Alone

Chapter 22

*Jacob's POV*

Dinner was delicious. Of course, I didn't have as much as the others, but I managed to eat about half of the steak before I felt too full to continue. The boys cleaned their plates like they had starved the past few days, but I don't believe that surprised anyone in the room. I swear, those boys could eat me whole and still have room for dessert.

I had just set down my fork when I hear Damien's voice. "Done already, Love?" He looked sad. I don't want my mate to be sad!

"I'm s-sorry, I'm just s-so full. I-I'm still n-not used to eating s-so much." Despite my intentions, the frown grew deeper. I look at Ryder and it seems like they're talking to each other through the mind link. When I try to join in, I feel Ryder gently pushes me out.

"W-what did I d-do wrong?" My voice takes on a whiny tone, and I sit there with a half pout on my face.

It takes a second before their eyes return to their normal state. "Sweetheart, can we talk to you in the hall? There's so-" before Ryder can finish his sentence, Helene comes up to me and grabs my arm. She tugs me out of the chair so hard I'm concerned it'll fall over. "C'mon Jakey, you're done eatin' so it's party time!"

I shoot Ryder and Damien a look. "U-Uh, Helene I don't think now is a good time..." Whatever the guys were concerned about seemed important.

Damien waves me off. "It's ok, Love. Go have fun, we can talk later."

Helene seems to take that as a good enough answer as she immediately resumes dragging me into the ballroom. 

The ballroom and the formal dining hall are connected so that people can go have fun right after eating, exactly what we're doing right now. The windows have beautiful silks draped across them. The fabrics are so long that they reach the floor, forming a puddle below. There are high tables along the long sides of the rectangular room. There are no chairs to encourage people to dance and mingle. The side near the door has a large colorful bar, stocked with multicolored bottles of every shape and size. The DJ at the back of the room meant that a large square dance-area was left in the very middle. 

Already what seemed like hundreds of people were in the room. People of all ages were dancing, laughing, talking, and generally having a great time. My new Luna instincts send a wave of happiness through me with my heart being the center of the feelings.

Helene didn't seem to appreciate me taking the time to appreciate the room, as she drags me into the middle of the dance floor. With a single order, "Dance, Jakey!", I was pulled into a night of dancing and reverie.

We spend what felt like hours dancing. I didn't recognize a single song that played, but I was having the time of my life. I have never felt so alive. For my whole life, I've had the happiness beaten out of me. Every smile that dared form on my lips was efficiently replaced with a scream. Here, though, everything was different. My happiness was encouraged. There were people who truly wanted to see my smile purely because they like to see my joy.

One of those people was the one and only Helene. The beautiful, kind Beta female that is currently flailing around like a scared chicken. She insists that what she's doing is a form of "dancing", but to me, it just looks like she's having a seizure. Of course, I'm no better,  but I have the defense that I have 16-years-less of practice.

Throughout the night, more and more people funnel into the ballroom. Pretty soon, there was almost no room to move without bumping into some random pack member. There was no difference in my mind after all these are my new pack members. I have no reason to fear them. 

"Hey, Jakey!" Helene yells over the very loud music. "I'm gonna go get somethin' to drink, you want me to get anything? How 'bout a Fireball!?"

I do not know what a Fireball is, but I do know that accepting a beverage from Helene will end with me being drunk so I politely decline.