Ch. 4

“Will you stop fidgeting please? You’re going to ruin all my hard work.” Cami slapped my hands away from my hair, “You look perfect.” She was completely unaware that her driving is what caused me to almost upchuck my food all over her car.

I nodded in response.

“Come on princess!!” She laughed as she threw her door open. She looked perfect as well, her gown was a light purple with a see through lace top that unluckily for all the male wolves covered her girly bits, and flowed down into a train behind her. She was radiant with her blonde hair trailing behind her as well.

I had to choke back a gasp when I took in the scenery around me. My father held my birthday celebration in the pasture where we all gather to change and run as a pack on the full moon. The decorations were simple, adding in wooded benches with simple white table clothes. Lights were strung from tree top to tree top, sparkling in the darkness, real candles floated on top of the glass pitchers in the middle of the tables. Lilies floated around the candles- the beauty in that moment was breathtaking. They had set up a fountain of champagne- I sniffed and could smell the minor traces of wolfsbane. Due to our fast metabolisms, regular alcohol didn’t get us drunk, however, add a bit of wolfsbane and our tolerance was that of a human. I felt a weird pull towards my left flank, and began to walk in that direction, the sensation was overpowering my other senses so I was completely taken aback when I heard my father’s harsh whisper,

“You could at least look a bit more grateful, this was no cheap task.” My eyes met his impeccably black irises’. He was looking down at this champagne with a frown on his face, “This isn’t the kind I asked for.” A ring of red glowed around his eyes as his wolf surged forward in his distaste.

“No one will dare say anything to you father, it’s more than they would ever be able to afford. The party is gorgeous and will be the talk of the pack in the upcoming months.”

The right side of his mouth twitched upwards, “I suppose your right, dear daughter. Do enjoy tonight, as after you complete your first shift, the real training will begin.” Now he finally allowed his eyes to meet mine, his face appeared happy at the thought of my submission and torture, and his eyes however held no trace of emotion. I shuddered under his glare. He turned to walk towards his beta, Calvin, who was leaning down to whisper something into my brother’s ear, I saw the grimace on Ace’s face. Whatever Calvin was saying, my brother didn’t agree with. Calvin was a real bastard, he was the “muscle”. He liked torturing wolves for the fun of it, even without my father asking. He also had a reputation about what he did to the humans for fun. I shuddered and forced myself to look away, that odd sensation nudging me in a different direction was back… I wasn’t exactly sure where I was going, just knew that I needed to be someplace else.

“You really should smile more Aurora, everyone will think you’re not having fun.” Bennett. His deep voice rocked through me and I almost jumped four feet in the air. His hand found way to my lower right hip and he squeezed almost as if he was trying to prevent me from flying away.

“I didn’t sense you there…” Man he smelled good, way good. Almost too good. I sniffed the air again.

“Aurora, are you… smelling me?” His tone had a playfulness to it, one I wasn’t privy to the last two years or so since his first change.

“Sorry…you… smell different.”

“Different? Different how?” His tone was clipped, back to the Bennett I’d grown accustomed too. I had to force myself not to roll my eyes.

“You don’t smell bad or anything,” I clasped my hands together, “You smell good actually, like the grass in this pasture after rain. You smell like home.” The words tumbled out of my mouth before I had the chance to suck them back in. I grimaced.

“Home, huh?” Now his voice sounded strained, almost raspy. “Aurora, look at me.”

My gaze lingered upwards taking him all in, he was massive, built like a brick house, his five o’clock shadow lined his square cut jaw, and his hair reminded me of black obsidian. My eyes finally met his, the normally calm and collected navy blue eyes looked as if a storm was raging beneath them- his wolf was close to the surface, it was breathtaking… before I could understand what was happening I went to reach for him…

“Aurora, Bennett, good, we need to talk.” My brother’s voice shattered the bubble we had unconsciously made for ourselves. I almost told him to eat grass, but Ace reached for me and tucked me into his side, which is something he never does. He never touches me without permission, he knows how anxious I get when someone touches me. Bennett must have noticed the change in the air since he finally moved and allowed Ace easier access to get in between us.

Without taking his eyes off of me, “What is it Ace?”

Ace looked back and forth between us, and clasped his hand around his shoulder as if to try and break him from this dance we were doing. “Bennett, it’s urgent.” I could almost hear the whine in Ace’s voice, it reminded me of a dog pleading. A tone I’d never heard from my brother. My eyes snapped to Ace immediately, severing whatever was happening between Bennett and I in an instant.

Luckily at that exact moment a waiter walked by with a tray of champagne. “I need this.” Ace grumbled as he snagged the entire tray and shoved a glass of champagne into each of our hands. “Bottoms up.” He tried clinking his glass into Bennetts and he was met with a low growl, “So help me, Ace… if you don’t tell me what’s going on right now.”

“Drink the damn Champagne Bennett, you’re going to need it. You too Aurora.” His gaze was fierce, unyielding. I took a quick glance at Bennett who was also staring into Ace’s eyes, trying to coax the answers out of him without drinking the bloody champagne. Seeing as neither of them were going to give, I took the flute of champagne and tossed it back. I reached for another and did the same. Reaching for my third one Ace caught my hand in his,

“Aurora, maybe two is enough...” He looked at me sideways, I took a step back to make it seem as if I were going back off but when he dropped his guard I snatched another one and gulped it down before he could object.

“Damnit Aurora, I need you to be able to string a coherent thought together.”

“Three glasses of champagne won’t be enough.” Bennett’s voice boomed, he was clearly irritated at the situation.

“It is when you’ve never had a SIP of alcohol in your life and it’s laced with wolfsbane.” Ace sneered

“How is that possible? No alcohol, she’s 18 for god sake, not 15. Next you’re going to tell me she’s also a virgin.” Bennetts eyes locked on my face,

I visibly paled for obvious reasons, one, for realizing how deep my father’s deception went- everyone thought I was your normal teenage wolf, going to school, parties, having friends. Two, now Bennett was going to be painfully aware that I was a virgin, I hadn’t even kissed anyone, yet.

Ace stuttered, “Stop, I have to talk to both of you. Now isn’t the time to discuss my sister’s virginal status. NOT that I want to know.” He added that last part in as he was tipping his drink back. After having drained it, he pulled my arm and off towards the side and looked around, making sure no one could overhear us.

“You’ll never guess who stopped to have a chat with me earlier this evening.”

“Calvin.” I whispered

Ace eyebrows shot up towards the middle of his forehead… “How did you… nevermind that’s not important. What’s important is what he had to say.”

“Which was…” Bennett asked, his voice still airing on the edge of annoyance.

“That my father has agreed to give Aurora to Calvin as a wife…”