LUNAR BOND: The Alpha's Luna

The big shocker pt 1.

While outside, I wasted no time dialing Harley's number and filling her in on the new development. As expected, she couldn't contain her excitement and started squealing. Typical Harley!

We met shortly at a nearby boutique to shop for dresses. I was initially worried because I didn't have a dress. Most of my clothes consisted of hoodies and denim pants. But I decided to go all out.

I was a broke girl, but I was determined to spend some money on a decent dress. So, I had withdrawn a large sum of money from my account before meeting up with Harley.

We shopped for beautiful gowns, shoes, and other accessories before leaving the store. I will be meeting her later tonight at her house.

I went straight home and noticed the mailman leaving our mailbox, which made me frown. The mailman has been visiting our house more often than usual lately.

I walked over to the mailbox, opened it, and found a white envelope addressed to Claire Rhodes. It was from the bank, and I wondered if something was wrong. I picked it up and took it inside with me.

Upon stepping into the kitchen, I spotted my aunt by the counter, cooking. It was a rare occurrence, as she usually didn't spend much time in the kitchen, unless she was really hungry or had plans to go out earlier than usual.

A deep frown appeared on her face as soon as she saw me. "Where have you been?"

"Busy," I replied simply, depositing my school bag on a chair and hastily moving to the counter to join her, still holding the envelope.

She raised an eyebrow in response to my curt reply. "With school work," I added quickly, carelessly placing the envelope on the counter before busying myself with chopping onions.

She cast a suspicious look at the envelope. "What's that?"

"Oh, I think it's for you. It was in the mail."

She looked at me nervously, grabbing the envelope from the table. "You should finish up here." She washed her hands and disappeared upstairs, clutching the envelope tightly.

I wondered what she was up to now. She was acting a little strange.

Well, I have to get this done quickly. I've got a dance to prepare for. I could hear the devilish twins chattering away about how excited they were about the dance.

At some point, Annabel boasted about how she would definitely get the attention of Dennis tonight, and I had to stifle a laugh from escaping.

Little did they know, they were in for a surprise. They actually thought I wouldn't be attending the dance.

After dinner, my aunt left to do her usual thing, going off to get wasted and gamble away. About an hour later, the twins left the house, all dressed up for the dance. Honestly, I couldn't have cared less about what they were wearing.

Without wasting any time, I got to work. I took a quick shower, brushed my teeth, and neatly packed my clothes and accessories into a bag before zipping them up. I grabbed my bag and headed towards Harley's house.

I knew my aunt wouldn't be home until tomorrow, and as for the twins, they always stayed out late when they went to parties. It was nothing out of the ordinary for them. I was pretty confident that I would be the first one to arrive.

When I reached Harley's house, I walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. I waited patiently as the door swung open, revealing Harley's mom, a tall woman in her late 40s.

Her face had the same stern expression I remembered, which was one of the main reasons I rarely visited Harley. I always felt like her mom disliked me for some reason. It was as if she regarded me with contempt.

"You're Alice, right?" Her question came a bit late, as she had been staring at me intensely, sizing me up, and not at all smiling. She leaned against the door frame, making her presence even more intimidating.

"Yes, ma'am," I replied, shifting nervously from one foot to the other under her piercing gaze. "I let Harley know I was coming. She's aware."

"Hmm," she murmured to herself, her sharp gaze still fixed on me. "You're almost 18, correct?"

"I'm sorry?" I gave her a perplexed look. I was confused as to why she was interrogating me instead of letting me in.

"I said..."

"Alice," Harley interjected, appearing in the doorway just in time. I breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of her. "You're here." Then she turned to her mother. "Mom, I invited her." She gave her mother a suspicious look.

The air grew tense with silence, and for a few moments, it felt like they were having a silent conversation through their eyes.

"Um," I began awkwardly, "maybe I should come another day."

"Nonsense," said Alice as she brushed past her mother, reaching for my hands. "You're coming with me." She eagerly dragged me inside, heading towards the stairs.

I couldn't help but take a quick glance back at Harley's mother, curious about her reaction. She had a peculiar expression on her face, and her eyes seemed to hold some kind of secret, leaving me wondering what it could be.

Once we reached Harley's room, all tension seemed to fade away. We both decided to put the earlier issue aside and focus on getting ready for the dance.

We assisted each other with our hair and then proceeded to put on our dresses. Harley looked stunning as she slipped into a chiffon dress with intricate beading, featuring an off-shoulder neckline and a full A-line skirt.

I put on my silver-sequin, satin sweetheart neckline dress, which had a mermaid-style skirt that hugged my figure and brought out the curves that are usually hidden behind my baggy denim pants. I paired them with red stiletto shoes.

"Oh my!" Harley caught her breath as she stared at me lovingly. "You look so beautiful, Alice."

"Thank you, Harles. And you're looking gorgeous as always."

I looked in the mirror and nodded in satisfaction. This was the best I had ever had.

As usual, I packed my hair in a bun, leaving a few strands out. I liked how bright my face looked, especially tonight, and I hoped Dennis would like it too.

"He's here, Al." Harley returned to her room, squealing excitedly. "You should get going. I'll meet you at the venue."

I thanked her before rushing downstairs. I reached for the door, swiftly opening it, and caught my breath when I saw him standing outside.

He was dressed in a blue blazer jacket, a white t-shirt, and black pants. The blue jacket accentuated his dark and alluring complexion, and I didn't miss his reaction upon seeing me. He swallowed and then half turned away from me, as though trying to hide his expression.

"You look so beautiful," he complimented, his eyes crinkling with a smile.

My cheeks turned a shade of pink, and I felt a flutter in my senses. "Thanks," I managed to say.

"Shall we?" He extended his hand, and I took it as he ushered me into his silver Lamborghini, one of his numerous luxurious cars.

The drive to the school dance was mostly quiet. Every time I stole a glance at Dennis, there was an air of rigidity about him. His mouth was compressed in a tight line as he gripped the steering wheel hard, leaving me a little puzzled.

I would have preferred it if we chatted and got familiar with each other, but I was still content sitting there with him.

Finally, we arrived at the venue. After stepping out of his car, I half expected him to come and open the door for me, but he didn't. So I opened it myself and stepped out.

I was pleased, though, when he reached for my arm and tucked it into his before we entered the party hall.

As we stepped into the hall, the scene changed. The music faded in my ears as crowds of students turned to look at us. My heart began pounding in my chest, and my legs trembled a little.

The students stared in shock at our unexpected pairing, whispers echoing throughout the hall. They were wondering how this happened. Some were in disbelief, unable to process what they were seeing. Dennis's female admirers glared at me with scornful jealousy.

I stiffened, but Dennis gave my hand a little squeeze. Drawing comfort from it, I relaxed a little as we stopped in a corner on the far right of the hall.

On a table, there were all sorts of cool refreshments. "Lemonade?" he asked, pointing at the table, and I nodded.

He took a glass of lemonade, placing it in my hand, before taking another for himself.

He sipped on his lemonade. "Cool party," he said, allowing his gaze to rove over the hall. "Although," he stared into his lemonade, "we seem to be the center of attention."

"Yeah." The lemonade sloshed in my glass as I followed his gaze, observing the curious gazes still fixated on us. "I think they're not pleased to see me standing next to you."

His lips tilted as he fought a smile. "Uh-huh." He grinned in amusement. "Don't let it bother you."

A shy smile touched my pink lips as I ran a hand through my hair and tucked it behind my ears.

It was surreal standing here with Dennis. I didn't know how to react or what to say. He was staring at me now, and I looked away, too shy to meet his gaze.

The air grew tense, and there was a bit of awkward silence as our gazes locked.

Finally, Dennis set his glass down on the table and stretched out his hand to me. "Care for a dance?" His blue orbs gleamed mischievously.

Color rose into my cheeks, and due to my nervousness, I gulped down the whole lemonade in one go before setting the glass down and taking his hand.

He led us to the dance hall, and "All of Me" by John Legend was playing.

He put his arm around my waist, and I was amazed at the tangle of emotions roiling inside me. His keen gaze was intent on me, never leaving my face for a second. I felt on top of the world.

I had been dreaming about a day like this, dancing with Dennis under the bright lights, his arms around my waist and my arms around his shoulders.

And then we would finally kiss. A smile fluttered on my face involuntarily, and a smile curled his lips as if he could read my thoughts. Color invaded my cheeks.

He reached forward and touched my hair, pushing it back from my cheek. My stomach was in knots as my lashes fluttered.

Suddenly, "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran was playing, and I was aware of a feathery ripple near my heart.

"Hmm." He cupped my chin in his hand and looked straight into my green eyes. "You're the most beautiful girl tonight."

I was flustered, averting my gaze as my heart thudded hard. He cupped my cheek this time, forcing me to meet his gaze, and slowly he brought his face down.

His lips, moist and warm, were on mine as he ravished my mouth with pleasure. I quivered, and the fire of my own passion was kindled. I couldn't take it anymore.

"Sorry." My cheeks were as red as a tomato as I broke off the kiss and ran to the bathroom.