19

The Winter Ball punctually heralded winter and the coldest season in this place on December 21st. All then left him by the end of January and were happy to be able to return to their families.

There were only two days left before our normal lives awaited us. For me, on the other hand, nothing has been normal in the last few months.

I had a family. One who cared. one who loved me One I didn't want to tell what was going on. My brother Caleb still wouldn't understand why I would hang out with Alaisters on a daily basis since his mate was in her pack and didn't come back to him nor did he get a chance to come to her.

I barely understood it myself and I still didn't know the reason why they were really here. However, I knew I would be staying here again this year. How was I supposed to tell my brother that I just lost my heart to an Alaiser.

Even if I didn't say anything, he would notice it the same way if I lied to him. Since I didn't ask for someone to pick me up last year, no one would be surprised that I didn't do it again this year.

Was it last year to keep myself from running to the border again, to the spot where I last saw my mate, an Alaiser again determined my decisions.

But these feelings are finite, I kept telling myself over the past few days. He had a mate out there somewhere. It couldn't be the pretty brunette I'd spotted briefly in the cafeteria, he was too reserved for that and she wasn't very possessive. After all, I was still sitting next to him.

On the other hand, the Alaisters hid their scent. All three, I couldn't find an answer to that in the last few days. They said I should ask, but something stopped me.

I pulled the dress from the closet that I had worn last year. Unaccompanied wolves would be placed. That's how it was last year. No need to be embarrassed, they told you where to go and joined more than half of the students. No escort was the rule here, not least because there was a surplus of male students.

I had thought for a brief moment that this year would be different, but that thought vanished when I saw the girl in the cafeteria waiting for Grayson's answer.

We more than avoided each other for the next few days. Grayson wasn't there most of the time, and when he was there, she was there. I could see why she was there, she was talking about nothing but the ball.

It wasn't supposed to hurt that much, but it did. It nagged me more than the absence of Caspian. I'd gotten too used to Grayson's presence, I kept telling myself, but it didn't help. I even assumed that he would go to the ball with me, even though we hadn't brought up the subject.

I touched the folds of the red dress. What was I thinking when I chose that color last year? All that was missing was a green bow in my hair and I would look like a traffic light with my blond hair.

But hiding was out of the question for me. I might sweep my feelings under the rug, but I still wouldn't miss this evening.

I set off alone. The first time in a long time. I had arranged with Trevor and Taylor that we would meet there. When I arrived at the canteen, nothing was reminiscent of a canteen that we visited every day. Small tables gave way to large decorated round tables. Each held a one meter high candlestick, chairs and tables were richly decorated with red, green and gold slipcovers.

On the ceilings, alongside chandeliers, strings of lights shone on pine boughs that evoked a sense of home. However they got the pines here in such a short time. No tree grew in this area and they smelled freshly felled. It was crazy, but it made me want to go home.

I saw Trevor, Jade, Taylor and Esme arguing with an usher as I joined them.

"Hey guys. Where's Grayson?" I asked when I didn't see him anywhere. Trevor wrestled with himself, but finally said he would pick up his date and he would be later.

I didn't know how to answer that, nor whether I wanted to hear my answer for myself.

"So why don't we sit together?" Trevor asked the usher and he just gave him an annoyed look.

"Everyone who has reported sit together," stammered the usher. That must have been their conversation from before. He tapped a list containing table numbers and names.

"Your table is full," he emphasized. But Trevor still didn't seem satisfied. I tapped him on the shoulder and he looked at me with his, I adjust the smile, over his shoulder.

"Couples sign up, Trevor. Everyone else will be placed at random," I told him. Trevor glanced at Jade, who was standing frozen in front of him.

"I didn't sign anyone up," he said questioningly to Jade and his gaze slid to Taylor, who just shrugged.

"Neither do I," Taylor interjected, tapping Grayson's name with an Annabelle Boyle next to it. "And neither does he."

"My brothers and I didn't know about this, this can only be a mistake. Can we get another table or you put the others somewhere else?" Trevor didn't give up.

The usher gave him a nervous look and tapped his iPad. "I'm sorry sir, there's really nothing I can do for you here."

"It's just for the food, see you later," I ended the call. "Where am I sitting? Tara Stone."

Trevor wanted to protest briefly, but I waved him off. Grayson was nowhere in sight and I could hardly imagine it was a misunderstanding.

I went to my assigned table and saw two girls and five guys. One of them was Matthews, who didn't look at me in surprise. What a stupid twist of fate.

"Don't say anything," I cut him off when his lips started moving and sat down next to him, which didn't stop him.

"Will they let you out of your cage?" I had to smile a little at his choice of words. It wasn't a bad choice at all.

"Seems so," I giggled almost childishly. His question just made me laugh.

"What is it between you and Grayson Alaister?" he asked more seriously now and I had no answer to his question.

"He always seemed so possessive and yet you're sitting here, next to me? With everyone who has no company?" It hurt to hear that out loud.

"We all need a break, don't we?" I winked at him.

"Yeah, maybe. Is that the same thing as a distraction?" he asked while pouring me a glass of wine and toasting me.

"He has a date," I grinned, more embarrassed than confident, hoping he'd drop the subject for now.

"To an eventful evening, Tara. I'm glad we're finally getting to know each other. Jaxon Matthews," he formally introduced himself.

"Yeah, whatever Luna was thinking," I murmured.

"Nothing, because we're not mates, Tara." His words hit me like lightning.

Mates.

I looked over my shoulder at the table where the Alaisters were sitting. Taylor with Esme, Trevor with Jade, Grayson with that Annabelle Boyle. But she hadn't acted like his mate, or didn't she know? At least he was hiding his smell.

I turned and saw Grayson leaning towards his companion and whispering something to her. She then laughed and patted him on the shoulder. He'd never been like that to me. The two were exuberant and happy. Something I only saw about the Alaisters when I wasn't with them.

"Looks like he's forgotten you already." Matthews leaned in and gave me a sympathetic look.

"Your mate isn't here either?" I replied to divert his interest from me.

“No, unfortunately it is also my last year. I will have to drop out of college. calling duties in the pack."

"Mine also. I don't think I'll come here again."

"How come? It's not because you're the fox this year, is it?" Maybe, maybe not.

"No, not at all," I answered evasively. It was the sum total of events here that made me run back to the safety of my pack.

"Nor should it. I have a feeling you're going to win," he said, grinning, and he had my full attention now. No one had said that in the past few weeks.

"Really. What makes you think that?" With those few words, he gave me more courage than I had whispered to myself in the last few weeks.

"It's a feeling, Tara. I think you're going to surprise us all." It was by far the nicest thing anyone had said to me here. I suppressed a huge grin at the last moment that more than deserved to show. Matthews deserved it knowing how much his words meant to me.

The next few hours were filled with stories told by Matthew's about his pack. He was not to be envied. These weren't tasks ahead of him, this was a gauntlet he probably couldn't win.

Still, I was surprised by his indefatigable enthusiasm for all his solutions, which he ran through in his head. He was only twenty and would take over the pack from his father in a few months.

After dessert settled into our stomachs, most of us made our way onto the dance floor and Matthews leaned over to me. A little closer than I would like and he whispered so softly that I barely heard him myself.

"So, Tara. Grayson would like to kill me all evening. You're sure there's nothing between you? Or do we both want to find out?"

"I don't quite understand," I asked, confused. My mind kept drifting to him, but Matthews couldn't have noticed.

"Hmm," he murmured. "Is that so? Then maybe I should show you at a dance?" I didn't know what he meant, but dancing sounded good.

This was almost like a date. I had the perfect conversation over dinner and now we were going to dance. I hadn't danced in the last year, but nothing made me doubt that he wasn't as good a dancer as he was a speaker.

He gallantly gave me his hand and pulled me up with a flourish so that he caught me with his other hand. "Trust me Tara. You'll always remember the dance," he laughed, whatever that meant.

Matthews gracefully ushered me onto the dance floor, he was out for the big show. He left no doubt that he didn't know what he was doing. He took my hand, spun me once on my own axis and pulled me back to him.

"I'm still alive because it's not tango, Tara," he grinned at me as he wrapped one hand tightly around my waist and connected the other to my fingers.

"Still alive?" I swallowed.

"Hi Matthews," Esme called, spinning past us with Taylor. She winked at him, but all I thought about were his words.

"You know each other?" I asked more to calm myself.

"A little. I owe her a favor," he chuckled, spinning around the dance floor.

"Which would be?" I gasped, almost breathless.

"You'll find out soon, Tara."

"There really is a lot of information in your answers," I murmured while he smiled contentedly in my ear.

"Sometimes not much needs to be said Tara and I think it's time for us to wish each other a nice evening." Matthews suddenly stopped in his tracks and gallantly kissed my hand.

"I think it's time, Tara, for us to say goodbye. Thanks for the dance Tara, excuse me?" He made no attempt to explain himself and just walked off the dance floor.

"What do you mean?" I called after him.

"That I'll take over now." I didn't need to guess who was behind me. As for his motives for ruining my evening, yes.

"You? That's why Matthews is leaving? Where's your companion?" I asked bitterly.

Grayson said nothing, grabbed my waist and pulled me to him. I couldn't deny that I hadn't imagined what it would be like to dance with him more than once tonight. To feel his strong arms around me.

"If it's because of Matthews, he's harmless. I actually had a lovely evening with him." Again, Grayson didn't say anything and I felt like I was going to talk my ass off before I could enjoy dancing with him.

I tentatively leaned my head against his chest and when he pulled me tighter I just let myself fall.

If someone had told me a few months ago that I wanted nothing more than to dance with an Alaiser today, I would have laughed at them.

If someone had told me that I didn't want to be anywhere else today but with them, I wouldn't have understood.