Chapter 19

19

T he girl in front of the mirror looked like me, but there was no way she was me.

Katy and Larkin stood behind me in the mirror, matching grins on their faces as they high-fived each other. They had spent the last hour putting me together for the dance.

Larkin had called in Katy for help when I said I was planning to go to the dance in my usual jeans and t-shirt.

Who knew there was a dress code for a school dance?

But I couldn’t deny that the dress looked stunning, and it made me feel pretty for the first time in my life.

My hand fluttered to my throat, landing on the exposed column delicately. Had my neck always been this long? Did I have some latent giraffe shifter gene lurking in my DNA?

“This is me ?” I whispered, afraid to speak too loudly in case the image in front of me shattered.

“I tried to tell you how hot you are.” Katy smirked at me in the mirror.

I couldn’t even blush. The girl in the mirror was beautiful.

The red dress had tiny beads that caught in the light. It had a built-in shelf bra and lifted my breasts, making them appear fuller and higher against the deep V-neck. The dress stopped just below my knees, the skirt flaring gently around me as I walked. The halter straps were tied behind my neck, the waist cinched tight to show the feminine way my hips flared out from my narrow waist.

But the face is where I started to think the girl looking back wasn’t me.

My dark hair had been pulled up and away from my face. Katy had painstakingly pinned it into place, shoving bobby pin after bobby pin into the thick tresses to create a casually sophisticated updo. Then she turned her focus to makeup, using light eyeshadow but using a thick black winged liner, going light with blush, and finishing with a lip oil that tasted like mint and made my lips shine.

My green eyes were bright with excitement and a smile played at my lips.

I looked... happy .

I turned and hugged my friends together, crushing them both to me.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“Watch the hair,” Katy griped, easing back with a grin. She reached up to toss her curled red ends, glancing in the mirror to make sure they were still in place.

Larkin rolled her eyes, looking every bit a princess in a soft pink silk dress that fell to her ankles. Her dark hair was swept to the side, half up and half down. Her cheeks had a beautiful pink flush and her lips were soft and pink.

Katy looked us both over. Of the three of us, she had definitely gone the most glam. Her glittery black gown fell to her ankles but had a slit on one side nearly up to her hip. Her lips were a vibrant, cherry red and her winged liner was sharp enough to cut.

She planted her hands on her hips and gave a sharp nod. “Okay, girls, I have to meet Maren, but I’ll see you both there. Save me a dance.”

Turning, she looked at me with pursed lips, her dimples flashing. “You, have fun with Andy.” She turned to Larkin and sighed after a second. “I can go kick his ass.”

Larkin squared her shoulders. “Nope. I’m not even saying his name tonight. I’m going to hang out with Skye for a bit and then dance. Maybe with a couple different guys. Andy said he was bringing friends.”

“That is a great plan,” Katy grinned. She looked at me, both of us vowing to keep an eye on Larkin when we could in that glance.

Katy left to meet Maren, and I left with Larkin a few minutes later. We almost made it down the steps of the dorm when I stumbled in my new heels.

Larkin caught me with a laugh. “Take your time,” she admonished.

“Easy for you to say,” I grumbled, watching as she moved effortlessly in a pair of nude heels. “I feel like a baby horse.”

“But a really pretty baby horse,” Larkin confirmed as we walked down the pathway to the main building. There was a steady stream of students heading into the building, and music became louder as we walked inside.

The dance was held in the large cafeteria, but most of the tables had been removed and the entire room transformed. Fake trees and leaves, a riot of fall colors, hugged the walls. Twinkling lights hung in strands from the ceiling, giving the effect of stars glittering above us.

Across the room was a drink station and a few tables with food. Several tables from the cafeteria stayed up but had burnt orange tablecloths spread across them, mason jars filled with leaves and twinkling lights tucked into them.

I stopped as we walked in, freezing the flow of traffic as I gaped, taking it all in.

“Pretty amazing, right?”

I turned to see Andy standing to my left with several males I recognized as his friends. A few were in classes with me, but right now they were all looking at Larkin with awe.

“You look nice,” I told Andy with a smile. He was cute in a gray suit with a pale blue shirt. His hair had been slicked to the side, making him look even more innocent and boyish than usual.

“You look gorgeous,” he breathed, his eyes moving across me, taking it all in. There wasn’t a leer in his or even his friends’ gazes. They were simply happy to be standing with us, which was unexpectedly nice.

I turned to Larkin and caught her staring across the room. Rhodes was standing behind a table, a hand on the chair of a blonde he was leaning down to talk to. She threw her head back and laughed, licking her lips as she met his gaze.

Dammit, Rhodes.

I reached out to touch Larkin, but she was already stepping past me to one of Andy’s friends.

“Ian, right?”

The brunette with glasses gulped and nodded. “Yup.”

Larkin turned a beautiful smile on him and extended a hand. “Dance with me?”

“Sh-sure,” he stammered, taking her hand and letting her pull him onto the dancefloor where several other couples were moving to an upbeat song.

“Do you want to dance, Skye?” Andy offered.

I saw Remy and Natalie come in the other entrance then, moving towards Rhodes and his dates. Natalie looked stunning in a gold dress, contrasting against Remy’s black pants and black shirt, his sleeves rolled up his forearms.

I forced myself to focus on Andy.

My date.

And his request, which was something I hadn’t considered when he asked me to the dance.

I gave him a sheepish smile, embarrassed. “I don’t really know how to dance.”

Relief exploded across his face. “Me neither. Want to sit down and talk?”

I nodded, clocking Larkin dancing with Ian. A few steps over, Tate was dancing with Ryder. Maren, Katy, and Dante had joined Rhodes and Remy.

For the first time since coming to GPA, I felt out of place. Unsure if I walked over, I would be welcomed.

I let Andy take me over to a table on the edge of the dancefloor, sitting down with him and his friends. I knew Andy was a senior, but his friends were juniors named Luke and Isaac. They were from a small seaside town in Maine and loved everything computer programming related. Half the time I didn’t understand a word they spoke, but it was fun to watch Andy and his friends joke and tease.

At one point, Larkin came over and switched dance partners, taking Isaac to dance with her. Several dances later, she returned him to the table and took Luke. Two dances later, Luke returned red-faced and panting, but sans Larkin.

“Where’s Larkin?” I asked, looking around.

“Bathroom,” Luke gasped out, reaching for his drink and draining the water in it in a single swallow. “I need more.” He gestured to the drink table and started for it, Ian and Isaac got up to go with him.

I looked at Andy and watched him fidget on his seat.

“Are you all right?” I asked curiously, somewhat amused.

He blushed and pushed his chair back. “Do you mind if I go to the bathroom, really quick?”

I held in a laugh. “Go right ahead.”

His chair scraped back in his haste to head to the exit that led to the bathrooms down the main hall.

I lifted my glass of punch and chuckled into it. I didn’t see Andy and I dating as a thing, but he was a nice guy, and I could always use a new friend.

“What’s so funny?” Remy dropped down into the now empty seat beside me.

I almost choked, setting my cup down.

“Hey.” I looked around. “Where’s your... Natalie?”

A smile twitched on his lips and he pointed across the room where Natalie was dancing with someone.

My eyes went big. “Oh, my God. I’m sorry.”

Remy laughed, the sound warming my body. “No, it’s fine. I only brought Natalie to help her out of a sticky situation.”

My face must have expressed my confusion.

“The guy she was dating last year is apparently having a hard time letting go and was bugging her about the dance,” he explained. “She asked me to be her date to get him to back off. Anyway, he decided not to come tonight, so she’s doing her own thing.”

“So, you two aren’t together?” The words came out way more hopeful than I would have liked.

He turned and looked at me, his smile slowly fading. He shook his head. “No,” he said softly. “We’re just friends. I was just helping her out.”

“Oh.” The word came out as a tiny breath.

He cleared his throat. “How’s Andy?”

“Good,” I answered quickly. “He’s a really great guy.”

Remy’s smile froze for a beat. “That’s awesome. I’m happy for you. You two look good together.”

“No, no!” I said, my words tripping over each other as they tumbled out. “We’re just friends. Andy’s a great guy, but I don’t see us being... more than friends, you know?”

He nodded slowly, his eyes not leaving my face. He leaned in towards me and I caught the addicting scent of pine, woods, and soap.

“Dance with me.”

It wasn’t exactly a request, and before I thought better of it, I stood up. I watched, mesmerized, as he reached out, lacing his fingers through mine. I stared at our hands as he led me out onto the dancefloor, the music shifting from a fast song to a slower one.

His hand was almost twice the size of mine, engulfing mine in his. I could feel rough calluses on his fingers, the strength of his fingers as they flexed once around mine.

My breath caught, trapped in my throat when he turned and pulled me to him, lifting one of my hands, still caught in his, to his chest while his other hand settled low on my back, his thumb tracing the curve of my side. It seemed completely natural to lift my arm around his neck, shifting us closer.

I could have sworn I heard him sniff my hair as he dropped his head closer to mine.

“I’ve never done this,” I admitted softly, praying that wouldn’t matter. “Danced, I mean.”

His lips curved into a perfect smile. “It’s fine. Just hold on to me.”

My fingers brushed the soft hair at the base of his skull, and I had the urge to bury my fingers in the thick locks as his thumb swept in a slow stroke across my hip, tugging me an inch closer.

He was warm; hard and firm in all the right places. I could feel the muscles wrapped around his body. I felt the devastatingly masculine power in his touch. That massive hand cradling my hip could inflict serious damage if he wanted to.

And, for the first time in my life, I wasn’t afraid of how that kind of power could be used against me.

I trusted Remy.

I sucked in a sharp breath, the realization that not only did I trust him, but I was starting to really like him, sinking in. For years I had resigned myself to a certain kind of existence, never considering an alternative.

Hope fluttered in my chest at the thought that Remy might be that alternative.

The hand he held against his chest tightened around mine, his index finger pressed to the pulse point inside the delicate skin of my wrist. “You okay? I can feel your heart racing,” he murmured, warm breath tickling the shell of my ear.

I pulled back to look him in the eyes, stunned by the conflicted desire in his molten brown depths. His eyes dropped to my lips unconsciously.

I felt myself lean in towards him, my heart reaching for something I had never experienced.

The song we were dancing to had faded into nothing, and the next song came crashing through the speakers as the people around me let out a loud cheer.

I jumped, startled back into the present.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, dropping my arm and stepping back. “I need... I need to go to the bathroom,” I finished lamely.

Disappointment flashed briefly on his face, but he nodded with a reluctant smile and let me go. “I’ll catch up with you later.”

Nodding, I turned and fled the dancefloor, cursing myself the entire time.

Emotion turned in my stomach as I pushed open the doors of the cafeteria and stumbled into the hall.

Face on fire, I put my head down and headed down the empty hall for the bathroom. I reached for the door, but it swung open before I could touch it.

I jumped back, surprised. “Sorry,” I apologized reflexively as I focused on the person in front of me.

I looked up and froze, my nose wrinkling in confusion. “Trace?”

The Norwood alpha grinned at me as the door swung shut behind him. He glanced around the hallway before settling on me.

“Skye,” he greeted, his voice warm and oily. “You look amazing.” His gaze lingered on the deep cut of my dress.

“This is the girls’ bathroom,” I said, ignoring his leer. I looked pointedly at the sign next to the door he had just walked through.

He smirked. “I was wondering why it was so clean. Guess I shouldn’t have been drinking before the party.”

Rolling my eyes, I stepped around him. “Whatever.”

I entered the bathroom, glad he didn’t say anything else, and went to the sink. I turned on the cold water, splashing the icy liquid over my face and the back of my neck.

I felt like a total idiot.

There was no way anything could ever happen with Remy. He was the golden boy of GPA. He didn’t even know my real last name. And the thought of telling him all about the Long Mesa pack had me ready to throw up.

I braced my hands on the edges of the sink, dropping my head as I took several deep, calming breaths.

The pounding of my heart had finally started to settle and I was thinking about going back to the dance and saying goodnight to Andy when I heard something moving behind me.

I turned, looking at the row of half open stall doors.

I heard another sound and something that sounded like a low whimper. Like an animal in pain.

Pushing open the stall doors, it was the third one that I saw someone on the other side. She was curled in front of the toilet, her pink dress torn down her back, scratches up and down it.

I fell to my knees with a gasp. “Oh, my God. Are you okay?”

The girl turned and my blood ran cold. Everything went quiet except for the blood roaring in my ears.

Larkin looked up at me, her lower lip split, a fresh bruise starting on her cheek. Her dress had been torn and pulled down...

We both stared at each other for a long minute, trying to process.

My head turned slowly to the door.

Trace .

I got to my feet slowly, a low growl already rumbling in my chest as my fists clenched. My wolf roared to the surface, furious and out for blood.

I was going to kill him.