All thanks to a dress

I stood in front of my large floor length mirror in my chambers just staring at the reflection in the mirror, my mouth gaping in horror at the fabric hanging floor length down to my toes.

My mother, luna Blythe just carried on combing my long black hair that hung down to my backside as she stood nonchalant, clearly not paying any attention at my horror struck face.

“How can you expect me to wear this,” I said, not really asking it as a question but more as an insult to the person who ever made this ghastly thing. I didn’t wear dresses, ever. Rolling her eyes, my mother merely sighed,

“Oh for goddess’s sake Arya, it’s just a dress, and you just have to wear it for one evening, that’s it,” I now found myself rolling my eyes as I crossed my arms,

“I still don’t see why I have to wear this thing when alpha Dimitri is coming to see father and Sean, let them wear the damn thing won’t you.” I was a warrior, not a bloody dress up doll.

“Well, regardless of whether alpha Dimitri is coming to have an audience with your father and brother, you are still my daughter and a princess and as such, you have certain responsibilities to uphold.

Like meeting with neighboring country’s alpha and his son, rolling my eyes once more I let out a deep sigh.

I stood all complete in my long silky emerald evening dress that stretched down to my toes, it was flowy and I suppose if I did like dresses this would be really beautiful one, but because I didn’t like them one little bit I detested this blasted thing.

My hair hung down my lower back in long black waves and my mother had promised that she would keep my make-up minimal otherwise I wouldn’t go through with wearing the blasted dress, it worked because she ended up only using mostly mascara and clear lip gloss.

A victorious smile spread across my face when suddenly Sean happened to be walking past my open bedroom door with mother still standing behind me projecting a moment of being blissfully happy of her handiwork.

“Hey warrior princess, nice dress,” He said straight before he bellowed with laughter. My head snapped back to him and I narrowed my eyes before turning to storm after him,

“Oh really, I’ll show you just how well it fits on you,” But before I could even take two steps toward him I found myself toppling forward and landing with a thud with the palms of my hands breaking my fall,

“Arya!” Our mother scolded me, “You cannot behave like a…” she started but instead I turned on my side with my elbow against the floor and my hand cupping my cheek, my eyebrow raised as I quickly finished her sentence for her,

“Like a warrior?” A smug smirk crossed my face and she merely shook her head as she crossed her arms, not letting me get away with this one she smirked,

“Well tonight my dear you will be an elegant lady, a princess of this castle and the epicenter of true beauty,” I hadn’t even noticed that Sean was still standing in the doorway when he suddenly let out a brawl of laughter aimed directly at me,

“Arya, a lady, epicenter of true beauty. Mother, have you met you’re daughter,” He laughed as he hugged himself not being able to contain his laughter. I merely ignored him as mother swatted him away with her hand. He who has the last laugh, laughs the longest. I thought as a grin spread across my face, and Sean was definitely going to feel the brunt of my laughter, once I was able to get out of this damn straitjacket that is.

***

We started making our way down the long staircase toward the dining hall, Sean held out his arm for me and I politely nodded with a smile as I folded my hand over his arm.

There were many eyes on us, most of which were coming from the Solasta pack, they had arrived and were now gathered within our great hall, it could hold well over a thousand people so all in all alpha Dimitri and his five hundred men were nothing to fill it.

Sean gave a little grin in my direction as we slowly walked into the great hall right behind our parents,

“Best you concentrate less on your revenge on me laughing earlier, and more on not falling flat on your face, again,” He whispered close to my ear.

I clenched my jaw but kept my smile plastered on my face,

“Oh don’t worry dear brother, my revenge on you is the only thing keeping me upright,” I said as my smile grew wider.

He smirked as he rolled his eyes but it was our mother who gave us a stern look just as we walked through the two large doors, slowly making our way to the front where a banquet had been prepared for all those of royalty to be seated at.

The warriors who were seated as we entered quickly rose to attention to bow their heads as we passed, I tried to keep my cool but I hated this more than that time Sean and I went scouting for mountain lions only for me to then step into a human made box of nails shards that had been well hidden amongst the shrubs and small bushes.

I remember I was ten and I off course was barefoot, it hurt like a bitch because off course the shards would have been made from silver.

Suddenly I was snapped from my reverie as we neared the front table we were to be seated at when a strange scent hit me, forcing me to take in the deepest breath of air through my nose only to release it with a slow shudder through my mouth, my eyes closed for just a moment and my mouth gaped when my head turned to see where this intoxicating aroma was coming from.

Soft citrus and young green ferns, mmm… a soft moan escaped my lips and my body immediately tensed the moment my eyes fell on him, it was as if he sensed it as well because he had his eyes straight on me with his jaw tense.

It was the most penetrating gaze I had ever seen and dare I say a slight grin rolled off the sides of his lips as his eyes darkened while still holding mine, “Mate,” he said in a low voice that percolated his authority and dominance, “Oh fuck,” I breathed as my eyes widened and my body unable to move even an inch.  

Within the next moment I found him right in front of me pulling me into his arms and smashing me against his chest with determination and claim, I was too stunned to even move, me, a warrior of my father, too stunned to even move, could you even imagine such a moment.

And I didn’t know if it was the tingly feelings of pure raw energy flowing right through me from him holding my form or the fact that I couldn’t really move too much in this god forsaken dress, without even thinking about it I lowered my head against his rock hard chest as I allowed myself to breathe him in.

He smelt intoxicating and my senses seemed completely scrambled right now, I couldn’t even think straight. A low growl escaped the air around me and I quickly realized that it was coming from him, my eyes instantly shot up to meet his but he was staring right over me at someone behind me.

Turning my head just ever so slightly I realized who his anger was directed at, it was my brother, it was Sean.

Sean was glaring at him in a way that made me feel confused, why was he generating his anger toward my mate, what had he done to aggravate him so soon? No sooner was I about to ask him when Sean finally spoke up,

“Adonis, let go of my sister,” Swallowing hard my mouth gaped as my eyes widened. I turned my eyes to look at him as I gently pushed away so we could look into each other’s eyes more clearly, oh crap! Was this Adonis Thorin, the son of Dimitri? He finally looked down and away from Sean and right into my eyes, I wanted to melt into him and never let go.

His eyes were an icy blue, fucking bewildering me into a submissive state of awe at this godly man, his hair was black, short and neat and his form was strong, oh fuck was it strong. I must have been a 5’4 and his a 6’8 maybe a 6’9, I don’t know, right now I couldn’t concentrate on anything but him.

The corners of his mouth turned into a seductive smile and before he could lean down to place his lips against mine, I felt someone pull me back.

Turning my face to the right I looked into the eyes of a very angered Sean, suddenly a deep growl escaped Adonis as rage escaped his form directed straight at my brother.

My breathing picked up as fear ripped through me, within an instant my father stepped in between trying to pacify the situation,

“Alright now Adonis, Sean, this is not the time nor the place for this type of thing,” He said as his eyes flew from one to the other.

It was no secret that Sean didn’t have any time for Adonis, he had told me of the time him and father had gone to Greenland, to the castle of Solasta, what transpired there kept ringing in my ears right now.

When I said that Sean didn’t have a mate, well it was a little more complicated than not having one, truth is that he had found his mate, in Greenland when he had gone with father, ironically it had been Adonis’s sister, his only sister.

She had been betrothed to another and she was madly in love with this other wolf, and his family held incredible power for the Thorin family, so off course she was forced to reject my brother before even having a chance to touch him, to feel his body heat beneath hers.

Okay I’m getting off track here, the point is, Dimitri and Adonis basically forced them to reject each other all because this other wolf held more power in the north. It was a shitty thing and Sean was in allot of pain for a very long time but eventually I helped him to get over it and focus on his family with us and our kingdom, promising him that I would rule it with him until he chose another mate, but he wasn’t exactly interested in finding another.

Ruling with me by his side meant the world to him, and almost as if satirical it seems that Adonis and I were now in the same predicament, funny how things like this comes to go full circle and bite one in the ass I guess.

Turning back to look at a furious Adonis I immediately looked down at the floor, not wanting to look back up at him. If I did, then surely every ounce of will power I was grasping onto would crumble away. It was hurting already by not being within his touch.

My father was the first to speak again,

“Dimitri, I think there is much to discuss. This beautiful banquet has been prepared for us and I don’t wish for things to veer off track, so let’s gather ourselves, calmly,” he added the last bit.

Turning to look at me I could see the urgency in his eyes, “Arya, you will sit with Adonis,” Sean tried to protest but our father silenced him instantly, “We will discuss this in my office in the morning, right now however I would like Arya to be seated beside Adonis, understand,” reluctantly Sean stiffly nodded once as he slowly let go off me.

Feeling a rush of energy pulling me back to Adonis like when a bungee cord stretches beyond its capabilities and then is forced to snap back, yeah, exactly like that but worse.  

Within an instant Adonis had me back in his arms and in all honesty I felt like I was home, I never wanted to leave his arms yet in the back of my mind I knew this was never going to work, stupid mate bond, I thought to myself.

Adonis just held me very closely by his side as he slipped his hand into mine, a tiny gasp escaped my lips and I know he heard it because that same grin escaped the corners of his lips, damn mate bond, I thought to myself again.