Chapter 5
The grand ballroom of the Pinecrest Elite Gala took my breath away. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting warm golden light across polished marble floors. Tapestries lined the walls, speaking of wealth, status and power.
My parents led our small group. Eli escorted Lila, and I trailed behind them, forgotten.
Anxiety tightened my throat. I scanned the room for an empty corner to hide in.
Before I could slip away, a heavy hand closed around my arm.
“Audrey, come here.” My father, Arthur Hale, pulled me forward. His grip was tight as he led me toward an older man. “Hold your head up.”
My heart raced too loudly in my ears to think clearly.
I forced a fake smile, shaking hands and murmuring greetings to one guest after another.
The air grew thick with expensive perfume and hollow laughter. Panic swelled inside me.
Then I spotted him across the crowd. An older man who moved with youthful grace.
His gaze locked onto our family, sharp and calculating.
My father’s usual arrogance faded into caution as he approached. “Alpha Sterling Voss.”
“Beta Hale.” The man’s rich voice was cold as ice.
“This is Eli, my heir. And my daughter Lila. She hopes to form a favorable match tonight.”
“Charming.” Alpha Voss did not offer his hand.
The rejection was obvious.
Eli tensed, but stayed silent.
My father’s fingers dug harder into my arm, a silent warning. Do not embarrass us. “This is Audrey, my youngest daughter.”
“It is a pleasure, Alpha Voss,” I said quickly. I recognized him as the leader of the powerful Cedar Ridge Pack. “The venue is stunning. You have done wonderful work hosting this event.”
Alpha Voss’s gaze lingered on the small crescent scar beneath my left ear. Heat rose to my cheeks.
He smiled, never breaking eye contact. “Thank you, Audrey. We have long wondered about the quiet youngest Hale. It is good to finally see you join Oregon’s social circles.”
My father’s glare burned into my side.
I stumbled over my words. “I… I prefer to keep to myself. Politics have never interested me.”
“Call me Thomas,” he said smoothly. “We are glad the Blackthorn Pack has chosen to attend. My wife says this is the biggest event of the season. Are you enjoying yourself?”
I lied, “It is breathtaking. I’m glad to be here.”
Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.
Thomas clearly disliked my father and brother. He held no respect for Blackthorn.
Could he be an ally? Could he help me escape?
I pushed the foolish idea away.
No powerful Alpha would shelter a wolfless outcast from another pack.
Thomas raised his glass to me, then turned back to my father.
“You have a beautiful daughter, Arthur.”
My father accepted the compliment with politeness, but the hostility rolling off him was impossible to miss.
Abruptly, my father’s expression turned suddenly stern.
A handsome young man dressed in an expensive tailored suit walked over to our group.
Lila stepped forward, smoothing her dark blue gown and flipping her blonde hair.
She offered a practiced, alluring smile. “Hello. I am Lila Hale.”
The man bowed slightly. His sharp eyes flicked to me for a split second before returning to my sister. “Garrett Montgomery. It is a pleasure.”
I expected him to flirt with Lila, but he turned directly toward me instead. He held out his hand.
Without thinking, I placed mine in his. He bowed, his lips hovering just above my skin.
A shiver ran down my spine. His gaze studied me intently, as if solving a puzzle.
I did not like the feeling.
“And what is your name?” Garrett asked, his voice smooth.
Before I could answer, my father yanked me backward.
“This is Audrey. My dear, go mingle with others your age. Now.”
I did not hesitate, slipping away into the crowd the second I was free. My mind spun.
Why did Alpha Voss and Garrett fixate on me? Why had my father panicked so badly?
I glanced over my shoulder. Garrett still watched me through the crowd, his stare heavy and unrelenting.
A dark premonition settled in my gut. I took a deep breath and refocused on my plan.
I was escaping tonight. I would not let their games distract me.
For the next hour, I dodged my family and the curious stares of other guests.
Still, I could feel eyes on me. Someone was watching, hunting me from the shadows.
It was not Garrett. I saw him talking across the room. Another presence lingered nearby.
The pressure became too much. I needed to leave.
I slipped out of the ballroom and into the sprawling, dimly lit gardens.
Cool night air washed over me, a relief from the stuffy hall.
I walked deeper into the shadows, ignoring quiet whispers from other couples hidden among the bushes.
I pulled out my phone and opened the rideshare app.
My thumb hovered over the screen.
Destination: Pinebrook Inn.
Just grab my bag from the coat check, get in the car, and I would be free.
I moved to tap the screen.
A large hand wrapped around my arm and pulled me backward.
I gasped, my phone slipping from my grasp as I spun around.
I slammed into a broad, muscular chest.
Garrett held me firmly against him, tall and powerfully built.
A wild, primal heat awakened deep inside me, sudden and overwhelming.
“Where do you think you’re going, little wolf?”