The Hunt

Fear the Living

“Where the hell have you been!” I heard Alaine’s’ voice outside the bathroom door.

“I was jogging,” I yelled in the shower, not sure if she could hear me over the running water.

“You were out for almost three hours! Your dress arrived an hour ago, and I was running around the place trying to find you. We have to start getting ready,” she squeals, so excited I am surprised she didn’t break into the bathroom just to drag me out.

“Getting ready?” I open the door as I pull a robe over my dripping wet body. “The ball starts at seven, and it’s not even nine yet.”

“Yes, but we have so much to do!” she pushes past me into the bathroom and shoves a huge black garment bag into my arms. “And you haven’t even tried on your dress after the alterations, what if it doesn’t fit!”

“I’m sure it will fit,” I turned to her smiling as she started messing with her beautiful raven hair in the mirror.

“Your bruises are almost gone already,” she claps her hands as she looks me over. “You will look absolutely stunning tonight!”

“As will you,” she somehow infects me with her excitement, and I find myself jumping up and down in anticipation. “I really needed something like this to distract me.”

“Are you nervous?” she asks. “This must be all new to you, and you didn’t seem really up for it.”

“Not really,” I smile as memories flood me like a tsunami once again. “The town that I lived in had some sort of obsession with this type of events: father-daughter dances, masquerades, founders’ balls, pageants. Be warned, I am some-what an expert at ballroom dancing,” I finished, giving her an over the top curtsy.

She bursts out laughing, and I can’t help but join in. Everything is so easy going with Alaine, it’s like we’ve been friends our whole lives. It’s weird how I’ve only known her for a week and already feel like I could share my deepest, darkest secrets with her. Talking to her feels almost like talking to a sister. At first, it made me feel guilty. Like I was trying to replace Miranda, but I know that no one could ever replace her. And I wasn’t really trying to do that. But I need human connection. The months that I had spent on my own, I was starting to lose the part of me that made me human. I was becoming cold and calculated to the point where it didn’t matter what or who I had to sacrifice to reach my goal. I didn’t like that part of me. And it made me scared of what I would have become if I had never come here.

We spend the day getting ready, painting each other’s nails, listening to music, gossiping, and giggling. Alaine prepared me for what to expect tonight and I no longer could feel the uneasiness that I had woken up with today. I know that it will still be awkward, me being the only human in the mansion filled with werewolves, but Alaine ensured me that she wouldn’t be leaving my side the whole night.

The time flew by and it was almost seven. I’m standing in front of a mirror in my room checking if everything’s in order before leaving my room. I look so normal, like my old self. It could almost be easy to trick myself into believing that my world is not destroyed and that I’m not shattered into pieces.

My hair is up in a loosely braided bun with a few careless strands framing my face. My mother's necklace sitting right below my collar bone. Dark smokey eye look and a dark red matte lip. I don’t like heavy make-up, but I must admit, Alaine did a bang-up job. Only one thing is missing. I step into the bathroom and take out my contact lenses. I was never ashamed of my eye color, but for some reason, my parents always wanted me to wear colored lenses. My dad wore them as well. We have the same eyes. One sterling gray with violet specks, the other dark brown with an amber ring around the iris. Looking at myself again, I feel fierce, and I know that whatever tonight throws at me, I will be able to handle.

I stepped into the room and scanned over the faces, trying to find Alaine. Instead, my eyes landed on Alarick, his ice blue eyes already on me. A fire dancing in them. Before I can look away, he starts making his way towards me and I feel unable to move. And unwilling.

“You look like a dream come true,” he whispers in my ear, leaning in so close I can taste his scent in my mouth. “You’re the most beautiful girl in the room,” he picks up my hand and once again places a tender kiss on my knuckles, sending shivers down my spine.

“You should wear a suit more often,” I looked him up and down, letting my eyes wander slowly before meeting his gaze again.

“If you keep looking at me like that, miss Sealgair, I just might have to wear it every day,” he smiles in a way that awakens butterflies in my stomach, making them dance. “Would you honor me with a dance?”

I gave him a smile as I nodded and in the next second, I was already pulled into his embrace, moving in Viennese waltz steps. We’re closer than we’ve ever been before, too close for a proper ballroom dance. The feeling of total and utter surrender overtakes me, and I completely give into him. Into his control. Everyone else in the room disappears as we move, not taking our eyes away from each other.

“When’s your birthday?” his lips slightly brushed my ear as he whispered.

“First of June,” I answered in a daze, my lips just barely touching his as I turned my face towards his. “Why?”

“It’s going to be the longest May of my life,” he groans in frustration.

His grip on my waist tightens, and I’m left speechless. I can feel his other hand moving up and settling in my hair. He looks at me, eyes full of need and desire, and the next thing I know his lips crash into mine with such hunger I can barely remain standing. As soon as I start kissing him back, he deepens our connection, pulling me even closer with his arm on my waist, our bodies completely flushed together. The kiss was like nothing I had ever experienced before. People talk about fireworks. This was an explosion. Every cell of my body felt alive and the places he touched tingled with electricity. It was like two lightning bolts crashing together, sending waves of energy with uncontrollable power. Words cannot describe the craving I feel for him and the emptiness he leaves as he pulls away slightly, our faces now barely inches away. I immediately feel naked without his lips on mine and a shiver runs down my body.

“That was…” I whispered breathless into his lips, unable to finish the sentence.

“Indescribable,” he whispers back, lifting my chin up with his thumb and index finger.

The moment is quickly spoiled as someone taps Alarick on the shoulder, and he lets out an annoyed, animalistic growl before turning around and pulling me with him under his arm. Darius, with a silly grin plastered over his face, glanced between the two of us. Lana is standing at his side, mimicking his expression. And of course, Monica is right there with them, tossing daggers at me with her eyes. If it weren’t for everyone else around us, I’m sure she would have jumped me right here, right now. Darius straightens up before he starts speaking and his expression changes to a serious one. I don’t know what happened, but it can’t be good.

“We have an unexpected guest,” he says and his jaw clenches.

“Who?” with just that one word he commands such authority, I can feel everyone around us tense up.

“It’s a fang, and it wants to speak to you.”

They exchange a look as if they’re communicating through their pack link. I have seen Alaine do it before. Their eyes glaze over, and they look like their mind is somewhere far away. For some reason they want to leave me out of this conversation, and I don’t like it. But I know better than to throw a temper tantrum, so I leave my face emotionless and push down any feelings of annoyance. I’m sure that I will be included if this concerns me. Alarick glanced at me and I could see concern in his eyes. He pulls me in closer before speaking again.

“I need to take care of something,” he moves a rogue strain of hair out of my eyes with his thumb and lets it linger on my cheek, brushing it lightly up and down. “Find Alaine and stay with her, I’ll be back before you notice it,” he peppers my forehead with light kisses before letting go.

I watched Alarick leaving the room, Monica following right at his heels. She turns around before going through the door with a victorious smile that quickly disappears as her eyes meet with mine. I know that he has never kissed her the way that he kissed me today, and she knows that I know. I guess I had just won the first battle. I turned around before she disappeared into the doorway and moved into the crowd.

Someone grabs my arm from behind me and I turn suddenly to see Alaines’ beaming face. She’s absolutely glowing with excitement and the realization washes over me. I had just kissed Alarick dead in the middle of a ballroom full of people. Thank the gods for the foundation I’m wearing because otherwise my face would match perfectly with my dress.

“Details, woman!” she squeezes my hands so hard I almost wince. “When did you start hooking up with my brother and why haven’t you told me?”

“I’m not hooking up with your brother,” I tried to keep my voice down and hint to her to do the same. “This is the first time we have kissed.”

“Well, you know how to make an entrance,” she giggles. “So, what now? When’s the wedding?”

“Please don’t blow this out of proportion, you said it yourself, Alarick isn’t serious when it comes to relationships. He probably just wants to get me out of his system,” the words leave a bitter taste on their way out, and I feel my chest tightening with pain.

“Well, he seems to be pretty serious about you. I have never seen him touching Monica in public. Not to mention kissing,” her disgusted expression at the thought of the act matches my feelings exactly. “I haven’t even seen him dance with anyone at these events either. And the way that he held you… He practically claimed you in front of everyone in the room,” she giggles again.

“I honestly don’t know what that even means, and please can we stop talking about this before I die from embarrassment?”

“Hey, I’m just happy for my brother,” she gives me a quick hug before grabbing two glasses of prosecco from a waiter passing by, placing one of them in my hand. “Let’s get this party started!” she finishes clicking our glasses together and we both take a sip simultaneously.

We’re not left alone for too long before I see Lana pushing her way towards us. I pull Alaine with me as I start making my way towards her, meeting her halfway.

“You need to come with me,” her voice was urgent, but gentle as always.

“Does that include me?” Alaine pipes up.

“Can you promise to stay behind me and Darius?” Lana raised a brow.

“Cross my heart and hope to die,” Alaine giggles, but seeing Lana remain silent, she just nods her head eagerly.

“Fine, follow me.”

We moved through the hallway towards Alaricks’ office. Our heels click-clacking in union. I don’t know what’s waiting for me there, and I have this feeling at the pit of my stomach that makes my skin crawl. A sweet scent surrounds me as we get closer and closer to the door. My head is spinning, though I don’t know if I should blame the bubbles or the memories that the smell brings up. As Lana opens the heavy office door and I see a familiar figure standing in front of Alarick, it hits me like a ton of bricks. Lilac and honey. The woman turns around and all I can do is blink in disbelief. My lips move, and my eyes sting with tears. It’s so quiet I can hear my own heartbeat in my ears. It’s beating like a drum louder and louder before I hear myself speak.

“Mom?”