2

Cassy, with a confidence I envied, led me towards the grand staircase, its ornate railings gleaming under the chandeliers' soft light. I paused at the top, a sudden fear gripping me. "I'm pretty sure I'll fall if I try to go down those steps in these heels," I whispered.

She laughed. "Just hold on to the rail. You'll be fine. And if you do fall, it'll make for a grand entrance!"

 With tentative steps, I began my descent, Cassy beside me.

Then I noticed it. The eyes. Dozens of them, all fixated on me. I was the center of attention, a position I had never imagined myself in. Each step became more daunting as I felt the weight of their gazes, yet I continued, one slow step at a time.

Halfway down, I caught sight of Knox coming up the stairs towards me. Relief washed over me as he reached me, offering his arm with a charming smile.

"I can't keep relying on you to rescue me," I said playfully.

He chuckled, "I don't mind."

That's when Cassy leaned in, her voice filled with playful charm. "Skyla, meet Kyran, my second coolest brother."

I blinked, surprised. "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were..."

Kyran cut me off with an easy grin. "Yeah, we get that a lot."

With Kyran's help, I confidently managed the rest of the stairs. At the bottom, he didn't release my arm but instead guided me to a table where Knox was already sitting, his muddy shoes a thing of the past.

Kyran offered me a chair beside Knox before helping his sister sit. Taking the seat on my other side, he turned to Knox, a playful glint in his eyes.

"So, Knox, any recent heroic rescue missions I should know about?"

Knox smiled, a hint of mischief in his eyes. "Ehh, maybe one or two."

Cassy scanned the room, her eyes landing on an Omega. "Jo, bring another chair for Kael to sit in."

The Omega disappeared, returning quickly with a chair. We adjusted our seats to make room, inadvertently bringing Knox and Kyran's chairs closer to mine.

The atmosphere in the room shifted as Kael Monroe made his entrance. His presence was like a force of nature, commanding and authoritative, his tall, muscular frame moving with purpose and power. His piercing blue eyes seemed to sweep the room, assessing and judging silently, before heading towards us.

As he approached, I could feel the intensity of his stare, a weight that made the air around me feel heavier. Kael's aura was intimidating, his every move exuding an air of unchallengeable authority.

As soon as he approached the table, he saw me and looked surprised. "Well, I didn't know we would have a guest tonight," he remarked, his voice deep and resonating.

Cassy quickly interjected. "Yes, we do, bro. You're late, you know."

Kael's gaze shifted to her, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face. "I was securing the border with Father. If that bothers you, please take it up with him." He was obviously frustrated with...something.

He turned his attention back to me with a questioning look. "So, are you a visiting cousin, or...."

Cassy cut him off before he could finish. "No kin. She's just with us tonight, Kael. Leave it alone."

I could sense the change in Kael's demeanor as he realized what Cassy meant. His expression hardened slightly, a silent acknowledgment that he saw me as lesser, an outsider. He was about to say something more when his parents began speaking at the front of the room, capturing everyone's attention.

As the room settled into a respectful hush, Gerald and Missy Monroe, the Alpha and Luna of the Monroe pack, took their place at the front of the grand hall. They stood side by side, a couple that commanded respect and admiration, their presence a unifying force in the room filled with representatives from various packs.

With his powerful build and sharp perceptive eyes, Gerald addressed the crowd first. His voice, deep and resonant, easily filled the hall. "Good evening, esteemed guests and fellow pack members. Missy and I are delighted to welcome you to our home for this special gathering."

Missy, graceful and composed, continued where her husband left off. "Tonight is a celebration, a gathering of many packs under one roof. We have prepared a series of dances and a menu we hope you will all enjoy."

Her eyes sparkled with warmth as she gestured toward the back of the mansion. "Please feel free to explore and enjoy the beautiful home and gardens out back. They are a pride of our home and offer a perfect setting for tonight's festivities."

Gerald chimed in, a hint of humor in his tone. "However, we do advise you to stay clear of the area past the moat. It's rather muddy, and we wouldn't want any of our esteemed guests to have an unplanned adventure in the mud."

Laughter rippled through the crowd, a light moment easing the formal atmosphere. Knox leaned in towards me. "Sounds like our little escapade might have been noticed," he said with a wink.

As the festivities began to unfold around us, with the soft hum of music and the gentle clinking of glasses filling the air, Kael turned his intense gaze back to me. "So, you're a rogue?" he asked, his tone carrying an edge that seemed to cut through the festive atmosphere.

Before I could respond, Kyran and Knox interjected almost in unison. "Drop it, Kael."

 Knox added, "Just leave it alone, alright?"

Kael raised an eyebrow, unfazed. "What? I'm just asking the questions Father will ask when he gets over here." His tone sounded confrontational. He was trying to provoke someone to argue with him.

I could feel a knot forming in my stomach. Kael's questioning, his blunt manner, everything about him made me increasingly uncomfortable. His ability to unsettle me with just a few words was unnerving.

Cassy, sensing the rising tension, stepped in. "Kael, you're my first dance," she said, her voice leaving no room for argument. She reached for his hand, pulling him towards the dance floor. Reluctantly, he allowed her to drag him out to the middle.

As they left, Kyran and Knox turned to me apologetically. "Sorry about him," Knox said. "He really hates these events. Thinks they're a waste of time and resources, so he tends to act out. He'll probably be like this all night."

Kyran nodded in agreement. "Yeah, just ignore him for now. He's got a lot on his plate with the pack and all, but that doesn't excuse his behavior."

I forced a smile, trying to mask the unease Kael's words had planted in me. "It's okay. I guess I'm not what he expected at a Monroe party."

Knox shook his head. "Don't mind him. You're here with us, and that's what matters. Let's just enjoy the evening."

Though their words were meant to comfort, they couldn't fully ease the sting of Kael's interrogation. As I watched him dance with Cassy, his movements graceful yet somehow still imposing, I couldn't help but feel like an outsider, a rogue in a world where every step was a dance of power and politics.

The dance floor was a swirl of colors and movement as Knox offered his hand. "Would you like to dance?" he asked, a soft smile on his lips.

I hesitated for a moment, then accepted his offer, my heart fluttering with a mix of excitement and nerves. But as we stepped onto the dance floor, the music ended, and the moment was lost.

Kael and Cassy, returning from their dance, crossed our paths. Kael's eyes locked onto mine, and he said, "Oldest first, bro. Sorry." With a surprising gentleness, he took my arm and led me onto the dance floor.

The shift from Knox's friendly presence to Kael's intense demeanor was jarring. I tensed, my earlier discomfort resurfacing. As I moved to step away, Kael's voice, softer now, so different from earlier, stopped me. "Just dance with me, please," he whispered.

There was an openness in his tone that I hadn't expected, and it made me pause. I decided to stay, giving him the benefit of the doubt.

As we danced, Kael's gaze never left me. It was intense, almost too much, and I found myself caught between intimidation and fascination. 

Then, breaking the silence, he asked, "Do you have a wolf?"

I nodded, a bit taken aback by the question. "Yes, I do."

He seemed intrigued. "Interesting. I didn't know rogues had wolves this young."

His use of the word 'rogue' again made me tense. I could feel the label hanging between us, a barrier of misunderstanding and prejudice.

Kael must have sensed my discomfort. He sighed, a sound that seemed to carry a weight of its own. "Sorry, I'm not usually this much of an asshole. It's just..."

I cut him off, my voice steady. "These things are a bit much, I know."

He looked at me, a hint of surprise in his eyes. "You have no idea."

I met his gaze squarely. "Well, I don't need to know all the details. I can tell how much it bothers you, and that tells me all I need to know."

Everything about Kael softened, and for a moment, he seemed to see me not as a 'rogue' or an outsider, but as someone who understood, even if only a little. "You're interesting, do you know that?" he said, his voice carrying a new tone.

After the dance with Kael, Knox was next. His approach was entirely different, playful, light-hearted, his smile infectious. As we moved to the rhythm of the music, his playful jesting and easygoing nature were a welcome relief from the earlier tension. He had a way of making the dance floor feel like a world of its own, where worries and titles didn't matter.

However, our light-hearted moment was cut short as Gerald Monroe, the Alpha, approached our table as soon as we headed back. The air around him was charged with authority and power, his presence alone demanding respect and, unintentionally, instilling a sense of intimidation. Standing beside him was Missy, her demeanor calm and nurturing, yet equally commanding.

I only thought Kael's aura was strong. Gerald's aura was on another level. It was almost suffocating, and I found myself struggling to maintain my composure.

Missy noticed my discomfort. "Gerald, lighten up a bit, will you?" she said, her voice gentle but firm.

Cassy added, "Dad, we have a guest who isn't... used to Alpha auras."

I tried to straighten up, to show that I wasn't as affected as I felt, but Gerald's scrutinizing gaze made it difficult.

Gerald finally spoke, his voice deep and resonant. "Well, I didn't expect my son to be leaping over the moat with a rogue in his arms. Tonight has indeed taken an interesting turn."

Missy, sensing the growing tension, took his arm. "Honey, let's go dance," she suggested, guiding him away from the table with an ease that spoke of years of partnership.

As they departed, Kael turned to his brothers with a look that said everything. "Told you," he remarked, a hint of retribution in his tone.

Kyran asked, "What crawled up his ass?" as he watched his parents dancing.

Kael, with a newfound air of cocky confidence replacing the earlier anger, replied matter-of-factly, "We've spent all day defending the territory from... rogues." As he said it, his eyes flicked to me, but the disdain that had been there earlier was gone.

Time flew by with dancing and laughter until panic set in when I noticed the clock. It was almost midnight, and I was supposed to be home. The realization hit me like a cold wave.

"I... I need to get home. I have to be back by midnight, or my dad will... and the cars stop running at 11, oh no," I stammered.