Chapter 45 - Monster's Ball (Part 2)

**Authors note - I'm on a roll today. Three chapters in one day! I'm enjoying writing the next few scenes after this as I've been building up to this for a while. Enjoy and let me know what you think of the story so far in the comments :)**

"Excuse me, I hope you don't mind if I cut in here and ask the lady for a dance?" Kai asked. Whilst it appeared to sound like a question, he was already turning Adalyn around to face him. Nobody would dare to tell him no.

The other males backed away as they spotted Kai. Even though he was talking to the man that had approached Adalyn, he only had eyes for her and he didn't break eye contact with her once. Adalyn nearly gasped as she turned to face him. He looked almost unrecognisable and good enough to eat. Polished and refined. He was dripping with sex appeal and they way he looked at her instantly had her heated. The gentleman bowed to Kai then started to walk away. Kai wrapped an arm around her waist then rested his hand at the small of her back in her backless dress. Sparks flew the second his hand made contact with her bare skin. He pulled her waist in towards him so she was pressed flat against him. He held out his other hand for her and she slipped her small hand in to his. As soon as the next song started up, Kai started leading her around the ballroom.

"What are you doing here Adalyn?" His voice was low and heated as he whispered in to her ear.

"Nice to see you too Kaiden." She nearly forgotten in their heated reunion that she was still annoyed with him. "Melody invited me."

"Did she now?" Melody was so much like her mother. Always having to meddle unnecessarily.

With how close they were Adalyn couldn't see his expression, but she could tell that he wasn't particularly happy. "She thought it would be a nice surprise, but it sounds like you're angry."

Kai sighed and allowed some of the tension to leave his body. Now that he was connected to her like this, both he and Pax were a bit more settled. "Just for the record I hate surprises, but no, I’m not angry. How can I be angry with you when you look like that. I haven’t been able to breathe properly since you came into the room. You look beautiful."

Adalyn swallowed hard at how strong he was coming on to her. Whilst his movements and the way he spoke were subtle and almost unnoticeable to anyone looking from the outside, she could feel the intensity in his body and the desire in his voice. She was starting to forget why she was annoyed in the first place.

"And where did you get this dress from?" He continued to whisper discretely against her ear as he skimmed his fingers across her bare back in appreciation.

"Mel leant it to me. Do you like it?"

"Oh I *like it* alright. I *like it* a lot. I just can’t help but be conscious that a lot of the guys in here are looking at you as though they *like it* too.

Kai held on to Adalyn a bit more possessively. He was simmering below the surface, struggling not to let his dominant alpha waves out to inform the other males that she was his and was taken, but he knew that doing so would only draw attention to the fact that they had a connection and his enemies could be right there in that very room.

"Do you know how hard it was for me to restrain myself, watching him with his hands on you. I’m going to struggle tonight if you have to dance with anyone else."

As the song slowly came to an end, Kai knew he would have to let her go and was dreading it. The other males were still circling nearby as though they were stalking prey and he could feel Pax starting to become agitated again.

Kai's step mother suddenly stood up from where she was seated at the far end of the of ballroom with Maddox on an elevated podium. She raised a glass and clinked it with a spoon to grab everyone's attention. The orchestra put down their instruments for a moment, much to Kai's relief. The crowd all turned round to face them.

Seeing that eyes were no longer on him, Kai looped his little finger around Adalyn's little finger. The contact between them was just enough to settle both him and Pax and was discrete enough for nobody else nearby to notice them.

"Good evening everyone" Ophelia announced. She looked both classy and regal in her long sleeve navy blue dress that matched Maddox's navy-blue suit. "My husband and I would like to thank all of you in attendance for joining us tonight. It brings us great pleasure to be around our nearest and dearest and to acknowledge the efforts of our unified alliance. Galas has prospered thanks to the hard work of many and we're indebted to those in particular who work hard to maintain the peace and stability to our great nation. This is why it gives me great pleasure to dedicate tonight's Ball to our son Kaiden, who so recently relieved Eclipse Fang from the tyranny of the Sirran soldiers that strayed in to our territory."

The crowd turned to face Kai and they clapped in his direction. He hated this kind of attention, but grinned bared it for now. Adalyn looked up at Kai and smiled in joint adoration to his mother and other guests in attendance. She couldn't help but feel proud of him too.

"As parents we also wish for what any parent could want for their child, and that is for them to settle down and take a mate, so may I also thank you all for presenting your possible matches. I know Kaiden will be spoilt for choice for a wife with all of the beautiful ladies that have gathered here tonight. So, relax and enjoy yourself tonight. To Galas, and to Kaiden!" Ophelia raised her glass and smiled warmly as everyone else repeated "To Kaiden" in unison.

Kai's heart sank instantly. He didn't have to look at Adalyn to know how she would react to what his mother had just said. She had effectively declared that this ball was about finding him a wife.

Adalyn slipped her finger out from his in a mixture of embarrassment and disgust.

"Adalyn..." Kai spoke quietly from the corner of his mouth as the crowd's eyes still focussed on him. As the music started up again, the guests resumed conversation amongst themselves and Kai used that as opportunity to discretely pull her to one side. He pulled her behind some blue drapes that hung down from ceiling. As soon as they were out of sight Adalyn pulled her arm free from him. Her lip trembled as she fought back the tears and anger that was building inside of her.

"Is this why you didn't tell me about this Ball? Were you supposed to be finding yourself a wife tonight?"

"No, this is not what you're thinking... I can explain."

"Then why did you lie to me. I wouldn't even have known about this if Melody hadn't invited me. I feel like such an idiot. Are you just with me to past the time until you meet someone more worthy?"

"No! You know that's not what this is. That's not what we are."

"Then why did you lie to me about what you were doing today? Why didn't you just tell me the truth?!"

"I didn't want to hurt you. Nothing was going to come out of tonight. My mother doesn't know about us, I couldn't tell her no without her getting suspicious."

Adalyn rolled her eyes at him. "I'm starting to wonder if the real reason why you want to keep us a secret is so that you can have your cake and eat it too. Like father like son huh."

"Don't do that! That's not fair..."

"I'll tell you what's not fair. You lying to me about tonight is not fair. I feel like such an idiot right now. I'm leaving!" Adalyn turned on her heel and tried to make a break for it.

Kai grabbed her hand. "No, you're going to hear me out and give me a chance to explain."

"I don't have to give you anything! Let go of me Kaiden." Adalyn was struggling to restrain her voice being conscious that everyone was just on the other side of the drapes and would easily be able to listen in if their conversation got too loud.

"No" he repeated slowly and more forcefully. If he gave her the chance to run, he didn't know if she'd ever give him the time of day again. It was at times like these that he really wished his alpha tone worked on her.

"If you don't let go of me right this second..." she repeated through gritted teeth. Kai held firm on to her wrist to stop her from taking off.

When Adalyn saw that he wasn't going to let her go, she flicked her wrist up and looped her thumb over his and pushed his hand back. The way she had his hand twisted caused him to flinch from the pain and he instantly released her. Kai didn't know whether to be surprised or impressed with her little technique but as he looked up to her face, all he could see was pain there. She looked at him for just a moment before she stormed out from behind the drapes.

Kai just stood there momentarily. The pain that was etched on her face was caused by him. He had genuinely hurt her in his efforts to try and protect her and now he felt like shit. All he knew was that he had to fix it, and fix it now.

Adalyn barrelled through the ballroom. Her heels clicked across the floor violently with each step. As her eyes misted up, she went to wipe them and then ended up crashing directly in to someone. When she looked up to apologise, she saw Kai's blue eyes looking back at her, except it wasn't Kai.

"I'm sorry... I wasn't looking where I was going..."

"Matias..." he completed her sentence and eyed her suspiciously. "It's a pleasure to meet you."