--4--

ALICE

"Ian," he smiled at me dipping his head slightly, but he was watching Ted's arm with a predatory look I've seen too many times to overlook.

What was he?

I couldn't smell anything but I'd be hard-pressed to do that in here anyways. I casually clinked my ring against my glass to reassure myself it was in place. 

Of course, it was in place. I'm pretty sure my friends would have noticed if I suddenly had black hair instead of brown, and green eyes that basically glowed instead of the baby blues I was currently sporting. Maddy’s magic was strong, there’s no way her glamour has cracks anyone could see through.

“They’re here, love,” Ted whispered in my ear as I could hear Viv tell Cynthia something about having dibs on the tall one, “gonna come dance?”

I looked back at Viv practically vibrating in her seat as she waited on us, looking straight at his ‘hot as sin’ friends he invited out, and I nodded at Ted. I smiled at Ian's as Ted led me out, but there was something in the way he looked at me that was like an unspoken promise to come find me later. Good. Maybe he would really help me forget all about Eric. 

The ‘tall one’ of Ted’s friends looked like he belonged with Viv. He had that classic sports-playing charm to him with his tall and muscular build, golden hair, and baby blue eyes. You could almost see them standing in front of their picket white fence with their two and a half children in matching outfits on a Christmas card. Right now, however, all I could see was them dancing so sensually that someone might get pregnant. 

Ted didn’t look like he was far behind with one of them who looked like he belonged in a computer room and yet his body was moving in all kinds of ways I never would have guessed. Cynthia even looked like she was relaxed and letting loose, but who wouldn’t with the man sandwich she found herself between. 

There were currently two more of them dancing around us with women they’d picked up along the way and one behind me who was handsome enough, but slowly getting the wrong idea as his hands started to wander. I managed to catch the eye of another woman clearly interested in the man behind me and swap places with her.

I idly danced alone as I found myself searching the crowd for blue eyes, but strong hands gripped my hips as I felt a hard chest press into my back. 

“That’s it, baby girl,” his voice alone sent goosebumps shooting from my feet to the base of my neck, “let go.” I usually hated when a man called me 'baby'. It made Amara angry that someone would think we were helpless and weak, but the voice that just called me 'baby girl' could call me whatever he wanted. His body was like a lullaby to every problem I ever had. I could feel myself melting into him as our bodies moved so in sync that every thought I was thinking slowly slipped away. I’ve never felt so at peace, so complete, so assured.

I should have known. 

My body spun so fast, and yet in slow motion, as his hand cupped the side of my face and his lips pressed into mine. There was a gentle kind of savage to his kiss as Amara screamed in my head but her words were muddled by this kiss. It was all-consuming, like falling into darkness, and I wanted it to last forever. His lips were so plump between mine as I sucked his bottom lip between my teeth and felt my back hit a wall. 

When did my legs wrap around his waist? On second thought, who cared. 

All I could think about was how much closer I wanted him, no, I needed him to be to me. Our clothes felt like they were burning between us, the sheer existence of them was starting to make me angry but I gasped for air as he broke our kiss and nipped down my neck. A sharpness in my own mouth brought me back to reality. 

Why were my canines coming out? Shit. 

I threw all the focus I could manage back into making them disappear before he noticed as Amara’s voice jolted me the rest of the way, {Mate! He’s our mate! Finish this, mark him, MARK HIM!}

I scrambled like my life depended on it, because it just fucking might, until I was facing the crowd of dancing people with him behind me, my chest heaving up and down as I prepared to go against everything I was feeling. 

“Is something wrong, baby girl?” He was kissing down my neck and his voice threatened to reduce me to a puddle on the floor as I ripped myself from his arms. 

“I don’t do this kind of thing,” I said while I stepped away, unsure if he could even hear me over the music, but his deep laugh echoed behind me as if he had. I kept walking until I was outside, quickly shooting off texts that I was going home to Viv, Cynthia, and Ted while jumping in the first cab that showed up. 

{Go back,} Amara was growling at me but she knew there was no way I was going back. I didn’t see his face, but she would know his scent anywhere now.

I have no clue how much the glamour ring Maddy made me will cover when it comes to my mate. Would he be able to see my eyes glowing stronger for him? Would Amara’s extra pushing reveal parts of me to him without me knowing? 

How could I be so reckless… 

I knew better than to let people touch me for this… exact… reason. 

I tried to scrub in the shower until his scent left me, but no matter what I did, it just lingered around me… taunting me to go find him. 

To think about what he smelt like didn't sound very appealing, but somehow the smell of old books was. It was like a well-read book that kept you company or helped you through a tough time. It felt so homey to me that I wanted to wrap myself in his scent even more instead of trying to get rid of it. 

I found myself pulling the dress I wore onto the bed as I curled up around it. His smell was laced with a smooth, carefully curated and well-aged bourbon. The hints of vanilla danced over the oaky texture as I felt completely secure and caramel notes made me miss the way our bodies fit together like we'd known each other for a hundred years. 

I touched my lips, still swollen from the savage nature of our kiss and the way his stubble rubbed against my face, wishing for sleep to come so I could escape the torment of my own thoughts.