221
Lucy
After our arrival at the Blood Moon Estate, we were greeted by a sense of safety and security. The tension from our encounter in the city started to dissipate, and I could breathe a little easier.
David appeared not long after, coming through the door dressed as if he had spent all day in a high rise.
"Everyone all right?" He asked, his gaze sweeping over us.
"Lucy's fine," Duke said. Sarah burst into laughter. David pinched Duke's cheek.
"So much sass."
I smiled as David started to tug at his tie. Then, my phone chimed with a reminder – our scheduled dance lesson. I had nearly forgotten about it.
"Are we still… having a lesson tonight?"
David shook his head.
"The instructor had to cancel," he explained, disappointment briefly flickering in his eyes. "But if you're still up for it, it could just be practice instead."
A smile tugged at my lips as I nodded. "I'd love to. What time should I be ready?"
David checked his watch. "Give me a couple of hours to wrap things up, and I'll come get you. How does that sound?"
"A couple of hours sounds perfect," I replied.
He grinned. "Great."
We settled in for dinner at the long table with everyone at the Blood Moon Estate, and then David disappeared upstairs.
I stayed downstairs with everyone, working through our homework.
"Alright," Sarah announced. "That's enough homework. You have a date to get ready for."
"Sarah," I stammered. "It's not like that--"
"I'll grab the potions," Duke said, getting up and grinning at me. "We have to support our dear alpha, don't we?"
"Wait a second," I said as Duke left. "I promise it's just a dance lesson for the Festival."
"I think I have some lipgloss I haven't opened," Sarah said, getting up and grabbing my hand. "And we're about the same size. I know I've got something you can wear."
Before I could protest, Sarah dragged me upstairs to her room, and Duke, Amy, and Michelle followed suit. Sarah went to her closet after shoving me towards the bathroom.
"Shower, you want to smell nice for a proper date, you know?"
I hesitated, but I appreciated their support. It was also nice to see them distracted from everything that had happened earlier.
I showered with some of her floral shower gel and came out. Sarah had already chosen my dress. Michelle sat me down to get my curls as springy as possible.
"You'll look like one of those woodland creatures," Michelle said, working some sort of cream in my hair. "You'll fit right in with all the fairy lights."
I shook my head but thanked her and marveled at how she made my curls look defined instead of the frizzy cloud they usually were.
I also appreciated that she didn't try to straighten it.
"Best of luck," Michelle said, waving goodbye.
"She's got her own date to get ready for," Sarah grinned. "Don't do anything David wouldn't approve of!"
Michelle flushed and scowled before leaving. Sarah chose a simple dress. I was surprised until I realized that it was more of a summer dress, and she was making me go without a bra.
She gave me a set of sticky cups and helped me get into it. I didn't know
"Why would anyone want giant stickers on their boobs?" I asked as she stood behind me and started lacing the dress up.
"Because no one wants to show a bra in a backless dress. Now, hush."
Duke grinned, leaning in. "Look at you, Lucy. No bra? Pretty soon, you're not going to be wearing underwear. Practicing for the footrace, huh?"
My face heated. "I will be wearing clothes, thank you!"
He cackled as Sarah finished lacing me up and went to look for lipgloss. She smeared it on my lips and cooed.
"You look adorable," she said. "Like a little snack."
"Sarah!"
Duke wiggled his eyebrows. "I think David would like to make you a whole meal, but that might take some time."
My face burned with embarrassment as Sarah squealed. Amy shook her head.
"I'm just glad that you seem to be giving him a chance," Amy said, patting my hand. "And yourself."
"Thanks, Amy."
A knock sounded on the door. My heart skipped a beat as Amy pulled me onto my feet and led me to the door. I answered it. David stood in the doorway, still in his suit from earlier. His hair was a little disheveled, but he looked as handsome as ever.
He smiled. A flicker of purple light went through his eyes.
"I feel underdressed," he said, extending his arm. "You look lovely. Shall we, my lady?"
I took his arm, the warmth of his touch sending a pleasant shiver down my spine. "We shall."
I fell into step beside him.
"Since it's a bit of a non-standard lesson, how do you feel about a change in location?"
"Sounds great."
I smiled as a sense of anticipation built within me. The sun had set, and the Estate had grown dark beside the soft lights that lit the corridors and the moonlight coming through the windows. David led me through the Estate towards a different exit. I could see the forest out of the windows as we walked together through the grand hallways of the Estate, the soft glow of the moonlight illuminating our path.
"It all feels so very peaceful. Like I'm in a whole different world."
"In some ways, you are," David said. "The Estate has a barrier around it that separates it in some ways from the world."
His lips twitched. "It also keeps the magical creatures on the Estate safe and hidden."
"Do humans hunt animals like Hunter?"
He shook his head. "Not usually, but there are magical poachers we have to deal with."
We reached another set of glass doors. Beyond it, I could see faint lights. He opened the doors, and I gasped at the sight of the stone walkway leading away from the house.
"Welcome to the Moon Rose Courtyard," David said, leading me outside. The pathway was bordered by tall hedges flowering with roses and soft lights like fairies live in the hedges. As we reached the actual courtyard, my heart trembled. The place was overgrown with roses of all sorts of colors. Some of them seemed to glow in the night, but more importantly, this was the courtyard I had seen in my vision during my practice with Lucian.
"It's beautiful."
I looked up as the moon was just beginning its ascent, casting a soft, silvery glow over the courtyard. David left my side briefly to the nearby stone bench and turned on a portable speaker. The soothing melody of the Moon Waltz filled the air.
"The Waltz?"
His lips trembled with a smile as he came back to me.
"It seemed a safer choice."
I dropped my gaze and nodded. We were alone. Dancing the Tango might have been asking for more than I was ready for. He took my hand and pulled me close before leading me into the slow, gliding steps of the waltz.
As we started to waltz under the starlit sky, I couldn't help but feel like I was living in a fairy tale. The soft rustle of leaves, the fragrance of roses in full bloom, and the soft music created a dreamy atmosphere. David led me gracefully, his movements fluid and effortless. We twirled and swayed together, and the world around us faded into the background.
I looked up into David's eyes; the soft purple light was there again, but there was something else there that made my heart skip a beat. Longing and affection glowed in his eyes. His smile was soft and gentle--loving.
My heart skipped a beat, and fear that wasn't my own twisted through me, chilling me and pushing me forward.
Selene wasn't going to stop me. Her plans weren't going to control my life.
"Are you alright?" David asked.
"I'm perfectly fine."
His brow furrowed. "You're... afraid."
I shook my head, tightening my grip on his shoulder. "It's not me."
He tilted his head. "What do you mean by that?"
I lowered my gaze. "Has... Duke talked to you about his dreams?"
He set his jaw. "You have similar dreams?"
I nodded.
He slowed us to a stop. "David, I--"
He hushed me with a slow hiss of air and reached up to cup my face.
"Let me try something?"
I closed my eyes and nodded. He pressed our foreheads together. I felt something humming. In my mind, I could feel his presence. There was a tall, thin wall between us.
I opened my eyes, meeting his eyes, and I felt the wall turn into a door and open. He gasped as his emotions seemed to rush out.
Affection, care, protectiveness, and love. There was so much love I could barely breathe. My eyes burned.
"Lucy..."
I blinked through the tears as our lips finally met in a slow, passionate kiss that I never wanted to end.
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