CHAPTER FIVE - A LITTLE PARTY NEVER HURT NOBODY

Let me tell you right now, I've always hated parties.

Maurice approached me from behind and slipped a golden necklace around my neck, fidgeting with the clasp. 

Once it was on, she gently grabbed my arms and turned me to face her, so she could admire her work. She had dressed me carefully - a flashy red dress with an open back, black heels, and golden jewelry. My hair had been washed and curled, cascading down my back like a waterfall. My makeup was natural for the most part, except for the red lipstick.

"You're so beautiful, hun," she said, her eyes shining. "Alpha Roarke chose a beautiful dress, didn't he?"

I smoothed my hands down the front. "It's nice."

"I want to see his reaction when he sees you," Maurice said, unable to contain her excitement. "He will look handsome next to you in his suit." She clapped her hands together, then grabbed her velvet purse from the bed. "Come, he's waiting for you."

I nervously followed her out of the bedroom, walking down the hallway. My heels clacked against the floorboards, so Roarke heard me coming. He was facing the fireplace, staring into the flickering flames, but once he was alerted of my presence, he turned around with his hands in his pockets.

His dark eyes moved over me, filled with desire at the sight of me in red. The color went well with my white skin and dark hair. He didn't forget to skim my legs, which looked longer and toner because of the heels. 

He walked to me, extending his hand. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks," I murmured, glancing at Maurice who was beaming. Roarke didn't look too bad in his tuxedo. I was aware that his tie matched my dress. I placed my hand in his, feeling the callouses on his palm. His fingers instantly enclosed my hand, swallowing it. The small action hinted his possessiveness of me. 

"Come on, we better get moving," Maurice said, heading towards the door. There was still a happy smile on her face. "Everybody is waiting on you two."

Roarke pulled me into his body, his arm now encircling my waist. Even in my heels, I realized that he was still several inches taller than me. Keeping me tucked into his body, he led me out the front door and lifted me down the broken front steps. He helped Maurice down too, then immediately returned to my side.

A fancy Escalade rolled up in front of the house. 

Maurice climbed into the passenger seat while Roarke helped me into the backseat. In the vehicle, Roarke buckled me and remained as close as he could to me. I peered at the driver, recognizing him - Blake, his Beta.

His dark hair was combed back and his green eyes were wild. Like Roarke, he was wearing a suit, but his was a navy shade. 

Blake looked over his shoulder at us. "Everybody ready?"

Roarke nodded once, then we were on our way.

During the ride, Roarke sat beside me. Quiet. And I sat there, quiet too. He watched me in the darkness and whenever our eyes met, his gaze softened. At one point, he ducked his head into my curls and inhaled deeply, calmed. But, we didn't speak a word; it was as if our eyes were speaking for us.

We eventually parked outside a large, elegant building. My heart was beating too hard. Too fast. And I needed to think of anything else to keep calm. The vehicle was checked at the gate and every guest was vetted before they entered - safety precautions, Roarke had told me. 

At the massive doors, several men greeted Roarke in respect. They barely glanced at me, just nodded in acknowledgment. I had a feeling that they were scared to speak to me in front of Roarke. 

"Want a drink?" Roarke murmured into my ear, guiding me forward.

I nodded. "Yeah."

As he led me through the large room, consisting of dancing and mingling, he shielded me with his body. He kept me tucked into his side with a look that dared anybody to try to hurt me. 

He grabbed two glasses of champagne at the bar and handed one to me, watching me closely as I took a sip. "If you don't like it, I can request another kind - "

"No, it's perfect," I said, offering a satisfied grin. "I like it."

He seemed pleased, then grabbed my waist, pulling me back into him. I ignored the several pairs of eyes on us, too focused on the way he was looking down at me. "You're so lovely."

My heartbeat spiked. "Thank you."

"And, you're all mine," he rumbled into my ear, his hand possessively at my lower back. "My female."

Then, Blake approached us with a grin. There was a beautiful woman at his side, sipping a glass of wine. She was wearing a lavender dress with black heels, much less scandalous than the red dress Roarke had picked out for me. Her brown hair was teased to perfection, her hazel eyes were lined with black eyeliner, and a glittery clutch was tucked safely under her arm.

"Alpha Roarke," Blake said, his eyes flickering to me. "I thought it would be nice if Chloe met my female."

Roarke nodded in approval.

"Hi, I'm Josephine," the woman greeted, extending her hand. There was a genuine smile on her face. I shook her hand, feeling Roarke's hold on me tighten. Josephine's gaze lingered on my bandaged wrists, before saying, "I would love to introduce you to my friends, if that's okay, Alpha Roarke."

Roarke frowned. "Which friends?"

"Just Scarlett," Josephine answered, hastily.

Blake cleared his throat, looking at her. "Baby, I don't know if Chloe should be hanging around Scarlett. She isn't exactly - behaved."

Roarke was calm. "I agree."

"I want to meet her," I blurted, surprising all three of them. A smile broke out on Josephine's face and Blake simply stared at me. Roarke pinched his lips together in disapproval, shaking his head. I placed my hand on his chest and the action surprised him. "I should interact with the females, to help me adjust, remember?"

"There are plenty of other females," Roarke said, unhappily. "I'll introduce you myself."

Josephine bit her bottom lip.

I needed to think fast. "I'll save you a dance."

His eyes lit up. I had him. 

The reason why I wanted to meet Scarlett was because she sounded as if she didn't follow the rules. She wasn't 'behaved' - I was curious. Blake murmured something into Josephine's ear while Roarke silently contemplated. His dark eyes roamed my body once more, then he exhaled loudly.

"Fine, you can go meet Scarlett," he decided, his jaw strained. "Just stay in eyesight of me."

Josephine squealed, reaching forward and grabbing my hand. Roarke looked in pain as I was dragged away, through the crowd of dancers, to the other side of the room.

Scarlett was at the table of appetizers, plopping pieces of fruit into her mouth. She was wearing a lacy, black dress with dainty heels. She had delicate features with full lips painted red, just like mine. Her auburn hair fell down her shoulders in waves, although I spotted a couple braids. Not only was she pretty, but the way she carried herself was admirable.

"Scar!" Josephine shouted, grabbing her attention. "Look who I stole away!" Scarlett slowly turned and looked, her brown eyes settling on me. "Alpha Roarke's female. This is Chloe."

"Hey," Scarlett greeted, then peered over my shoulder to the other side of the room. Alpha Roarke was staring at me while he spoke to Blake. Amusement danced in Scarlett's eyes as she said, "He's watching you like a hawk."

"Um, yeah."

"I'm surprised he let you come talk to me," Scarlett said, then bit into a strawberry. "He hates me."

Josephine rolled her eyes. "Alpha Roarke doesn't hate you, Scar."

Scarlett huffed.

My eyebrows furrowed together. "Why would he hate you?"

"He doesn't approve of my decisions," she answered, shrugging her freckled shoulders. "I'm not traditional." 

"Can you be any more vague?" Josephine said, shaking her head. I was confused as I looked back and forth between them. Scarlett flashed her a cocky grin, then strolled away with a plate of fruit. That was it - that was my short interaction with Scarlett. "I'm sorry about her. She will grow on you, I promise."

I took a sip of my champagne. "What did she mean?"

"Oh, well," she said, releasing a soft sigh. "Scarlett is colder than an ice-cube. I've never seen her cry or seen her excited - she's just Scarlett. She doesn't deal with emotions." The two of us watched as the redhead paraded through the party, cool as a cucumber. "She's independent and I respect her so much for that, but the males in our pack do not."

"How come?"

"Scarlett doesn't accept help and she doesn't show weakness," Josephine replied, quietly. "The minute a man tries to tell her what to do, she will tell him to fuck off." My eyebrows raised as I suddenly had respect for Scarlett too. "Of course, her behavior is frowned upon. The males are so dominant, and so is she."

We watched as a handsome male approached Scarlett, stopping her. She smiled up at him in challenge and he reached to touch her, but she stepped back. 

"You see him?" Josephine said, looking at the male with Scarlett. "That's the man who everyone thinks Scarlett will accept as her male."

He seemed important. "Why him?"

"Because, he's the only one she hasn't scared away," she whispered into my ear, a grin on her face. She was clearly proud of her friend. Josephine glanced over shoulder, meeting the eyes of her Alpha, and she gently grabbed my arm, saying, "I should get you back to him. He looks impatient."

I allowed her to guide me back to Roarke.

Her eyes dropped to my bandaged wrists. "If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here for you, Chloe." 

I forced a grin. "Thank you."

As soon as I was back in the reach of Roarke, he was grabbing my hand and taking me to the dance floor. Several pairs of eyes were centered on us, but he was only focused on me. I almost stumbled in my heels, but he balanced me. 

"Stand on my feet," Roarke demanded, quietly. I did what he said, not even worried about squishing his toes. "Arms around my neck."

I hesitantly slipped my arms around his neck, enclosing the space between us. I recognized the song playing - Rise Up by Andra Day. It was one of my mother's favorites. We started dancing slowly, his warm hands on my lower back. His dark eyes never left my face, captivated by me. Hungry for me.

But, I glanced around the room, anxious at the numerous pairs of eyes on us.

"Don't look at them," he said, grabbing my chin. "They're just curious."

Out of nowhere, he spun me in a circle and pulled me back into his body. My heart was hammering in my chest as the song came to an end.

Somebody cleared their throat for our attention.

Roarke pulled me closer, then turned his head to acknowledge whoever it was. It was a man, around Roarke's age, with black hair and steel eyes. He was about as large as Roarke. The man squared his shoulders, then said, "I haven't had the chance to introduce myself to your female, Roarke."

I raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"This is my female, Chloe," Roarke said, keeping me pinned safely to his side. "This is Alpha Maverick." He extended his hand to shake mine, but Roarke quickly growled out in warning and Alpha Maverick dropped his hand. "We are celebrating the alliance between my pack and his tonight."

"That's right," Maverick said, nodding. "Everybody seems to be enjoying the party."

Roarke remained silent. Stiff.

I wanted to break the tension. "Where's your female?"

"Oh, I don't have one yet," Maverick said, seeming surprised that I had asked. "Hopefully soon." Then, there was a dinging sound that echoed in the room, causing people to leave the dance floor. "Seems like dinner is ready. I better find my seat."

Once he walked off, I looked at Roarke in question. "You don't like him, do you?"

"No, I don't."

I twisted in his arms. "So, why the alliance?"

"His pack is large, if not larger than mine," he said, his eyes locked on Maverick. "But, mine is deadlier. If our packs went to war, it would be a bloodbath. It was best to agree to an alliance, but I still don't like him." 

Roarke slipped an arm around my waist and guided me towards the tables. He chose the table where Blake and Josephine were seated, whispering to each other with smiles. I pulled out a chair to sit, but I was suddenly pulled directly into Roarke's lap. My cheeks flushed and I looked at him, seeing a cocky grin on his face.

"I can sit in a chair," I told him, embarrassed. 

"I want you right here," he said, his mouth brushing my neck. "Right where you belong." Josephine looked up at me and smiled, her eyes filled laughter. 

Dinner was served. 

It was a feast, consisting of various breads, meats, pies, fruits, and wines. Roarke watched me eat, keeping an arm around me, sheltering me. He carried a conversation with Blake for a while, mostly pack business stuff. I spoke a little bit with Josephine, but since Roarke listened to every word we said, I kept it minimal. 

In the middle of eating my cherry pie, Roarke moved his mouth to my ear, whispering, "Do you like the party so far?"

"It's nice," I replied, quietly. "I like Josephine." His eyes shined with approval and I glanced at Josephine who was currently kissing Blake in a heated passion. "And Scarlett."

His eyes hardened. 

After a couple of speeches, dinner was declared over. People started returning to the dance floor and gossiping with each other. However, Roarke remained seated at the table, keeping me firmly locked in his lap. Josephine flashed me a grin as Blake led her out to the dance floor.

Roarke breathed my scent. "Do you want to dance again?"

"Um, no," I replied, shifting in his lap. "I actually have to use the bathroom - wherever that is."

He gestured with his hand. "Over there. Be quick."

I nodded, then left his lap. 

In the bathroom, I stiffened when I heard a sniffle. Someone was crying. I slowly turned the corner, seeing Scarlett standing at the sinks, dabbing underneath her eyes. She was the only other person in the bathroom. I was shocked to see her like this after what Josephine had just told me about her. 

Scarlett's eyes snapped to me. "I thought I locked the door." She wiped underneath her eyes, grabbing her clutch from the counter. 

"You're crying."

She faced me. "Nope, you're crazy."

"You're right, I am," I said, flashing my bandaged wrists. This caused the corners of her lips to quirk upwards. That was a good sign. "But, I'm familiar with crying, so if you need to talk about it. . ."

Scarlett gave me a questioning look. "If I tell you to fuck off, will you tattle on me to your possessive male?"

"No."

"Then, fuck off," she said, pulling out her red lipstick. "You saw nothing." 

I watched as she re-applied her lipstick, puckering her lips. I took a deep breath, then murmured, "I'm sorry you're heartbroken."

She whirled around. "You don't know anything." I folded my arms across my chest and remained standing there, watching her. Her red lips formed a straight line as she stared me down, challengingly. When she realized that I wouldn't budge, she exhaled loudly. "How could you tell?"

"I've been heartbroken before," I said, approaching her. "And, the cry of a broken heart is different from other cries." 

Scarlett was frustrated. "He wants more than I can give him. He wants me to change, but I can't."

"Do you love him?"

"No," she replied, not meeting my gaze. "But, I know I care about him." She pulled out her mascara and began applying another coat to her lashes. "And, as you can see, he has the power to hurt me."

I hesitated. "What's his name?"

"He goes by Rudy," Scarlett told me, quietly. "I'm sure you'll meet him."

"Yeah, I don't know," I said, shaking my head. "Roarke's pack seems pretty big."

She rolled her eyes. "You'll meet him. He's one of Roarke's most deadliest warriors." My stomach knotted as she shoved her makeup back into her clutch. She inhaled deeply and looked at me. "You will speak nothing of this."

Then, cold and detached again, she strolled out of the bathroom.