"Are you absolutely sure about this?" I asked for what must have been the tenth time as I tugged at the hem of my sweater.
Seraphina rolled her eyes dramatically as she rummaged through her oversized purse. "Yes, Elara. For the millionth time, yes. Now stop fidgeting. You look fine."
Despite her reassurance, I couldn't help but feel exposed. After our earlier makeover attempt, I'd managed to convince Sera to let me wear my usual baggy jeans and an oversized gray sweater. My small victory in our fashion standoff.
"Fine isn't exactly party material," Sera muttered, finally pulling out a long black coat. "Here, at least wear this. It has style, which is more than I can say for..." She gestured vaguely at my entire outfit with a despairing look.
I took the coat gratefully. "Thanks. Not all of us can pull off skin-tight dresses like you."
"You absolutely could if you tried," she countered, adjusting her own red dress that hugged every curve perfectly. "But I know when I'm fighting a losing battle. For now."
The ominous way she said "for now" sent a little shiver down my spine. Sera never truly gave up on a mission.
"Ready?" she asked, dangling her car keys.
I nodded reluctantly. My mother had surprisingly given permission for me to go out, practically shoving me out the door with instructions to "have fun for once." Even my own mother thought I needed a life.
The drive to Liam's house was short but felt eternal as my anxiety built with each passing minute. Liam lived in the more affluent part of town, where the houses were more like small mansions. His father was the Alpha of a neighboring pack, and their family had business interests that extended beyond pack affairs.
As we pulled up to the impressive house, I could already hear the thump of music. Colorful lights flashed from inside, and cars lined both sides of the street.
"Small get-together, huh?" I remarked dryly, eyeing the dozens of people visible through the windows.
Sera grinned. "It'll be fun! Come on!"
She practically dragged me from the car and up the walkway. The front door was already open, people spilling in and out. The smell of alcohol, perfume, and that distinct scent of too many werewolves in one space hit me immediately.
Inside was chaos. The living room had been transformed into something resembling a nightclub, with furniture pushed aside to create a dance floor where bodies moved to the pulsing rhythm. The lights were low except for colorful strobes, and smoke from a fog machine created an otherworldly atmosphere.
"Wow," I breathed, feeling immediately overwhelmed. "This is... a lot."
Sera beamed. "Isn't it great? Let's find Debra!"
We navigated through the crowd, Sera confidently parting the sea of people while I tried to make myself as small as possible behind her. The music was so loud I could feel it vibrating in my chest, making it hard to hear anything else.
"Sera! Elara!" Debra's voice somehow cut through the noise. She appeared in front of us, looking more relaxed than I'd ever seen her, a red cup in hand. "You made it!"
"Of course we did!" Sera shouted back over the music. "Where's Liam?"
"Last I saw, he was by the pool," Debra replied, gesturing toward the back of the house. "The real party's out there."
We followed her through the house, passing groups of laughing, drinking people. I recognized faces from school, mostly upper-ranking betas and alphas. Very few omegas attended parties like this unless they were with their mates. It was just another unspoken pack hierarchy thing.
The backyard was just as crowded as inside, centered around a large, illuminated pool. String lights hung overhead, creating a softer glow than the harsh strobes indoors. A DJ was set up on one side, though the music was slightly less deafening out here.
"I'll go find Liam," Sera announced. "He'll want to know you're here, Elara."
Before I could protest, she disappeared into the crowd, leaving me with Debra.
"So, having fun yet?" Debra asked with a knowing smile.
"I just got here," I pointed out, wrapping Sera's coat tighter around me despite the warm evening.
"Want a drink? It might help you loosen up."
I shook my head. "I'm good, thanks."
Debra shrugged. "Suit yourself. But if you change your mind, there's plenty in the kitchen."
A burst of laughter from the far side of the pool caught our attention. A crowd had formed around what appeared to be some kind of game. People were clapping and cheering.
"What's going on over there?" I asked, curiosity temporarily overriding my discomfort.
"Oh, they're playing blind man's buff," Debra replied with a smirk. "Adult version, of course."
"Adult version?"
"Come on, I'll show you."
Against my better judgment, I followed Debra closer to the circle of onlookers. As we approached, I could see what had drawn the crowd. In the center of the circle stood a blindfolded figure – tall, muscular, and unmistakable even with his eyes covered.
Rhys Knight.
My heart stuttered in my chest. He was shirtless except for a black sleeveless jacket that hung open, revealing his chiseled torso. The blindfold was a strip of black fabric tied around his eyes, and he was grinning in a way that made my mouth go dry.
"The rules are simple," a guy I recognized as Ethan Croft was explaining loudly. "Our blindfolded Alpha has to catch someone. Whoever gets caught has to take a dare or..." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, earning hoots and hollers from the crowd.
Girls around the circle were giggling, some deliberately placing themselves in Rhys's path before dancing away when he got close. It was like watching a predator and prey game, except the prey was eagerly hoping to be caught.
"Most people want to be caught," Debra whispered to me with a laugh. "Rhys hasn't participated in party games for ages. This is a rare opportunity."
I swallowed hard, unable to tear my eyes away from Rhys as he moved with surprising grace despite the blindfold. His head titled occasionally, and I realized he was using his heightened werewolf senses to track movement and scents.
"Why would he agree to this?" I whispered back.
Debra shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe he's in a good mood. Or maybe he has someone specific he wants to catch."
The crowd shifted and parted as Rhys lunged toward a squealing girl who barely escaped his grasp. The movement pushed me forward slightly, closer to the center than I wanted to be. I tried to step back, but people had filled in behind me.
Suddenly, Rhys paused. His head lifted, nostrils flaring slightly. Then he turned, with deliberate slowness, in my direction.
My heart pounded so loudly I was sure everyone could hear it. For a terrifying moment, I thought he might have caught my scent, but that was impossible with so many people around and the smell of chlorine from the pool.
Still, he moved toward me with purpose, like a missile locked on target.
"Step back," I hissed to the people behind me, but they were too engrossed in the spectacle to move.
Rhys was only a few feet away now. I could see the slight smirk playing at his lips, the confidence in his stance. He thought he knew exactly who he was approaching.
I needed to move. Now.
I tried to sidestep, but someone's elbow knocked me slightly forward instead. Before I could recover, Rhys's hand shot out with inhuman speed and precision, catching my wrist.
The touch was electric. His fingers closed around my wrist firmly but not painfully, and with one smooth tug, he pulled me against his chest.
The crowd fell silent.
I froze, my face inches from his bare skin, my body pressed against his. Heat radiated from him, along with that intoxicating scent that had haunted me since our encounter that morning.
His other arm snaked around my waist, securing me against him. I could feel every hard plane of his body, every breath he took.
"Gotcha," he murmured, his voice a low rumble that I felt more than heard.
Then his head dipped slightly, his nose skimming near my hair as he inhaled deeply.
The silence stretched for what felt like eternity. No one moved. No one spoke.
Slowly, Rhys reached up with one hand and pulled off the blindfold, clearly expecting to see one of his admirers.
Instead, his dark eyes met mine, widening with shock.
I couldn't breathe. Couldn't move. Couldn't think.
In that moment, with Rhys's arm still around my waist and his eyes locked on mine, the rest of the world seemed to disappear. There was only the thundering of my heart and the inexplicable intensity in his gaze.
What happened next would change everything.