A second round turns into a third, then a fourth, as both Donna and I sit at the bar, taking turns pointing out the flaws of every werewolf we can see on the dancefloor. It’s something I usually wouldn’t do, often the target of the vulgar words that leave my lips now, but it sure feels good to be on the opposite end of them. No one hears us, and with Donna as my shield, no one bothers to come around to make a mockery of me.
Feeling dizzy, I lean my arms on the counter, my head woozy from all the alcohol and wolfsbane I’ve consumed. Even Donna appears to be drunk, but that doesn’t stop her from swaying in time to the rhythm of the music playing over the speakers and leaning over to whisper into my ear.
“I wanna dance,” she says brightly. “Wanna join me?”
“Uh-uh,” I shake my head, a dismissive hand swaying in the air. “Y-you go ah-head,” I tell her, too drunk to control my slurring voice. “I’m g—gonna s-sit right h-here.”
Donna doesn’t protest or push me to join her, and instead pats my shoulder with understanding before hopping off the barstool and dancing her way to the floor. I’m way too out of my mind to let anxiety come over me now that I’m alone. I actually like the feeling of not being in control of my mind, which would normally wander and overthink everything. Now, in this moment of respite, I can let my eyes drift closed and sway my head to the beat of the music that my best friend dances to.
“Cecelia…?” A voice I wasn’t expecting to hear calls my name from the side, prompting me to open my eyes, and I find my gaze arrested by the imposing presence of the only male werewolf in Lunaris who could ever cause my heart to skip a beat.
My lips are about to lift into a smile when I employ the little consciousness I have left to stop myself.
I can’t let my best friend’s older brother know that he has this kind of effect on me. It’s been like this for years, since I was old enough to know what having a crush on someone meant. I’ve always been aware of his status in the pack and how he’s a promising candidate for the alpha position once Alpha Sirius decides to step down. Besides that, he’s my best friend’s brother, and he’s forbidden to me.
“Dominic…?” I whisper, blinking to clear my hazy vision, and find his unmistakably charming smile directed at me. He’s always been so cold and stoic whenever he’s around, so his smile comes as a surprise.
It instantly clears my vision, as if the deep dimples between his sharp jaw and high cheekbones sober me up and demand my attention. A frown knits my brows as Dominic takes a seat on the empty stool beside me, appearing calm and collected as he orders a drink.
I can’t stop myself from watching his movements as he runs long, dexterous fingers through his long, silky, dark tresses, pushing them back from his forehead as if to show off his sharp features.
I’m so drunk at this point, I’m probably imagining that he’s staring at me expectantly when he turns.
“I’ve never seen you at this bar before,” he remarks smoothly, his eyes twinkling with something like wonder and intrigue.
I gulp hard again, and it’s the liquor that gives me the courage to proudly declare, “It’s my birthday!” with a sheepish grin.
His brows lift, his lips curling to a warm smile when he leans in and whispers, “Happy birthday, Cece.”
He hovers for a moment that sets my heart aflame and my mind racing with thoughts—mischievous, sinful thoughts I shouldn’t be having. It’s probably my drunk state, coupled with his closeness, that fills my lungs with an intoxicating, minty scent that arrests my airways and demands my submission.
When he pulls back and stares at me again, it’s like I can see the contemplation flashing briefly over his features before he offers, “Would you like to get some fresh air? It’s stifling in here.”
My heart pounds in anticipation as I let my imagination run wild and believe, for a hot moment, that Dominic Rivera is trying to get me alone. This has never happened before, but neither have I been drunk.
“Er—sure,” I say with a casual shrug as Dominic slides off the chair and holds out a hand.
Without thinking, I slip my hand into his and allow him to lead me outside.
***
The moment I spot Dominic at the hall’s entrance, my chest tightens, and I’m sprung out of the memory and into the present reality, in which I desperately wish I hadn’t slipped my hand into his that night.
What happened after that is something I’d rather forget, but seeing him enter the pack’s cafeteria hall brings those memories back like a flood that scatters my composure.
I need to get away as quickly as possible, before he sees me and before I’m thrown into an awkward situation that hisabsence prevented for the past three years. Quickly setting the soup pot down, I notice how the room erupts in louder chatter as many rush forward to greet Dominic.
As I turn, I notice Simon’s grim expression as he stares at Dominic through narrowed eyes, almost mirroring the agitation I feel. The alpha’s son has every reason to feel that way since Dominic’s return means that his chances of taking over after his father have been cut.
At least I’m not the only one upset by his return, my blood boiling as hot as the pot I just set down. As I’m scrambling away, sticking to the wall, the torrent of anger setting in blurs my vision, and just as I round the buffet table, my foot collides with something, and I buckle over.
Oh no…
Just as my hands come out in front of me to brace for impact with the floor, I don’t fall far before crashing into a firm, solid wall of warm muscle. I gasp when I realize a body kept me from face-planting and making a complete fool of myself in front of most of the Lunaris Pack, but when I slowly look up to the sound of mischievous laughter surrounding me, my life flashes before my eyes.
“Dominic…?” I gasp again, quickly snatching my hands away. I should have recognized his familiar chest the moment I made contact, and now an embarrassing flush of heat creeps onto my cheeks.
When I inhale, the air becomes my undoing, rich with his distinct scent, the minty notes of his breath potent as his lips part, about to say something. He seems so different, his head spiky now that his long locks have been cut. But his eyes remain impenetrably dark depths that threaten to reel me in.
