05

Alpha Gabriel had called Reed last night, inviting him and anyone else he wanted to stay which meant we would all be residing on his territory overnight.

Already prepared, I washed and blow-dried my hair the night before. I didn’t want my hair to suffer too much from the heat when I straightened it later after my shower.

I had already hung up my dress in my wardrobe and hadn’t fully decided on what shoes I wanted wear.

Dylan and I had eaten another takeaway for dinner since it was late when he came into my room wanting to know what I wanted to eat. With him and the rest of the guys leaving early, we had to order something quickly.

It had just turned 5 o’clock and was time for me to get ready. I grabbed some clean clothes for me to wear for after my shower, so I could put on my dress minutes before we leave.

I quickly showered, purposely avoiding getting my hair wet. I shaved and covered myself in shower gel. Once out, I dried myself and covered my arms and legs in lotion.

I then brushed my teeth and threw on some shorts and a strapless top, to stop any make-up marks or stains on my dress while I got ready.

I decided to keep my look simple with foundation, mascara, and a little bit of eyeshadow.

I straightened my hair ; it was long and blonde. I couldn’t decide whether I wanted it down once I had straightened it, my bangs kept falling into my face.

In the end, I slicked it back into a high ponytail adding a few clips at the front.

A knock on my door had me shouting for them to come in, I could sense that Chloe and Elle were the ones standing outside.

« You look so good ; you should totally add some eyeliner to your look. It would complete it ! » Elle complimented, both her and Chloe looking gorgeous in their dresses.

I smiled a little shyly and looked back at my make-up bag, searching for an eyeliner. They both made themselves comfortable on my bed while I applied it.

« So, you excited ? Chloe questioned, her eyes following mine.

I nodded ; I was looking forward to it. « Yeah, I am, now I’m all ready and everything. It should be fun with everyone going. »

Both girls smiled at me, I could see the excitement in their eyes.

« The guys are all there, Chase mind-linked me saying it’s packed already. We should get going in a minute. » Chloe informed us while texting on her phone.

« I don’t know what shoes to pair with my dress, will you both have a look in my wardrobe while I get changed ? » I asked.

I still hadn’t decided on what shoes to match with my dress, I had a few heels, flat shoes and trainers but I didn’t know which ones would look best. I didn’t want to wear anything too extreme.

While I got dressed, they both searched, coming out with a pair of small black heels. They went perfect with my outfit, nothing too high and suited the occasion.

On the drive there we spoke about Elle and her mate Jacob. They had both spoken about their relationship, about his ex-girlfriend who he had been with for two years.

He broke it off with her yesterday and thankfully for Elle, it went smoothly. His ex-girlfriend understood, they weren’t mates and she knew one day, they would find them. She was happy for him.

Elle and Jacob decided to take their relationship slow, they were mates and had all the time in the world.

It took around an hour to arrive, Chloe had luckily found a decent parking spot, not too much of a walk to the house.

The house was huge, bigger than any pack house I had ever seen. It was beautiful and hidden deep within the forest, trees surrounding the property with lanterns hanging inside, their warm glow filtering through.

Music blared loudly, the beats of the music already flowing through our bodies, the urge to dance making us all excited.

A few teens were lying flat out drunk on the lawn. We walked up the path trying to avoid any cups or beer cans that littered the floor as we swiftly walked inside and found our way into the kitchen which was crowded with people.

The smell of heavy medicated tonic had my nose twitching, it was an alcoholic drink that was made specifically for werewolves. The alcohol level was six times the normal.

It was the only drink that could get a werewolf drunk, it was strong and bitter in taste, but it hits you very quickly. The strong medication within it caused the effects.

Chloe handed me a cup full of it, then passed one to Elle. I sipped on it at first, the taste was horrible but the more you drink it, the easier it goes down.

I observed my surroundings for a few moments. From what I could tell there were mainly werewolves here, there were a few humans around, but I was guessing that they were someone’s mate.

I couldn’t see Dylan, Reed or Chase but I knew they were around somewhere, we would bump into each other eventually.

« Come on, let’s go dance ! » Chloe shouted over the music, grabbing me by my hand and pulling me towards the dance floor. Elle following closely behind.

I wanted to enjoy myself, the last few years had been rough, and I deserved some fun.

We danced for ages, laughing, and smiling. I couldn’t remove the grin from my face as we sung to songs and drank more tonic.

I couldn’t count on my fingers how many drinks I had when Dylan finally found us. He wasn’t too impressed with the state I was in. I could barely hold a conversation without having uncontrollable giggles or instantly changing the conversation when a song I loved come on.

I was still dancing, shaking my hips, and moving my body to the beat of the music.

Both Chloe and Elle joined me as the guys watched from afar, keeping an eye on us.

It wasn’t long until a strange sensation hit me. It was instant, like a train had collided into me. A wave of anxiousness and anticipation creeped up, almost sobering me up from its appearance.

My wolf was lingering within my mind wanting to come to the surface and exert herself. I held onto my control even though I was intoxicated, keeping her at bay.

My wolf was stirring inside of me, curious to what had made her so on edge, I completely stopped dancing, my eyes flickering through the crowds searching for the source.

It was then, that I saw him.

The word mate was swirling around my mind as he approached me, his six-foot figure towering over mine.

His aura was intimidating, strong and one only an Alpha carried.

He was incredibly muscular, tanned skin with emerald green eyes which pierced through mine. He had dark slicked back hair with a chiselled jaw, his cheek bones sharp with full lips.

He was incredibly hot.

I bit my lip slightly, blushing at my sudden thought, my eyes staring at the floor from embarrassment, wanting to hide from my rosy cheeks.

His hand then grabbed my chin, gently raising it, igniting the sparks that tingled on my skin as our eyes connected.

« I’m Gabriel. » He introduced himself, his voice deep and sensual, the butterflies in my stomach fluttering more and more.

« I’m Lara. » I replied, my voice slightly nervous and nowhere near as confident as his.

His smile grew bigger, his eyes leaving mine for a moment as everyone had stopped, all staring at the scene we had created.