Let's Play A Game, Alpha

19 - Ain't No Party Like A Werewolf Party

Genie left me at 11: 55.

The clock was slowly ticking down the last five minutes and I was utterly terrified. Lucian hadn't come up to check on me as Genie said he would. Whether that was a bad thing or good, I couldn't tell. Genie's question repeated itself over and over in my head like a broken record. Blatantly checking myself in the mirror although nothing was out of place, the nauseous feeling in my stomach only grew.

To calm my nerves, I had asked Genie to bring me some chocolates. She had gotten me the gold-flecked disgusting ones but I stuffed my face nonetheless. Even chocolate wouldn't calm my highly sensitive emotions now. One minute passed.

I ate another chocolate, sweating profusely. The perfume Genie had drenched me with before she left followed everywhere I went. My hands were sticky with the sweets. I washed my hands in the bathroom and checked the clock again. I really should stop doing that.

11:57

Okay. This was not the time to start freaking out again. Deep breaths, Victoria. I can't mess this up. Even though Lucian would never admit it, I knew he was counting on me to impress his friends tonight. I could not mess this up. This night had to be perfect, and it would only be perfect if I was perfect.

After all the stress I had caused Lucian, it was the least I could do.

Do you love Lucian?

Did I? Could I? How do you love a monster? Lucian killed before. He was dangerous and impulsive and bad for me. But he was my mate. He and I were meant to be. But how could I judge what I felt? This was artificial love. It was fake love. It was my body's hormones influencing what I really felt. Mistakes was something I was all too familiar with. But I was afraid I had made one too many right now.

11:59

Before I could lose my courage, I scrambled out of the room. Genie had forced me to wear heels for the night no matter how much I protested. They were dangerous pastel pink 4-inch murderers, but I couldn't deny how good they made my feet look. Not to mention, I wouldn't look like a dwarf next to Lucian at least. My nerves worsened as I neared the double doors.

"Victoria!" A familiar voice trilled.

I looked behind me, relief coursing through my veins at the sight of Genie. She looked like a model, with her red hair pinned back and luxurious curls tumbling out. Her makeup was a theme of nude and her body clad in a white dress that bought out her sweet brown eyes. She grinned and pulled me away from the doors.

"Oh, Genie." I breathed, following her blindly. "Does this mean that I don't have to go to the party? Is everyone gone. Oh, thank God! I seriously hate being the center of attention. You have no idea how grateful I am, Geni-"

"What are you talking about?" Genie stared at me sideways as we walked up some stairs. "No, it's not cancelled. Come on, they're all waiting. You weren't supposed to go through that door!" She waved to the door I was standing in front of before. "You're supposed to go through this door." With that, she opened another set of doors and pushed me through before I could blink.

At least one thousand pairs of eyes stared at me.

I was absolutely, completely, totally, and utterly mortified.

I was standing on front of a balcony. But this didn't lead to a scenic view of gorgeous mountains and pretty white clouds. This one looked over the entire ballroom, where hundreds of people were gathered. A set of double stairs floated down from either side, adjourned with twinkly lights and a deep velvet carpet. The ballroom was cleared of everything save for a few fancy tables set with food. Everything was draped in twinkly lights, giving the whole room an even more vibrant look. And right at the foot of the stairs next to the grand piano stood Lucian.