LOGINSarah
After the Ball
Alpha Sydney of Shadowcrest pauses during the long trek down the stairs leading out of the temple of the Moon Goddess. He extends a hand to me, and I take it, finding his hands warm but slightly clammy.
I meet his eyes. Goddess, he has radiant eyes. The kind of blue even the best artists can’t capture in a painting. Dark blue, like the deepest ocean, and so expressive I can see every thought behind them.
He’s nervous. I am too, which is silly. We’ve been dancing for an hour, singing along to a lesser known local band we both love. He helped me finish the cocktail I didn’t end up liking, and somehow we ended up doing… this. Escaping the party together without telling a soul.
He wanted to see my flowers, and I wanted to show him more than anything.
This man is not only an Alpha but the heir to the throne of Alpha King.
He’
PoseyAris’s lips are supple and warm–softer than I expected. I’m not sure what I anticipated, but it wasn’t… this. His mouth presses to mine–tender, soft, innocent. His hand remains on my cheek, holding me in place as he slowly eases the pressure and angles away ever so slightly. The distance is unbearable, like he’s taken the very breath from my lungs. I realize I’ve pinned my eyes closed, holding my breath, so I open them, looking up at him in disbelief. His fingers curl around the back of my neck, and he takes a shallow breath, his eyes searching mine before he presses our foreheads together, our mouths only centimeters apart.My stomach tumbles, my body floods with warmth like a sudden fever, and my heart feels like it's about to race out of my chest. “That’s what it feels like,” he whispers, his thumb smoothing over my cheekbone. “Everytime?”His eyes meet mine and hold, darkening several shades until they resemble raw iron. He leans forward, our lips nearly touching again.
ArisI should be loving this. This is actually what I wanted out of my last summer of freedom before I submit to my grandfather and let him turn me into the new king of shadows he’s been pestering me to be since I was little more than fourteen. I should be shitfaced right now with my tongue down some stranger woman’s throat, but instead, I’m watching the beach and the hundred or so people I don’t know mingle and rally like this is their last night in the Goddess’s kingdom. Half an hour ago, I’d been finishing my second beer while watching Posey talk to a tall, dark-haired idiot I immediately recognized as the Alpha of Ruby’s son, Mason. I’ve only met the guy once, when I came to view the lake house for the first time, and didn’t hate him then, but I sure as hell do now because I can’t find the knuckle-dragging bastard anywhere, and I’m guessing wherever he went, he took Posey with him. I can’t relax, even after downing a third, then fourth drink… Well, perhaps this is my sixth, jud
Posey“Well, that takes care of that, I guess.” Willow cuts me a look as she stuffs her clothes in her suitcase, leaning her weight against it. “I did tell you he was interested in you.”I slouch on the edge of her bed on the second floor of the lake house, the room full of tangerine-hued light from the sunset. “He’s not interested in me. He’s interested in my business. There’s a difference. Aris has always had to know everything about everyone.”She rolls her eyes and yanks on the zipper several times before it gives and allows her to close the suitcase, which she promptly dumps on the floor with a reverberating thud. “I’m here for one more night, and the one thing I want more than anything is to see you let loose and have fun with me. Can you do that? Your secret is out, so it doesn’t matter.”My chest tightens. “My-my secret?”She tosses her hair over her shoulder. “Uh, yeah? The fact you’ll forever be a virgin?”My chest relaxes as relief sweeps through me like a tidal wave. “Oh,
Aris“You didn’t have to come,” Roman says. We walk side by side through the market that’s held in Ruby every weekend. It’s crowded with locals and summer tourists alike, but through the noise and bobbing crowd, I catch a glimpse of Posey’s reddish-blonde hair as she weaves toward a stall selling an incredible array of freshly cut flowers. “I was either going to sleep half the day away or this.” I motion toward the market. “I had no other plans.”“Well, we’ve been going a hundred miles an hour since we arrived,” he says with a sigh. “I’m kind of looking forward to a break this weekend; I’m not going to lie.”“Are we getting old, Roman?”He smirks, shrugging. “I suppose the fun has to come to an end at some point.”“Hold this,” Posey says quickly before darting away, leaving Roman with the giant basket she brought, which is now full to the brim with vegetables, two loaves of bread, three bottles of wine from a local vineyard, and several small bags of herbs. Roman adjusts the weight
PoseyWillow sneaks through the door into my room dressed in a thin nightgown that barely brushes her knees. She grins at me like she has a secret stuck to the tip of her tongue, her eyes wide and bright with mischief. I smile through the mirror, catching her reflection, and shake my head. “What are you doing up here? I thought you were going out again tonight.”“I had about all the fun I needed for the day.” She jumps onto the bed, ignoring the books, and rests on her belly with a sigh. Her eyes meet mine in the mirror. “A little sunburned?”“A bit.” I continue slathering a cooling gel on my chest and shoulders. Willow, who tans like a dream, cocks her head. I move the straps of my tank top out of the way, revealing the color my skin turns in the sun. Pink. She clicks her tongue, saying, “Ouch.”“Speaking of ouch, how’s your head?”“Are you asking about my plummet off the falls? I knew exactly what I was doing and who’d run to save me.” She twirls her hair around her finger, lookin
Aris“We should have spent more time here growing up,” Roman quips, sprawled on the smooth wooden deck of the sailboat, the sun relentlessly beating down on him, but he smiles under the shade of his hand. “Neither of us had access to our wealth until recently. Even just visiting Gem Lake is expensive.” I gently bank the boat to the left, gliding just close enough to shore to see the houses peeking out over the treeline. We’re one of a few boats on the water this morning navigating the wider areas of the interconnected lake systems and narrow passageways. Small towns and villages rest along the shore every couple of miles, but private homes and pack communities are abundant. Veiled Valley has thrived when other kingdoms have not. That’s clear as I scan the shore, watching ancient architecture blur against a wash of modern homes and businesses. Magnolia trees hang heavy with blooms over the water, their white petals dappling the shore. The air is heavy, humid, and stifling hot, and I







