Party prep
1622 Words
Chapter 13:
/-Skylar’s POV-/
Dwayne walked me back to my bedroom after my conversation with my mother.
The moment the door to my room closed behind me, I let out a long, shaky breath I didn’t even know I was holding. My shoulders sagged, and I fell back onto my bed with a heavy sigh. The ceiling above me seemed to spin slightly, and I closed my eyes to make it stop.
“Finally,” Aria suddenly muttered. “I thought he would come in with you. Seriously, Skylar, why the hell did you promise your mother that you’d end up with Dwayne? What about Mate?!”
I didn’t respond to her. I couldn’t. Because if I started talking to her about it, I would have to admit things I wasn’t ready to admit.
But no matter how hard I tried, my mind kept drifting back to the garden. To the way Adonis had looked at me when Dwayne appeared. To the tension in the air when they faced each other.
I rolled over onto my side and pulled a pillow over my head, trying to block out the thoughts.
“He’s so strong and perfect, right? Mate is so stro_”
“Stop it,” I whispered into my pillow. “Just stop.”
But even as I said it, I could feel my body responding to just the thought of him. My heart beat faster, my skin grew warm, and something deep inside me ached with wanting.
I must have fallen asleep eventually, because the next thing I knew, I was dreaming.
In my dream, I was back in the garden, but this time it was different. This time, Dwayne wasn’t there. It was just me and Adonis, standing among the roses and jasmine. The atmosphere was warm and sweet, and sunlight filtered through the leaves above us.
Adonis was looking at me with an expression I had never seen before – soft and tender, but also hungry. He stepped closer to me, and I didn’t pull away. I couldn’t. I was frozen in place, captured by the intensity of his gaze. He reached out a hand to touch my face too.
“Sky,” he said, his voice rough with emotion. “Do you know what you do to me?”
I opened my mouth to tell him that I didn't feel the same way and would never.
But then I woke up.
The morning light was streaming through my bedroom window, and I was alone in my bed, breathing hard and feeling more confused than ever. The dream had felt so real, so vivid, that for a moment I thought I could still feel his hand on my face.
“That’s what we want,” Aria said softly. “That’s what we need.”
I sat up in bed and ran my hands through my tangled hair. I felt like I was losing my mind. How could I be having dreams like that about him after everything? How could I be feeling these things when I was supposed to love someone else?
A knock on my door interrupted my spiraling thoughts. I quickly smoothed down my hair and tried to look presentable.
“Come in,” I called.
The door opened, and Mel’s bright, smiling face peeked around the edge. My best friend had always been like a ray of sunshine – a light that could light up the darkest room.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” she said, slipping into my room and closing the door behind her. “You look like you’ve been wrestling with your pillows all night.”
I laughed despite myself. “Something like that. What brings you here so early?”
Mel bounced over to my bed and sat down next to me, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “I have the most amazing news! There’s a party tonight, and we’re going.”
“A party?” I asked, not sure I was in the mood for celebrating anything.
“Yes! It’s for the son of the Alpha of Dusk Ridge Pack. He’s turning twenty-three, and apparently, it’s going to be the event of the season. Everyone who’s anyone will be there.”
I shook my head. “I don’t know, Mel. I’m not really feeling up to a party right now.”
“Come on, Sky,” she pleaded, taking my hands in hers. “When’s the last time you did something fun? When’s the last time we went out and enjoyed ourselves ever since you ran away?”
I winced internally.
But I thought about it and realized she was right. Between worrying about my mother and dealing with my confusing feelings, I hadn’t done anything just for me in a long time.
“I know things have been hard lately,” Mel continued, her voice becoming more gentle. “With your mom being sick and everything. But that’s exactly why you need this. You need to get out of this house and clear your head.”
Clear my head. That sounded like exactly what I needed. Maybe if I got away from here for a while, I could stop thinking about Adonis and start figuring out what I really wanted.
“Okay,” I said finally. “You’re right. I could use a distraction.”
Mel squealed with excitement and threw her arms around me. “This is going to be so much fun! But we need to go shopping. We need dresses, and shoes, and maybe some new jewelry. This is a high-profile event, Sky. We need to look absolutely stunning.”
I couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm. “Alright, let’s do it. Let me get ready, and we can head to the pack’s mall.”
Mel practically bounced off the bed. “Perfect! I’ll wait for you outside. Don’t take too long – we have a lot of shopping to do!”
After she left, I took a quick shower and got dressed. I chose a simple white sundress that fell just above my knees, paired with black Louboutin heels that made me feel confident and elegant. I pulled my hair up into a sleek ponytail and applied some light makeup to hide the fact that I hadn’t slept well.
When I looked in the mirror, I was pleased with what I saw. I looked put-together and beautiful, even if I didn’t feel it inside.
I grabbed my purse and headed downstairs, where I found Mel waiting for me by the front door.
“Ready to go?”
“Ready,” I said, and we headed toward the door.
But just as we were about to leave, a familiar voice called out behind us.
“Wow, you two look lovely this morning.”
We turned to see Dwayne walking toward us, his face lit up with a bright smile. He was dressed casually in jeans and a button-down shirt, but he still looked handsome. I felt that familiar pang of guilt at the sight of him.
“Hi, Wayne,” I said, forcing a smile. “Good morning.”
“Good morning, beautiful,” he said, leaning down to kiss my cheek. “Where are you two headed looking so dressed up?”
“We’re going shopping,” I said calmly. “And then tonight we’re going to a party at the Dusk Ridge Pack. It’s the Alpha’s son’s birthday.”
Dwayne’s eyebrows rose with interest. “A party? That sounds fun. Mind if I tag along for the shopping? And maybe…” He paused, looking hopeful. “Maybe I could come to the party with you? I’d love to spend the evening with my girlfriend.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but Mel beat me to it.
“Of course you can come!” she said brightly. “The more the merrier! And I’m sure Sky would love to have you as her date to the party.”
I looked at Mel with surprise. I hadn’t been planning on bringing a date. But she was already smiling at Dwayne like it was all settled.
“That’s settled then,” Dwayne said, looking pleased. “Let me just grab my wallet and we can head out.”
As he jogged back into the house, I turned to Mel. “Why did you do that?”
She shrugged. “He’s your boyfriend, Sky. And he obviously wants to spend time with you. Plus, having a handsome date will make you look even more amazing at the party. Ignore Alpha Adonis and move on with him.”
I sighed. She wasn’t wrong, but I had been looking forward to a night without having to worry about Dwayne and his expectations.
A few minutes later, Dwayne returned with his wallet.
“Shall we?”
We all walked outside and towards the car waiting at the entrance.
But just as I prepared to enter, I caught a glimpse of movement on the terrace above.
I looked up and felt my heart skip a beat. Adonis was standing there, leaning against the railing, watching us. Even from this distance, I could feel the intensity of his gaze. Our eyes met for just a moment, and I saw something flash across his face.
Then Dwayne was opening the car door for me, and I had to look away. As we drove off, I couldn’t resist glancing back at the terrace, but Adonis was gone.
“He doesn’t like seeing us with another man.” Aria whined.
I closed my eyes and tried to focus on the road ahead.
Fuck him. I’m not living my life for him.
If he can’t handle seeing Dwayne and me together, that’s his issue, not mine.
- Writer
