Reuben POV
Fuck me, she was sizzling hot. Only Evelyn could fit into a dress like that. It was made for her. She was mesmerising.
I struggled not to claim her by the pergolas, her cherry blossom with sea salt scent only went and mixed with the perfumery of the roses that surrounded us, creating an intoxicating atmosphere.
I wanted to truly show all those twats at the celebration exactly who she was meant to be with. For my mark to be seen for all. But what if she doesn’t want to be marked? She mentioned something about not keeping me…is that how she felt?
Married but not marked. I’ll have to approach the mate bond with Evelyn with caution. This was a marathon, not a sprint. I had wronged her and I needed to show her I meant what I said, that I wasn’t going anywhere.
The two alphas that were fucking talking about her like she was a piece of meat have already signed their death warrants, I’ll make life difficult for their packs from now on. It’s that or I rip their eyes out to stop them looking at her again in such a way.
Fuck, what I really wanted to do was lift her dress up and stroke her pussy with my fingers. She had already ruined other women for me but in my own arrogance I pushed her away, not realising what she was to me.
I needed to show her that I could be trusted, that we were matched together for a reason.
The restraint I managed with her during our secluded hot kiss was depleting as I walked back into the party to find eyes all over her again. Now she has Alpha Renard sleazing all over her while his daughter Natascha has taken my whiskey drink and was circulating the cold glass over her nipples. Maybe she needs to learn a few lessons of class from Evelyn. She was brass and a complete turn off.
She was trying to talk to me about Vicky but I was concentrating on the conversation happening on the other end of the room.
“Nate, Natascha has had too much to drink, can you escort her back to her room before I really lose my temper.” I mind-link Nate.
Her constant moaning of me not being here with Vicky and trying to get the dirt on what she has done to be exiled was really pissing me off.
I cut the link as I hear Evelyn’s heart rate race as she looks at her phone. Only one person would be texting her, everybody else would go through Noah. It had to be Donnie.
“How about a dance?” Nastascha’s hands move to my chest. She’s so drunk that she spills my drink down my shirt. For fuck’s sake.
“Oops, I’ll have to take that off now.” She laughs in a high pitched voice that immediately assaults my ears.
“I don’t dance!” I growl at her snatching my drink back, just as Nate comes over and I step away.
I look up to see Evelyn has re-entered the room and has cleverly managed to dodge Renard, who is too busy now watching his daughter make a spectacle of herself from afar.
I take a moment to watch her. She looks lost in thought, different even in the space of a few minutes…concern hidden behind her sparkly green eyes.
She places her phone back in her bag and walks over to the table where Candice is entertaining Rex and Elspeth. Her eyes find me before they move to the dance floor where I also notice Noah and Cassandra dancing. Did she want to dance?
I didn’t really dance, but for her I would. I head over to the table where judging by the empty cupcake cases and sweet wrappers, Rex and Elspeth had had their fill of sugar this evening.
“Reuben…did you want to play footy?” Rex’s eyes light up as I head over to them. My bond with Rex was growing and growing, I had an inkling he subconscious knew who I was to him.
Whereas Elspeth was very guarded towards me still. She was quiet when I was near her and she often whispered into Evelyn’s or Noah’s ears so I couldn’t hear what she wanted.
I knew just like her mother, I had a lot of ground work to make up for and had a long journey ahead of me. But I am willing to try. Any father would be better than mine surely!
“Sounds great but I was going to see if your Mum wanted to dance…”
“With you?” He turned his nose up at the idea of anyone wanting to dance with his Mum. Most had to get through the father, not the son. But then the father was dead thanks to my deranged ex, yeah don’t fucking mentioned that tonight Reuben. That would be a first class ticket to destroying any brownie points achieved tonight.
Evelyn glances at the dance floor where Noah and Cassandra are still dancing and Pierce seems to be flirting with a few lunas to the dismay of their alpha mates. Natascha was arguing with Nate, trying to fob him off, her eyes flickering to me.
“Yes…” She croaks out before clearing her throat. “Yes, that would be nice.” She gently smiles at me before giving the children a pointed look.
“But Mummy…” Elspeth tries to protest but Evelyn soothes her.
“One dance and then bed time.”
I walk her to the dance floor, her hand on my arm. I’m careful to block her from the disdainful glare burning out of Natascha’s eyes towards the pair of us. Clearly she didn’t like being turned down for a dance. Well tough shit.
I place my hand onto Evelyn’s lower back and the other in her hand as she takes a step closer towards me. I hear a gasp involuntarily escape her mouth as I yank her closer to me. The centimetres of distance between us being too much for my wolf and me. I need her as close to me as physically possible.
A slow romantic song plays as we move as one. The lights only enhancing her beauty, her figure fitting perfectly next to mine. I don’t need to look around the room to know all eyes are now on us.
“Who was the text message from?” I whisper into her ear, my lips touching her earlobe to calm my increasing urge to really drag her out of this room and spend the night alone with her.
I give her a look when she doesn’t respond. So it was Donnie. “I have pack business too, I wouldn’t presume to know what you get up to.”
Her eyes flash to dark forest green as they fall upon Natascha who was now being escorted out by Nate and her father.
“Don’t worry sweetheart, my eyes are only for you.” I needed her to know that she was the only woman I wanted. “So boils eh?” She chuckles, instantly turning our mood more playful.
“The penis rumour wasn’t leaked by us though, I promise!” Nate and I might have been responsible for some rumours but I hadn’t heard that one before.
We continue to laugh before Rex and Elspeth come running up to us on the dance floor. “Elspeth is tired, but I’m not ready to go to bed.” Rex says to Evelyn in a sulky tone.
“I’ll keep him company, if you like? I did promise him a kick-about.” I offer which I was more than happy to do. The party would be boring the moment Evelyn left, she was the star of the evening and I enjoyed spending time with Rex one to one anyhow.
I can see her eyes gaze over into a mind -link before she cuts it off and nods to me.
“You can have one more hour while I put Elspeth to bed, but when Reuben says it’s time to get to bed…” She lays down the rules to Rex.
“I know Mum, I’ll listen to Reuben.” The excitement in his face is infectious.
Evelyn bids goodnight to Alpha Ivo, Milo and Candice before turning in for the night with Elspeth. As they leave the room I turn to Noah.
“I saw that!” I playfully growl at his mind-linking to no doubt say he would keep an eye on us.
“Come on Reuben…” My arm is dragged by the four year old boy who was very quickly starting to become my world.
