CHAPTER 36
1335 Words
ADINNA’S POV
Riley finds me at the bar before I even have a chance to sneak away. She’s all glitter and chaos, her eyes bright like she’s had too much sugar and not enough sense. Her hand locks around my wrist, warm and demanding.
“There you are!” she says, dragging me away from my mocktail. “You’ve been hiding long enough. Come dance before I lose my mind.”
“I’m not hiding,” I say, though it sounds weak even to me. “I’m just observing.”
She scoffs. “You’ve been observing since we got here. You’re about to become furniture.”
Before I can argue, she pulls me toward the crowd. My heels scrape against the marble as I stumble after her. “Riley”
“No excuses!” she cuts in, with that wicked grin on her face. “You’re at the Solstice Ball, not detention.”
I sigh, but it’s useless. The ballroom floor glows gold under the chandeliers, and the music spills from the speakers in waves that vibrate in my bones. Wolves in formal clothes move in rhythmic circles, laughing, spinning, radiant. The many smiles and too much light are overwhelming. But Riley doesn’t care. She dives right into it, taking my hands with hers and pulling me close.
“Loosen up,” she says. “Pretend life isn’t trying to bite you.”
I can’t help but laugh. She’s ridiculous.
She starts to dance, swaying side to side, hair whipping with the beat. I’m stiff at first, awkward, too aware of my own limbs. But her laughter is infectious. I move a little, then more, until I find a rhythm that makes sense.
“See?” she says, triumphant. “You have hips. I knew it.”
“Barely,” I mutter.
“Oh, please. You’ve been hiding all this potential under uniforms and oversized hoodies.”
Her words make me laugh harder, and I realize I've only ever laughed this genuinely with her and Dean.
The song shifts, faster now. Riley throws her hands up, spinning around me with wild energy. I let go for a moment, closing my eyes, and letting the sound swallow everything else.
For the first time in a long while, I don’t feel like an outsider.
When I open my eyes, Riley’s face shines under the lights. She looks happy. Really happy. She has the kind of happiness that makes people forget what sadness feels like.
Ashton appears from the crowd like he were summoned by her joy. He looks unfairly good in a suit, his dark hair a little messy, his grin wide when he sees her. “You two are impossible to miss,” he says.
“Admit it,” Riley teases, “you were watching us.”
“Guilty,” he says, pulling her close. “Now let me show you how it’s done.”
Riley squeals as he spins her effortlessly. I laugh as she almost collides with another couple, but Ashton steadies her with one hand on her waist. They move together like they’ve practiced a hundred times, like they were made for this moment.
I step back to give them space, watching.
She looks radiant. He looks smitten.
I feel content. Maybe a little envious, but in a quiet way.
Someone brushes past me and offers a drink, but I wave it off. The last thing I need is alcohol making me say something embarrassing. I fold my arms, watching the two of them twirl.
They really do look perfect together.
“Come on,” Ashton calls, his voice bright. “You’re supposed to join us.”
Riley spins away from him and grabs my hands again before I can refuse. “Don’t leave me hanging!” she shouts over the beat.
“You’re insane,” I say.
“Thank you,” she replies, smiling like that’s the best compliment she’s ever gotten.
She drags me back into motion. We spin. We laugh. The crowd blurs into color. My dress flares, brushing against my knees. Someone cheers when Riley dips me dramatically, and I nearly fall over from laughing.
The tension that’s been sitting in my chest for days starts to melt away. For a moment, it feels like the music itself is washing me clean.
I stop thinking about Jace, Dean, and Hunter. About the whispers. About my wolf.
It’s just movement and light.
When the song slows again, I exhale deeply, my body warm from the energy of it all. I didn’t think I could enjoy this night, but somehow Riley made me forget everything.
“See?” she says, grinning widely. “You’re glowing. I told you this would be good for you.”
“Or maybe you’re just delirious,” I say.
“Maybe both,” she admits.
Another slow song begins. Couples start pairing up again. I step aside, letting the wave of dancers shift around me. Riley leans into Ashton’s chest as he returns, and they start to move gently with the rhythm.
They look at each other the way people look when they think the rest of the world doesn’t exist.
I stand by the edge, smiling faintly, content just watching. It’s not envy anymore, it’s something softer. It's a kind of peace I didn’t expect.
I turn toward the bar again, thinking maybe I’ll grab water, when Riley’s voice cuts through the music.
“Adinna! Come back here!”
She’s laughing, waving me over with her free hand while Ashton spins her.
I shake my head. “You’re crazy.”
She twirls closer. “Just one more dance.”
I roll my eyes but move toward her anyway. The crowd shifts, and I almost bump into someone. I mutter an apology and step back into the open space near her.
She grabs my hand again, pulling me into another spin. The lights shimmer around us, and we’re both laughing so hard I can barely hear the music.
It feels good. So good that I forget everything else.
Then something changes.
It’s small at first, the tiniest stumble in Riley’s movement. I laugh, thinking she tripped over her own heels, but when I look at her, her expression has shifted.
Her smile is gone.
She blinks slowly, like her focus is slipping.
“Riley?” I ask, my voice uncertain.
She looks at me, eyes unfocused, mouth slightly open.
I step closer, steadying her by the arms. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
She swallows, shakes her head. “Nothing. I just feel a bit dizzy.”
Her tone is soft, almost confused, as if she can’t understand it herself.
“You should sit down,” I tell her, but she shakes her head.
“No, I’ll be fine. Maybe it's the lights,” She says.
I catch her wrist as she sways again. My heart jumps. “Riley.”
She steadies herself, blinking fast. “I’m fine,” she says, forcing a smile. “It’s just hot.”
She looks around like she’s searching for something. Then she exhales sharply, pressing a hand to her forehead. “I just need some air, okay?”
I hesitate. “Want me to come with you?”
She waves her hand. “No. I’ll be back in a minute.”
Before I can stop her, she starts toward the exit.
I watch her weave through the crowd, her silver dress catching the light as she disappears into the open doors.
Something about the way she moves makes my stomach twist.
I stare after her, my smile fading.
The music plays on, louder now, but it feels distant and muffled. People laugh, glasses clink, and for a moment, I almost forget how to breathe.
She’s fine, I tell myself. She just needs some air.
Still, my eyes linger on the space where she stood, and the echo of her laughter fades from my ears.
I don’t know why, but the room suddenly feels colder and lonelier without her in it.
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