Not Believing in Mates

Chapter 2 Melonie

This Gala could not end any faster for Melonie. After the first ten minutes, her sister ran off to flirt with boys and dance with her friends. Melonie didn’t have any friends, nor did she enjoy flirting with boys. Not that she knew how to flirt, that is. She had found a corner to brood in, scowling at any who dared to approach. It did well to keep others away, until one gentleman decided to approach regardless.

He was tall, in a dark green suit, holding two glasses of wine in his hands. Melonie just continued to glare, unimpressed. “Well aren’t you playing cold and unapproachable tonight? Every man here wants to know about the beauty in the corner.” He holds a glass out to her, hoping she would take it.

And Melonie? Well, of course she doesn’t. Taking a drink from a stranger? That sounded like she was asking to be drugged. She continued to glare, not speaking with him. Most of the time, this would sway the men to leave. But he was persistent, not even lowering his hand. “Don’t be that way. I’m not here to try and mate with you. Take the drink, you look like you could use it.”

Although she wished to stand strong and still decline, but she really could use a drink. The bar counter had been loaded, after all. Almost an hour had passed with no clearance for her to get her own drink. Keeping her arms crossed, she leaned forward to sniff the glass a bit, trying to see if she could smell anything other than wine, quite wary. The man gave a little chuckle, bringing it to his lips for a small sip before offering it to her again. “I didn’t put anything in it, see?” She narrowed her eyes further, but after a few seconds, she took the glass.

The man lifted his own wine in mimicry of a toast before taking a drink. Still hesitant, but looking forward to finally getting a drink, Melonie took a large sip of her own. Her eyebrows lifted as the liquid hit her tongue. “This is more than wine.” She finally spoke, being able to tell the deep taste of bourbon mixed with it. A laugh resonated from the man's throat at that, a little grin crossing his lips.

“One glass of wine didn’t look enough to take the tension off your face,” He moved closer to lean against the wall next to her. Melonie didn't respond again, just taking another big gulp of the alcohol in front of her. “Are you a warrior?” He asked, gesturing towards the scars littered across her arms. This only caused Melonie’s scowl to deepen, resisting the urge to shift her body away from him. He had already seen them, anyway. “Who wants to know?”

“Beta Derek of the Dawn Crescent pack,” his grin turned to a casual smile, “If you haven’t heard, we’ve recently been in a war with the Fangs of the East. Several packs have offered us aid while we rebuild our forces, but we prefer to take warriors who are willing rather than those instructed to help.” And now his coming to her little corner made a lot more sense.

“I am not,” she glances around before spotting the female warriors from her pack, most of whom were laughing around a table full of food and drinks. “I’ll tell you where to look for the warriors of Blood Moon pack, but only if you tell me how I can get accepted into your art study program.” She kept her voice steady and flat. She droped a bit of her normal icy bite in favor of the information she wanted.

Dawn Crescent was rumored to have the best art study program in thousands of miles. And as a musician? Getting into that program would be a dream. The Beta stood up a bit straighter, “And which area of the arts are you interested in, Miss...?”

“Melonie. Just Melonie. I intend to pursue a career in music, focusing on instrumentals and soundtracks.” She finished her glass, then focused entirely on the conversation. She wanted to know what she needed to get accepted. She needed to know. This was her future career, after all. Perhaps, just this once, the Gala would not have been a total waste of her time.

“The music program... It is far more exclusive than the others. Music is what brings people together, after all. Most who enter find themselves lacking the aptitude to ever succeed, leaving the program long before they even get a chance of stardom.” But Melonie’s determined gaze did not waver. “Our Head of the academy is here right now, should we go see him? He loves to find new talent.”

Although excitement started to seep in, so did her nerves. Meeting the head now? She didn’t have a portfolio with her, nor was she dressed how she would prefer to be for such an occasion. But if she passed up this opportunity? She may never get one again. Instead of dwelling on her fears, she gave a firm nod, agreeing that she wished to go meet him. Beta Derek offered his arm, “Shall we, then?” And Melonie reluctantly placed her arm on his, walking with him.

Occasionally, a few of Melonie’s pack members broke into whispers as they walked by. She was very well known for acting as a lone wolf, after all. Of course she belonged to the pack, but she never attended events when the option to skip was available. So to see her walking with another wolf? And not only that, but having allowed him to guide her? It certainly put them as the hot topic of the evening. Melonie could tell it was going to be a really long night.