We made small talk while Ian drove his black Mercedes to the party. When we arrived, Ian walked around the car and opened my door, with a hand outstretched to help me out. I gave him a small smile and stepped out. The party was in the middle of the forest that made up Willow Creek Park. That would seem strange to most but in a community full of magical creatures, it was the norm.
My heels made it hard to traverse the wood-chipped parking lot. Ian held onto me so that I didn’t trip and we made our way to the path entrance. We stepped through a curtain of shimmering white lights to the worn path. It seemed every tree was aglow with twinkling orbs of lights, most likely pixie glitter. A stroll in such magical woods seemed a little too intimate to be sharing with a stranger. I silently grumbled that Aiden had stood me up but only allowed my bad mood to surface for seconds before I reined it in. Tonight was a celebration of Flora and otherworldly existence; and I was going to enjoy myself.
“You are very beautiful tonight,” Ian said. I looked up and noticed he was watching me. He was a couple inches taller than I, making him around six foot. His cheekbones were more defined when he smirked at me and his eyes seemed to sparkle as he thought about something I didn’t care to question. A smile escaped my lips and I quickly looked away, unable to stare at him and walk at the same time.
“Thank you,” I told him and then shot him another look. “You look very nice also.” He was wearing a black pinstripe suit with a black dress shirt underneath and an icy blue tie.
“I take it you’re one of Aiden’s vampires?” In the 615 years Aiden had been a vampire, I knew he had changed a handful of willing people. I’d met a couple of them over the years but there were a lot I hadn’t. Ian chuckled and stared ahead as we neared the entrance of the party.
“I am over eight-hundred years old. Aiden and I are old friends.” He didn’t comment further. An elf waited at the entrance to the party and upon our arrival, held out a short arm to stop us.
“Name?” he asked with a high-pitched voice.
“Gwen Sparks and Ian Despereaux,” Ian answered. The elf held out a small microphone and waved us through, announcing us as we walked through a screen of purple orbs. All heads turned toward us, making me feel uncomfortable at the attention. It was amazing to see the woods transformed into such a beautiful ballroom. Normally, there isn’t a clearing in the forest but with magic, the trees had been replaced with wood floors. White linen covered tables sat on the right and left while the middle was open for dancing. An orchestra played itself on an upraised stage while aerialist silk dancers twirled and did impressive acrobatics from a ceiling that didn’t exist. The ceiling was just a mirage of ivory and crystal chandeliers.
“This is amazing,” I said to myself.
“Not compared to you,” Ian leaned down to say. Who the heck did this guy think he was? He was supposed to be Aiden’s friend but he was hitting on me? I removed my arm from his and took off to find Fiona; I couldn’t deal with Mr. Smooth Talker anymore. I politely pushed through the crowd and searched for my best friend. There were well over three hundred attendants and more coming. Pixies patrolled the perimeter, their wings aglow with pixie glitter.
I spotted Fiona sitting at one of the tables, looking less than entertained. Her elbow supported her head, a cheek resting in her palm as she stared at the dancers. Liam was in the middle of a discussion with people who looked important.
“Boo!” I said from behind her. She jumped slightly and I laughed. She looked absolutely beautiful in her light green gown. Her blonde hair was pinned up with a few curly tendrils dangling gracefully against her neck.
“Excuse us, Liam, we’re getting a drink,” Fiona told her date and then grabbed my hand. We practically flew through the crowd and as far away from her table as possible.
“Thank you for rescuing me,” Fiona said.
“Not going well?”
“He’s so boring! If you hadn’t come along I would’ve fallen asleep.” I laughed and grabbed a drink from an elf that was carrying a silver tray full of champagne glasses. The tourists would have had a field day at our little party.
Witches, vampires, and ogres, oh my!
The Founder’s Gala was specifically for otherworldly residents though. Fiona was checking her makeup in her compact so I scanned the crowd. I spotted Micah with a brunette woman on his arm. She was pretty enough, just average pretty, but they looked happy together. He caught my glance as I was observing him and his date and I quickly looked away.
“Will you get over him already? Besides, you have a yummy new vampire to play with,” Fiona said, following my gaze. “Speaking of, where is Aiden?” I turned my back towards Micah and his new girlfriend and took a sip of my champagne. I knew I was completely over Micah, but I still wasn’t comfortable seeing him or a new woman on his arm.
“Dealing with business supposedly, he sent a chaperone,” I said, pointing at where Ian stood by a tall pillar. His eyes were riveted on me and a slight blush colored my cheeks.
“Aiden must be really confident to send someone that looks like that to escort the woman he’s been in love with for two years,” Fiona said.
“We’re not in love,” I argued.
“You might not be, but Aiden’s definitely head over heels in love with you,” Fiona said with a smirk. I shook my head, not ready to believe that Aiden felt that way. I knew I had strong feelings for him, and had since day one, but I couldn’t let myself fall in love, not ever again, if I had anything to say about it. I’d date Aiden and have fun with him but I’d try my damnedest not to say that stupid four-letter word that could cause my heart to shatter again.
“What’s his name?” Fiona asked. I banished my thoughts and brought my attention back to our conversation. She was staring at Ian, her eyes swimming with lustful interest. A small smile broke against my lips; her father would have a heart attack if his daughter dated a vampire.
“Ian Despereaux.” I spared a look at the man in question and saw that he was making his way toward us. He was very good looking but I wasn’t interested in listening to him use cheesy pick-up lines all night. I decided that I would save my anger for Aiden. He was the one who stood me up and left me with a tempting playboy.
“Ladies,” Ian’s smooth voice said from behind me. I looked at Fiona first and saw that she was grinning like a young girl who was face to face with her crush. I rolled my eyes and turned to face Ian, who was smiling just as broadly. Ugh!
“Care to dance?” Ian asked.
“No, thank you,” I said with a bit of attitude. It wasn’t his fault that Aiden had stood me up but did he have to be so gorgeous and flirtatious?
“I was asking your lovely friend,” he said with a grin. An instant flush colored my cheeks from my embarrassment, but I noticed the interest in his eyes when he looked at me.
“I’d love to,” Fiona said and braided her arm through his. She pulled him toward the dance floor and I jealously watched. I pulled my cell phone out of my small purse and dialed Aiden but after three rings it went to voicemail. I flipped it shut and threw it back into my purse, emptying my champagne glass.
A half hour later, Fiona was still gliding with Ian on the dance floor while I occupied a chair at an empty table. I was on my third glass of champagne when Micah interrupted my pity party.
“Having a good night?”
I looked up from where my head rested on my hand and said, “Having a blast, you?”
He laughed at my sarcasm. “These things aren’t really my thing but I’m expected to attend, being the alpha’s son.” His tone sounded bored and a tad angry. I knew Micah loved his pack, but he hated the politics that came with it. Wyatt was the next in line to become alpha but if anything happened to him, Micah would become alpha, something he didn’t want.
“Your father’s here?”
“Yeah, somewhere,” Micah said. An awkward silence settled between us, neither of us entirely sure how to be around each other yet. I felt better though, with Micah by my side.
“You wouldn’t want to dance, would you?” he asked, shocking me.
“Won’t your girlfriend be pissed if we do?”
“No,” he said, unwilling to elaborate further.
I shrugged my shoulders, unable to find a reason why we couldn’t dance together. We had both moved on and had other people in our lives and I should have at least one dance before I went home and crawled into my bed.
“Sure,” I said, rising up.
We stepped onto the dance floor, Micah offering his hand. I grasped it and he placed his other hand on the small of my back. The heat that radiated off him soaked into my skin and a shiver tickled my spine. For reasons unknown, weres always ran hotter than other species. Aiden’s temperature was always lukewarm, not ice cold like a lot of the myths claimed. Vampires only turned ice cold when they were starving and it was dangerous to be around a starving vampire.
We moved with the crowd, in a sort of waltz. I focused on the movements of my feet instead of the closeness of our bodies or the familiar woodsy scent that clung to Micah. I was very aware that my cleavage was propped up and on display, thanks to Aiden’s choice of dress. I also noticed that Micah’s eyes appreciated the view. I kept my eyes on my surroundings, unable to make eye contact with the man who had broken me.
The feel of his hand on my lower back, though, kept interrupting my thoughts. I mentally shook the feelings and searched out Fiona and Ian. They had been dancing for a while now and I spotted them directly across from where we were. Fiona smiled up at him like he was the cat’s meow, while he held onto her with his own devilish grin. It was strange that I hadn’t met him before. If he lived in Flora, I should have met him at least once. I knew a lot of the vampires because of Aiden, but I’d never seen Ian before or even heard Aiden mention his name.
Micah pulled me closer, pressing my body into his. I looked up and noticed that the music had changed to a slow melody. His strong arms enveloped my body, leaving no space between us. Familiar feelings that I thought I had erased completely crept within me like a cold breeze against my skin. We danced for a few seconds before I realized that it wasn’t right. Micah had no business holding me like he was and if I weren’t smart, I’d end up getting hurt all over again. I pushed away from him and without a word, walked off.