A Midnight Mistletoe: The Alpha King’s Mark

The lights are too bright... They flash relentlessly above me in white, gold, red..., blurring together until my eyes sting and water. Music pounds through the floor, the bass vibrating straight into my bones, loud enough that it feels impossible to think. Everywhere I turn, bodies press close together, moving carelessly, drunk on noise and heat and the illusion that nothing bad can happen tonight. The air is thick. Alcohol. Cigarette smoke. Weed. Cheap perfume. Sweat. It clings to my skin and crawls into my lungs, making my chest feel tight, making me restless in a way I can’t explain. I shouldn’t be here. That thought has been whispering to me all night, growing louder with every passing minute. I tug at the hem of my dress, suddenly too aware of how exposed I feel, how small I feel in a room full of people who look like they belong. I scanned the crowd again, standing on the edge of the dance floor, searching for Ethan’s familiar dark hair, his crooked smile. He promised he wouldn’t disappear tonight. Promised he’d stay close, that this party was “just for a bit.” I don’t see him. A tight knot forms in my stomach. I tell myself I’m overthinking it. Ethan has always been social. Always the kind of man who drifts easily from group to group, collecting laughs and attention without even trying. Still, unease crawls up my spine... I step away from the dance floor, weaving through bodies slick with sweat and laughter. Someone bumps into me hard enough to spill beer down my arm. “Sorry,” they shout, already turning away. I wipe my skin with the back of my hand, irritation simmering beneath the surface. I just want to find Ethan and leave this damned place. Before I could take another step, I felt a hand close around my wrist. “Elara.” I turn sharply, annoyance flaring and then faltering. Ashley sways in front of me, her blonde curls falling loose, mascara smudged beneath glassy eyes. She smells like alcohol, strong and sharp, like she’s been drinking since before I arrived. “Hey,” I say carefully. “Are you okay?” She laughs, the sound brittle and uneven. “If I were you,” she slurs, leaning closer than necessary, “I’d save myself the stress and dump that fucker.” My stomach drops. “What?” I pull my hand free. “Ashley, you’re drunk.” “And you’re blind,” she mutters, lifting her cup in a crooked toast before nearly losing her balance. I reach out automatically to steady her. “What are you talking about?” Her grip tightens on my arm, surprising me with the sudden clarity in her eyes. “Go upstairs,” she says quietly. “Trust me.” A chill runs through me, as dread settles in the pit of my stomach. Before I could ask what she meant, she pulled away, disappearing back into the crowd as if she never said anything at all. I stood there for a moment, my heart beating too fast. Then I head for the stairs. Each step feels heavier than the last. The music dulls as I climb, replaced by the sound of laughter and clinking glasses. My palms are damp, my chest tight, dread pooling low in my stomach for reasons I don’t want to name. I reach the top of the stairs, and then I see it... The lipstick, not on his mouth, but on the rim of the glass in his hand. Red. Glossy. Fresh. Then the world tilts... For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. Christmas lights blink softly overhead, their warm glow blurring as a sharp burn stings my eyes. Laughter fills the room, loud and careless, mocking the way something inside my chest cracks open without a sound. Ethan doesn’t see me at first. He’s standing near the balcony doors, leaning close to a woman I don’t recognize. His hand rests on her waist like it belongs there... Casual, familiar, possessive, like it’s done a hundred times before. Maybe it has... I stand frozen at the top of the stairs, clutching the gift I brought him so tightly my fingers ache. Gold wrapping paper crinkles beneath my grip, the red ribbon still perfectly tied. I chose it carefully... I thought it meant something... Someone laughs nearby.... Someone clinks beer bottles together... Someone makes a stupid Christmas joke about mistletoe and bad decisions... Someone whispers my name... The room keeps breathing, keeps living... Then Ethan turns, our eyes meet. For half a second and his face goes pale. That’s all the confirmation I needed. I don’t wait for excuses. I don’t wait for explanations. I don’t wait for lies. I turn and walk away. No one stops me. The cold slams into me the moment I step outside, sharp and merciless. Snow falls thick and heavy, swirling through the air like the sky itself is trying to bury something ugly. The door slams shut behind me, the sound swallowed almost instantly. Faint Christmas carols drift from somewhere down the street, soft and distant. Cruel. I walk. I don’t know where I’m going I only that I can’t stay there. That house is full of laughter and betrayal and things I don’t want to see again. My breath comes out in uneven clouds as I move farther from the noise. Houses thin out. Streetlights fade one by one until the road is swallowed by shadow. Trees rise around me, dark and skeletal, their bare branches clawing at the sky. I hugged myself, trying to stop the shaking. Just keep walking, I tell myself. You just need air. Then I hear it... A howl... Low, deep... It slices through the silence, raising the hairs along my arms. I froze, my feet no longer functioning. My heart slams violently against my ribs. It’s nothing, I tell myself. Probably just a dog or a coyote. Another howl answers it. Closer this time... Panic blooms in my chest, sharp and suffocating. I turn abruptly, adrenaline flooding my veins... And my foot suddenly slips. I hit the ground hard, pain exploding through my ankle as I crashed into the frozen snow. Cold fills my mouth, stealing my breath. I cough, scrambling clumsily, but my leg refuses to cooperate. Fear roots me in place. A shadow moves between the trees... Tall... Massive... Golden eyes catch the moonlight, glowing unnaturally bright... I scream unable to breathe as panic sets in. Something crashes through the darkness so fast, violent, unstoppable. My heart stutters painfully as it lunges toward me... But the pain never comes. Instead, arms wrap around me. Strong. Burning hot. I gasp as I’m pulled against a solid chest, warmth radiating through me in sharp contrast to the cold. The world tilts violently as I’m lifted off the ground. A man’s voice cuts through the chaos in my mind. Deep. Furious. Possessive. “Mine.” The word echoes through me, heavy and undeniable, sinking into places I don’t understand. My body reacts before my mind can... My breath stuttering, my pulse racing wildly. Golden eyes flash above me... No, his eyes. And for a heartbeat, I swear they aren’t human at all. Then darkness closes in, consuming me into a black pull...