"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music." - Friedrich Nietzsche

There was a loud knock on the door which was followed by two more quick ones. My mind immediately registered and recognized the familiar pattern.

It was Beta Jonathan.

We decided that aside from mind-linking, it would be best to have some sort of a secret knock to verify that it is one of our pack members outside the door to ensure security.

Trying my hardest to not trip in my four inch heels, I successfully managed to walk towards the bedroom door and open it.

"All ready, Alpha?" A well-dressed Jonathan greeted me with a grin, his left arm interlocked with Ella. He was wearing a three-piece suit accompanied by a red tie which complemented the evening silk gown his mate was wearing.

I greeted them both with a warm smile, "Yes, just waiting on Ashlee."

"Just a second, I am almost done!" A panicked Ashlee shouted from the bathroom. "Don't leave without me!"

Jonathan checked his watch and answered in a sarcastic manner, "Take your time, we are definitely not getting late."

He was right; we were running quite a bit behind schedule. Around two hours after we had arrived at the Lycan Committee, Lukas came knocked at our door to inform us about the timings of the event and how after we were done getting ready; we were supposed to meet him at the foyer so he could guide us towards the ballroom.

"You look beautiful, Vivian." Ella took a step forward in my direction and kissed both of my cheeks.

"As do you, Beta-Female." I turned towards Beta Jonathan and winked, "You might want to keep her close to you tonight."

He lovingly gazed at Ella and brought her hand which was interlinked towards his lips to place a soft kiss on it, "I am already on it, Alpha."

I could feel my wolf swooning. It was a wonderful feeling to see two people sharing mutual love and respect for each other and not shying away from expressing it.

The feeling of love brought the protective side of my wolf outside who began to wonder about our pack.

"Did we receive word from the pack?" I mind-linked as I felt it was a much safer way to communicate.

"Yes, I contacted both Chief Warrior Xavier and your Mother. Everything and everyone is good... but we need to make sure we keep our eyes open tonight. The threat -."

"I'm here, let's go!" Ashlee came out hopping out of the bathroom on one leg. She was flailing one of her heel in her hand in a desperate attempt to wear it on the leg which was in air.

After stumbling around for a few seconds, she surprising succeeded and joined us at the door with a huge grin, "All done!"

My clumsy self would've definitely fallen on the ground and knocked her teeth out if she did something like that.

"And what a sight it would've been," My wolf mused.

"Since everyone is finally ready, shall we?"

"Where are Ron and Hera?" I questioned while I stepped out of the door and Ashlee busied herself with locking it up.

Two familiar voices cheerily greeted me. It was Hera and Ron, both dressed in suits; beautiful and broad smiles lighting up both of their faces.

"You guys look good; especially you Hera."

She smiled and bowed her head in an appreciative manner, "Thank you, Alpha."

I nodded and returned the smile, "Alright everyone, let's get going."

----

The entire mansion had changed within a span of few hours. It felt like I had walked into another place altogether. There were a plethora of decorations adoring the entire place, the walls were a glittering gold, massive glittering crystal chandeliers spiraled down from the ceiling, an extravagant black carpet lay on the floor, and the walls were draped with luxurious fabric. It definitely did not seem like the same place we had walked inside a few hours ago.

In addition to the decor, there were attendants situated in every corner of the palace, all of them dressed in similar black capes which highlighted their cold eyes. It felt as if someone had sucked the life out of them, making them operate like mere robots.

As promised, Lukas was standing at the foyer.

Judging by the expression on his face, it wouldn't be wrong to say that he appeared annoyed, most probably caused by our tardiness. However, he didn't express the said annoyance and choose to silently turn around and guide us towards the Lycanthrope Ballroom.

After being navigated through many turns and corners, we reached a grand spiral staircase which I realized was the first of the six levels of staircases we were going to climb. Ashlee was visibly panting by the time we reached the sixth floor, her hands desperately clutching Ron's arm as if her dear life depended on it.

"They could've warned us about this staircase to hell, I would've opted for a more comfortable option." Ashlee mind-linked and let out a painful sigh as we finally stepped onto the sixth level.

There were no other staircases following it which meant that this was the top floor of the castle. My four inch heels were also painfully digging into my feet by the time we reached, but surprisingly I felt fine.

We walked a few more steps and reached a grand, majestic golden door. There were two guards standing at the opposite sides. Lukas stepped forward and knocked on the door once. Instantly, as if we were in a Disney movie, both sides of the door opened, revealing an even grander staircase which led down towards a large room.

Ashlee let out another sigh, "That's it. Rest in peace, Ashlee."

I took a deep breath and proceeded in, my heart beat increasing with each step I took. I could hear the faint sound of chatter and laughter. My eyes went over the large room where groups of people were talking and drinking in dazzling costumes, while a beautiful melody played in the background.

A gush of wind embraced me, sending a shiver down my spine.

Wind?

I looked up and gasped.

It was the sky. The vast, seemingly empty sky stretched out for infinity; a canopy of dazzling stars sparkled amongst the sea of blackness. It was glorious, almost magical - forcing one's eyes to draw towards the heaven.

The Lycan Ballroom had no ceiling.

It was on the rooftop.

Who would've thought...

As the sparkling stars twinkled and decorated the canvas of the perfect velvet sky, my eyes fell towards the audience standing under its covering. That's when I noticed; the music, the chatter, the laughter - everything had stopped and had been replaced by gasps and whispers which filled the entire room.

"The moment you have been waiting for is here!" Lukas announced, his loud voice echoing in the room, "The guest of honour, Alpha Vivian Alejandro!"

He made a little movement with his arm causing the music to resume.

"Why is everyone here already? We weren't that late, were we?"

"Either everyone is extremely punctual or we were given a different time than the rest," Jonathan replied.

I couldn't get my body to move. I was frozen in my place. All of a sudden, the thought of turning around and going back home became very appealing.

I wasn't prepared for this.

"Not this again. You better strut down the stairs like the Alpha we are or I promise I am going to make your life miserable, woman," My wolf scolded.

Noticing my nervousness, Ron stepped forward and grabbed one of my arms to escort me.

"Couldn't have our Alpha tripping down the stairs, now can we?" He winked.

I gave him a thankful smile as we both began to descend down the stairs.

Without a doubt in my mind, I knew every individual's eyes were on me.

My wolf was right.

"When am I not?"

I am an Alpha for Goddess' sake; I better start acting like one.

Instead of shying away, I tilted my head up and began to walk confidently down the stairs. My eyes moved over a sea of people, jumping from one unfamiliar person to another, trying to find someone who I recognized.

And then our eyes met.

In a room full of people, our gazes easily managed to find each other. Instinctively, almost hypnotically, Ethan walked towards me, his mouth slightly open in awe.

"I think you've stupefied them all, Alpha." Ron gently patted my hand.

He wasn't wrong. There wasn't a person in the room whose eyes weren't transfixed on me.

"Well, that's obvious. We look beautiful; they should feel honoured just to be in our presence." My wolf commented.

Ethan wasn't the only man who had begun to walk near the end of staircases. Several unfamiliar, but handsome men were unconsciously stepping in my direction, as if some unknown force was pulling them towards me. However, all of them stopped once Randy stepped forward and effortlessly placed himself by the end of the stairs.

"Welcome, Alpha Vivian!" He brought out his arm in my direction.

"Alpha, are you sure?" Ron mind-linked.

I looked over at him and nodded firmly. Ron stepped back as I allowed myself to be steered away by Randy. The people parted for us like the Red Sea, giving us a free passage to wherever he was taking us. As I passed the crowd, I heard their low chatter as they talked and whispered among themselves.

"I am glad you opted to wear the dress we sent you. I'm sure Natasha would be very happy to see it, she worked very hard on it."

Yes, the dress.

It was absolutely gorgeous; a V-neck, cream coloured ball gown which had slit to allow an open leg. The upper most part and the right side of the gown were adorned with handmade embroidered flowers. The two straps which lay on the left side of my shoulder were also heavily accentuated with similar flowers. My hair was done in loose curls, the top section wrapped in a messy bun as my crown sat securely at the center.

Randy took me towards a corner where his throne sat. Right next to it was eight, smaller chairs which were occupied by his wife Natasha, Leia, Alpha Lennon, Alpha Carlos and their wives. The chairs next to Leia and Alpha Carlos were empty, most probably for Ethan and me. In comparison to his mighty throne, our chairs looked like small ants.

"Come, sit next to Leia."

I did as he said and placed myself next to her after briefly greeting Natasha who was extremely excited to see me in the dress.

Leia was wearing a beautiful blue dress, which complemented her lovely, doe eyes. Her super long hair were braided and adorned with tiny white flowers.

"It is very nice to meet you, Alpha." She greeted in a monotonous tone, not making eye contact with me, her head down and shoulders slumped.

This was definitely not the girl I met a few hours ago. She seemed different. However, I decided to not press on the matter and focused my attention somewhere else.

As soon as I was seated, the party fell back into its old state. Although, there were still a select few who were unable to keep their eyes off of me. I observed my pack members who were pretending to act busy by talking with each other but I knew their entire attention was on me.

"I was just talking to Lennon how amazing it is that you all agreed to come here on such a short notice. It means a lot to my people." Randy started, a fake smile plastered on his face.

What was he playing at?

"No need, it was our greatest pleasure to accept your invitation," I lied straight through my teeth.

We all made some much forced, idle conversations to pass the time when suddenly a young man came in front of me and bowed deeply. He was dressed in a blue three piece suit; his brunette hair was pushed back putting emphasis on his chocolate brown eyes. He was handsome, and judging by the power radiating off him, he was an Alpha.

He turned towards Randy and raised an eyebrow. They shared a look and Randy immediately got up and introduced him to me.

"Alpha Braden of Blood-Moon Pack, let me introduce you to Alpha Vivian of the North-Moon Pack."

Braden nodded and flashed me a dazzling smile.

"Vivian, according to traditions and rules, it is customary for an Alpha female to accept a male Alpha's request for a dance, therefore...," He waved his hand towards Braden.

"Oh he's one to talk about traditions and rules," My wolf lowly growled.

Braden offered me his arm, "May I have this dance, Alpha Vivian?"

Randy beamed positively, "I am sure she would, right?" His gaze was commanding, "Go on..." He urged.

Is this man serious?

I can speak for myself. What if I don't feel like dancing? He didn't even let me make my own decision.

"Quit whining and get up. It is better to dance than bear his boring company." My wolf replied, feeling tired already.

I couldn't say no to him considering the fact that all of our packs were at risk; neither could I confirm with Jonathan to double-check about this tradition as Randy would be able to recognize that I was mind-linking.

After taking some quick breaths, I managed to calm myself down and let Braden to escort me to the dance floor.

"Ladies and Gentleman," Randy clapped his hands once, "the first Alphas dance!"

Oh great, now everyone was looking at us.

Braden bowed once and then brought his hands for me to take. I gazed across the lacquered wooden tiles and, with a sudden burst of courage that I didn't known I possessed, stepped forward. As the first chord of the classical music whispered into my ears, we began to dance.

Surprisingly, he was not a bad dancer and also managed to keep a considerable distance between us.

"I've heard a lot about you, and trust me, you exceed all those expectations."

There was sincerity in the tone of his voice.

"Hmm, should I take that as a compliment or an insult?"

"Trust me; any man who insults you is insulting himself."

"Ah, flattery. A weapon of yours, I suppose?"

He gave me a boyish grin and twirled me once, "Only when someone as beautiful as you is concerned."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't stop a smile from forming on my face. He seemed different from the others present in the ballroom; there was something about him which made me feel like I could trust him.

We remained silent for the rest of the dance. I glanced around and saw others had lost interest in us and were dancing along us on the floor.

"How many Alphas do you think I have to dance with before I get to eat?"

He laughed, "You're definitely as he described."

"Pardon?"

He shook his head, "There are twelve unmated Alphas, excluding the ones that came with you. But judging by the lack of enthusiasm, I presume none of them is your mate?"

"Oh, so this was supposed ball is to help me find my mate?"

He nodded.

"And I presume; there is no such tradition as dancing with the Alphas?"

"Nope."

Randy had carefully orchestrated this entire event.

"Oh, how generous of him!"

"Yep. King Randy is very gracious when it comes to helping out the other gender," Braden answered, humor evident in his eyes.

The musicians struck up the last chords of the dance as he gave me a final whirl.

"It would've been a pleasure to share another dance with you, but I can see your line of admirers is quickly getting long," He cocked his head to the side where seven men stood, all gawking at me.

"Claw their eyes out," My wolf joined, not enjoying the way they stared at us like a piece of meat.

"I'll be seeing you, Vivian." Braden kissed the back of my hand and left the dance floor.

Another suitor quickly mustered up the courage to dance with me. He wasn't as good as Braden, and did even manage to step on my dress quite a lot of times for which he apologized more times than I could count, but he managed to finish the dance without making a spectacle out of us. My next partners were not quite so agreeable. They were either too fast or too slow or too rough. One even managed to let his gaze and hands linger in places where they shouldn't so I quickly reciprocated by 'accidentally' stepping on his feet and giving a solid kick to his shin.

I danced with four more suitors until he came.

His fiery gaze touched me before his hands could. He walked towards me in a torturously slow manner, his dark and commanding gaze lighting my skin on fire as his eyes took a trip of my body. There was something different in the way he looked at me today in comparison to all those other times. His dark eyes were burning with cold fire and didn't leave mine for even a second.

I took this time to admire his appearance. He was wearing a formal, black tuxedo - black jacket, white shirt and black bow tie. His inky black hair which shone like the sea at night was pushed back neatly, allowing my attention to completely zone in on his chiseled cheekbones. My mind was unable to comprehend the fact that someone as stunning as him could exist.

"It should be illegal to look this good," My wolf swooned.

When he stopped right in front of me, he cocked his head to the side and just stared straight in my eyes. There was something about the gaze of his that I could never find in another man. In that moment, it felt as if our souls had connected.

My heart beat became slower, and softer. I softly bit my lower lip and his stormy eyes observed the action. His gaze darkened and once more traversed up and down the extent of my body, as if he was watching a dream and couldn't believe what he was seeing.

His unsettlingly, deep eyes bored into me with a searing intensity as he took another step forward.

A delicious shiver went down my spine.

He now stood closer to me than any of my previous dance partners. If he came any closer, there would definitely be whispers about us in the ballroom. As if he knew what I was thinking about, a smirk formed on his face. He lightly raised one of his eyebrows.

"Our last dance wasn't performed under the best of circumstances, which is why I am here to make amends...," He bowed his head deep enough so our eyes were on the same level then brought his right hand for me to take. "Vivian Alejandro, will you do me the honor of dancing with me?"

"Yes," The answer came out of my mouth before I could even think. It came to me as naturally as the action of breathing itself.

He stood up straight and gently grasped my hand. The touch of his hand burned my skin and allowed tingles to travel all over my arm. His left arm snaked around my waist, and with a jerk of his hand, he brought me even closer to him.

My heartbeat quickened as a soft gasp escaped me, "What are you doing, Ethan?"