Frost

nine

n i n e

h a l l u c i n a t i o n

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THE OUTSIDE WORLD was pitch black. The full moon had appeared a week ago, and the slither of a crescent moon did nothing to break up the darkness as the pack car rolled across the gravel drive of the Crescent Mansion. Headlights sliced apart the inky canvas as it gathered speed down the straight path.

"Before you get any ideas, I'm not dancing," Eretria moaned from the backseat as Jared drove. His hands were steady on the wheel, jolting to the side to avoid one of the numerous potholes.

Tia tugged at the strap of her dress, which had fallen down yet again. She had opted for another tight ruby dress, to match the beautiful mask she had been gifted for the night. The material stopped a few inches above her knee, framing her figure.

The seasonal ball was held at the beginning of each season, and all manner of important members from the supernatural community - and the rare human - were invited. Tia had been before, but only with her father, and even then she had run and locked herself in one of the luxurious rooms of the white building. All nine - or now, eight - alphas from the packs within the city of Armour Heights had been invited, and being the face of her deceased pack, Tia had to go, providing the perfect cover to investigate.

Nobody knew who owned the mansion, but every three months, the ball was hosted by one of the oldest vampires in the city. Tia had never seen the magnificent man: she had always hidden, in fear that her name would bring up unanswered questions. He had claimed the house as his own, and an invitation to the ball was worth its weight in gold.

"I'm afraid you might not have much of a choice," Colton murmured, his legs tightly pressed against Tia's bare ones. She had refused to wax her legs, and goose bumps flared across her tanned skin as she sat shivering.

Tia nudged her best friend's arm. "I am not dancing."

"Everyone dances."

"Because they can dance," the girl retorted with a defiant flick of her loose hair. "Some of us can't."

Eretria focused on Jared's jaw as it pulsed in the rear-view mirror. They were nearing the venue, a shroud of light greeting them as they pulled up to the main entrance.

Tia noticed a red carpet rolled down the white marble steps as Jared stopped the car, leaving the engine running as he jumped out into the chilling air. A cloud of water vapour exploded from his mouth with each exasperation from his lungs. Darkness ebbed from the man as he handed the keys to a man stood to attention by the entrance before beckoning the other three passengers out of the immaculate black BMW. It wasn't a typical pack car. It was a car used for show - to prove to other packs their dominance and wealth.

Eretria threw open the door, only to find Jared waiting for her with his hand outstretched. "If you'd like a dance, I could teach you," he suggested. In the limited light, his irises were just as brilliant.

The she wolf walked straight past the Beta's hand, exiting the car with surprising precision. Her dress slid down her legs, shoes clicking on the hard flooring as she stood two inches taller than her natural stature. It had taken her two years to get used to wearing heels, and even now she could topple over from the faintest zephyr. Tia coiled her arms into a lattice across her heart.

"Thanks," her Mexican voice replied bitterly. She strode past Jared confidently. "But I don't need a dance partner. I'm pretty capable of looking after myself."

Connor slammed the door of the BMW shut behind the trio, forcing Tia to jump despite her burst of confidence. His eyes creased as he smiled, a snicker escaping the confines of his lips. His eyes caught Tia's, and for a fleeting second, he held his gaze before dropping it.

Tia felt a sharp hotness burn her cheeks, and swiftly placed her ruby mask on her face to cover up her reddened face. She tied the ribbon around the back of her brunette hair in an imperfect bow. Music blared out of the open front door, bright white emanating through the high arched windows of the magnificent piece of architecture. The music was classical - a slow flowing melody that Tia secretly relished. She had been exposed to countless classical pieces when she was a child, until that, and her family, were ripped from her. The lingering sweet aroma of freshly cut flowers stung the woman's nose as she mounted the steps to the mansion for the forth time in the year.

Tia took the lead as she stepped past the double oak doors. It was as though she had stepped into a completely different world. The night had left them, light intruding Eretria's thoughts as she opened her mouth wide in awe. A glittering chandelier refracted splinters of light above her head. Red draped the mahogany staircase that spiralled into the second floor of the mansion, matching wooden banisters decorating the open floor plan of the storey above. An ancient symbol was littered across the four walls - be it on a banner, or a medallion presented immaculately on the wall. Even with her enhanced eyesight, it was hard to pick out the meaning of the entwined ivy, forming a perfect circle.

"Connor," a voice beckoned. "I'm glad you made it." Sofia emerged from the bottom of the stairs, rising from the second step with faultless grace. She had opted for a tight white ball gown, which resembled a wedding dress more than anything else. Yet, with her dramatic liquid gold eye makeup, and sleek matching gloves, she looked like a character brought to life from a fairy tale.

"I wouldn't miss it," Connor beamed.

Jared smiled at the young woman in an equal manner. Through his perfect white teeth, Tia could see that the gesture was fake.

Eretria and Colton knew nothing about Sofia. Her age was unknown, and her involvement with Connor's pack was a mystery to them both. A mystery which neither party wanted to reveal.

In the two short days the werewolves had had to 'prepare' for the coming event, Tia had barely gotten the chance to talk to the woman. In fact, the preparation had been minimal, and Sofia's instructions were basic. Any information about the murder of their pack would be upstairs, preferably in a locked room or chambers of the residents.

Sofia bowed her elegant head. "Eretria, Colton, I trust that you are ready."

Tia's head jerked as she heard her name. "Not really."

Colton's expressions crumpled at the words, but he refused to argue. His shoulders lost their posture, like the way a toy fell apart at the seams with age. He was untwining.

"You should be a little more confident," Sofia said in her beautiful voice. It reminded Tia of a small bell chiming in the wind. It was too delicate and fragile to touch, and the brunette was afraid to get closer to her freezing presence. The unpleasant smell of death had already filled the majority of her senses, and she felt lightheaded. "Trust me, the distraction will work, and we can figure out who threatens the balance between our communities. The last thing I want is a war on our hands."

"There won't be a war," Connor reassured, but his voice shook like the a chord being repeatedly strung.

Sofia nodded her head. A wisp of curling blonde hair had fallen from the masterpiece woven on the top of her squared head. "I hope not," she sighed, although she had no reason or need to breathe since she was dead. She had attempted to improve her ghostly complexion with a coat of makeup, but the rosy blush on her small cheeks only made her skin seem whiter. "Now, let's blend in before anyone suspects anything."

Tia liked the woman - admired her. She followed Sofia without question. Sofia had been born to be a leader, but Tia questioned her position in her vampire clan. She had never seen the other female with another of her species, and a churning in Tia's stomach informed her not to trust the vampire as much as she pleaded herself to.

Eretria had been through the same corridor multiple times, but each season it changed. On this occasion, the walls had been repainted a sharp white, and fake snowflakes glittered across the wall. A red rug ran along the glacial ground, leading to the destination Tia was dreading. She was suddenly all too glad for the mask veiling her identity.

At the end of the corridor, was the grand hall. Even the thought of the high ceilinged room, and marble staircase made Tia's stomach explode with a million fluttering butterflies. As the group neared, Eretria's eyes glazed over a rainbow of different colours. Elegant dresses swept down to the floor of each woman, glistening gems adorned by the expensive and pigmented fabrics. Every single man was dressed in a suit, shirts tucked in, brogues polished until the light reflected in the leather. A band played in the corner of the room, the piano prominent against the other instruments.

Tia made a bee line for the food table, placing a hand over her forehead as she walked to avoid recognition. The room was swarming, masses of people twirling to the beat as it slowly picked up. Vision swimming, Eretria used the table to steady her. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't see. Everything was a blur, and the eerily beautiful music distorted her senses further. The walls pressed in on her, despite the sheer enormity of the room. It was perhaps bigger than the average two storey house.

The she wolf grabbed the closest piece of food - a cocktail sausage - and ate it. Then she had four more, savouring the meaty taste that a wolf craved so much. After the sixth, she began to feel slightly better.

"You found the food fast," a man commented. He was tall, and for a fleeting moment Tia's heart stammered in the hope that it was a stranger. She blinked, only to reveal Jared. He placed a grape in his mouth before chewing it with a noisy squelch.

Tia shrugged. "I'm always hungry." She lied. Her appetite had slowly come back to her, but six cocktail sausages was the maximum she could manage for the time being. Unconsciously, she moved a hand over her scarlet clad stomach.

Jared scrunched his brows. "I didn't realise."

"Well you know now," Eretria repeated in a frustrated tone. She resented Jared. "So please go away."

The man's eye bore into Tia's. Her hands were already in fists, ready to stick to their promise.

Before Eretria could comprehend Jared's actions, he grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the marble dance floor. His hands fell around her waist as he twirled her around.

Tia mustered all her energy into her limbs to push the endearing man away, but he was too strong, and his grip remained firm. The fingers pushing into her back felt like a scorching inferno, burning through every single protective layer of her skin.

"Get the f**k off me before I claw off your d**k," the brunette snarled.

Jared snarled. "You'd have to get me out of my clothes to do that."

Tia pinched her nose. She felt vomit swell in the back of her throat. At least, she told herself, I'll be sick over him. "Then I'd just kill you, and dump your body at the bottom of the ocean after I squeeze all of the air out of your lungs."

Jared's muscles bulged as he picked up Tia's stature as though she weighed no more than a feather. "Look, Tia, I know we got off on the wrong foot, but I want to make this work."

"This?" The woman exhaled in disbelief. Her breath was whisked away with her as the pair spun around in a three-hundred-and-sixty degree circle. "There is no 'this'. No us. f**k all."

"I like you." Jared concluded.

"The feeling's not mutual."

Finally, catching the man off guard, Tia propelled herself from Jared by pressing on his chest. He staggered back, winded, as Tia collided with yet another moving body.

"I see you'd like a change in dance partner." The masculine voice stated. Tia glanced through the slits in her lashes to reveal a familiar face, and darting cobalt eyes. Yet again, they were stormy, as though conflicted.

Eretria straightened her dress as she took Connor's inviting hand. "Thank you," she sighed. Much to her dismay, her body could not move to the slow beat of the cello as the song changed. Yet, the hoards of dancers provided the means in which to cover up her faulty steps.

"You're right," Connor murmured as Tia trod on his foot for the second time. "You are a terrible dancer."

"Thank you."

She didn't want to say anymore - didn't need to - and as the pair continued with their mismatched dance, Jared backed away from the swirl of supernatural creatures, and Sofia positioned herself.

Midway through the dance, Tia's feet hurting in her inadequate shoe choice, the humming of metal against glass rung out. The noise was simple, and sinisterly quiet. A chill ran through the room as all conversations ceased to exist, as though the words had never been uttered in the first place. It mesmerised Eretria - and scared her deep down to the centre of her bone marrow - how much power one person could have.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," The shroud and clear voice of a gentleman addressed. Tia's eyes wandered in search of the speaker, and finally found the male standing midway up the marble staircase, glass of a thick red substance held gently in his hand. He was too far away to distinguish, but the brunette caught a glimpse of his irregular jaw, and defined cheekbones. His skin had been hollowed out, creating pits under his eyes, matching the pastel complexion of his skin. Yet, with his carefully combed mocha tresses and lingering eyes as harsh as razors, he appeared beautifully handsome. He looked eternal. Ageless. Tia couldn't tell how old he was, but that was the mishap with vampires - if they looked their age, they would be rotting flesh on walking skeletons.

"It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Winter Crescent Ball. I thank you all for coming, and for continuing to support such an event within our town. A toast to each and every one of you for keeping the balance within our community, and for those of you who have not been before," Tia could've sworn she saw the ancient vampire wink, "try not to drink to much wine."

Tia smirked. She wouldn't be drinking wine, but something much stronger to remove the lingering sensation of Jared's touch from her memory.

The crowd fell silently momentarily. In the lack of sound, even the flutter of a butterfly's wings would be prominent.

Then it fell apart, breaking away at the screech of a wailing man. It was close to Eretria, and she rushed to cover her ears as the high pitched scream threatened to burst her eardrums. She lost her bearings, and abruptly the crowd broke out into collective and frantic movements.

Tia spotted Connor out of the corner of her eye, grabbing a fistful of his suit.

"Was that it?" She questioned so quickly her words merged into one stream of syllables. "Was that the distraction?"

Connor shook his head. "No. That wasn't the distraction."

And the hall burst into mayhem.