62

The large gymnasium where the ball was held was only a few minutes' walk from my house, which was fine with my heels and my sore knee.

From afar you could already see brightly lit, colorful garlands on the roof of the hall and also a lot of expensive cars in the otherwise empty parking lot. I immediately looked at Melina with wide eyes and excitedly took her hand in mine to walk even faster with her towards the warm lights.

My best friend was probably right. It just felt enchanting to spend the evening with the beautiful dresses in such a decorated place. We really couldn't care less about the others and after a last glimpse of the black night sky above us, we ran up the wide steps together and waited impatiently for the two girls in front of us to open the wooden double doors.

When we then entered the bright hall, my heart immediately felt warm and for a moment I even forgot my throbbing pain.

Everything just looked incredibly beautiful.

Where there used to be old gymnastics benches at the edge of the hall, a chubby DJ now played quiet music behind a black desk, to which you could dance well or just relax.

On the other sides were high bar tables with matching white decorations, all of which were already occupied by people I didn't recognize.

At the bar, which was brightly lit and had a wide range of drinks, I did recognize a few girls from my school, with whom I had absolutely nothing to do.

Curious, I kept looking around and suddenly looked straight into beautiful green eyes staring back at me intently from the other end of the hall. It was a strange feeling to be scrutinized by him so intensely and I almost forgot to breathe, but Melina's hand slowly pulled me further and further into the interior of the hall, which made me get closer and closer to him.

I slowly let my gaze wander over his black, tousled hair and briefly examined his perfectly fitting suit until my eyes met his again and I suddenly felt uncomfortable again.

Overwhelmed by his direct stares, I quickly turned back to Melina, who suddenly looked back and forth between me and the guy and then, grinning, pulled me in the other direction to stay at a table where she had a few others welcomed. Luckily for me she didn't say anything about it and I didn't want to go into it any further either and continued to force myself not to look at him again under any circumstances. Even though he was good looking, there was something dangerous about him and it's better to stay away from someone like that.

Even though I was so proud of my looks at home, at that moment I felt very uncomfortable again. My knee hurt, I felt like I was being watched all the time and with those damn shoes I had the feeling that sharp needles were constantly poking my toes. I was so glad that the blond girl who was standing in front of the store yesterday got the drinks. With this pain I didn't want to move anymore today, let alone dance.

So while I just stared down at my shoes nervously the whole time, the other girls talked to Melina about topics that didn't interest me at all.

It was about fashion, men and shoes, which I secretly rolled my eyes at. I was feeling increasingly out of place and just waiting for a good excuse to come up with an excuse to go home. Unlike me, Melina obviously enjoyed being here, but I got to the point where I wanted nothing more than to watch TV and munch on popcorn with my dad.

As soon as I looked up from my shoes, the blonde came back grinning with a tray of tequila and the moment I tipped mine down, I suddenly felt a heat that seemed unbearable at first. I winced at the overwhelming emotion, blaming the warm alcohol in my stomach. I frantically grabbed a cool glass of sparkling wine and drank it down in one gulp, which unfortunately didn't help against the incessant heat.

I have to get out of here !

"I'll be right back," I stammered nervously to the others, who weren't paying any attention to me anyway, and then walked unnoticed through the hall back to the entrance. I wanted to run, but that would only end in disaster in heels, so I walked slowly and carefully down the hallway and opened the door, where the pleasant cool air immediately blew through my hair.

As soon as the heavy wooden door slammed shut behind me, I took a deep breath and checked the temperature of my forehead with my hand, but it didn't feel remotely warm. The heat was apparently just inside me, spreading like an uncontrollable forest fire, causing me to gasp in panic as I was caught off guard.

Fearing that my circulation would collapse at any moment, I carefully lowered myself onto the top step of the stairs and then laid my head sideways on my knees, wrapping my arms around my bent legs for protection. These feelings inside me were just frightening and I wished I had told my dad the truth about my unwellness. He certainly wouldn't have let me go and I wouldn't have to go through this fear all alone.

At least there wasn't anyone out here who could laugh at me and as if I was unlucky that day, two guys came right up to me across the parking lot. You could tell they were out for trouble and also that they weren't from around here. It showed in their college jackets and the cheap alcohol in their hands.

The smaller of the two leaned next to me on the banister and stared at me emotionlessly while the other sat down so close to me that our legs even touched lightly. Startled by his proximity, I lifted my head up again and looked nervously at my hands, which now lay very still on my lap. I then carefully slid a bit away from him, which only caused him to move up, grinning.

"You don't look good at all, sweetheart. I'd rather take you home to your bed and take care of you!" he slurred and suddenly put his disgusting hand on my leg, causing my heart to start racing immediately.

I had never felt such panic in my life and I didn't know what to do at the moment. It felt like someone was choking my throat and I was unable to even call for help. I just sat there, frozen, staring at the parking lot, unaware of what they were going to do to me.

"So sweetie, what are you saying?" he whispered, edging closer to me when I didn't answer his question. His hand also slid a little further up under my dress, making me tremble with fear.

I felt like a deer in headlights and could neither move nor defend myself. I wanted to push him down the stairs and run away. But there were two of them and they were probably faster and stronger than me, so I had no chance of escaping anyway. It was precisely because of such pushy idiots that I preferred to be a loner and I quickly regretted going out alone and not having asked Melina to accompany me.

But I didn't want to spoil her fun.

A lonely tear rolled down my warmed cheek from fear and shame and also from just feeling trapped. As if I were defenseless at their mercy, because in their eyes I was a wolf with no markings, so fair game...

When his hand slipped higher again, I closed my eyes in tears and from then on I could only feel what was happening around me.

A cold draft rushed past my arm, sending a shiver down my spine and making me wince. Then, when a really loud menacing growl was heard in the parking lot, my whole body started shaking again and I immediately covered my face with my hands protectively while only staggering my way back onto my weak legs.

I squeezed my eyes shut in fear and internally screamed for the growling to stop, but it only got worse and louder. Suddenly loud screams were added to the growl and stunned by the brutal imaginings in my head, I now put my hands tight to my ears. I didn't want to hear or see anything anymore. I only noticed my tears, which ran warmly down my cheeks, and my heart, which I could feel beating in my throat.

Then, without warning, a hand unexpectedly placed on my shoulder, causing me to wince again and start thrashing wildly in panic. Whoever it was didn't let go and pulled me even tighter against his muscular chest before gently stroking my back.

The warmth his touch left on my back was pleasant and soothing, giving me an immediate sense of security, while his unique scent enveloped me in total comfort. My heartbeat slowly returned to normal standing in his strong arms and I reluctantly pulled away from his warm embrace.

A look into his green eyes was enough and I recognized him immediately as the black-haired handsome boy that I had already noticed inside. That intense heat came over me again as I looked into his green eyes that made my knees go weak and my heart pound.

The feeling of belonging to him spread mercilessly throughout my body. His smell, so indescribable, attracted me like magic. A drug I was addicted to in a flash. I could no longer feel the ground beneath my feet and for a brief moment it seemed as if we were floating together on a cloud.

Looking at me softly, he put his warm hand on my flushed cheek and looked at me proudly in his eyes.

"For so long I've been looking for you. In every pack, for years and then I find you here, crying on a stairway."

MATE!

His voice intoxicated my ears like there wasn't a more fascinating sound in the whole world, but I also suddenly realized that I had to fight against his attraction.

He was from the south and he was an alpha, I recognized that immediately from his confident demeanor, slight accent and tanned skin. My thoughts turned to my father, who was going to lose me because of this alpha. My heart skipped a beat in agony as I painfully realized that my savior would become my captor.

My wolf instinct would love him, my common sense would hate him. He sure was dangerous. What did he do to those two guys and what will he do to me? So many questions raced through my head in such a short amount of time that it started to pound. At the same time I was grateful to him and yet full of fear. Security against panic, mate and enemy combined in one person.

Overwhelmed by everything, I slapped his hand away without warning as my chest suddenly tightened and I couldn't think straight.

What am I supposed to do ....