Don't Let Go

Chapter 3

We all arrive together. When we get inside the hall, there are long tables going vertically down the room, until reaching a large open area, which will be the dance floor. Past the dance floor, is a long table that runs horizontally on a raised platform. The layout is similar to the last festival, so I know the raised seating area is for Alpha Grey, his family and top officials. Each long table has a name in the centre stating which pack was designated to that table. 

We walk through the tables until we see a sign saying, “Red Rock Pack” We all take our seats. I'm sitting in between Kit and Flora, and my and Flora’s family are sitting alongside each other. Across from us, Matt Johnston and his family sit down. Matt graduated last year, and we have always gotten along. With wide eyes, “Wow, Aria you look … amazing ... You look really pretty too, Flora,” Matt says. 

I feel my cheeks heat up, “Thanks, Matt! You look very handsome in your suit, too,” I compliment.

Flora kicks me under the table before smiling at Matt and thanking him. He really does look handsome. He is tall, has a darker complexion, dark brown eyes with flecks of gold, and he has short dark hair. All of a sudden the thought hits me; what if Matt's my mate? I actually wouldn’t mind that. I've known him for as long as I can remember. I know him. I know I would never have to worry about him hurting me. I've always thought of him as more of a friend, but if he was my fated mate, I’m sure that would change. 

After a few minutes, we hear Alpha Arlo Grey telling everyone to take their seats. Arlo Grey is tall and very muscular. He has salt and pepper hair, he’s clean-shaved and is very handsome for a middle-aged man. You can tell just by his presence and size that he leads a powerful pack.

Alpha Grey first takes a moment to thank his wife, Luna Cassia, for planning much of the festival. Everyone gratefully applauds her. Mrs. Grey has dark blonde hair and has a nice white floor-length dress on. Then he introduces his youngest daughter, Adelia. She looks like she's probably around 11-12. She’s wearing a pink knee-length dress, and the lower half is really puffy and glittery. She has the same blonde hair colour as her mother, but hers is really curly. She also has a sweet round face. 

Next, he introduces Logan, who looks to be maybe 18 or 19, but I know he’s only around 16 because last time we were here, I remember the other teens talking about how he was only 13 then. “He did a lot of growing since the last time we were here, can you believe that?” Flora whispers in my ear. I just nod with wide eyes. Must be all the Alpha blood in him. Logan has light brown wavy hair and is dressed in a nice black suit, and he’s pretty muscular for a 16-year-old. 

Next, Zo stands up and she looks like she's maybe 20. She has tight braids on one side of her head, and her hair is parted to one side. She’s wearing a black one-piece jumpsuit with a plunging neckline. She looks muscular, and kind of edgy.

Last, Alphas oldest son Liam is introduced. Wow! He’s gorgeous. I don't remember seeing him last time we were here. Liam looks to be 26-27? He is gorgeous! He’s wearing a dark grey fitted suit, and boy is he wearing that suit. He has really broad shoulders, and he's tall and very muscular. His body is large and his presence is that of power and strength, like his father. He has dark hair that's a little longer on the top than the sides. He's the sexiest man I’ve ever seen, for sure. 

“I don’t remember him?” I question Flora. 

“Remember last time we were here, there was talk that Alphas oldest son was at an Alpha training program,” she reminds me. That sounds vaguely familiar.

“My son, Liam, will soon be taking over as Alpha and I will be retiring. The next blue moon celebration will be held by him, and hopefully his Luna. I would like to take a moment to pray to our Moon Goddess. Moon Goddess, thank you for this powerful Blue Moon tonight. We delight in the power it brings us. May we enjoy the strength, and agility the blue moon brings, while also giving us the self-restraint to be peaceful with everyone here tonight. And Moon Goddess, may you bring Liam together with his fated mate, a Luna to help him rule. The job of Alpha can be a lonely one without a Luna!” I can see Liam is shaking his head at his Father’s comment requesting he find his mate. I wonder if he also doesn't want to find his mate, or maybe he just doesn’t appreciate being put on the spot in front of 2000 people. 

“Okay, Liam is hot,” Flora whispers in my ear. We both laugh and I nod wide-eyed. Hot is an understatement. Servers started pouring in with large trays and delivering plates. First, we were served a salad, then the next plate had roasted potatoes, roast beef, and glazed carrots. Large baskets of fresh fluffy buns are placed at the centre of the tables, along with butter squares and gravy boats. The food was melt in your mouth delicious. 

For dessert, they had 2 different types of cake. Flora and I got one of each and shared. Once in a while, I would notice that Matt was staring at me. I have never noticed him look at me like this before. I feel my cheeks burning, and I just hope the dimmed lighting hides the fact that I'm blushing.

 After dinner, music starts and people make their way to the dance floor. Once Flora and I hear, “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke, we squeal with delight and jump up. We dance our way over to the packed dance floor. 

We both love this song and my hips just can't help but move when I hear this song. People are dancing everywhere, everyone is having a blast. Next, they played “Uptown Funk.” How could we stop dancing now? We sing and dance the entire time. 

When a sappy slow song came on, Flora grabs my hand and pulls me in so we can slow dance together, but I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn to see Matt, “Could I have this dance?” Matt smiles.

I hesitantly accepted while turning to give Flora big round, “save me,” eyes. I take Matt’s hand and try to keep a space between us but he pulls me closer than I would like, with his hand on the small of my back. “You look really beautiful, Aria,” he says while staring into my eyes. This is a little too intense for me. 

“Thank you,” I say with a nervous smile while looking away. I feel my cheeks start to burn. “So what are your plans after you graduate?” he asks. 

“I want to take some time off from school and train hard. Being able to defend myself and fight is a valuable skill. Maybe I’ll take a creative writing course or something second semester. It’ll give me some time to make my mind up about what I want for my future.” I don't go as far as to tell him about how I wish my sister took training more seriously. Maybe she’d still be alive if she did. 

“So, what have you been up to since graduation?” I ask, trying to avoid any awkward silence. “I've been training lots too, but I'm also taking some accounting classes at the university. It sounds boring, but I enjoy it.” 

I smile and nod, “That’s nice.”  

“So you're going to be graduating in a few weeks? Do you have a date for Prom?” he asks while making eye contact again. I look away, “No, I’m not going to prom,” I answer and I hope he’ll drop it there. 

“What? You have to go to prom. Prom is such a big milestone. If you wanted to go... I would love to ta-” 

 Just as he was about to ask me to go to prom with him, someone taps his shoulder, and I hear a deep sexy voice ask, “Can I cut in?” 

I can’t see who's behind Matt, but at this point, I don't even care. I’m so grateful for this man saving me from having this awkward conversation with Matt. When Matt sees who it is, he gives me a look of disappointment.

 “Aria?” He asks. I know he’s hoping I deny the request to cut in. I turn Matt a little so I can see who it is, and it's LIAM FRIGGEN GREY!

“Sure,” I nod nervously. Liam’s hand is outstretched, and I slowly move to place my hand in his. His hand is big and it's not soft. It's rough and calloused, and I like it. I give Matt an apologetic smile, even though I am not sorry. Not even a little.

Liam wraps one of his strong arms around my waist and pulls me close. Even closer than Matt had me. Only I really like it. My hand feels so small in his. All of me feels so small next to him. His cologne smells amazing, and he is even better looking up close. My heart is pounding hard in my chest, and I can see in the corner of my eye, Matt does not look happy. 

“Sorry to interrupt your dance … So Aria, is it?” His deep voice asks, sounding annoyed.

“Yes, and Liam, right?” I ask, but I really don't know how to respond or read his tone.

“Is he your… date or boyfriend or something?” He grumbles, seeming more annoyed than before.

“Matt? No! He’s just a friend from my pack,” I answer while wondering why this beautiful man would even care. 

“Which pack?” and he sounds even calmer now.

“Red Rock.” 

“Hmm. How old are you?” he presses, but his tone is softer, and even gentle now. 

“17-.” Before I have time to say I’ll be 18 in a few hours, our eyes lock. He has the most beautiful dark blue eyes. They’re almost grey. Gosh, I could stare at them for hours. 

“Well?” he raises an eyebrow. 

“Well, what?” I counter, feeling completely lost. 

 I feel my cheeks burning again. I literally just got lost in his eyes. Snap out of it, Aria! I'm so embarrassed. I hope he didn't notice. Or notice that my cheeks are all flushed now. “When are you turning 18?” he asks again with a little smirk. s**t, he noticed. 

“Tomorrow, actually. Well in a few hours now, technically,” I say while breaking eye contact. I need to catch my breath.

“How old are you?” 

“22,” he responds, and I feel his eyes are heavy on me. “Really? You look older,” I admit, and then all of a sudden here we are, eyes locked again. Moon Goddess, please give me the strength to not make a fool of myself. 

“You look stunning, Aria,” he tells me, and then whispers, “I’ve never seen anything more beautiful.” 

Completely shocked by his words, cheeks on fire now, my heart is racing even harder, I wonder if he can feel it. I don't know where to look, or what to say. I clear my throat hoping to at least speak without my words cracking.

“Wow, thank you. Umm…” then our eyes lock again. What is it with this man? Before I can say anything else, the song comes to an end.

“I have to be somewhere, but I'll see you at the midnight run, okay?”

I nod, and then he kisses my hand and smiles the most devilishly handsome smile, and disappears into the crowd. I’m still frozen in shock when Flora grabs my arm. 

“Are you kidding me… LIAM GREY?” She asks while bursting with glee. 

 Liam's Point of View

The dance portion of the night has started. I’m not really into dancing, but I should go and introduce myself to some of the other Alphas from the other packs. I need to get to know these people because my Dad is retiring very soon. I’m walking past the dance floor and I smell something. It smells like maybe lavender and vanilla but so much better. It’s almost intoxicating. Could it be? I’ve been looking for my mate for the last 4 years. I feel my heart rate quicken at just the thought of finding her.

I hear the word “Mate” in my head over and over, as I get closer to the delicious scent. This is happening. I find myself on the dance floor, and there she is. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. She has curly dark hair, with a killer black dress that shows off her beautiful curves. She’s a tiny little thing, with a round ass, that I can not wait to get my hands on. 

She’s singing and dancing. She looks so free, and beautiful. Even though my heart was pounding out of my chest, I stood there frozen, just watching her. The song ends, and I’m quickly pulled out of my own thoughts. A slow song starts playing, before I have time to even process the song is over, some guy just asked her to dance. f**k! 

He is holding her close, and I can feel the rage bubbling up inside. Seeing his hands on her lower back, her hand in his, and his body up against hers is maddening. I didn’t know how to proceed, so I stood frozen listening to their conversation, thanks to werewolf hearing. 

“Would you like to dance with me, Mr. Grey,” a woman is standing in front of me, smiling and holding her hand out.

 “No!” I answer harshly, and motion for her to leave me alone. I was rude but she needed to go. I need to know what they are saying to each other. I already missed something. She’s saying she wants to become a stronger fighter. I love that. Maybe she isn't 18 yet, she hasn't graduated yet, and she doesn't seem to smell me. Wait... Is he going to ask her to prom? f**k No!!

Before he can get any more out, I tap the back of his shoulder and ask, “Can I cut in?” A part of me wonders if she wanted to go with him. 

“Aria?” He asks her. Aria? That’s beautiful. She moves his body to take a look at who’s asking, and when our eyes meet, I see a blush creep up on her cheeks. I stretch out my hand, and without hesitation, she places hers in mine. 

“Sure,” she nods nervously. 

 I feel a sense of relief that she didn’t deny me a dance, but I still feel on edge about who that guy is to her. I wrap my hand possessively around her waist, and I pull her close. I want that other guy to know she's mine, even if she doesn't know it yet. I have her soft small hand in mine, and I feel the sparks. It feels better than I could have imagined. I never want to let go of her. I’ve never felt anything like this before. I want her more than anything. I've never wanted anyone or anything more. I didn't realize the mate bond connection would feel like this. 

“Sorry to interrupt your dance… So Aria, is it?” I ask. I'm trying to hold back the anger about her with that guy. Are they dating? I need to know. 

“Yes, and Liam, Right?” I nod. Her voice is like music to me. She can't be his. 

“Is he your… date or boyfriend or something?” I swear my heart stops until she answers. 

“Matt? No. He’s just a friend from my pack,” she says, and suddenly I can feel the tension just fade away. Thank you, Moon Goddess! I'm so relieved.  

“Which pack?” I wonder. 

“Red Rock.” Now I just need to know how long I have to wait for her to turn 18, so she can feel the effects of the mate bond. It’s against werewolf law for me to tell her that she is my mate before she turns 18. That law is in place to save younger wolves from being lied to and manipulated. She needs to figure it out on her own. I need to remain calm, and not blow this.

 “Hmm. How old are you?” I try and ask without sounding too eager.

“17.” 

 “When do you turn 18?”

 I need to know. Our eyes meet and it's like fireworks. I can tell she feels it too, even though she isn't 18 yet. This makes me so happy. I could stare into these intense green eyes all night, but I'm dying to know. “Well?” I ask. 

“Well what?” she responded. I see her cheeks are getting flushed. She looks so adorable, I love that I have his effect on her too. I repeat myself “When do you turn 18?” 

 “Oh, tomorrow actually. Well in a few hours now, technically.” It’s as if my heart stopped. Thank you Moon Goddess. Thank you! 

 “How old are you?” she asks.

 “22”  

“Really? You look older,” she says, brows furrowed. I look at my mate and study her. 

She’s so beautiful. I can't help but say it, “You look stunning Aria.” My heart is so full, I don't think I could get it all out, so I move closer and whisper, “I’ve never seen anything more beautiful.” I can feel her heart racing, and her face is flushed again.

“Wow? Uh, thank you,” she says, then our eyes lock again. Damn, I’m already weak to her. I'm putty in her hands.. I need her to be mine. The song comes to an end, and I need to make something up to get out of here until midnight. I don't want to leave her, but I can’t be around her and have her not be mine. 

 “I have to be somewhere, but I'll see you at the midnight run, Okay?” 

She nods, and I kiss her hand and I can’t help the smile on my face as I walk away.