Louisa's POV
Just after I handed out the last piece of barbequed chicken to the soldiers, I noticed a tall, slender man standing away from the crowd in a distance.
He dressed up in a hunter green jacket, white shirt, and a pair of fine black silk pants just like the other soldiers from the Wind Winders Pack. That's Alpha Zackery's pack. But something about him, which I couldn't tell what it was at that time, was so different, attracting my attention.
He looked a bit shy when our eyes met. But he was still standing there, without coming forward.
"Zowie guacamole!" Colt approached me, holding a full plate of chicken wings, and said. "Is that me or is that man over there so hot?"
I frowned and said, "Hey, don't stare at him like that."
Colt snickered and said, "OK, girl. I'm going to take this plate of chicken wings to Alex and eat with him. When I come back, I want to know everything about him." Then, he shoved an empty plate to me, put some chicken wings on top of it, and walked away.
I held the plate and stood there like an idiot, not knowing what I was supposed to do.
So, I pretended to walk around a little bit and eventually approached the man before the chicken wings went cold.
"Hey," I looked up at him and said in a quiet voice.
"Hey," he smiled faintly at me.
I noticed that he had got a pair of crystal-clear blue eyes and champagne-colored hair. His face was very pale, almost as morbid as a patient's. If his curly hair was a bit longer, he would look just like a beautiful girl.
"Would you like some chicken wings?" I asked.
"I would love to," He smiled at me wholeheartedly and said in a soft voice. "I saw the way you cook them and the way those soldiers eat. It must be good. It's amazing to see soldiers from different packs get together and have a party."
I was a bit surprised. He was so charming! I hadn't expected him to be so approachable. Then I realized what was so special and attractive about him -
He looked so melancholy that it looked almost painful for him to breathe. I guess it had something to do with his eyes. He had a pair of sad eyes. Even when he was smiling, his eyes remained sad. This sense of vulnerability reminded me of Darren, but he was obviously more easy-going and relaxed than Darren.
I handed him the whole plate of chicken wings, but he didn't take it.
"I really wish I could eat it because it smells so good," he said. "But I can't. My physician... Well, there's something wrong with my stomach."
Then I realized why he looked so pale.
He was a patient.
And I almost immediately knew that he wasn't a soldier.
The way he spoke was so sophisticated and polite, which was a stark contrast to the other soldiers. Plus, I didn't know any soldiers could have a designated physician.
But why did he dress up like a soldier and show up at my party? I became a little bit suspicious.
I guessed he noticed my slight change of attitude, so he asked, "May I ask what your name is?"
"My name is Louisa. Could you please tell me what your name is?" I asked.
"Louisa..." He whispered my name and ignored my question. He looked at me in surprise and asked, "Are you, by any chance, Louisa Reeds?"
"Yes. That's my name." I nodded and said.
"Ah." He exclaimed in a quiet voice. He suddenly looked very emotional, with his body shivering like a sift. I thought he was about to cry.
"Are you OK?" I asked. "Do you need to have a hot beverage or something?"
"No... I'm sorry. I'm not cold. I'm just..." His mouth started to get dry. "Sorry, Louisa. I shouldn't have acted like this. It's a pleasure to meet you... My name is..."
He didn't finish his sentence. Instead, he started to get a bit agitated.
"I know this sounds weird, but I feel like I have known you for a really long time, Louisa. Do you like dancing?" he asked.
"Dancing?" I was confused. "I do, but..."
"Great," he said. "I heard there's a Grand Ball in town. Do you want to go and check it out?"
I frowned and said, "Not really. I heard it's for the rich and dignitaries, which means it has nothing to do with me. So, I'd rather stay here and enjoy a party with my friends and the soldiers."
He instantly looked a bit disappointed. He lowered his head and a few strokes of hair fell down and covered half of his face.
"Sorry, I know I shouldn't have asked. It's inappropriate. We've just met..." he whispered.
"It's OK. Don't worry about it. We can't get inside anyway. It's an invitation only. If you want, I can dance with you here," I tried to cheer him up a bit.
It was weird. I didn't even know this man's name, but I liked this man and didn't want him to be sad.
I didn't even know why.
He was silent for a brief moment. Then, he collected his courage and suggested, "I know a hidden passage to get into the Grand Hall. Maybe we can sneak into it and dance together there. Nobody will see us."
"I'm sorry. I don't know who you are and I can't just go away with you," I said.
"Why? Because Lucas forbids you to go out with his permission?" he asked.
The way he talked about Lucas was quite casual as if he was talking about his family members.
"I can go anywhere I like to go," I said rashly. "I don't need Lucas' permission to do anything."
"So come with me." He smiled at me and said. "The Grand Hall isn't far away from here. I have the key to the stable. We can steal a horse from the stable and get there in 10 minutes."