Lunar Temptations

Ch 77

"Alpha Castillo and Luna Dawson of the Night Walkers and the Lunar pack," our chaperone's voice boomed in the silence. We took our first step forward and began to descend a pair of stairs where everyone was gathered. My heart thumped loudly against my chest. This was my first appearance as a Luna among the leaders, and if Zayden hadn't been by my side, I would have lost it. His presence was playing a great deal in keeping me calm.

The lots watched us take the last step down, and within the next few seconds, several Alphas and Lunar rushed towards us to engage in a welcoming conversation. They were mostly congratulating us on our engagement, and questions about our marriage were the ones that were asked the most. However, Zayden dealt with them smoothly and emphasized my father's health and how he was our priority at the moment. I didn't stay quiet either, and soon we found ourselves mingling with the crowd. It would be overestimating to say that we had chatted with almost half of the room, considering the number of leaders present at the ball, but by the time I headed over to the bar, it felt nothing less than that. Unlike the medieval setting of the entire event, the bar was a new concept. The waiters did serve the drinks; however, a bar was also available, and I couldn't have been more thankful for it.

Zayden and I had lost each other's company half an hour ago, and considering the size of the room, I couldn't see him even when I tried to. So, I decided to head for a drink before the dance could begin. It had been almost 2 hours since the ball started, and it wouldn't be long now until the dance commenced.

"A Martini on the rocks, please," I said, and the bartender went straight to work. A few leaders were chatting at some distance from me, and I turned myself completely towards the bar to avoid having to engage with them. The last thing I wanted was to talk to another person before having a drink. It was not only dull but super exhausting, having to converse with people of various ages, some of whom I couldn't even relate to. I hadn't completely taken over my role, and their talks would be surrounding the topics I had barely heard anything of. However, I shook my head and expressed a generalized opinion on some, regardless of knowing the context. Fortunately, most of them appeared convinced.

Now, only a drink could boost my stamina. Some days, I would think that if I were to let loose my control, then I might end up becoming an alcoholic since liquor was becoming my coping mechanism slowly.

"There you go." My martini was placed in front of me, and I smiled at the bartender as he proceeded to turn towards another guest. I had only taken my first sip when a crashing noise caught my attention to the side, followed by some low curses.

"-as if the evening wasn't bad already," the man said as I turned to look to my left. His face was contorted with frustration, and my eyes followed his gaze to find the reason. A huge wet spot was forming on his white suit as broken glass lay on the ground. I winced looking at him, immediately feeling sorry for the poor guy.

"Here," I said, grabbing a few napkins from nearby and passing them to him. He looked at me, and his face turned red. "Thank you." He took them, hesitantly passing a small smile to me.

"Please, ignore my insolence," he dabbed on the suit, wiping the stain away, but it was too late. What was coming out of it now was a huge yellow spot on his suit that might have not looked as bad as it did on his white one. I straightened my lips as he saw me staring at his clothes, apologetically.

Tossing the tissues on the counter, he sighed defeatedly. "It is ruined, I know," he said flatly, and I held back another pitied look.

"I am sorry, but it is quite bad," I said, nodding at his ruined clothes. He looked like he was ready to leave, but his clothes were now both the reason for leaving and also the one holding him back, so he continued to sit awkwardly on the bar stool. We were in somewhat of a secluded corner from the rest of the ball.

I felt sorry for the man; he looked too young to be experienced at these balls. I made him out to be in his mid-twenties, similar to Zayden, but his stance was very much unlike Zayden. So, I assumed that he must be a recently made Alpha and was new to this.

"First time here?" I asked.

His shoulders slumped as if I had caught his lie. "You got me. What gave it away?" He said, his brows furrowing.

I shrugged, "Because I can relate to sitting in the bar instead of socializing over there?"

He c****d his head to the side as realization dawned on him. "No way, I could have never guessed. You look cool as a cucumber."

A chuckle resounded from me, and I stared at him, bewildered. "Indeed, you really are new at this."

He threw his head back and sighed. "I apologize for my ill manners. As you can see, my attention is quite diverted," nodding towards his clothes, he said. I raised both my hands, "It's alright. I forgive you," I said authoritatively, and we both laughed at it. He appeared around my age and appeared much more lost than me. Well, I had my mate around to support me, and I wondered what he would have done in this situation apart from getting possessive of me.

Suddenly, an idea struck me.

"Are you planning on sitting here for the rest of the night?"

He turned to face me again, his light brown strands swaying slightly in the air. "I am wearing sponsored clothes with no backup suit. So yeah, I am definitely planning to spend the rest of the night here," he said, stretching his limbs, "even if it means taking a nap or two until everybody leaves." With that, he slumped down onto the counter.