A good person, he says… I am not so sure about that.
My eyes hop between the framed oil paintings along the hallway as my feet guide me back to the hall.
Victorian and gothic. Yes! These were the words I'd been looking for to describe the interior design of this place. It's just more modern and brighter. The alabaster white walls embrace the warm tone the lights cast upon them.
Once I regain the ballroom, I immediately fling my eyes around in an attempt to find Izzy. To my dismay, I make eye contact with Lucian. His smile grows wider and… Scarier. I can't help it; it seems my guts have already decided to hate this guy.
I did promise to dance with him when I got back here, and here I am… Back. I pray for something or someone to come between us as he starts moving in my direction.
"May I have this dance?"
My prayers have been answered! I should pray more often. Life might suck less, who knows?
Nathanael swoops in and invites me to dance with him before Lucian could reach me. I'm a bit taken aback but I welcome it. I gladly take the hand he holds out for me.
"I should tell you, I'm an awful dancer," I whisper to him as he pulls me closer.
"You'll do fine. I've got you,"
He holds my right hand in his, gripping it firmly but gently. My blood rushes up towards my burning face when I feel the warmth of his other hand on my back. I bring my left hand to his arm as my eyes fall to his chest.
He lifts my body slightly off the floor and maintains my stance with such ease... Like I weigh nothing to him. I instantly understand what he meant by "I've got you".
He takes a slow, first step, following the rhythm of the music, before sliding to the side smoothly as though he's gliding on the surface. We both rise, then fall, then sway around progressively down the line.
The skirt of my gown falls so long that even with the swirling, nobody can see that my feet aren't touching the ground.
Speaking of nobody. I have eyes for nobody else at this moment. I just don't care to think about anybody else.
I finally grasp the courage to look into his eyes. I'd missed his genuine smile, especially after being subjected to Lucian's.
It's really amazing, the difference one's true nature can make when it bleeds into their features. It can make someone infinitely more attractive or… It can make them undeniably repulsive. I've always looked at this through a different scope. Something I'd relied upon to shape my judgment about a person. I never stopped to just admire the beauty of the fact.
Objectively, and in terms of looks, Nathanael and Lucian aren't that far apart in my personal opinion. However, the disparity in their attitude and the way each of them carries himself puts a crater between them.
"See? I told you everything will be fine," his voice draws me out of my contemplations.
He delicately sets me down on my feet. He removes his hand from my back and lets go of my hand. Giving me space and autonomy. I still sense the heat emanating from my face and curse myself for it. Although, I am not so sure I can hide my embarrassment from him anyways.
I take a look around myself to realize that we're no longer in the hall. We're alone in a separate room. One just as vast as the hall but furnished.
"Do you, by any chance, have the power to hypnotize people too?" I ask, humorously squinting my eyes at him.
He chuckles, "No, but sometimes I wish I did," his eyes travel down towards my dress before rising back to meet my gaze again, "You look splendid,"
"Hey! You did it!" I declare.
"Did what?" he wonders.
"You beat me to a compliment," I pause for an instant, "Thank you for the dress, by the way. You've got great taste,"
"Well, the dress barely does half of the job. It's mostly you,"
"Red is definitely my color! I actually bought a dress for tonight but the moment I laid eyes on this one," I pinch some fabric from my dress between my fingers then twirl around myself once, "There was no doubt in my mind. The competition wasn't even fair,"
"I'm really glad you like it," he states with a more subtle smile.
I inhale and look around the room before speaking, "So, why did you kidnap me?"
"I thought we could do with some peace,"
"Really? Are you sure it has nothing to do with a certain beautiful brunette?" I wanted to bring this subject up, and honestly, I don't think I'll get a better opportunity to.
His smile falters a little, "It's… Not like that. It's not that simple," he looks away from me.
"Then tell me all about it, "I start, "I'm a much bigger fan of complex subject matters than simpler ones," I finish.
His sight flickers around momentarily. He goes and pulls two chairs for us to sit and face the curvy topped, french style glass doors that give a view on the beautiful garden behind the mansion.
"Accalia is a childhood friend," he starts once we both settle, "See, the perfect alpha is the highest rank a wolf shifter can reach, and no two can hold that title at the same time,"
"For fifty years?" I comment.
"Exactly," he confirms, "It's not a status you can achieve through raw strength alone. There's a precise list of requirements to even be considered for the title,"
"Is that why there are only five candidates in total?"
"As a matter of fact, it is. We have no shortage of powerful wolf shifters but… Not all of them tick every box on that list," he says.
"What's this list about?"
"First and foremost, one has to be between twenty one and thirty years old. Only shifters in that age bracket can qualify. Secondly, they must be well respected within the community, and can be trusted to upkeep our way of life and raise our standards going forward,"
"So basically, not only do you have to be from a renowned family, but you have to be filthy rich," I interject.
With every sentence he utters, I am able to paint new streaks on the canvas I've dedicated to him in my mind. Every piece he gives fits perfectly in place.
He nods, staring away through the glass in front of us, "Leadership qualities are also a must. Just like me, the other contenders are all first born sons and daughters of alphas that took over their family business, following the line of succession. The more successful the business under your thumb, the more proof you have that you're a great leader,"
He takes a longer pause. Seemingly apprehensive and reluctant to continue. I put two and two together on my own after that, "I am guessing having a mate is one of the requirements?"
He exhales, "A mate is considered the right hand of an alpha. No wolf shifter can rise to the rank of alpha without being paired with a mate first. My mother, for instance, only became an alpha once she married my father," he pauses again, ponders his thoughts for a while, "She really thought of everything, didn't she?" he asks but I doubt he truly wants an answer.
"Does it always have to be the first born? Every child that comes after is like…Back up?"
"Something like that,"
From what I gather, his entire life was scripted for him before he was even born. There are many questions I'd like to ask him, but something tells me I should avoid asking him what would happen to him if he simply refused to hold the torch after his mother…
I feel like I should say something… Words that could bring comfort, but I know as well as everyone who knows me, that's not my strong suit. I'm afraid some botched abomination will come out of my mouth the moment I open it.
And so, I choose to do what I always do with Izzy when she's in need of solace. I slowly reach out and take his hand in mine. He looks my way the moment we make skin contact then holds my hand in return.
We both remain silent for a good minute. Pondering our next words, it's the case for me at least, I can only assume for him.
"Accalia is from a well-respected family as well. She's not their first born so, my mother saw no potential future conflict when she introduced us to each other. She started bringing her around our house when she was five. I was seven at the time," I look at him as he stares down at the marble flooring, "But we never really developed more than a friendship throughout the years. I frankly can't see her as anything other than a little sister, and I was never really given the time to interact with anyone else. Erolina saw to eliminate any and all distractions from my life… If I don't find a mate, me and Accalia will be married by the end of April of this year,"