Word Count: 1963

~Lavelle

I lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, listening to the deep thud of music downstairs.

Staying in this vast palace is strange enough. I've hardly gotten any sleep since being here, and now, there is a celebration happening on the floor below that feels a lot like it's mocking me.

Out of protest, I'm staying in my room, trying to sleep, or at the very least trying to rest while Zyre and his friends have fun downstairs.

I'm supposed to be avoiding him, so I'm doing just that.

A faint knock sounds at the door, making me frown.

A moment later, it opens a crack. I suspect for a fleeting second that it's Zyre, insisting I come down to join the soirée. Instead, to my surprise, Mel's head pops around the door, making me sit up.

"Lavelle, hey, I was told you're in here." She slips inside, the door clicking closed behind her.

I gape at her. Her skin is flushed as she wanders through my room toward my bed, her mouth pulled into a broad smile. It's immediately clear she's at least a little drunk. She holds the evidence of it in a glass poised in her hand.

"Mel? What are you doing here?" I question.

I pull my gaze over her. She's dressed for a party, her short dress skimming her upper thighs. I don't think I've ever seen her in something so revealing in the time I've known her - it's not exactly favoured by socialites.
 
She hiccups into her hand. "I'm partying, of course."

I stare at her, slowly blinking. Her dark hair has been tossed up into a messy updo that is both nothing like her usual style, and yet she pulls it off effortlessly. The silver of her dress glistens, even in the dim of my bedroom.

"You came here for Zyre's soiree?" I'm slowly assembling the pieces into something that makes sense.

"He invited me." She crawls onto the bed before kneeling upon it, almost spilling her drink on the duvet. "I would have come up here sooner, but a meet a very handsome man who kept giving me drinks."

She waves her hand in the air, her smile so bright it would be infectious if I weren't so confused. Why would Zyre invite her? I don't believe they've ever met, save for that time he bumped into us at Avi's party.

"Alright, enough of that." I pluck the glass from her hand before she wears the contents on her lovely dress.

"Hey—"

"If you're committing to being at this party, then you can't get too drunk. You have to be clearheaded for my wedding tomorrow," I remind, taking a sip of the drink myself. It makes me wince. It's strong.

"I will be." She slips from the bed, nearly tumbling over herself. "Now get downstairs. I need to dance with my friend one more time before she becomes a married woman."

I hesitate, Avi's warning ringing in the back of my mind.

Attending Zyre's party means interacting with him. As much as I yearn to see him, knowing he will be moving on from here soon, I promised Avi I would stay away from him.

"I can't go..."

Her face falls. "Why not? The people down there aren't from this pack, so they're fun!"

I knot my fingers on my lap, unease twisting in my gut. The music is making me envious, and the fact that Mel is here makes it all the more enticing.

"Avi told me to avoid it," I tell him.

She rolls her eyes. "Avi isn't here. This is your last night of freedom! It's time you make out with a beautiful stranger one last time before you're committed to our Alpha."

"That is terrible advice," I huff out with a smile.

I won't be doing that, but Mel does amuse me. I know she feels like I'm rushing into this, and I'm inclined to agree at this point. But that doesn't mean there's a stranger that appeals to me enough to corrupt my marriage before it begins.

As for someone I know...well, it doesn't bear thinking about.

"Come on, I won't take no for an answer." She pinches my arm, then fluffs up my hair in an effort to be relentlessly annoying.

I brush her off irritably. I'm already tempted and she isn't going to return to the party unless I'm with her.

"Fine, but only for a little bit." I hold up my finger and thumb to demonstrate how little time I intend to spend amongst Zyre's friend.

Mel claps her hands excitedly, grabbing my arm, yanking me out of bed. "Oh please, you're not getting a wink of sleep tonight anyway."

I didn't think I would anyway. I figured I would be up all night, running through all the possible paths my future might travel down. Then I would think about my wedding, about everything that could go right, then everything that could go wrong.

I look down at myself, at the flimsy pale silk draped over my body. The edges are lace and the front dips quite low. It's part of a collection of clothing Avi provided for me when I moved in.

As much as I appreciate the new things, it feels like I'm being turned into a different person.

"Let me change out of my nightdress—"

"Don't bother, everyone is too drunk to care." Her fingers are cold as they wrap around my wrist, tugging me to the door.

I dig my feet into the rug, but for some reason, my friend while drunk is remarkably strong.

"Mel!" I protest, trying to pull against her but it's not use. She drags me out the door and down the hallway, her dark hair trailing behind her.

The thought of being around a group of strangers in this almost sheer night dress is mortifying, but Mel isn't going to relent. She's set her mind on us enjoying this night, and I have no choice but to participate.

"Hurry!" She exclaims over her shoulder.

The music grows louder as we trail downstairs. A few people I don't recognise are walking up, laughing amongst each other. The moment we pass by, their gazes cling to me, probably wondering why I'm down here, dressed for sleep.

We find Zyre's soiree being held in the formal living room, which I'm sure would give Avi a stroke if he knew.

All the furniture has been moved around and pushed to the side. People are draped over chairs and loungers, drinking and chatting, filling the room with mirth. Other dance, their shadows coating them as a fire blazes from behind.

Mel swipes a glass of something pale and foggy looking, shoving it into my hand.

She pats the bottom of it, grinning. "Drink up."

Sighing, I oblige her, tucking into the wall. The alcohol taste syrupy sweet and a welcome distraction from all that occurs around me.

So many eyes are on me, staring, travelling over me. I can't tell if it's because of what I'm wearing, or if there's something on my face. Either way, some bend their heads close to each other, whispering about me.

Clearly most of them come from Zyre's pack. I don't recognise a single one.

"Everyone is looking at me," I say anxiously, swallowing another large mouthful.

"It's only because you're the Alpha's soon to be wife," Mel explains, nudging my side. "They are just curious about you."

Or they want me dead, like most of Zyre's home pack.

I can't understand why Avi would allow Zyre to bring them here. Avi can't stand Zyre, yet he allows a party to occur while he's not home. Is there something Zyre is holding over Avi's head?

"They are wondering why he picked me of all people," I grumble, tucking an arm around myself. I suddenly feel even more subconscious in this stupid dress.

Mel seems entirely unbothered. "Let them look, then."

She stands next to me against the wall, sipping her drink she looks over everyone. I follow her gaze, realising she's staring at Zyre.

He against the far wall, talking to the female next to him. His head is bowed forward, hair brushing almost down to his eyes as he listens to her intently.

My stomach twists as I look at him.

His ability to stand out amongst a crowd of people is incredible. Maybe it's his height, or maybe it's what he's wearing. Or maybe it's because I can't stop thinking about the night he spent next to me in bed.

"Should I try it with that Zyre guy?" Mel murmurs distractedly, twisting a clump of her hair around her finger.

I flinch. "What?"

"He's so attractive it's almost unreal." She sighs wistfully. "Elspeth got to him first though, although that arrangement seems to have come to an end. She's very distraught about it.

I raise my brows. I didn't know that. Zyre's mind has seemed so occupied, I would have figured he was busy with her. Clearly something else is going on.

She looks across the room blandly, attention skimming over me before his head snaps back in my direction. His brows soften from where they were pressed together, his eyes dropping to take in the dress I'm wearing.

"I wouldn't if I were you," I warn.

Zyre isn't going to stick around here. He's going to conclude his business with Avi soon, and then he'll be gone. I'll be left with a memory of him, and that will be it.

"Why?" Mel pouts.

Zyre's eyes darken as they sweep to meet mine again, his head angling to the side. I force myself to look away, not wanting to fall victim to his strong allure.

"There is something...strange about Zyre. He's got a dark secret, I can feel it." I drain the rest of my drink, already feeling a faint buzz humming through me.

Mel gives me a wry smile, shrugging loosely. "I'm not mad at that."

I can't let Mel entangle herself with Zyre. Not only will it likely end poorly for her, but I'm battling my own strange, nonsensical attraction to him. It's better neither of us allow ourselves to get close to him.

I tug on her arm. "You can't trust him."

"I bet I can trust his di-"

"Mel, seriously," I snap.

She frowns, taking me in. The bite in my voice has sobered her up enough to realise I'm being serious.

"Alright, I won't." She glances at him. "He's looking straight at us, though. Straight at you, actually."

I refuse to look, to acknowledge him. Avi warned me to stay away, and I'm going to do exactly that. Avi knows more about Zyre than I do, and I need to trust there's a reason he's warning me away from him.

"He wants to torment me," I grumble.

Mel takes my empty glass from my cup, setting it and hers down on the table next to us. She takes both my hands, leading me toward where others are dancing.

"Shall we dance?"

"Absolutely." It's the only reason I'm attending this party.

She tugs me close, twirling me around. I laugh into her hair, feeling the haze of alcohol beginning to lift my poor spirits.

Tomorrow I'll have enough time to worry.

As Mel and I dance, I ignore the pressing stare of Zyre, and the looming thought of what's going to happen tonight.

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