Chapter 63
JOJO:
11:00pm
My ever-sweaty palms – despite the cold of the car’s air-conditioner – constantly rubbed against the silk of my dress. Up until now, I could barely believe I was the one seated in this car, barely meters away from the alpha. It was hard to understand why I had been picked. I mean, me?
Come on! The goddess was definitely pulling my strings. Something was either wrong, or the alpha had simply lost his mind. I did not even know what to do. We were already on the road, and I still had not been able to pin my back to the leather seat. I was seating out of the chair, afraid my class would stain the exquisite chair. The scent of his Arabian designer cologne filled my nostrils. I could not draw a single breath in without having his scent slip into my nose, tickling the hairs in my nostrils.
I kept my eyes out of the window. The whole city looked better when you were sitting in a car worth millions of dollars. The back of my dress was fully covered, but cold shivered down my spine when I felt a warm hand rest on it. I turned sharply in the direction of the hand on my back. My gaze met dark blue sleeves and traveled up to meet the Alpha’s cold gaze. My toes curled, even in my heels.
“You have your back arched. It’s a long journey, you would develop a bad ache if you do not relax.” It was supposed to sound like a friendly suggestion, but it came out as an order. Everything he ever said, did. I gulped hard on my saliva and nodded eagerly. He stole his arm from my back and I suddenly felt bare and naked. Like his arm was a part of my clothing that had been ripped off. I took his advice and relaxed against the chair. He was right, I got a lot more comfortable that way.
It took us nothing less than thirty minutes to arrive at the venue. If I thought the Hall of Mirrors was amazing, the structure in front of me was mind-blowing. It was like a castle, with thirty feet pillars shaped like lions. The entire building was polished with white paint, and around it stood several mighty sculptures. The closer the car got to the building, the more my jaw dropped. I was staring at a fortress! Neil drove past several fountains, different shapes, with different colors of liquid pouring out of them.
He pulled up in front of the building and stopped the engine. I was going to turn to the alpha for further instructions when my door opened. I blinked twice, a uniformed man, dressed in red and black with white gloves in his hands stretched his hand into the car.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.
“Welcome, my lady.”
I fought hard to keep my jaws together, but it was proving impossible to do so. These kinds of things only happened on television, they were not supposed to be real. I placed my right hand in his and he stepped backward, ushering me out of the car. When I stepped out, he used his left hand to close the door behind me, raised my right hand to his lips, and placed a soft kiss on it.
“Welcome, to La Royale Clementine.” He spoke with a soft voice. I did not know what to say, but I presumed I was supposed to say something because he continued to stare at me, anticipating a sentence.
“Let’s go, Red.”
The Alpha’s voice cut in, saving me from the awkward situation. The usher, or doorman, or whatever he was, turned away from me and focused on the Alpha. I could finally feel the air go down my lungs.
“Greetings, Alpha.”
“Thank you.” He responded, before drawing closer and wrapping his right arm around my thin waist. I shuddered against his hold, the skin on my back suddenly felt very warm. My green orbs involuntarily danced to his.
“Do not look as though you have been kidnapped. Stay by my side, you’ll be fine.”
By the goddess! Did he have any idea just how handsome he was? He was wearing a blue tuxedo, and his jet-black hair was gelled to the back of his head. The dark blue on his tux was a smart resemblance to the darkness in his eyes, it accentuated his cold and daring eyes even more. Tonight, he was twice as handsome as he normally was. And I was not sure if I could get over this night without tripping.
I was silent. We stepped into the building, and I was once again, forced to hold my breath. The empty room had a staircase that turned up to three steps, Alpha Lake and I had to climb up all the stairs to get to the twin doors that opened in front of us.
My eyes locked with the lemonade fountain in the middle of the room, resting on an exquisite wooden white table. My eyes scanned the room, men and women flocked the dance floor in their little numbers, the rest seed engrossed in one discussion or another. The room reeked of money. From the live band on stage to the jewelry on the neck, wrists, and ears of women, to the suits, shoes, and wristwatches of the men. The soft music echoed in the room as we stepped in.
We had barely walked three steps before alpha Lake began to nod in endless bows. Everyone we walked past seemed to know him, and he seemed to know everyone. I, on the other hand, was forced to render polite smiles to everybody. An elderly man walked us, clad in a black suit. A woman, not more than two times younger than his age, held on to his right arm. He waltzed towards the Alpha and me. He flashed alpha Lake a bright smile and stretched his hand for a handshake.
“Lake my boy!” He called out.
The Alpha let go of my waist, and I did not know when I clutched the hem of his tux and squeezed it in my right hand. The girl in front of me noted my movement. She narrowed her eyes at me, but I paid her no mind.
“Mister Montgomery. A pleasure to see you here.”
“It is quite a pleasant surprise. My boy told me of the deal you struck with him. I must say you are a brilliant businessman Your father was not wrong about you.” He laughed heartily, but the alpha merely chuckled.
“I can say the same for your boy. I would see you around sir.”
“Of course, of course.”
Alpha Lake gripped my waist and pulled me away from the man as he walked. My heart pounded against my chest. He lowered his lips to my ears and spoke.
“You have to relax. I cannot be by your side all night…”
My eyes widened immediately, I opened my mouth to protest, but he was quicker.
“I must meet with some important clients. You must stand here and not move, not even an inch. Whatever you need would be brought to you by the waiters scattered around. You must not wander about.”
I hated how he spoke to me like I was a five-year-old child who was bound to lose her way in the crowd. Still, I liked that he cared enough to keep me safe, even though I could not tell what he was keeping me safe from.
“Do I make myself clear?”
I nodded eagerly, I noticed his brows squint in a frown.
“Answer me, Red.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
My voice came out as a bare whimper, husky and unclear. Thankfully, he heard me. He nodded and walked away from me, I continued to stare at his perfectly sculpted back form until he disappeared into the small crowd.