5. Delicious piece of caramel pie

Analyn POV

I stood my ground and told him I wasn't scared of him. But I lied. I was scared of him a little.

Ambrose wasn't a regular guy. There was something primal about him. He was unpredictable. I knew I had to be careful around him.

He had evil intentions deep inside him. I could feel it in my bones. I had a feeling that humanity would be in trouble once he became the Alpha. I couldn't imagine what he might do.

Maybe I can stop him when the time comes. Maybe I can tame the beast.

What am I even thinking? I can't even tame my cat, Mr. Richie Richardson.

I was still upset at my father for forcing me to do this, but I had to say yes. I was his only daughter, and I didn't want to disappoint him by being whiny and weak. So what if I had to spend the rest of my life with someone like Ambrose? Maybe I will get lucky, and he will change his mind last minute.

I decided to make the best of it by blowing his money on the most expensive wedding gown and jewelry. So I called Tessa and Shirley.

"Shut up!" Tessa exclaimed after I told her everything. Her eyes were wide.

"Does he have a hot pack member?" Shirley waggled her eyebrows.

"My entire life is at stake, and you are worried about hooking up?" I said. I was hoping for some sympathy, but my friends seemed more excited than anything. They were acting like I got the golden ticket to the chocolate factory.

"I think you are taking it the wrong way. Marrying a werewolf sounds hella exciting. Would you rather be the wife of someone boring and predictable?" Tessa asked.

"Yes! I'd rather have a HUMAN husband. You know, someone like a Bob or Steve or something. Not Ambrose fucking Vikander of the Lightbridge Shadows!" I cried.

Shirley ignored my outcry and sighed. "Ambrose is so sexy. Oh, how I wish I was in your shoes."

"Then you marry him!" I said irritably. I grabbed her shoulders. "Oh my god. Why don't you take my place and marry him instead?"

Shirley threw her hair back and laughed. "First of all, that's a stupid idea. Second of all, everyone already knows what you look like, and we look nothing alike, so that would never work."

Damn, she is right.

"Whatever, let's go to the mall so I can buy my special dress," I said, sighing.

I made Tessa drive us to the mall. Since they weren't going to help me escape this, they might as well chauffeur me around to wherever I needed to go. I planned on going full bridezilla mode and making everyone suffer with me.

"Wow, look at these dresses! They are all so beautiful," Tessa exclaimed after we found a bridal store.

"I should pick the most expensive dress to teach my father a lesson," I declared, but my eyes already fell on the perfect dress, and I made up my mind to try it on.

"That one!" I pointed for Shirley and Tessa to look at.

It was a gorgeous floor-length sleeveless dress with lace and a tulle skirt. I looked at the price tag and nearly had a mini heart attack. Twenty thousand dollars! What kind of magical dress was this? It doesn't matter, I told myself. It'll put a hole in my father's pocket, and that was the goal.

I put the dress on and immediately fell in love with it. It hugged the curves I never knew I had and the blushed pink color complimented my pale skin.

"Wow, this is it, Ana. This is the dress." Shirley was looking at me like she was ready to marry me herself.

I nodded. "I'll take it," I told the store clerk, who was also gushing on the side and making googly eyes at me.

"What's next?" Shirley asked.

"We should have a bachelorette party!" Tessa suggested.

"The wedding is this Saturday. There's no time," I said bitterly. Alpha Marquise and my father were in a hurry to send me off to my doom.

"Of course, there's time. We can have it tomorrow. How about we go to the club. You still have your fake ID, right?" Tessa smirked.

Sure, why not. Who knows what kind of life was waiting for me at Ambrose's lair, so I might as well have some fun first. "Okay. But don't let me drink too much," I said. The last time I went to the club, I ended up coming home drunk and passed out on the stairs. Lucky for me, dad was on an overnight business trip, so he didn't catch me. I wouldn't know how to explain myself as I wasn't even legally supposed to drink yet.

"Ana, we all know you will drink too much again. This time it'll be fine since it will be your last night as a single woman," Shirley said.

Shirley wasn't exactly the voice of reason, so I didn't expect her to mother me. Besides, she had a point.

***

The next day, it was on like Donkey Kong.

I put on the sexiest outfit I could find. I paired a black mini skirt with a silver crop top so I could shine like a disco ball. Normally, I don't like wearing too much makeup, but I decided to go all out today. By the time I was done, I looked like a hooker. But an expensive one.

We stormed into the club with a purpose, and it was to get wasted.

"What can I get you ladies to drink?" the girl at the bar leaned forward and asked.

"Give me any liquor with color," I announced.

The bartender squinted. "Are you even old enough to drink? The legal age is still twenty-one last time I checked."

"Yes, she is, and she is getting married!" Tessa lied enthusiastically.

"She will have rum and coke," Shirley offered and looked at me. I gave her a nod of approval.

The bartender gave me a one last look of suspicion, then poured me a glass.

And it somehow became my downfall.

Okay, it wasn't just that one glass because the one glass became two. Then three. Then eventually, a shot or two were added.

I was feeling good. Perhaps, a little too good.

I dragged Tessa to the dance floor. I had no idea where Shirley went. The last time I saw her, she was flirting with some guy wearing a beret.

I danced like this was my last night on earth. My mind was trying to avoid what was to come next week. The music moves me like I'm a puppet on strings. I must look really stupid, flailing my arms around all drunk and disoriented, but I didn't care. My eyes meet with a pair of piercing grey eyes.

"Why is that guy staring at me?" I yelled into Tessa's ear so she could hear me over the music.

"Who?" Tessa looked around obliviously.

"That one right there?" I pointed at the grey-eyed hunk who was still staring at me. He was tan and muscular, almost as tall as Ambrose. Maybe not as sexy as Ambrose, but pretty darn close. His friends stood next to him, laughing and drinking, but he kept his eyes on me.

"Oooh, he is hot," Tessa remarked.

"No shit, Sherlock. I'm going to go say hi," I said.

"What, no Ana. I don't think that's a good idea," Tessa protested.

"Excuse me? This is my last night as a single woman, and I'm going to spend it with that delicious piece of caramel pie over there." I pushed her aside and strode toward the hunk.

Normally, I don't act like this, but tonight the alcohol mixed with the stress of the wedding went straight to my head. I was feeling reckless.

"Hi, handsome," I said and gave him the most seductive smile I could muster.

He smiled back. "Hello."

"I am Analyn. Who are you?" I asked.

"My name is Theodore. Are you feeling okay, Analyn?" Theodore narrowed his eyes.

Was the pretty boy worried about me? How sweet.

I opened my mouth to reply, but something crashed near me. The noise was so loud that it nearly burst my eardrums. I looked to my side and saw a giant table had smashed against the wall.

"Oh shit!" Theodore exclaimed and looked at me. "You better go find somewhere safe to hide. The Bloodmoon Pack is here, and they are picking a fight. I must go help my brothers," he said.

The Bloodmoon Pack? Sounds like werewolves. Why does Theodore have to fight werewolves?

"What? Why?" I grabbed his arm and asked.

"They are the rivals of the Lightbridge Shadows Pack, and they don't like to be the same area as us. It comes with being territorial, I guess."

"What does that have to do with you? You can't fight werewolves. They are too strong," I whined.

Theodore laughed. "I guess you haven't figured it out. I'm the Beta of Ambrose's pack, so I'm responsible for helping my pack members. Now enough talking. Find a safe place before Ambrose tries to kill me for not keeping his wife safe." He grinned.

Wait...

I gasped as my drunk brain finally started to register what had just happened. I was flirting with another werewolf!