Scarlet Flame

Chapter 20

Shelby's pov

After a couple of hours of dancing on the floor with a nice buzz going, Darren was dancing with some random human. Thomas stood by the door watching over the crowd and Carli was at the bar chatting up a blond-haired boy. I may have seemed intoxicated to my friends, but I was keeping surveillance, the dance floor was the best place to watch everything. I knew that he would be here, this was the most open that I had been in months. Surely the devil that wanted to kill me would not pass up this opportunity.

"What are you looking for my love?" James asked pretending to kiss my neck.

"I don't know what you mean," I tried to play stupid, and I put on a drunken smile on my face.

He chuckled, "I have known you since you were born. Who do you think drove here to pick you up when you got your first fake ID,"

I frowned wishing that I could remember all of these things, he touched my waist through the thin fabric. I could feel reassuring sparks spread through my body; I knew that he knew why I was upset. "Will you tell me about all of that one day?" I asked looking up at him.

His face quickly went from shock to a soft smile. "Let's get a booth, the corner has just as good of a view of the whole place as the dance floor," He took my hand and I looked down at our interlaced hands. Something felt weird about it, not like it was wrong or bad. It was what I had always wanted, but it felt disconnected somehow. When we sat down in the booth, I positioned myself to see the whole club with just a slight turn of my head.

"I know that you have not told me everything that went on between you and Trevor," James started the conversation, and I bit my lip not knowing what to respond with. "I don't expect you to tell me everything. I know that you are trying to protect everyone, this is how I know you will be a fantastic Luna and one day mother. So don't be mad at me for not wanting to tell you the whole past yet, there are things that happened between us that you would be disappointed in yourself for,"

"What could we possibly have done that I would regret that much?" I wanted to know now more than anything. "We were and are destined to be together for as long as we live," I started to raise my voice in anger.

"Calm down, I did not say I would never tell you. I just want you to be ready, I am so in love with you. I vow to do everything in my power to protect you and our future, I do not know what you are going through. I know that I am meant to be with you, I knew from the moment I kissed you that one summer when we were 12 in the mountains. Do you remember that?"

I tried hard to think about it but could not remember. I sighed in frustration and looked into his eyes with sorrow reflected in mine. "I am trying, you have to believe me,"

"I do, now let me help," he said. I raised my eyebrow confused. "I am going to repeat what I said and did that night. This might get embarrassing but please keep in mind I was 14 and really awkward," he looked at me for confirmation, I nodded. "It was the annual Leaders ball in the mountain pack, you and I snuck out after dark to watch the stars. You were looking at the stars with such wonder, I could not keep my eyes off you. You said something about how beautiful the stars were and I told you that you were breathtaking," My head started to hurt and my vision got blurry the more he talked and described the scene. Then I lost consciousness completely.

Annual Leader meeting 4 years ago-

During the ball, James came up to me and told me that he wanted to sneak out to watch the stars later that night. I laughed and agreed, I had had a crush on him forever and would do almost anything he asked.