Choosing Her Lycan Mate

Chapter 3

Izzy’s POV

This dress I’ve got for the ball tonight is absolutely fabulous, I think as I look at myself in the mirror. The shimmery magenta color compliments my skin tone very well, and it’s fitted all the way down to my hips where it suddenly flares out, and ends a couple of inches above the knees. It shows off my curvy bod, without being too risqué! I decide to leave my wavy honey blond hair loose and free, and wear just a touch of makeup to accentuate my best features. It is a look that clearly declares that I’m ready to party!

A knock at the door signals that it’s time to meet up with the other single she wolves at the top of the grand staircase for our dramatic entrance to the opening night ball. I just need to slip on my sexy glittery high heels and I’m ready to go party!

We all descend the stairs as a group, about a dozen of us together, with Queen Luna Tara in the lead. The spotlight is on us and I hear a couple of wolf whistles directed at us, how silly!

We all head towards one end of the ballroom where we will ostensibly be meeting up with wolves ready to dance with us. But I’ve already got my first partner all arranged, and my nephew Gavin steps up to me at once. I see the other she wolves are envious that I’m already being lead to the dance floor, the undeclared belle of the ball!

“Let’s keep it a little tame tonight,” I suggest in Gavin’s ear. “I don’t want the other wolves here thinking I’m easy!”

Gavin replies in the affirmative, and we begin dancing, with only a few other couples having made it onto the dance floor so far, including brother-in-law Leo and sister Amy, as well as Tara and her mate Devon, and Lucy and David. Before long, though, there are many couples gyrating to the music.

Gavin and I do a couple of moves that are borderline inappropriate, but nothing like how we danced at Lucy’s last birthday party! There are a lot of more mature wolves present at this event so I want other wolves looking at me as a desirable dance partner and not looking to censure me later. All body parts are kept more or less to ourselves. And it’s a good thing, too, since my guardians seem to be staying much closer to me this evening than I think necessary.

Gavin leads me off the dance floor after the first dance ends, and just as I suspected there were several wolves waiting and eager to dance with me!

I select a broody looking Romanian Prince to dance with next, who tells me his name is Theodor. He’s very handsome, with dark brown hair and eyes like dark chocolate. He is an excellent dancer, although his style and techniques seem a bit dated. Still, it was a very enjoyable dance, and his behavior was very gentleman like.

After Prince Theodor I had a couple other dance partners who were reasonable. One Alpha was getting handsy, though, and wanting me to go back to his room and hook up. I declined that dubious ‘honor’. I was planning to dance all night long!

After a couple of dances I took a little break to get some food and drinks from the buffet, which seemed to disappoint several wolves who were eager to lead me back to the dance floor. I’m going to need to keep my energy up, though, if I’m planning to dance all night!

One wolf in particular, a big handsome red headed Scottish wolf in a plaid kilt stayed especially close, and practically demanded that the next dance would be his. Oh, my!

“I’m Lycan King Douglas of Scotland,” he tells me in his wonderful deep voice with a beautiful Scottish accent. His eyes look me over with his stormy grey eyes as if he planned to do much more than just dance with me! I nearly wet myself, and could barely keep myself from drooling right in front of the gorgeous beast. “I’ll be your next dance partner, lassie!”

Oh, yeah! Laurel is saying in my head. Be sure to ask him to show you what he’s wearing underneath that kilt he’s got on!

“Alright!” I say, excited, but ignoring my wolf’s somewhat questionable advice. I put down my half eaten plate of food, and allow him to lead me to the dance floor. My other admirers are making sounds of disappointment behind us.

Lycan King Douglas wastes no time in getting his hands around me, grabbing my butt and pulling me close enough to feel his sporran. It is his sporran, right? I hope that its his sporran!

“You can call me Dougy, my little mate!” He tells me, as he spins me expertly around the dance floor, and I gasp out loud. “I can see how much you like to dance, but I think we need to find someplace quieter to get to know each other better, if you catch my meaning!”

“Wait, what makes you think I’m your mate?” I ask, since I honestly don’t know what he’s talking about. “I’m too young to scent out my mate yet!”

“Are you then?” He asks, obviously surprised. “Well, you can take my lycan Mac’s word for it. He says you’re my mate, and by the way you feel in my arms right now I don’t disagree!”

I’m not so sure about all this, and Laurel isn’t being much help. She claims she wouldn’t mind mating with the enormous Scottish Lycan King while we decide if we like him or not.

That’s not how it’s supposed to work! I inform my Lycan. Or is it? I might not have been the best student in school, but I thought a wolf or Lycan was supposed to prefer to mate only with their fated mate!

You’ll find that I’m not always like the other Lycans, honey!

I’m looking up at Dougy and trying to decide what to do, when he suddenly starts kissing me very passionately. It feels very nice, so I kiss him back. Soon, though, he begins to get overly excited at my apparent willingness, and I’m getting concerned that I’m in way over my head here as he picks me up and starts to carry me off of the dance floor.

“Where are we going?” I ask innocently.

“Back to my room, where we can mate!” He says boldly. Then I’m trying to get out of his strong muscular arms.

Oh honey, don’t fight this! This is going to be amazing! He’s got a magic wand under that kilt, waiting to cast a spell on us!

“But… I’m thirsty!” I say the first thing that pops into my head. “I should have something to drink!”

Dougy looks a little miffed at his thwarted plans for romance, but he can’t ignore a reasonable request… or can he?

“I’ll be right back,” he says, setting me down. “Don’t go anywhere!”

“Of course!” I tell him, but the minute he turns his back on me, I run right out of the open terrace doors, and out into the falling snow. I notice right away that I’m not dressed very well for the cold. I hope that the Scottish Lycan King doesn’t come after me.

Well, honey, if you don’t care for the Scottish king, I could find you another Lycan you could choose as your mate!

What? You can actually do that? That’s not really a thing, is it?

“Mate?” I hear someone nearby suddenly call out to me. I turn and look. A big hulking figure of a wolf stood there, looking stunned. Tall and trim but with very broad shoulders, short curly brown hair, kind hazel eyes, tanned skin and a very distinctive nose.

Well, honey, what do think of this Greek god of a Prince? Pretty tasty, am I right?

“I’m sorry, I don’t feel that!” I tell him, shaking my head. Then I turn and run. Which honestly wasn’t easy while wearing strappy little heels and running through the snow.

“Wait, please talk to me!” He calls after me, and I’m pretty sure he’s giving chase. Now I’m feeling stupid, because if he shifts into his Lycan and gives chase, he will catch me and it’ll be all over. He will mate with me right here in the snow the moment the chase is over! “I swear to it! You are my mate!”

Don’t you like the Greek Prince? I suppose I can give you another choice or two!

Oh, no! Why are you doing this to me? I spot two figures just up ahead, walking hand in hand through the snow. I take refuge with them, and thankfully it turns out to be Lucy and David!

I’m trying to explain to them what’s going on, although I honestly can’t say that I understand it, and in the meantime I find out that the name of the Greek Prince is Elias. And then King Douglas is right there, angry that I had ditched him while he went to get drinks. And as if this wasn’t bad enough, I hear yet another wolf behind us calling out “Mate!”, which turns out to be the Romanian Prince that I danced with earlier. They all begin to argue loudly around me.

“Why don’t we take this indoors, out of the snow?” David suggests. I like that idea, and immediately agree. Having several large beastly men arguing over me was getting scary, and I wanted to get away! Too bad they didn’t get the hint, and all three were following our slowly moving threesome towards the terrace, and then into the palace. And thank goddess we were soon joined by my sister and her mate!

How can you not be enjoying this? Laurel asks me. I thought you wanted all the wolves here to love you!