Eleanor stared blankly at herself in the mirror. She had finished her make-up and hair, but she had not yet dressed. She had lost track of time standing here, staring at her reflection.
Everyone in the pack was enjoying the party. Even Cecilia had gone since the morning. But she hid in her room, not daring to go out of the house. She knew she would run into Zane if she went to the packhouse, which she had been avoiding.
It was now getting dark. Drums and other musical instruments could be heard coming from the packhouse. The singing of the people was also audible.
Connor must have been waiting… she thought. She glanced at the carry bag on the bed.
She let out a deep sigh and murmured, "I should get ready."
She walked up to the bed and took the dress out of the bag. Her thoughts took her back in time.
Her father had brought her a white princess ball gown with several layers of tulle for her fifth birthday. It was the last time she wore anything expensive.
She was now holding another one. Unfortunately, it was not from her parents.
Sadness gripped her heart, turning her eyes misty. "I miss you so much," she murmured, clutching the blue pendant.
She sniffed and observed the dress again, still hesitating whether to wear it or not. For a moment, she thought of putting it back and returning it to Connor, but she decided against it after thinking about how he had saved her from Ruby.
She checked herself in the mirror after putting on the dress.
The dress gave her an elegant look. It left her shoulders mostly uncovered. Since she held her hair in a messy bun, her flawless pale skin was on display. Her arms were covered all the way down to her wrists. The sleeves started to lose and tightened towards the bottom, where they gracefully wrapped her wrists.
The dress was slim-fit around the waist, then widened and fell freely into flares below. It reached all the way down to the ground, covering her feet.
She had to lift the dress while walking.
The drums and musical instruments became louder as she approached the packhouse. Her heart was pounding faster as well.
She could see people dancing and singing in the courtyard around a bone fire. She looked around to find Zane. Among the swarm of people, she couldn't find him.
On the other side of the yard, young people were chatting and drinking. Eleanor spotted Zane drinking with Ruby in his lap.
He watched his friends dance with a wide grin on his face, his hand constantly rubbing Ruby's arm.
It turned out that she was the only one who wasn't having fun. When she noticed Zane having a good time with Ruby, she felt extremely annoyed.
Zane was only playing with her emotions. In reality, he didn't care about her. He had nothing to do with how she felt. He only knew how to dictate to her.
Eleanor turned her gaze away, frequently blinking to send her tears back. Her chest swelled and deflated as she tried to calm herself.
She looked for Connor and found him with a goblet of wine in his hand, cheering on his friends who were dancing. She took a deep breath, lifted her dress a little, and approached him slowly.
Zane drank the last drop of his wine and slammed the glass down, showing his displeasure.
"I want more drink," he mumbled. "Ruby, go get another glass."
"Wait a minute," Ruby said, still clapping to the beat of the music. "Let them finish dancing." Her eyes never left the two men swaying their bodies.
Zane grew irritated. Despite being in the middle of the party, he was not having a good time. He drank and smiled to show everyone that he was fine. He even danced with Ruby but couldn't shake the nagging pain in his heart from the sense of rejection.
"Woo…"
Thunderous clapping resonated in the air. The men finally retired from their dance and bowed to everyone to show their gratitude. A group of three ladies, including Ruby's friend Nia and the blonde, jumped into the center and began swaying their hips seductively.
The surroundings echoed with "Wow!" Men were drooling over them.
Ruby jumped to her feet and clapped even louder, her eyes twinkling. "Come on, Nia!" she exclaimed.
"Oh, gosh," Zane groaned and stood up to get a drink.
"Hey, Zane…" A young man approached him with a grin. It was his good friend, who had recently become the alpha of the neighboring pack. "Where is Lucas? I have not seen him since the morning."
"He is having fun with his mate," Zane replied, returning his smile. "Let him enjoy. I'll go get myself another glass of wine."
"Sure." The man raised his goblet.
"Enough…" Ruby rushed over to him and tugged on his arm. "You have already drunk too much."
"So, what?" Zane smirked. "This is a time for celebration. Let me enjoy it. Hey…" He ignored Ruby and walked over to a servant who was serving drinks to the guests.
He picked up a wine glass from the tray and took a swig of it. He turned to go back to his friends.
A gust of wind swept past him, whipping his slightly curly hair sideways. It carried a faint smell of sandalwood.
The aroma had a soothing effect on his nerves, and at the same time, it was intoxicating.
'Mm… this scent…' he murmured to himself and sniffed the air again. 'It's sweet.' He wondered where this smell was coming from.
It was not the first time he had caught a whiff of sandalwood. The servants often use it to freshen up the house. But this scent was different from the ordinary sandalwood aroma. It had something mixed with it… something that awakened all his senses and drew him in.
Zane frequently blinked and peered to the right with a squint, only to see the person he desired to see all day. He froze there, mouth agape, staring at her. He forgot to confirm whether the scent was coming from her.
'Gorgeous' was the first word that came to mind. The light make-up that she had put on made her pretty face even prettier. Her sleek skin glowed under the lights of the courtyard.
He wondered if it was Eleanor or an angel from the sky.
When his gaze fell on her exposed cleavage, his expression darkened. His grip on the wine glass became firmer.
'Why does she have to wear a dress with a plunging neckline? To whom does she want to show her body?'
He wanted to drape a cloak on her. His legs moved towards her unwittingly. But he stalled on the track when he saw Connor approaching her.