Delilah Draven, known to most as Della, sipped her champagne, sitting elegantly on a red velvet settee strategically placed near the crowded dance floor to present eligible she-wolves to the unmated males. Despite her beauty, she was left alone, the reputation she had carefully crafted over the years making her an intimidating, unapproachable target.
The Alpha King's parties were the place to be for young, single werewolves who wanted to meet their fated mates. They were also a place to find one night stands, and notorious breeding grounds for all kinds of drunken debauchery. Della was far from being a fun hater, but she hadn't waited this long only to lose her V card to some hormone crazed werewolf who wouldn't care who he was sticking his dick into.
She caught her twin brother, Jared, sneaking a glance her way as he danced with a pretty brunette whose mouth had not stopped moving since the dance began. He rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out, and she stifled a laugh, maintaining her composure. As a high ranking member of her pack, it would be unacceptable for her to spit her drink all over the floor. She scratched her nose with her middle finger, and it was Jared's turn to fight the urge to laugh.
Della's brother, as the future Alpha of Snow Moon pack, had no shortage of partners throwing themselves at him. She had been watching with amusement all evening, almost pitying him a few times. Almost. She knew his Alpha ego relished the attention, but she also knew Jared would only accept his fated mate as his Luna. They had been raised to respect the Moon Goddess, and their reverence was unwavering. The she-wolves who went to such great lengths to get his attention didn't realize they were wasting their time. As the song ended, Della observed a pair of gigantic breasts knock her brother's current partner away.
She wolf whistled as the owner of said breasts took the brunette's place. Jared cocked his eyebrow at his sister, who feigned innocence, fiddling with the slit in her gown.
The jilted partner's face reddened with fury as she appeared to consider retaliation, but then she stalked off to shoot daggers at her replacement from the corner of the grand ballroom. It was better not to make a scene at the Alpha King's ball.
Her brother, like her, had golden hair and blue eyes, and a charming smile that could melt the heart of an ice sculpture. He was older than she was, by about two minutes. He loved to remind her of this, as though those two minutes were time enough for him to accumulate a lifetime's worth of wisdom.
The two of them were known for their witty banter, making them quite popular at parties. There was rarely a dull moment with the Draven twins.
She finished her glass of champagne, wishing they had something stronger. She remembered the flask her brother had stashed in his suit coat. Aha! He had casually tossed it on to one of the many couches surrounding the dance floor. She quickly located it, and headed outside for some fresh air and a stronger drink.
A moment later, she was regretting her decision. As she dashed out the door and onto the wraparound porch encircling the enormous stone mansion, she ran right in to a wall of solid muscle and arrogance. She landed on her butt in a graceless heap, with her dress now slit all the way to her waist, exposing her long legs and her lacy, black panties.
Furious, she glared up at six feet six inches of Godlike masculinity, finding two ice blue eyes glaring back at her. His eyes took in her face, then wandered lower. He smirked, licking his lips, but made no move to help her to her feet. "Your highness," she said, unable to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.
Leave it to her to collide with the host of the party, the Alpha King himself, Jaden Montgomery. Devastatingly handsome, and he was the type that knew it. He had the face of an angel, but the soul of the devil himself. He was a notorious womanizer, and she had, unfortunately, caught his eye.
"Where were you going in such a hurry, Della?" He seemed to enjoy her embarassment, as she covered herself by throwing her brother's suit coat over her lap. Finally, he extended his hand and helped pull her to her feet.
"Just getting some air," she replied, groaning as she realized her dress was ruined. "Fuck," she pointed at the tear. "What am I going to do?"
His blue eyes glinted with amusement. "I believe my sister and you are the same size. Why don't I show you to her room? She will be happy to loan you a dress."
She considered his offer, wishing she could refuse. The last thing she wanted was to be seen leaving with him, knowing the gossip that would follow. Damn her luck!
"Are you sure it's okay?" She didn't have much of a choice, her dress was ruined.
"Yes. She has more clothes than she could ever wear. Let's go find you a replacement. After all, it's the least I can do for getting in your way." He smiled. "Or, for not getting out of your way."
"Fine." She followed him around to the rear entrance of the mansion, and they crept quietly up the stairs. "Her room is right here," he told her, "go ahead and look through her closet. I will return to escort you back to the party."
Great, she thought, knowing what everyone would think. She entered the room, and found the closet.
Good Goddess, his sister had a lot of clothes! She grabbed a dress similar to the one she had been wearing and was in the process of pulling it on when the door opened again, and Jaden strode across the room with two drinks in his hands.
"Ever hear of knocking?" She snapped, pulling the dress down and smoothing it over her curves. She glanced in the mirror. It fit her perfectly, and looked enough like the one she had been wearing that she doubted anyone would notice the change.
"Della, why so much hostility?" He smiled, handing her one of the glasses. "Isn't this what you really wanted? Something with a bit more kick?" He gave her a conspiratorial wink. "I found the flask." She eyed the drink suspiciously, then dismissed her paranoia. Even the Alpha King wouldn't be dumb enough to poison one of the Draven twins.
"I suppose so," she sighed, taking the glass and sipping the contents. "That's delicious!" She exclaimed, quickly downing the rest. Warmth spread through her body, and she began to relax. This was much better. Werewolves had notoriously high tolerance to alcohol. Her brother had invented a concoction that both overcame this obstacle and tasted good, and he always carried a flask with him to these kinds of events. She wondered if he would be mad when he went to find it for himself, but quickly decided she didn't care. He was busy, she was bored. He would understand.
"Shall we return to the party?" He extended his arm. She almost took it, then remembered, the last thing she wanted was to descend the stairs to the main ballroom on the arm of the sluttiest man on the planet. The gossip it would generate could potentially ruin her reputation, and while it might mean they would leave her alone, what if her true fated mate was there? It was not a chance she wanted to take.
Della Draven was the most sought after she-wolf at this party, and it was no secret that she was untouched, one of the few remaining who was saving herself for her fated mate. She was beautiful, rich, and the twin sister of the next Snow Moon Alpha. She was also undefeated in battle, winning every tournament she entered.
Jaden had once held out hope that she would be his fated mate, and had been more disappointed than he liked to admit when she had come of age and no mate bond had manifested between them. Della Draven was meant for another.
Most she-wolves would have swooned into his arms, but not Della. The Alpha King, however, always got what he wanted. Her eyes pierced through him, like she could see exactly what his intentions were. He saw the fear flash across her face as she stumbled forward. "I don't feel so well," she slurred her words, and he caught her just as she began to fall.
The next morning, she woke up at home, in her own bed, with no memory of the previous evening after their arrival at the mansion. "Oh, love, thank Goddess you are awake," her mother, Luna of Snow Moon, exclaimed. "Everyone was so worried." She tenderly caressed Della's cheek, gazing down at her with motherly concern.
"What happened?" She asked. "I can't remember anything, we got out of the limo to walk inside and then there is just nothing." Della couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible had happened. Her mother was quick to reassure her.
"You had a nasty fall," Luna Leah explained, "the butler found you outside, bleeding from a wound on your head. He saw you head out the door, and heard a crash. You must have fallen down the stairs. He took you to a guest room, called the healer, and came to find us."
"How embarrassing," she groaned, feeling the bump on her head. The wound had closed thanks to her werewolf healing abilities. "I hope nobody saw me."
"No need to be embarrassed, dear. Nobody saw a thing." Her mother smiled. "We told everyone you were feeling ill and took you home early."
"Thank Goddess," Della breathed a sigh of relief. No one had witnessed her fall from grace.
Well, almost no one.