Daughter Of A Ruthless Alpha

CHAPTER 2

By the time we finally reach the ball, my heart is still racing, and it hasn’t slowed once the entire drive. It’s still pounding hard in my chest and it feels too loud, like everyone is going to hear it the second I step out of the car.

But then Ryker steps out first and he turns and holds his hand out to me. Everything steadies just a little.

I take it and I let him help me out of the limousine. The moment my heels touch the ground I look up. But I stop. Because this packhouse is nothing like ours.

Ours is a mansion and it’s cold and it’s quiet. It’s meant for status and appearances and nothing else. This place is alive. Lights spill from every window and voices echo faintly from inside. The whole building feels open, like it actually belongs to the pack.

Something tight twists in my chest and I force myself to look away. We move up the stairs together and the hosts greet us warmly. Ryker leads me inside like he’s done this a hundred times before. The ballroom steals the air right out of my lungs.

Candles flicker along every surface and fairy lights hang from the ceiling like stars. A massive chandelier glows in the center of the room.

Everything is gold and silver, and it shines and it’s almost too much to take in all at once. It’s beautiful.

Ryker lets out a quiet laugh beside me and I glance at him. He’s already watching my reaction.

“Yeah.” He says softly. “That’s about right.”

I don’t even respond because I can’t. Because my attention shifts again. The tables.

There’s a long stretch of food laid out across one side of the room and it looks like more than I’ve ever seen in one place before and Ryker doesn’t hesitate.

He guides me straight toward it like it was normal. He’s trying to make this normal and I cling to that.

But then I feel it. Eyes everywhere. I don’t look up. I don’t want to but I can feel them and it makes my skin prickle. My hands start to shake.

I focus on the plates in front of me and I try to breathe through it.

“Don’t you see it?” Ryker murmurs.

I glance at him. “See what?”

“This proves Dad wrong.” He says and there’s a quiet edge of satisfaction in his voice.

I frown slightly. “What are you talking about?”

“They’re not looking at me.” He says, nodding subtly around the room. “They see me every year. They’re looking at you.”

“Because you’re beautiful.” He adds simply. “And they can’t look away.”

Heat rushes to my face and I immediately turn back to the table pretending to be very interested in the food.

I don’t know what to do with that. I don’t know how to believe that. I’ve never been anywhere like this before and I’ve never been looked at like this. It feels wrong.

Or maybe it just feels unfamiliar. Dad never let me come to things like this. I was always better off at home. Out of sight and out of the way.

I reach for a plate and I start putting food on it just to give myself something to do and I’m focusing so hard on that that I don’t notice him at first.

But I feel him. And then I see him. And everything inside me goes cold.

“Hello, Summer.”

That voice and that smile. That same sick, twisted smile I’ve seen too many times before.

Alpha James steps in between me and Ryker like he belongs there and before I can react he grabs my hand too tight.

I try to pull away but he doesn’t let me.

“Hello, Alpha James.” I say, and my voice is steady but my heart is not. It’s slamming so hard it hurts.

“Your father told me you’d be here.” He says, his eyes locked on mine. “I’m so glad you came.”

“Well.” I manage, forcing a small smile. “I just turned eighteen. This is what we’re meant to do, right?”

“Yes.” He says softly. “Of course it is, Summer.”

My name sounds wrong coming from him. Everything about this feels wrong. His thumb starts moving over the back of my hand, slow and deliberate, and then he flips my hand over and traces my palm causing my skin to crawl.

I hate this. I hate him.

“And what are you doing here, Alpha James?” Ryker cuts in sharply. “Looking for that mate you can’t seem to find?”

James doesn’t even look at him. Not at first. His eyes stay on me like Ryker doesn’t exist.

That’s when Ryker steps forward and takes my other hand and he moves in front of me as his posture shifts.

It’s protective and dominant. A warning.

James finally glances at him and his lip curls slightly.

“No.” He says. “I was invited. The hosts thought it would be good to have older unmated wolves here. To show that no one should ever give up hope.”

The way he says it makes it sound like something else entirely.

“So true.” I add quickly. “You should never give up on your fated mate.”

Before I can react he takes my plate out of my hand.

“I insist you join me at my table.” He says. “I will not take no for an answer.”

My chest tightens again, and I glance at Ryker. I can see the anger building in him. But I also know we don’t have many options.

I don’t know anyone here. And everyone is still watching.

“Alright.” I say slowly. “But only if Ryker comes too.”

James’ eyes darken for a second. He doesn’t like that. Good. But after a pause, he nods.

“Of course.”

We follow him and I hate every step of it. The table is already full but they make room and the second I sit down James pulls his chair closer. Too close.

His leg presses against mine and I know it’s deliberate. I glance at Ryker. He’s three seats away. That’s too far.

I force myself to breathe and the second a waitress passes I grab a glass of champagne without thinking.

Ryker drops his head trying to hide his smile. I don’t even care. I need something to steady my hands. The conversation around the table turns to politics almost immediately and the men talk like I’m not even there.

Except for James. He doesn’t speak much. He just watches me. And it makes my skin crawl. I try not to look at him and I let my gaze drift across the room instead.

And that’s when I see him. Five men sit at a table near the hosts and the one in the center leans back in his chair. A beer bottle loose in his hand.

There’s something about him. Something that makes it impossible to look away. I’ve never seen him before but I know immediately that he matters.

That he’s important. That he’s dangerous and his eyes are locked onto mine.

And everything else fades. The room and the noise. The people are gone and he stands.

And my breath catches. He’s tall. At least six foot six and his hair is messy in a way that shouldn’t work but does, and his body is… unreal.

Like something carved instead of built. Like something dangerous. He starts walking toward me. And the closer he gets, the harder it is to breathe.

My fingers tighten around the edge of the table, and the room tilts slightly, and then honey.

The scent hits me all at once. Sweet and warm and overwhelming and my chest tightens painfully.

I can’t look away from his emerald green eyes. The most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen. Everyone at the table notices now. They turn and they watch.

James’ grip tightens painfully on my hand.

“Alpha Ethan.” He says stiffly. “I’m surprised to see you here.”

Ethan doesn’t look at him. Not properly. Not until he sees James holding my hand. And everything changes.

His eyes darken and his jaw tightens. When he finally speaks his voice is low and deadly.

“Unless you want to lose that hand.” He says, “You should let go of hers.”

I feel James hesitate for a moment befopre he releases me.

But instead of backing off he slides his arm around my shoulders.

“I don’t think this concerns you.” He says with a smirk.

And then it happens. So fast I barely process it. Ethan moves. His hand fists in James’ shirt and he drags him up out of the chair like he weighs nothing. The chair crashes to the ground behind him.

James’ feet leave the floor. And the entire room goes silent. Ethan leans in and his grip tightened. His voice sharp and filled with something raw.

“Don’t you ever touch my mate again.”