TBMA [Complete ✔️]

22. Dance

Rosalie's P.O.V

Zane didn't spare anyone else a glance as he entered, his gaze immediately meeting mine, causing my cheeks to redden and Rain to perk up with joy. He was wearing a suit with a red Christmas tie that had reindeers on it. He should have looked silly mixing elegant with childish, but I was afraid to admit how well he pulled it off.

He pushed through the crowd, which went back to dancing and pretending they weren't staring, Zane taking long strands until he was inches away from me. His scent got rid of any other ones in the huge room, my knees nearly buckling from the pressure of pretending it didn't affect me.

I may not want a mate, but I was still a wolf, and unfortunately, the Goddess made it hard for mates to resist each other, no matter how badly the mate bonds end.

"May I pretend to have this dance but stumble the whole time, instead?" He asked, outstretching his hand for me to take. I took a small glance at the staring faces, then at the way Zane was so obviously nervous I was going to push him away again, and took his hand.

My stomach churned at the way his face lit up like a Christmas tree, then continued to do backflips as he pulled me closer to take a whiff of my scent. I pretended not to notice the way my body perfectly curled against his as if it was created to be held by him, which in a way, it was. I tried to look anywhere but at our connected hands, mine once again molding perfectly against his.

"What are you doing?" I hissed quietly in his ear, pretending to lean in. "They're all watching!" I added, face heating up again.

"I know." He pulled back to show me his grin. "But I'd do the same if they weren't." By now, my face and a tomato could not be told apart, the backflips my stomach was doing becoming harder to ignore.

I tried to hide my face from him by staring at our shoes as we danced, miserably failing as he tried to pull us apart. He attempted to spin me, knowing the move would reveal my red cheeks, removing his one hand from mine once it didn't work. Before I could see where his hand was going, he gently gripped my chin, tilting it upwards until my eyes met his.

They were a beautiful blue, I had noticed even when we were mere pups. They looked like an ocean on a clear day, like a peaceful sea unbothered by visitors. They were such an incredible blue it made it hard to look away.

Get a grip, Rosalie!

I bit my lip harshly, careful not to wince at the strength I used in doing so. I needed to be careful about how I acted around him as I would hate to disappoint him by giving him false hope. I couldn't keep dancing with him, nor could I be this close with the way our souls called to each other.

"Am I making you blush, Angel?" He smiled innocently, while I scoffed.

"No." Zane let out a quiet chuckle, his arms moving to rest on my waist, the action causing goosebumps to raise across my skin. I stiffened under his touch, the room suddenly too crowded, too small, the air too little. "It's-its because there's so many, um, wolves watching us!" I stammered, attempting to save myself.

"Right, of course, how could I have assumed otherwise." He mumbled, not believing a word I said.

I didn't blame him, I didn't either.

Comfortable silence, maybe too comfortable, stretched between us, as I was too exhausted to keep fighting him, especially in front of everyone. His hands remained on my waist, a voice reminding me I was giving him false hope, that I would later regret this, but another part of me, my wolf, to be exact, was calmer than she had ever been, making it impossible to let go.

Wolves continued to stare at the show we were putting on throughout the night, trying to get an insight into our bond, or the lack of it. The fight we had with my brother had no doubt been heard by the whole house, by now by the whole pack, as much as I didn't want to think about it.

"You never told me what you were doing here?" I reminded him, breaking the silence before I lost my mind. With the absence of a conversation to hold, all I could think about was the spot where his hands rested, the butterflies trying to fight out of their cage inside my stomach, the heat in my cheeks, the happiness and peace in both of our wolves, and him, I thought about him.

"I couldn't leave my mate alone on her first dance, could I?" I snorted.

"Oh, please, you didn't lie about the stumbling part, you can't seriously refer to this as dancing!" He flashed his teeth at me before sticking his tongue out like the child he was.

"But I'm here!" That he was. "And as hot as ever!" I shook my head, not admitting but also not denying his statement.

"You might as well be drooling over him, Miss I don't want a mate!" Rain rolled her eyes, her gaze switching back to the spot we were supposed to mark him in. "There should be a mark there!" She whined before I shut her out.

I needed to leave. As hard as it was, the damage I would keep doing if I stayed would be harder to live with. Not only was I going to hurt Zane and Zion, but Rain too. I didn't want a mate, I would do well to remember that.

His presence, his scent this close was making it hard to think, hard to remember why I didn't want one in the first place, he made me forget, even if for a short while, all the ways my life could be destroyed if he became a permanent member in it.

And that's what terrified me.

"But he's here and he's been here!" Rain pushed through the barrier, the act not too hard now. Pushing a mate away and resisting a bond exhausted the body and weakened the strength of a wolf, both in human and wolf form, as I've begun to notice. "He's been here much more than the brother we keep forgiving." I kept quiet, silently pushing away from Zane.

This time, he let me, dropping his hands beside his body with a frown.

"Thank you for coming but I've gotta go!" I mumbled quickly, storming out while trying not to catch too much attention. I grabbed my coat and purse before exiting the building, the night cold even for a werewolf with Alpha blood.

I began walking back home, knowing that if I waited for the driver to pick me up, Zane would insist on driving me himself, and even if the driver did show up, he'd be able to smell him on me and no doubt report it to his Alpha afterward.

For the good of everyone, my walk and the night breeze would do wonders to get rid of unnecessary scents.

Unfortunately for me, however, nothing was ever as easy as I wanted it to be, Zane already catching up to me with his car, honking for me to get in. When I didn't, he rolled the window down, rolling his eyes along with it.

"Just get in!" He waved his hand, showing me the spot next to him as if I couldn't see it was empty.

"I don't need a ride," I answered, continuing to walk, annoyance seeping through every pore of mine as he kept driving slowly behind me. "Quit following me, Zane!" I snapped.

"Or you'll what? Get in the car? Tell the Alpha?" I grumbled, noticing a few of the wolves from the party had started leaving as well.

Zane followed my gaze, smirking.

"It would be such a shame if someone were to raise their voice and press the car horn right now." He mused, making me wish I could wipe the stupid smirk off his face.

"You wouldn't dare!" I narrowed my eyes.

"Watch me!" He did the same in return.

My gaze kept challenging him to go through with his plan, face paling as he actually honked and didn't stop until I got in, slamming the door.

"i***t," I mumbled under my breath, clutching my purse to my chest and staring out the window, so I wouldn't have to look at his handsome, idiotic face.

"Not a thief." He grabbed the purse from me, throwing it into the backseat as I rolled my eyes again. "And I prefer persuasive i***t with a hot, scratch that, very hot, face, thank you very much."

"Keep grinning at me like that and I'll punch the teeth out of your mouth one by one." He finally stopped grinning and smirking, becoming my turn to do so.

Zane purposefully drove slower than ever, making the drive from a short one to almost triple the amount of what it usually took.

"At this rate, snails will get home faster than we will!" I grumbled.

"Have you always been this impatient, Angel?" I kept quiet, annoyed that my remarks only seemed to give him the green light to become more annoying.

We finally reached the house, but the child in the seat next to me kept driving, smirking as he waited for me to yell at him. I ignored it, and him, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of reacting when he provoked me.

My head rested against the window as he drove, the car lulling me to sleep. I tried my hardest to stay awake, telling myself I'll close my eyes just to give them a bit of rest, but still ended up dozing off.

A/N

Hi, Treasures! Make sure you join my F-a-c-e-b-o-o-k group Teddy's Treasures for extra content and discussions! This chapter was so fun for me to write, for some reason! Which couple do you prefer - Dalia and Knox or Zane and Rose?