Chapter 40

Silvers POV

“Dance with me,” Elliot said, taking hold of my hand.

My cheeks flushed at his words. I looked around and saw that others were dancing with their partners as well. Everybody dressed elegantly and the music was remotely classical.

Elliot pulled me to the dance floor and wrapped me in his arms. I wrapped my arms around him and twirled me around with ease. I smiled up at him as he moved around the dance floor effortlessly. I hardly noticed the gathering crowd until the song was ending and a new one was starting.

They started to clap as I did my own moves once the rhythm grew more upbeat. A smile spread across my lips as he wrapped me back in his arms and held me close to him

He ran his fingers down my cheek, tucking a strand of fallen hair behind my ear. Alison was going to kill me if she found out I ruined my hair within the first hour of my being here.

As I danced, my eyes wandered through the crowd and I almost stumbled when I saw a familiar face glaring at me from the other side of the ballroom.

Stell was glaring at me with her current suitor. Her lips were pressed in a thin line and her arms were folded across her chest. She did not look happy to be here. I knew my father had to be around here somewhere as well.

My stomach knotted at the thought of seeing him again. I hadn’t really spoken to my father since the wedding.

“Are you okay?” Elliot asked against my ear.

I nodded.

“Yeah, my sister is here. I’m sure my father is around here somewhere too,” I muttered.

“Pay them no attention,” Elliot said, rubbing my back gently. “They don’t control you anymore.”

I smiled at that thought and I felt a little lighter and then I heard his voice from behind us.

“Alpha Elliot.”

My entire body froze. I slowly turned to see my father staring at Elliot with narrowed eyes. It felt like the wind had gotten knocked out of me and I felt sick to my stomach. My father looked exactly the same with his neatly combed dark hair and green scrutinizing gaze.

His right brow was raised as he stared at Elliot, but Elliot didn’t seem phased by his presence at all. He was calm and collected; I admired him even more for that.

Then, my father looked at me and his eyes narrowed.

“Silver,” he greeted, his face showing nothing but indifference. “You clean up nicely.”

“Dad…” I said in return. I really wasn’t sure what to say to him, so I chose to remain silent.

My father cleared his throat and then turned to Elliot.

“The rogue attacks are starting to get out of hand. I had two of them this past week. We should start coming up with a game plan. Mind if we discuss some of my ideas,” my father asked.

He would choose now to discuss business. I had to stifle an eye roll.

Elliot looked a bit uncomfortable as he gazed down at me as if he were asking permission to speak to my father.

“It won’t take long,” my father continued. “Silver can handle herself while the men talk.”

I scowled at my father’s words.

Elliot straightened his stance and wrapped a protective arm around my shoulders.

“I ask that you don’t respect my wife, Alpha. She is the Luna of my pack after all,” Elliot told him, his voice remaining even and unbothered.

My father’s brow corked.

“She’s wolfless,” he snorted. “She’s hardly a luna.”

“I will say to you what I’ve said to her numerous times. Just because she’s wolves doesn’t make her weak,” Elliot told him. “She’s the strongest woman I know, and she’s driven with passion. Any pack would be lucky to have her as a Luna.”

My father opened his mouth to say something, looking mortified that Elliot was actually standing up for me. To be honest, I was kind of shocked by this. Nobody has ever stood up for me before, not even Gavin. My cheeks flushed at the sentiment, and I found myself wanting to lean into him and soak in his warmth and scent.

“If you’ll excuse us,” Elliot said, taking my arms and starting to pull me away but my father stopped us once again.

“I wanted to discuss the recent attacks,” he called after us.

“Alpha, we are at a ball right now. I’d rather not discuss business.” He said calmly.

My heart was thrumming from that interaction. My father was left in shock.

“Elliot,” another voice said once we were far. “You didn’t come to find me. I was looking all over for you!”

Shirley walked through the crowd and in our direction. Her smile faltered slightly when she saw me standing beside him.

“Oh, hello there, Silver. It’s a pleasure to see you again,” she said, her fake smile never leaving her lips. Then, she turned back to Elliot and looped an arm through his. “I hope you don’t mind if I steal your husband for a little while. We have much to discuss and there are some Alphas we must speak to.”

I frowned as I looked up at Elliot.

He sighed and looked back.

“It’ll only be a little while. How about you do some mingling as well,” he suggested.

“Oh, uh… okay,” I said, forcing a smile.

Shirley kept her hold on Elliot as they walked away. My chest tightened as I watched the two of them. Per usual, Shirley was dressed beautifully and between her incredible form and model-like features and his strong physique and handsomeness, they looked like an incredible couple.

Jealousy burned in the pit of my stomach as they walked towards a group of Alpha’s and started speaking with them. I hated that Shirley was still touching Elliot. Her arm was looped with his the entire time and he was just letting her hang onto his arm like her life depended on it.

At one point, they started to laugh, and Shirley put her hand on his chest.

I was seeing red as I glared at them. I needed to step away before I lost my temper and made a fool out of myself in front of everybody.

They were already talking for about 10 minutes and the conversations didn’t seem to be getting any less. He probably wouldn’t even notice if I slipped away for a little while. I decided to walk away and find a bathroom or something.

What I wasn’t expecting was for Stella to be in the bathroom powdering her nose.

I froze at the doorway and just as I was about to turn around and leave, her voice stopped me.

“Saw that your husband is with Alpha Shirley. Honestly, it’s probably for the best that she takes him out of your hands. You’d never be able to handle a man like Elliot anyway,” Stella said, her eyes fixed on her reflection while she applied a new layer of lip gloss.

“They are just friends,” I said, folding my arms across my chest.

She rolled her eyes.

“Keep telling yourself that, sweetie. But allow me to give you some sisterly advice. Walk away with the little dignity you have left because this isn’t going to end well for you. The weak ones never get what they want and Hun… you are the weakest of the bunch. Don’t forget who you are, Silver. A wolfless freak; Elliott could never love. But Shirley on the other hand, it’s impossible not to love her. He was with her once; he will be with her again soon enough.”

I was fuming by the end of this conversation. I wanted to lunge at her, but I was too frozen to move. She turned to face me as she put her gloss, powder, and mascara back into her purse.

Smacking her lips together she looked at me one last time.

“Don’t think for a second just because you got a little recognition for your paintings that you are somebody worth anything. You are worth nothing,” she said through her teeth as she stepped around me.

Anger coursed through me in waves; I needed the one person who could put me back at ease. After I finished doing my business in the bathroom, I left the ballroom and went to find Elliot. At this point, they had found a new group of Alphas, and they were dazzling. I huffed when I saw that Shirley still had her arms wrapped around his.

Then, the words that were being spoken by the Alphas they were talking to left me feeling paralyzed.

“You are quite lovely, Shirley. Alpha Elliot is a lucky man!”

“You two really should set a wedding date. You make such a lovely couple.”

“The world’s prettiest Luna that’s for sure.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks and before I knew what was happening, I was marching over to them and standing beside Elliot.

“Hello, Alphas. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Silver, Elliot’s wife,” I said, leaning my head against his shoulder.

They all looked at one another frowning and frozen. Then, their faces grew red as realization struck them.

“I’m so sorry, I guess there was a misunderstanding,” one of the Alphas said sheepishly. “It’s an honor to meet you, Luna.”

I smiled. I could feel Shirley glaring at me from the other side of Elliot.

“Yeah, we meant no disrespect,” another Alpha said, holding up his hands in surrender.

“It’s not a problem,” I assured them.

“I hope I didn’t make you feel uncomfortable, Silver,” Shirley said with a pout. “It wasn’t my intention. I also didn’t mean to keep him away so long.”

I wasn’t sure what to say, so I just nodded.

She walked toward me and grasped my hands.

“How about I buy you a drink an as apology,” she offered. “Then we can get to know one another a bit better.”

Within a few minutes, Shirley returned with a glass of red wine. She smiled brightly at me.

“Take this as my way of saying sorry,” she said, raising her glass in the air. “Let’s make a toast to new beginnings and new friends.”

I can’t see Shirley and me ever being friends, but I toasted anyway took a sip of the deep red wine, and sighed in contentment at the delicious scent and taste.

Shriley excused herself to speak to other Alphas and Elliot guided me over to a table. I sipped more of the wine as we took our seats.

“I’m sorry about Shirley earlier. I was about to say something before you showed up. I wouldn’t have let that go on much longer.”

I smiled at him.

“I know,” I told him, putting my hand on his affectionately.

Just as I brought the wine glass to my lips once again, flashes of color went through my vision, and I gasped at the sudden feeling and sight of it. My familiar headache surfaced in my head, and I gasped, nearly dropping the wine glass in the process.

I stumbled to my feet, the chaotic lights continuing to flash in my eyes, and I let out a whimper of distress.

My entire body quivered and shook.

What was happening to me?

It wasn’t the full moon yet!

Unless…

I thought back to the sweet wine I drank.

Could it be possible that there was mistletoe inside of it?