoming a werewolf means I could feel like this every day of my life, then I want you to mark me. Make me yours."
He swallowed visibly, running his knuckles down my cheek. When he finally broke out of his trance, he breathed a laugh. "I want to do this right; you deserve only the best. Wait here and I'll be back shortly."
Capturing my lips in a kiss, he hurried back towards the castle, leaving me at the fountain.
Despite the chill in the air, my body felt warm and my stomach fluttery. I smiled like an idiot, lightly touching my lips as I thought about how he felt and tasted.
Hearing a rustle behind me, I grinned. "That was quick. Did you wolf out of something..." I trailed off as I turned to find Edda standing behind me. "Sorry, Edda, I thought you were Rheon." She only continued staring at me oddly. "Did you need anything?"
But then something happened that made the blood in my veins run cold.
Her face started peeling.
I watched in shock as more skin rolled off her cheeks, down her neck, and finally, down her figure, pooling around her feet until it absorbed into the earth. Where Edda once was, now stood a younger woman with dark red hair cascading down her shoulders and arms. Her dark eyes were trained on me, replacing the warmth Rheon left behind on my skin with jolts of fear.
"Hello, Ashlyn. It's so good to finally meet you." She grinned wickedly. "I am Lucine."