Chapter 550

Olivia

I slipped through the open doors of the ballroom, my pulse thundering in my ears. The grand hall was like something out of a movie, all glittering chandeliers and polished marble floors. Small clusters of well-dressed guests meandered about, sipping from elegant flutes of champagne while soft orchestral music played in the background.

Normally, an event like this would have been exciting to attend. Perhaps, in another life, Nathan and I would have attended this ball arm-in-arm as our pack’s Alpha and Luna. That was the way things should have been, at least.

But not now. Now, we had gotten ourselves wrapped up in schemes that stretched so far and wide there was no knowing just how long it would take to become untangled—if ever. But that was a thought for another day.

First, before all else, I had to look for Nathan.

Keeping my head down, I sidled up to the bar and ordered a glass of white wine. The bartender, a handsome young man wearing a tuxedo, nodded politely and poured the wine for me. As I sipped the refreshing golden liquid to steady myself, I turned and let my gaze drift surreptitiously over the crowds, searching for any sign of Nathan.

Nothing. Just knots of vapid socialites chattering and laughing amongst themselves.

My grip tightened around the cool stem of the glass as a sliver of doubt wormed its way into my mind. What if Mira’s information had been bad? What if this whole thing was just another elaborate trap?

No, I countered silently. I had to trust that she had been telling the truth, at least about Nathan being here. She had seemed genuinely terrified, desperate to make amends in whatever small way she could.

Suddenly, an unexpected flash of movement in my peripheral vision caught my attention. I turned just in time to see Dan stride through a discreet doorway near the back of the ballroom, a towering figure trailing close behind him.

Even from this distance, I recognized the other man’s powerful build and cool predator’s gaze. An unmistakable Alpha. But I didn’t recognize his tall, wiry frame or his salt-and-pepper hair.

Still, I instinctively shrank back at the sight of Dan’s hulking form, using my free hand to casually toss a lock of hair over my shoulder in order to obscure my side profile. I strode cautiously toward the dancefloor then, where dancing couples, swirling past in a whirlwind of color and motion, temporarily obscured me from view.

“Excuse me,” a soft voice said, a delicate finger tapping me on the shoulder. “Miss?”

I turned, my heart pounding, to see a young woman about my age smiling at me with a champagne flute in her hand. My first instinct was to quickly scurry away, but just as I glanced over my shoulder to do so, I saw Dan and the man he was with striding past.

Quickly, I snapped my head back toward the woman to hide my face.

“Yes?” I asked.

“I just wanted to say that your dress is stunning,” she said. “May I ask which designer made it?”

I swallowed, unsure of how to answer. I wanted to blend in, of course, and saying that I didn’t know the designer—or that I had found it crumpled on the floor of a safehouse—would be a dead giveaway.

“Oh, it’s… custom made,” I said, offering the most pleasant smile I could muster. “By my personal seamstress.”

“I see… I don’t suppose I could have your seamstress’s number, perhaps? I’ve been needing a new gown for my upcoming dinner party…”

As the woman spoke, her voice faded into the background. I kept my eyes flickering back and forth between her and Dan and the other man, feigning interest while at the same time keeping the two men in my periphery.

“...and I was hoping to get something simple and understated, something to go with my grandmother’s pearls, you see…”

Up ahead, I saw Dan and the taller Alpha stop. They seemed to lean in close, whispering amongst one another. Sharpening my senses so that I could hear, I could just barely make out a snippet of their conversation.

“...should have the situation well in hand by now,” Dan murmured. “Just a few… necessities to take care of first… then…”

I froze, the wine glass slipping from my suddenly numb fingers to shatter across the floor in a spray of white-gold droplets. The woman talking to me gasped, quickly waving over a server to clean up the mess. But I hardly noticed any of that.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Dan’s cruel gaze swept across the small crowd, lingering for the briefest moment in my direction. My blood turned to ice in my veins at that moment. He couldn’t see me...could he? Surely the dim lighting and the crowd would be enough to conceal my identity, at least for the moment.

Without a second thought, I murmured a brief apology to the young woman and whirled around to push my way further into the crowd, hoping that I could slip through unseen by Dan. Thankfully, he didn’t seem to see me; but before I could escape, a tall, strapping young man in an all-black suit extended his hand to me.

“May I have this dance, Miss?”

I blinked, hesitating for only the briefest of moments before reminding myself to keep up the charade. Allowing a small, demure smile to grace my lips, I placed my hand in his.

“Of course,” I murmured.

He swept me up into his arms and out onto the glistening dance floor in one smooth motion. For several breathless seconds we twirled and swayed together, our bodies in perfect sync as I did my best to keep my face turned away from Dan’s prying eyes.

At last, after what seemed an eternity, the mystery man dipped me low in a dramatic finish. I risked a fleeting glance over his shoulder towards the back of the hall.

No sign of Dan or the Alpha. They must have slipped away somewhere else while I had been occupied.

“Thank you for the dance,” I said with a coy smile, allowing the handsome stranger to pull me upright again. He chuckled, flashing a set of perfectly white teeth as he brushed his lips over the back of my gloved hand.

“The pleasure was all mine, I assure you.” With a final wink, he melted back into the crowd, leaving me alone once more.

I stayed rooted in place for a few moments longer, my pulse still racing as I scanned the ballroom. When I was certain the coast was clear, I turned on my heel and made a beeline for the discreet doorway through which Dan and his cohort had previously entered.

A scuffed wooden door, indistinguishable from any of the others lining the back hallway beyond. I tried the handle, but felt it rattle against the lock. Biting my lip, I glanced around again. No one. At least, not immediately nearby.

It was then that my gaze landed on Dan’s retreating form near the far end of the hall, the metallic glint of a keyring just visible in the pocket of his trousers.

I had to act quickly. Without a moment’s hesitation, I concentrated, my jaw clenched as I reached out with my mind. A faint reddish glow shimmered around the keyring as it began to tremble, slowly inching its way out of the pocket.

With what little Ancient Wolf energy I had left, I focused on pulling the keyring toward me. Every ounce of my energy was focused on the task, even though using up the last of my energy like this made me feel as though I might pass out and vomit at the same time.

The world darkened and twisted around me, but I kept the fingers of my free hand curled up into a tight fist, digging my nails into my palm through the white gloves to keep myself grounded.

Then, finally, I watched as the keyring came loose with a soft clink and then flew into my hand, faster than anyone could see.

“Got it,” I breathed, pushing the key into the lock just as Dan glanced over his shoulder, his brow furrowing in confusion. Too late.

I was already slipping through the wooden door, letting it fall shut behind me.