Mated

Heading Home

Chapter Four "Heading Home"

Kieran ate until he thought he would burst. While he may not agree with this Packs way of thinking, they certainly had a way with food, and he made sure to say as much. He also had just a little too much wine. He could feel it buzzing through his veins, loosening him up, and he just went with it. His foot tapped to the upbeat music that some Pack members were playing and he watched as people danced. Lyric was mostly silent beside him. She was still nibbling at her food, but hadn't so much as touched her wine and Sprite mixture. The Elders had told him very little about her other than the fact that she hadn't changed at all since an incident when she was a child. Kieran didn't really understand it. If he had her gift, he wasn't sure he'd ever be in human form. Running as a wolf was the most free he ever felt. A plate of cake, topped with whipped cream and fruit, appeared before him and he smiled. He always had room for dessert. Just as he was about to put a forkful in his mouth, the fast paced music the band was playing changed to something slow and all the people who were dancing left the area.

"Uhh, what's going on?" he asked.

"Our first dance as a couple," Lyric responded.

He nodded and put his fork down with a longing look at his dessert. He gave Lyric a playful bow after he stood up and extended his hand to her. She blushed as she took his hand and brushed at the front of her dress upon standing. He led the way to the very center of the dancing area and pulled her close. After a moment of hesitation, Lyric put her arms around his neck—blushing brightly the whole time—and he let his hands settle comfortably on her hips. He took lead and she followed.

"Is your wolf's fur this color?" he asked as one hand wandered to her hair.

"I guess," she replied with a shrug. "It's been a while since I've changed."

"One of the Elders mentioned that. Can I ask why?" Brown eyes widened in horror.

"It's. . . Not tonight," she said. "I don't want to spoil the mood of the evening."

"All right," he said. He tried to give her a reassuring smile and she gave him a weak one in return.

I should just eat my foot, he groaned internally. With as often as I'm putting the damn thing in my mouth.

As the song progressed, his new mate relaxed, and before long, her head rested against his chest. He smiled and placed a soft kiss to the top of her head. Just as he made the contact, there was a flash of bright light, and he looked up in surprise. His mother stood close by, camera in hand, and gave him a wide smile. He was surprised that it had taken her this long to start snapping photos. When the song came to an end, Lyric waited a long moment before finally separating herself from him. They stared at each other for a while, almost oblivious to the rest of the Pack members filtering out to resume dancing.

The next few hours were spent dancing and mingling. He asked Lyla for a slow dance when he noticed that she was being ignored by every male present. He gave Jett permission to ask Lyric for a dance, but bristled when he saw a different male cut in. Lyla was quick to grab him and explain that the man was Bryan—Lyric's only friend in the entire Pack. He relaxed a little but still felt the claws of jealousy sink into him when he saw just how at ease she was with him. He wanted that with her.

As the hours went on, the party showed no signs of slowing, but when he caught Lyric's eye all he saw was exhaustion. He went to his father and mentioned that he was tired as well and they still had a six hour drive ahead of them. Maddox agreed and went to speak with Thomas. When Kieran got the nod of approval, he went to Lyric—who was with Lyla—and said that it was time for her to gather her belongings. It hurt when he saw her face fall, but he tried not to let it show. This was their way after all.