Queen Of The Night ×Wyatt Lykensen×

•Connection•

🏹Alec 🏹

I tap my leg silently to the beat of the music as I chat with Caleb. The sun is mostly set, bathing the woods in purple and pinkish light. I glance over at Caleb and see him surveying the large crowd of mixed groups. Like a king watching over his kingdom.

I pull myself up onto the top of the table, settling beside him, our shoulders inches apart, resting my feet on the bench. "When are you going to start relaxing?" I ask playfully, bumping my shoulder with his.

He looks away from the crowd and gazes at me with his beautiful honey brown eyes. The corners of his mouth twitch like he wants to smile but doesn't. "I'll relax when I'm dead."

"No need to sound so dramatic. Letting go for a night won't kill you."

"It just might," he counters sarcastically and I laugh, looking back out to the crowd. Some are lounging in the grass, others are swimming, eating, and dancing to the music. I can feel myself getting a tiny bit restless. "Do you want to dance?" I ask turning to look at him.

He stares at me like I just asked him to rob a bank. "Do you mean like... together?" I can't stop myself from chuckling and rub my hands together. "No. Unless you want to," I say teasingly and he averts his gaze, staring apprehensively into the dancing crowd. "What is it, Caleb?" I ask taking note of his tensed shoulders.

"Don't make fun of me, but..." I stare at him and wait patiently for him to finish. "I don't know how to dance. I've never had a reason too."

"What do you mean?"

"Werecats have been trapped underground for centuries. If we ever found enough reason to celebrate we'd throw a little party. My father wasn't much of a dancer and my mother... She died when I was very young. I didn't see a reason to learn."

He brings his legs up and rests his arms on his knees. "So you've never even tried it?"

"Nope."

"Well, we can't have that. Come on," I say slipping off the table and gesturing him to follow. He stares at me and I see how anxious he is. "No one will even notice us," I say gently, pointing over my shoulder to the crowded clearing. He stares at me for a few minutes before finally nodding.

He sighs and hops down. "This is quite possibly the worst moment of my life."

"Just give it a try before judging too harshly." He glares at me and I give him a smile. His harsh gaze falters and I lead him through the crowd, letting it envelop us so we're hidden from view. The music was a little louder now. "Okay, don't force it, let the music move you." He nods and I begin to move to the beat, slowly at first, waiting for him to join in.

It took a while but eventually, he started moving. It was, of course, a little clunky and awkward but he's at least trying. I smile and take a step closer coming up with an idea. "Close your eyes," I say and he stares up at me in confusion. "Trust me."

"That's not easy for me to do."

"Well, you have to trust me a little. We're here," I say gesturing to the teens dancing around us. "Just do it." He sighs before allowing his eyes to slip closed. "Good. Now try this. Don't worry about everyone around you. Pretend it's just you. Okay?"

He nods and I continue to move to the beat. I listen to the instruments accompanying the singer's amazing voice. Eventually, Caleb does end up relaxing and his movements are a little more fluid. I smile victoriously and we dance until the sun disappears from the sky.

The only light came from the bonfire and a few paper lanterns hung from the trees. But everyone was having a great time. The current song playing ends and I'm close to taking a break. A werewolf girl got a little too rambunctious and ends up bumping into Caleb who's shoved against me.