Ryan's POV
I started at my reflection in the mirror, bent over the sink after washing my face for the umpteenth time. I had experienced many anxious events in my life so far, but somehow this one was starting to look like it would be the most challenging by far.
"Come on, Ryan," I sighed, deep down not believing I had to give myself a pep talk before my first night with Rayna as my partner. "It's just a date, not a war."
But deep inside, I knew that was exactly what it was. This date with Rayna would indirectly reveal a war or nerves to know who would take the upper hand in the fake relationship, and I wasn't planning on losing.
I straightened up, readjusting my tux and running one last hand through my hair.
Let's do this.
* * *
The Festival of the Full Moon was always a sight to behold. A night usually filled with joyous sounds, vibrant colors, and the sweet scent of sugared plums, the traditional snack of the festival, permeated the air, filling it with great anticipation. Tonight, however, felt more like a battlefield I was about to lose.
Then I saw her, and I knew I was going to be in a lot of trouble.
She came alone, dressed in a long purple dress with crystals glittering under the moonlight. Her hair was tied up in what looked like a messy bun, and she had on a pair of diamond earrings and a matching necklace that made her look elegant.
She looked absolutely stunning, to the point where if I already didn't know who she was as a person, I might have fallen for her.
She walked up to me, holding out her hand for me to kiss. "Alpha Ryan." She said it coldly.
I bent to kiss it, my eyes never leaving hers. "Rayna," I replied, before straightening up as her appraising eyes examined me. "Let's make this snappy, okay?"
She nodded. "Of course."
* * *
Standing beside Rayna in front of the huge bonfire, the firelight casting flickering shadows on her face, I couldn't help but feel a prickle of something unexpected. Maybe it was the way she held herself with such quiet defiance or the fiery glint in her hazel eyes that held a hint of amusement despite the forced smile playing on her lips.
The whispers started as soon as we entered the festival grounds. Heads swiveled, jaws dropped, and conversations died down in our wake. Rayna and I, the supposed arch-rivals, the infamous oil and water of the pack community, were werewolves—together.
"Well, this is certainly a sight," boomed a voice from behind us. I turned to see my ever-so-observant Beta, Derek, a giant of a man with a beard that rivaled Santa Claus'. "I didn't think I'd ever see the day, Alpha Ryan, walking arm-in-arm with the Alpha-to-be."
"Appearances can be deceiving, Derek," I replied smoothly, sliding my hand onto Rayna's lower back in a gesture meant to look intimate. She stiffened under my touch but held her ground.
"Indeed, Alpha," she chimed in, her voice laced with a sweetness that felt entirely too practiced. "One wouldn't want to disappoint the pack, would we?"
The sarcasm in her voice was enough to make the hair in the back of my neck stand, but apparently it went over Derek's head, who laughed like she had just said the funniest thing in the world before leaving to bother another couple.
"Was that really necessary?" I whispered, leaning in to her.
"I promise you, it was." She snapped back.
This might be more difficult than initially thought. "Just play nice; it's just for a couple of hours."
We spent the next hour navigating the festival like a well-rehearsed play. We shared the food that was being passed around with exaggerated delight, laughed (a little too loudly) at a group of pups fumbling with sparklers, and even managed a slow dance under the watchful gaze of the full moon, my hand lingering a tad too long on her waist until she pulled away from me.
"Don't get carried away, pervert," she whispered as the surrounding crowd broke off into a round of applause.
"Oh, please," I hushed back. "Don't flatter yourself."
The whole charade felt ridiculous—a mockery of a connection that wasn't there. Yet, beneath the surface, a strange energy crackled between us. A silent understanding, almost as though we were both amused spectators as well as participants in this performance.
I found myself with a small smirk on my face, and apparently so did Rayna.
"What's so funny?" She asked.
"Huh?"
"You were smiling just now," she continued, raising an eyebrow at me. "What's so funny? I would like to share the joke."
I shrugged, "Nothing."
"You were just smiling like a mad man, for no reason at all?" I could hear the mockery in her voice, but there was absolutely no way I would tell her that I was amused. I thought we both shared the same thoughts about this date. That would be way worse.
"A man can't smile in peace around here." I retorted. "The night is already miserable being forced to be around you, Rayna; don't make things worse."
She opened her mouth as though to hit back with something, but seemed to remember where we were and what we were supposed to be doing before keeping it shut.
My smile widened. Ryan wins this round.
Every stolen glance from Rayna, every brush of her hand against mine, sent a jolt through me. Was this just me, desperate to find solace in the midst of this drama? Or was there something more brewing in those hazel eyes that mirrored my own confusion?
As the night wore on, the festival reached its peak. A bonfire roared in the center of the clearing, casting an orange glow on the dancing figures. Rayna, her eyes sparkling with an unfamiliar fire, suggested we venture closer to the flames.
I looked at her suspiciously and said, "Why? So you can murder me without any witnesses around?"
She rolled her eyes. "How amusing," she muttered before returning a cold, tight-lipped smile to an older couple who had passed.
"Look, it's just for a moment," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the music. "I know you are sick of hanging around me too, so you need the break just as much as I do."
I hesitated for a moment before very reluctantly deciding she was right. I did need a break from all of this.
I followed her, the heat of the fire warming my face. We stood in comfortable silence for a beat, the only sound being the crackling flames and the distant laughter of the crowd.
"So." I started, unsure of what to say. We had almost never been in a non-combative situation alone before, and I had no idea how to be around this woman without fighting her.
"So," she replied, tucking a stray strand behind her ear.
"You didn't look too bad out there." I grunted.
She turned to look at me, smirking now. "Is that a backhanded compliment, Ryan?"
"Don't push your luck." I scoffed, folding my arms. "What I meant to say is that you were marginally better than what you are normally like. Which honestly isn't much to begin with."
She looked away, the smile still on her face. "Yeah, keep telling yourself that."
We fell back into silence, enjoying the peace and quiet of the night of the full moon. I had to admit, it wasn't as bad as I had feared.
"This is all so... strange," Rayna finally said, her voice laced with a hint of vulnerability.
"Strange enough," I replied, my gaze locked on hers.
For a moment, the world seemed to fade away, leaving only the fire, the music, and the woman standing before me. Her facade of indifference seemed to falter for a fleeting moment, exposing a flicker of something.
Immediately, I felt my wolf purr, raising its head in alertness as though it were eager for something.
Wait, this shouldn't be happening... Not with her, not with Rayna.
My wolf seemed to ignore me, getting even more jumpy as I realized I was staring into her eyes, watching as they reflected the light of the full moon, and again, for the second time that night, I was filled with an intense urge to lean in and kiss her.
She felt so close; her red lips puckered slightly and her eyelids drooped, her entire body pushing into mine. It was almost as though she was urging me on, encouraging me to just lean in and do the needful. Her aura penetrated my senses, filling me with a heavy desire that almost seemed to want to drown me with its intensity.
I couldn't stop myself; my body seemed to move on its own, leaning towards her, tilting my neck to meet her lips at the right angle, so close I could feel her warm breath on my face.
It was now or never.