001: Engagement Party

Lara

Words can't describe how bored I am of this event.

It's my engagement party and it's supposed to be the happiest day of my life but the truth is that I'm not at all excited about being Vaughan Dabrowski's mate. He's the future Alpha of our prestigious pack, and he's a Lycan like me, but I'm not in love with him.

In fact, I feel like I'm being forced to be with him simply because of our excellent family connections.

I take a sip of champagne. It's the only thing carrying me through the night. I look around for someone familiar in the sea of faces but see no one. How many people are in the lobby of this hotel? Five hundred? A thousand?

"Wipe that frown off your face," I hear my brother, Finch, say to me. I turn my head to fix him a look. He slides into the seat next to me and puts an arm over my shoulder. His dimpled smile never fails to make me smile as well. "You're going to be officially mates. I don't see why you're cranky."

"I'm not cranky," I argue. "Just tired."

Loud laughter is heard from across the room and we both turn our heads to see our father laughing among his group of friends. To be honest, I don't think I've ever seen him look this happy.

Finch taps my shoulder to get my attention. "What is it? Don’t you love Vaughan?”

“How can I love someone I’ve just met?” I ask.

“There are women swooning all over him,” he informs me. “You can at least feel proud that you’ve gotten yourself someone other people want.”

I give him a look. “This is a weird conversation.”

He laughs at me until his eyes are glistening with tears. “Seriously, though.”

I drain my glass and set it down. “I am being serious.”

“Just try to have fun,” he says before standing up. I kind of wish he wouldn’t go. I haven’t spoken to anyone in hours. It’s my engagement party but I’m far from being the star of the show.

Vaughan, on the other hand…

Finch isn’t lying; I know a lot of people have been talking about him. It’s only because he’s tall and blonde and devilishly handsome. He’s not my fated mate, though, so maybe that’s where the problem lies.

I’ve always dreamt of finding my soulmate but this engagement to him will bring an end to this.

I look around for him. I haven’t seen him in about an hour, I think. We’ve only spoken a few words to each other, so it’s safe to say that we both feel the same way. I’m not offended that he doesn’t love me, though. My parents entered a similar union years ago. So did his parents. Almost everyone’s mating around me is arranged in some way. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who got with their fated mate.

There must be something seriously wrong with us Lycans.

I stand up, deciding that I have to pee. On my way from the lobby to the bathroom, I come across a few people I don’t know who congratulate me on my union. I force a smile but I don’t feel as lucky.

Maybe I’m just ungrateful and unappreciative.

Once I finish up, I flush and then walk toward the sink to wash my hands. I stare at my reflection in the spotless mirror and cringe a little. Concealer didn’t manage to hide the dark half moons under my eyes, and it’s funny how the darkness makes my hazel eyes pop. My lipstick is smudged. Goddess, I look a mess.

No wonder nobody has been talking to me.

After cleaning up, I make my way outside again. As soon as I step through the door, I collide against someone. He puts a hand on my side perhaps to maintain his own balance, and we stagger for a few painfully awkward moments.

I start to say, “Sorry, I’m—”

As soon as we make eye contact, the words shrivel up and die on the tip of my tongue.

I part my lips as I stare into his eyes but can’t manage to utter a word. He searches my eyes with a confusion that makes me feel like I’m crazy.

But I can’t be crazy.

This man is my mate. My fated mate. The certainty that gushes through my veins is unmistakable and undeniable. I’ve found my mate in the most unlikely of places.

I’m the first to step back even though I don’t want to. I can’t have people looking at us and talking. I think of something to say but nothing occurs to me.

Someone calls my name, and I turn my head in that direction. Florence, my best friend, walks toward me while waving her hand. I’m so distracted by all of this that I forget that she’s like five hours late.

“Lara, darling!” she exclaims. “I’m here!”

I turn my head to look back at the man one last time but he’s no longer there. In fact, I can’t see him anymore. Florence reaches me and kisses my cheek. I’m forced to give her my full attention.

“You look so beautiful!” she squeals. “Wow, this choice of color is so innovative! But forest green on your engagement? I’m not sure it’s quite the match. If you hadn’t dyed your hair this awful blonde, you would’ve looked banging. Green and red?” A sigh leaves her lips. “Perfection.”

“Florence, you knew I was going to wear this dress. You’ve seen it a thousand times.”

She makes a face. “I have?”

I once again search for the man while she looks at me like I’m crazy. I can’t see him anywhere. There are so many strangers here tonight that I don’t have a clue who he is.

Why do I want to find him so badly? What do I intend to do about this?

I have a chosen mate already. I got engaged to him tonight. All that’s left is for him to slip the promise ring on my finger and it’ll be settled.

“Where’s your dashing fiancé?” Florence asks in her usual sing-song voice. “As your best friend, I have to warn him not to break your heart.”

“I don’t know,” I admit, my mind racing. For some reason, my first thought is to find my brother. Finch is the only one who can help me with this. After our mother’s death five years ago, he became my rock. Our dad hardly has time for us.

I need to find him and tell him this.

“Why don’t we go looking for him? Let’s split up and then you can text me if you find him.”

“Okay,” she says with a smile before walking past me.

Since Finch isn’t here in the lobby, I go looking for him elsewhere. Perhaps he’s in his room. We’re not in our territory; we had to travel to Vaughan’s pack, Iron Claw, for the party. Most of these guests are his. So, for the past two days, we’ve been staying at this hotel.

I take the elevator up to our floor and then hurry to his room, which is thankfully next to mine. I raise my fist to knock on his door, almost say his name, and then a loud bang on the other side of the door makes me stop dead in my tracks.

I hear my brother say, “I don’t give a shit about any of that, Vaughan!”

My fiancé answers in a hiss, “Keep your fucking voice down!”

My heart is racing and I’m struggling to make sense of what I’m experiencing right now. I get closer to the door, my curiosity getting the best of me.

I hear my brother say in a much lower voice, “I’m sorry.”

My anger rises sharply for a second. Why is my brother apologizing to him? What the hell is going on in there? I try to search my memory for any instance when I saw them together and find none.

“You’re letting your emotions get the best of you,” Vaughan tells him, his voice softer than before. “You know I don’t have a choice.”

“I know you don’t, but that doesn’t make any of this easier.”

“I’m struggling with this as much as you are but we both know the rules,” Vaughan says. “Procreation and a strong front. That’s all there is to it. I am the son of an Alpha, and so I must have a son who will be my successor.”

My brother sighs. Blush rises to my cheeks when I hear him say, “What about us? Where do we fit into all of this?”

I start stepping away when Vaughan answers, “We’ll find a way. We always have.”

They start kissing. The sound makes me gasp, and then they stop. I don’t know why but something forces me to run. The door opens abruptly, though, and before I can disappear around the corner, I catch Finch’s eye. I see it widen before I disappear inside the elevator and press the button to the next floor.

My fiancé and my brother are having an affair.

What. The actual. Fuck?