The Two Alphas

Chapter Seven

Just before Rylan and I step into the ballroom, she stops me. I look at her and she raises her eyebrows.

"What?"

"You know what!!"

I shrug and move to go past her, but she steps in my way.

"Ry, what do you want?"

"Tell me what happened with your father!"

"Didn't you hear?"

"You guys were whispering!" I forget sometimes that other people can't hear as well as I can.

"Sorry, he told me his name. And basically told me to stay away from him." She stares at me for a second before responding.

"Why would he want you to stay away from him?"

"Honestly? I have no clue, but I don't think that is possible anyway." The last part I mutter to myself, but Rylan catches it.

"Why not?"

"I don't know. There is a lot I don't know right now, and I don't like it." She laughs at my words and pulls me into the ballroom.

The air is a bit musty, but someone threw open the windows to let some cool air in. Almost everyone is already dancing. I notice a few people who completed the ceremony within the last few years, but other than that it is just competitors.

Rylan grabs two glasses of champagne and hands me one. I take a small sip, careful not to smudge my lip gloss. The champagne tastes light and airy, almost like candle lights flickering across my tongue.

I turn toward the dancing and listen to the song. There is no one singing, so the instruments carry the sorrowful melody across the room.

Rylan leans against me and murmurs in my ear, just loud enough that I can hear it.

"Don't look now, but he's here." I groan. I was kind of hoping to have the rest of the evening free of him. She laughs and stops a young man walking by. Handing me her drink with a wink, she pulls him out into the dancing. I smile and set the drinks down, glancing over the dancers. Suddenly the song ends, starting another one that I am all to familiar with. My mother used to sing this to me when I was younger. It was her way of telling me that I should be proud of who I am.

Without even realizing what I am doing, I walk up to the people playing instruments.

"Hello, can you restart this song please?" I ask an older woman playing the bass. She cocks her head to the side, smiling and everyone else stops playing. Everyone looks at the instrumentalists, and I nod to them to start. Turning around I let the melody float from my lips, echoing across the room.

Slowly people start to dance again, but most of the room just stops to hear my voice. I have always been told I have a beautiful voice, but I never thought about sharing it like this with others.

When the song ends, I hold out the last note. When I end, people start clapping and I smile as I walk back down to where Rylan is.

"Oh my God!! Kira!! You should have told me you were going to do that!!" She exclaims. With a laugh I respond.

"Trust me, it wasn't planned." She grins and takes a drink of the champagne in her hand. I roll my eyes, when someone clears their throat behind me. I turn to see a male, about head taller than me, standing there with a crooked smile on his lips. His dark hair curls across his forehead and lays ruffled on his head. His dark brown eyes stare into my own as I cock my head to the side, curious.

"Miss, if you would allow me, I would love to have this dance with you." I raise my eyebrows with a small scoff.

"If you insist, but I'm not much of a dancer." I say. He shakes his head and laughs.

"I bet you are just fine." With that he takes my hand and leads me onto the dance floor. He winds his hands around my waist, and I settle my own around his neck. His scent, woodsmoke and raspberries, fills my nose. We twirl around for a bit, before I step away. Taking his hand, I make him twirl me. Then we end back where we started.

He laughs and I raise my eyebrows at him.

"How is it that you think you aren't any good at dancing?" He muses, more to himself than to me. I laugh lightly. With that, he twirls me around once more.

When the song is over, I get his name as he brings me back over to Rylan. Xander. Fitting for someone like him. Once he leaves, Rylan ambushes me.

"So? How was it?"

"It was fun." I laugh. She smiles at me and hands me another glass of champagne. Without thinking, I drink the whole glass down.

Rylan and I spend the rest of the night dancing with whoever is brave enough to ask us. The whole time I feel someone's gaze on me, but I do my best to ignore it.

When the instrumentalists pack up and leave, everyone starts trickling out. Rylan is officially drunk, and I am a little bit tipsy. We make our way through the hallways headed to my bedroom. Rylan's is on the other side of the castle and I don't want her making that trek alone in her condition. We are almost to my bedroom when someone calls my name from behind us.

"Kira!"

I turn to see Jade walking towards us. She certainly looks regal in her deep purple gown. It has a deep v-neck and it looks like it is wrapped around her body.

I raise my eyebrows at her and she stops in front of us.

"Whaddya want?" Rylan slurs. I snort at her but look at Jade expectantly.

"I came to apologise for how I was acting. It was out of line."

"Bitch, of course it was! It took you this long to figure it out?!" Rylan shouts. I laugh a bit then put my hand over her mouth to stop any further outbursts.

"Thank you Jade, are you competing tomorrow?" She nods and I smile at her.

"Good luck."

With that I drag Rylan down the hallway past Jade, keeping my hand firmly over my mouth to keep anymore outbursts from her in.

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I completely love Rylan!! Don't you?! Anyways,
To all of you who have read this far. Thank you so much. Even though there are probably like two of you.

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