Della and Cori stood outside the Montgomery mansion, hidden behind a row of parked vehicles, watching the guests as they paraded through the entrance. None other than the Alpha King himself stood at the grand entrance, greeting every guest with a smile. His eyes scanned the crowd, as though looking for someone. Probably his next conquest.
"There are so many werewolves here," Cori whispered.
"You will be fine, just stick with me," Della reassured her, though she was feeling far from confident. She looked beautiful, her long blonde hair styled in a simple, elegant updo, with a few stray curls framing her face. Her body had recovered quickly, but she was extremely self conscious about her chest.
"They are all going to know," she muttered. Cori laughed.
"What did you say? Fuck them, who cares what a bunch of snooty werewolves say. I say we go for it." Cori grabbed her hand and pulled a reluctant Della towards the line of people waiting to get in.
"Where are Jared and Eva?" Della asked, before realizing they were probably inside, filling glasses with werewolf moonshine. "Never mind, I am sure they are already inside."
They stood at the back of the line, and Della's heart sank when she saw a familiar face not ten feet from her. Alpha Dustin Edgewater, with a beautiful she-wolf hanging on his arm. She was the first one to notice Della, recognizing her from the past galas they had attended.
"Della!" She called out, and Della smiled and waved. Dustin refused to look at her, at first. Then their eyes met, and she saw a sadness in them, maybe even regret. She smiled at him, and made sure no one was looking before flipping him off. The sadness quickly turned to anger, and he turned his back to her, stomping towards the front of the line, paying several werewolves to allow him to cut in. Sheila, his date, gave her an apologetic look and followed him. Della noticed the sparkly ring on her finger. Sheila was beautiful werewolf from a Beta family, she guessed he had taken her as a chosen mate to provide a Luna for his pack. Della felt sorry for her. She probably had no idea what she was getting herself in to.
Cori was staring after the two of them, a strange look on her face. She quickly snapped out of it, and high fived Della. "That was awesome," she told her, "although I can't believe you flipped off an Alpha."
"He's not worthy of the title," she muttered, then decided she would not be outdone. "Follow me," she said to Cori. She sauntered past the line of guests, walking right up to the Alpha King himself.
"Della!" He exclaimed. "How lovely to see you!"
"Hello, your highness. I have a favor to ask. The heat out here is making my dear friend a bit lightheaded, and I was wondering if we might be allowed in so she can find a suitable place to sit." Cori caught on and grabbed Della's arm, as though she might faint at any moment.
"Of course! Go on in," he personally escorted them through the entrance, and the response from those still waiting was immediate.
"Isn't that Della Draven? I heard she went rogue."
"She didn't go rogue, she went to study at a human university."
"What's the difference?" The snarky comments and snickers annoyed Sheila, especially when she heard her fiancée mutter something about "whoring around." She smacked his arm, and the look on his face scared her.
"How dare you disrespect me? I am your Alpha. Don't forget your place," he said, grabbing her hard enough to leave fingerprint marks on her arm.
Sheila lowered her head, fuming. Della had always been kind to her, and she didn't like the way everyone was so quick to judge her. She had also caught a scent but it had been gone before she could determine its source. Her fated mate was here. She wouldn't tolerate this, political alliances or not. As soon as she found her fated mate, she would end this charade of an engagement.
Inside, Della and Cori searched for Jared and Eva, spotting them rounding the corner of the hallway that led to the other wing of the mansion's main floor, including the kitchen. Jared grinned and gave her a thumbs up. Della's father followed behind them, and Cori and Della made their way through the crowd to join them.
"We did it, and not only did we fill the glasses, we swapped out the bottles of champagne. We copied the design," Jared said proudly, hugging Eva to his side.
Della's mother came around the corner. "Don't look at me! I was using the ladies room." She rolled her eyes, shaking her head at her mate and son. "You two."
"I helped too, I distracted the staff by spilling my purse and pretending to twist my ankle," Eva said, her smile widening.
A moment later, a waiter came by with a tray of glasses. They each took one, and toasted to an unforgettable evening.
Della, you should stay away from Jaden Montgomery, Mila told her. Something is off about him. He feels like a threat.
Della was alarmed, her wolf did not say such things lightly. I will avoid him like the plague that he is, she told her wolf, who huffed and sat to keep watch from Della's mind.
She noticed Sheila watching her as she and Dustin made their rounds. Suddenly she stepped away from Dustin and began walking towards them, as he glared after her. Sheila threw back her entire glass of "champagne" in one gulp. She looked like she was tracking something. Cori walked towards her, and the two stopped and stared at each other. Della realized what was happening, and it took all she had not to make a scene. It looked like Dustin was out of luck, because his future Luna had found her fated mate! Even better, so had her best friend, Cori!
Cori looked at Della, who waved her along. "Go," she said, and the two walked off, arm in arm, headed outside where they could talk privately. She looked at Dustin, who looked like his head was about to explode. He glared at her, as though she had something to do with it. Della just shrugged, sipping her second glass of "champagne." Karma was a bitch. He stormed out of the ballroom, and she hoped he wouldn't make trouble for the newly mated couple.
Della found a seat near the door to the outside, ready to rush to her friend's defense if she needed to. Eva and Jared were dancing, and she noticed the whole atmosphere began to change. There was laughter, and even the music was more upbeat. There was a line at the DJ booth, and the requests being made reflected the mood of the crowd.
Della's heart raced as she watched the party come alive. The vibrant lights flickered and pulsed in time with the music, and her favorite track, "Abracadabra" by Lady Gaga, began to play. The beat thudded in her chest, igniting her spirit. Without thinking, she stood up and stepped into the crowd, feeling the energy wash over her.
She twirled and danced, letting the rhythm take control of her body. Her insecurities faded away as she lost herself in the moment, the laughter and cheers of the guests surrounding her. She caught Cori's eye, who was still outside with Sheila, and shouted, "Come on! Join me!"
Cori hesitated, glancing back at Sheila, who was staring at Cori with an intensity that made her skin prickle. But as the chorus hit, Sheila threw her hands up and followed Cori on to the dance floor. Della's heart soared; it was a moment of liberation.
As the song continued, Della felt the weight of the world lift off her shoulders, her worries replaced with joy. She moved effortlessly, losing herself in the music, until she noticed the crowd parting. A figure emerged from the throng. Dustin, his expression dark and fierce.
He stalked towards them, his eyes locked onto Sheila, who was now dancing with Cori. "Sheila!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the music. The party froze for a moment, all eyes on the confrontation that was about to unfold.
Della's pulse quickened as she caught Dustin's glare. "You really think you can just walk away from me and into her arms?" he growled, pointing accusingly at Cori.
Sheila turned, her face a mixture of defiance and fear. "Dustin, I—"
"No!" he interrupted, stepping closer, his presence radiating anger. "You're mine, Sheila! You can't just throw away our future for some fleeting moment with her!"
Della's heart raced. She could feel the tension in the air thickening, a storm brewing. She stepped forward, ready to defend her friend, but the words died in her throat as she saw Sheila stand her ground, the spark of defiance igniting in her eyes.
"Dustin, I'm not yours! I never was," Sheila said, her voice steady. "You may think you can control me, but I won't be your pawn."
Dustin's eyes flared with rage. "You're making a mistake, Sheila. You don't know what you're getting into."
"She is my fated mate," Sheila fired back. "Something you will never understand!"
Dustin's rage turned towards Della, and her heart sank. Would he really break his blood oath? "You planned this," he growled, and turned to Sheila. "You are coming with me. We had an agreement. Are you willing to risk the safety of your pack over a mate bond?" Sheila had agreed to be his chosen Luna to prevent him from starting a war with her pack. The crowd began whispering, disapproving looks cast at Dustin. Such behavior was frowned upon.
From the corner of the room, the watchful eyes of the Werewolf Council representatives missed nothing.
Just then, Cori stepped forward, a fierce look on her face. "You think you can intimidate her? You think you can dictate her life? No one is yours to own, Dustin!"
Dustin's gaze shifted to Cori, and for the first time, Della saw uncertainty flash across his features. Then, without warning, he lunged forward, grabbing Sheila's arm. "You'll regret this," he hissed, pulling her towards the exit.
"Dustin, let go of her!" Della shouted, heart pounding. But as she stepped closer, she felt the atmosphere shift again, a crackle of energy sparking in the air.
Suddenly, a loud roar echoed through the ballroom, making everyone jump. It was Grand Alpha Terrance, one of the Werewolf Council representatives.
"Dustin!" he shouted, his voice booming over the crowd. "What the hell is going on here?"
Della's breath hitched as she watched the scene unfold, the tension palpable. She could already see the conflict spiraling out of control, and the room felt charged with an electric energy.
As Dustin turned to face Terrance, the weight of the moment hung in the air.
Della could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and she knew one thing for certain: this night was far from over.