Chapter 5 5 - Melody

I stared at myself in the mirror, I hadn't even gotten dressed yet. Just my hair and make up was enough to throw me off. Black cat-eye eyeliner, smoked out dark eyeshadow, red lips with a black ombre towards the middle. My black hair was done in beach waves that fanned around my face perfectly, a few gems clipped into my hair here and there for extra sparkle. My ears had tear drop diamond earrings in them and a diamond necklace sat around my neck in the shape of a wolf.

I swallowed hard, staring for a moment longer as I started pulling my dress up. It was a strapless, skin tight mermaid dress that was a vibrant red at the top that slowly darkened until it was black towards the bottom. There was a slit up the right side that stopped at the top of my thigh. I had a pair of black pump heels I stepped into as well.

This was too weird feeling, it'd been my first ball. I hadn't been allowed to attend the others and wished I declined this one as well already. Getting the dress zipped up, thankful the zipper was on the side of it, I breathed out slowly and nodded my head once as I grabbed my mask and slipped it on. It was a sparkly red mask with black feathers that stuck out on the right side of it.

Glancing at my hands I took in the wrist length blacklace gloves I was wearing and chewed frantically at my cheek as I put everything of mine away in a locker, locked it quickly and walked out towards the ball. The sight of the people alone though made my stomach flip from anxiety. I was thankful no one knew who I was at least.

I nervously played with strands of my hair as I walked around the room slowly, taking in the different outfits. Making mental notes to avoid some, the way it felt near them just made me unsettled and almost sick feeling. I knew better than to ignore those feelings at this point in my life. Finding the food area I got a drink and kept walking, feeling awkward in my dress.

My eyes moved from the floor to the people scattered around the sidelines, there were small groups of various people all over. Two in a corner caught my eye though. One in a black suit with gold designs on one half and the other was a man in a red and black suit, there was a sense of familiarity coming from them but I looked away.

In another corner was a few men in various colors and a woman among the group. I had that same sense from a few of them.

Continuing forward while looking I felt my body slam into another and squeaked in response as a man cursed under his breath. "Shit, I'm sorry!" He said after and grabbed a napkin from the table near us patting my dress down... Or rather the space where it cut down between my breasts making me flinch and take a step back.

"It's fine." I smiled and wiped off the front of my dress. "Sorry for running into you, I uh, i'll be on my way."

I stepped around him quickly still wiping off my dress before realizing he'd started following me. "I am sorry though." He said and grabbed a hold of my arm. "That dress looks absolutely stunning on you by the way."

"I appreciate it but it's really fine I just would like to go..." I said slowly pulling my arm back.

The man didn't let go if anything he pulled me closer forcing me to back up away from him instead until I felt my back hit a wall. He grinned brightly, chuckling at the perdiciment. "Damn, you're ready for us to go somewhere private already? Why didn't you just ask?"

"N-no!" I said and started to move away but he already was blocking any way out, towering over me. "Please stop, I just want to go."

"Now why would I do that?" He asked lowering his voice, "Look at you being served up for me on a platter practically and you're so submissive like a good little girl..." He hummed as he ran a hand down the side of my face making me flinch. "Just like I like my women."

I swallowed hard, my heart beating so loudly I couldn't hear anything really around us. My breathing started coming out in puffs as I felt my wolf rearing to surface but I had to control her, if she came forward things would be much worse... His hand found its way to my thigh where the slit in the dress was, inching up inside of it slowly making me want to scream but instead a sob came from my mouth.

"Oh don't cry." He sighed, forcing my legs apart and stepping closer. "Look at you, this dress is begging for someone to rip it off of you. You're on full display, what did you expect? I just got here first."

"Just stop!" I yelled at him raising a hand to push at his chest that he instead caught and pinned above my head by the wrist.

"It won't hurt if you don't fight, you know." He leaned his head in closer, forcing his lips on mine in return I bit down on his lower lip causing him to pull back and growl at me. "You will be mine, you understand what this ball is? I want you, and you know you want me."

His red eyes flashed as he reached to grab at the slit on my dress. My panic was all I could focus on enough so that when I screamed stop this time I didn't notice the claws that had formed on my hand as I slashed at his face, I could see parts of his flesh hanging from his face where it had been cleanly ripped away, blood covering me immediately from how close he was in proximity. Oh no. No no no no. He was an Alpha, I'd just attacked an Alpha. It gave me the opening I had needed though and I bolted away from him immediately, tripping and regaining my balance.

"You bitch!" He snarled, coming after me. "I'll kill you!"

I ran straight towards where I had been just prior, only this time the man I'd seen in the corner before with another was there, nearly slamming into him I instead ran around him and grabbed a hold of his jacket from the back. "Help me, please." I whimpered, "I didn't mean to he just wouldn't stop and I-I..."

The wolf looked like something out of a horror movie charging at me as I held on tightly to ... the feeling of familiarity slammed into me again as my grip tightened and I stared up at him. The build was right and that was clearly his hair color and that feeling I got around him like things would be ok... "Aiden?..." I said the name aloud starting straight up at him, tears falling down my face. I had to hope I had that much right.