I wore a deep maroon sleeveless gown with a plunging neckline and heels. I did my makeup perfectly and elegantly curled the bottom part of my hair. I looked in the mirror and allowed a smile on my lips. I carried my purse and went downstairs to meet Chuck. As I descended the stairs, he turned to stare at me, his jaw on the floor.
" You look gorgeous, baby girl," he whispered.
" Thank you. You look handsome," I said, fixing Chuck's collar. I kissed his cheek, and we linked our arms as we went to the car. The chauffeur opened the door for us and took us to our destination. The party was at a five-star hotel.
I took a deep breath and got out of the car. Reporters outside were taking pictures of us and asking him about me. We went past the reporters and went inside. The room was filled with elegantly dressed socialites interacting. Soft music was playing, and people were chatting and drinking. Chuck was famous, and everyone was greeting and talking with him.
" Too many werewolf alphas here," I bristled.
" Don't worry; you're just a pretty human to them," he whispered. I noticed many eyes were on me, but I held my cool.
So far, the night was pleasant, and everyone was friendly.
" Look at you two, turning heads and all," a melodic voice said. We turned, and I smiled as Annalise, Chuck's little sister, approached. She wore a lovely white dress that shamed her supermodel-type body.
" Good evening, Annalise," I kissed her cheek.
" You look lovely," she said,
" You too,"
The siblings exchanged pleasantries before she turned to me again with a smile.
Annalise was a lovely girl who often visited me with her boyfriend. However, I noted that she wasn't with him, either.
" Where's your Evan?" I asked. She frowned a little.
" We broke up last night,"
" Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," I said.
" You did well. I didn't like him for you. I knew he wouldn't deal with the pressure of being part of our family," Chuck said nonchalantly. We both glared at him. He raised his hands in surrender.
" Evan was a wonderful man, and he could deal. We broke up because I found my mate," she announced the last part happily.
" Congratulations, I'm so happy for you," I told her.
" Good for you. Who is the man?" Asked Chuck. Annalise's eyes roamed around the room, searching with her eyes.
" He should be here with his alpha any minute," As she said that, her eyes suddenly sparkled with adoration, and a beautiful smile graced her lips. I followed her gaze, and what I saw made my blood run cold. She was looking at Coswell. I blinked a few times, ensuring my eyes were not deceiving me. My heart suddenly started pounding in my chest, and then I caught the scent of Aerys. He appeared beside Coswell; next to him were Alec and Tonga. Aery's eyes found mine immediately eyes. He was in shock; they all were.
My heart was palpitating. I stepped back involuntarily but felt a hand wrap around my waist. I tilted my head and looked at Chuck, who smiled at me.
" Are you alright?" he asked. I could only nod. I needed to leave this place now.
" My guests are here. Let's go greet them," he said.
" I need the bathroom," I whispered. I turned on my heels and went in another direction of the hallway. I staggered back to the hallway and went to the bathroom. I felt dizzy and confused. Aerys was here, and he saw me. So many emotions were going through me. Tears filled my eyes.
Aerys
I couldn't believe I was looking at Elizabeth. My Elizabeth. She was there, standing close to Chuck. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and I seethed.
Coswell's mate came to us, smiling. She bowed to me and greeted us before kissing Coswell's lips.
" Hi," she beamed.
I took my eyes off Elizabeth for one second, and when I looked back at her, I saw that she was gone. My lycan was panicking. He wanted me to look for her now. But just then, Chuck walked over to us,
' Alpha, he's an ally, and remember, he doesn't know Elizabeth is your mate,' Alec said through the mind link.
" Alpha Chasia, thank you for coming," Chuck said, extending his hand toward me. I felt dread in my stomach when I felt her scent all over him. Why hadn't I felt Elizabeth's scent on him in our meeting earlier? Aire wanted to take over, but I held him back and shook the gentleman's hand.
" Good evening,"
" Oh brother, you know them?" Annalise asks. So, they were related.
" Yes, I see the Gamma is your mate," Chuck smiled politely. The two exchanged pleasantries and greeted each other. We were discussing. Concentrating was hard for me because my eyes kept searching the room for my mate, but I still couldn't see her.
" Where's Elizabeth?" Annalise asked. My heart flew out of my chest, and I glared at Chuck, waiting for his response.
" She went to refresh," he answered, his eyes searching for a moment. I exchanged a glance with Alec. He nodded only once, and I excused myself.
I followed Elizabeth's scent to an empty hallway and froze when I saw her. She stopped pacing and stared at me; her eyes were red as though she had been crying. Her heart was drumming. I could hear it. I stepped back a moment as my gaze roamed over her. She was even more beautiful than I remembered. Her hair was longer than when I last saw her.
" Elizabeth," my voice trembled. She smiled slightly at me,
" Aerys," she breathed.
She held her head. I took steps closer to her, but she backed away. My heart broke. I didn't know what to say to her now that she was standing before me. I'd thought about what I'd say to her for so long, but I couldn't remember.
" I should go back now," she said slowly and walked past me. I grabbed her wrist, and sparks flew through my arm. She felt them, too, from the way she reacted.
" Elizabeth," I stressed. I brought my hand to her cold cheek and felt her again. I missed her so much.
" I missed you," the words left my mouth. I felt my eyes moist. Elizabeth has yet to respond to me.
" Elizabeth, I'm sorry for everything,"
"It's alright, Aerys. I'm sorry, too," she said, pulling away.
" Can we talk?" I asked, my gaze begging. However, Elizabeth shook her head at me,
" No," she said, leaving and returning to the party, leaving me standing there. I needed to compose myself. I had to talk to her and tell her my reasons for kicking her out of the pack.
I went back to the party. My eyes found hers instantly. Elizabeth was talking to Chuck. It seemed he wanted to dance, and she didn't. My lycan and I were jealous of their closeness. She finally gave in, and they went on the dancefloor to dance. Chuck whispered in her ear, and she smiled and blushed. Were the two in a relationship? And how long did they know each other? When did she come here? I had so many questions running through my head. I was growling as I watched the two dance.
" She looks happy," I heard Tonga say next to me. I clutched my fist.
" What will you do?" Alec asked.
" I want to talk to her, but she doesn't want to," I exhaled. I was determined to speak to Elizabeth. I needed to ask for her forgiveness for what I did to her.
" Do you think they are in a relationship?" Tonga asked no one.
" No, but they are close," Coswell answered. We all turned to him. He was not with his mate; the two had been together all night, looking to be madly in love. I was happy for him.
" What do you mean they are not together? Look at them," Alec said.
" My mate told me they are close friends but have been on dates. Chucks wants her," he informed me. I was relieved to hear that the two are not together.
The rest of the night was pleasant, and I caught up with some alphas I knew. However, Elizabeth had avoided looking at me.