Alpha's Blood

Chapter 19

"Just relax Lilli."

"Relax. Got it. How do I do that?"

"Here."

Lene thrusts a red cup in her direction as she takes a long sip from her own. Lilliarna gently grabs it, chugging down the red liquid. It burns in the back of her throat, bitter under the deceptively sweet taste. She wasn't a stranger by any means to the sting of alcohol, but still, the feeling took her by surprise. Coughing, she prepares herself for the feeling once again as she takes another swig.

Lilliarna weaves through the crowd of people inside as she follows her friend. In every direction, people stand talking, their conversations mixing with each other and the music making them incoherent to the prying ear. Heat radiates from their bodies, the air hot and heavy throughout the house. Suddenly she crashes into Lenes back, who by now stopped dead in her tracks as an ecstatic screech rings out, audible over the background noise.

A young brunette plows through a few individuals standing between them. Her slender arms spread wide, reaching around Lene in an embrace. She waves her arms around animatedly, nearly smacking those standing around them as she shouts over the music.

"Leyley! You're here!"

"Hey Brandi!"

The woman points in Lilliarna's direction, confused by the unknown face.

"Who's this?"

"Mom, didn't tell you?"

Lene's eyebrows cinch together as she shakes her head no, the confusion still evident in her expression.

"Theon found his mate! This is Lilliarna."

Lilliarna watches as the woman's eyes dart back to her, quickly scanning her body under cockily raised brows. Just as quickly, a smile spreads across her lips and she extends a hand, gripping Liliarna's hard as she shakes it.

"It's an honor to have you at my party. I'm sure you've heard a lot about me from Theon."

"I'm sorry. He hasn't mentioned you, I don't think." Lilliarna says, trying to think if her mate had ever mentioned anything about a friend of Lene's.

Lilliarna tries to hide a flinch as she pulls her hand away, surprised by the sting of her of her knuckles grinding from Brandi's harshening grip.  Glancing back towards Lene, she wonders if she even saw anything past her excitement. 

Brandi flips a large portion of hair, causing it to bounce as it falls behind her shoulder.

"That's so strange. It's hard to imagine my Theon wouldn't mention me."

A growl rumbles quietly, deep from Lilliarna's throat.

"Sorry, guess you must not know my mate as well as you think then."

Check mate. She smiles, watching as the smug look all but disappears from her features. Brandi much to her dismay, however, was not be one to back down.

"So, Lilliarna was it? How was it being marked? Leyley told me when Jayce marked her, it didn't hurt, but I'm still nervous, you know."

She stiffens at Brandi's question. Werewolves spent most of their lives waiting, anticipating even, finding their mates so it was normal for the pair to mark each other within the first week. Lilliarna wonders, had there been anything normal about their situation, would they be marked already?

"I mean- you have marked each other right?"

Lene laughs while playfully pushing her friend on the arm. "God, Brandi, you can't go asking her that!" 

Brandi flashes a bright smile, throwing up her hands in feigned surrender. "Ok, ok sorry. Didn't realize it was a sensitive subject."

Lilliarna scans the crowd of people packed around her in an attempt to avoid the fierce gaze of Brandi. Across the room, groups of people trickle out through a large sliding glass door. Quickly she places her hand on Lene's shoulder, leaning in so she could hear her better over the music.