The ball was was already half way through. Everyone was dancing to the quiet jolly strings of the violin and piano. Though it somewhat slowed down when Veldore stepped in. Even those who had never met him would recognize him, he was as one would imagine. Dark, strong, power full and majestic in all his moves. Only younger than you would expect.
As I had foreseen little ladies and gentlemen clambered to his side asking for a dance. I watch all the hopefuls get shot down and walk away miserable. The blonde haired girl I had seen before also hurried towards him. However his space was given when he picked a fine young lady from the higher society to dance with for the night. As I had presumed he would. You do not need to know a person to predict his actions, you only need know they're position and situation.
I kept myself as invisible as possible, imagining the terror of coming face to face with my family at this ball. I let myself sink into the shadows as I watched the night play out.
For some reason I had this sinking feeling of dread. The feeling that something was going to happen, something I would like to avoid. And there was nothing I trusted more than my instinct. For as you are taught when you are young, instinct is the closest you can get to understanding your wolf and harmonizing with it.
As I began dozing off staring distractedly at the large luminous moon rock, lit by seven humongous chandeliers I felt a sudden grip on my arm. I turned almost too quickly for my mind to keep up and saw a young man little older than I staring at me.
He had a muscular build with long blond hair and green eyes, an expectant grin on his face.
"Hello sir I was wondering if you would accompany me in a dance?" He asked. I was quite surprised by his boldness that seemed so uncanny to me. "Come I'm a better dancer than most give me credit I dare say! Let me prove it to you!" At that I realized what struck me most about him. It was not his refreshingly handsome features, or his opulent fitted clothes, it was the fact that he was no doubt a lord of some sort.
He was flirting with me for a reason I could not understand. I was far from fetching, obviously poor and... Well... A slave... Need I say more?
Besides all of this he looked like the type to philander about with many a women.
I declined, bowing my head slightly. "No sir, I'm sure there will be some one better suited midst this crowd."
"Oh come now!" He exclaimed, pulling me by the wrist close towards him and snaking an arm around my waist. "You know that's not true!" I couldn't bring myself to be comfortable with him hugging me like that. He was reaching far into boundaries I suppose I don't really get to claim.
I gently pushed him away. "Sir I'll have you know I am a slave. While it has been nice meeting you I believe you should attempt to court someone of better value while you are in such a young and handsome state."
He grinned. "You think I am handsome?" Ignoring all else I had said and pulling me closer towards him, this time tighter in grip.
I blushed and tried to pull myself away again. "Please sir..." I started.
"It's one dance boy." He interrupted.
I didn't like the sound of boy. My answer was firm. "No."
He paused for a second and stood in thought. "Your a slave you say?" I paused, nodding, then continued struggling in a pathetic attempt to be free of him. "So I could easily leave a word with your master saying you attacked me... And you would be whipped to death... Is that right?"
This time when I paused I paused for good. That was a petrifying thought. My father would no doubt tear me to pieces if this man did such a thing, then finish me off for going to the ball. The amount of trouble this would tally up to was daunting. I looked up at him, the fear was patent in my eyes. I looked to the side and at the floor to avoid his conceited eyes. "Please.." I whispered.
"So... One dance you say?"
I almost wept. I hoped to god this was not one of... Those... Things... I should explain.
As slaves we are easily manipulated by the most of folk, we are punished for the little things and killed for the latter. If a man of wealthy enough status comes by and decides he wishes to "have" a girl or boy to satisfy his needs it is often as easy as 1, 2, 3. I did not know if that was his aim however it scared me enough to think it might be. Needless to say I had never done something like "that" before, I was one of the few that intended to stay clean for the arrival of my mate.
"Yes." I muttered, hoping he could not hear me. He obviously had as I noticed the slimy smirk converting what ever I had deemed handsome in that sly face to hideous.
He pulled me towards the the edge of the dance floor and we mingled with the dance. I had only danced once before, my sister had had a birthday party and her friends had insisted I dance with them, teaching me certain dances that go with certain music.
They where currently playing, ironically enough, luna opertum. Luna Opertum is Latin for "Veiled Moon." I had no doubt it was chosen for the occasion. Either way getting back to my point. I knew how to dance it, which at least saved me from the major embarrassment.
He jerked me closer to him and started blowing down my neck. Was that supposed to be erotic? It seemed unbelievably creepy. A massive list of curses filled my mind as he did. There was something so ugly about it. I hated it.
I tried to pull away again, fed up of attempting to endure it.
He twisted my arm to the side and wagged his finger at me. "Uh uh." He said as though he where telling a child to keep from taste testing dirt. This only further angered me and I pulled away aggressively. His hand didn't stray for from mine however. "Your master is going to be mad when he finds out you've attacked the kings brother..." He sighed.
I stopped and froze. He was the kings brother? Veldore had a brother? I hadn't even known... No... He must be lying... "You lie."
He smirked. The corners of his face slipping off the sides. There was something so very unsettling about him. He scared me. However he did not look like Veldore in the slightest, so I kept my resolve that he was faking. "I am?" Well that just made me doubt it all. Was he?
My eyes narrowed. I pulled free of his grip and started jogging for one of the shady corners of the room where I sank into my mind dizzy with sick spells. I looked back. He was long lost in the crowd thank god.
I stood there for a little while catching my breath and taking in with absolute appreciation the emptiness of my surroundings. This of course did not last longer than a matter of minutes befor a servant rushed to my side and another and another.
"Sir, The Earl Eggerdan has requested your company for the dance."
"Who?" I asked, testing them.
"Sir, The Earl Eggerdan."
"I know no one of that name." I replied sternly, refusing to return to him.
He got up from his bowing stance and looked me in the eye, brow raised. "Sir." He said, slightly exasperated. "With all due respect, he is the kings brother and yet you have forgotten his name?"
I flushed. So it was true. And when he gets fed up of playing this demeaning game of cat and mouse he would tell my family whatever he needed to in exchange for my torture and perhaps death.
Not even attempting to struggle now I was guided back through the crowd towards him with a servant ahead, behind and to the side of me. I felt like I was being arrested.
As I reached him the servant shoved me towards him and I stumbled over my own feat to keep a foots distance away. However he pulled me in close again, leaving me little room to breath. "You'll be the first to so readily walk away like that. You have a fire in you hm... What is it made of... Pride?" He snorted. "Well... I suppose we'll find out later."
"Sir if this is just a dance I am more than fine with playing to your steps, however if it goes beyond that I do not hesitate to tell you I will try my absolute damned hardest to prevent that from happening." I finally spoke out. And I meant it all.
He eyed me carefully. "Who cares, I like a challenge." He muttered, more or less in my direction.
"Is this dance one without intention?" I asked, not backing down on my word.
"No." He snickered suddenly pulling me up close and grinding himself on me.
I gasped in horror and tried to get free my arms almost useless against his. It felt so filthy. So humiliating and slimy. Scraping up against me again, harder this time. My eyes widened. I lifted my knee and let it fly into his groin. Running off before he could give himself time to recover. If he was the kings brother he was also an alpha, meaning what I just did to him would only serve him pain for a matter of minutes. Which meant I had to get out, and fast.
There at the far end at the other side of the hall I could see the great doors. They where closed but I would find a way to get through. Just as I began running towards them everything happened. For starters the clock chimed 12, the time the eclipse was officially over, and the doors where being lifted apart by six men. Then to my left I slid into someone. The last person I should ever come to contact with.
Veldore.
He barely moved at my shove but his eyes widened. Glaring into my own. Not in anger. Not in disgust. In lust. He knew as well as I what he had felt.
He pushed his female companion roughly to the side and placed a hand on mine. Sparks. Warmth filled my arms and hands. A sweet sensation of need slipping into me. I was his mate.
I heard the loud drawing of the doors. The chiming of the midnight bell. This was too much for one night. I broke into a run.
Disappearing through the open doors and slipping into the black night.