Chapter 4 - All is needed is a small spark

The occasion to go into that beautiful, luxuriant garden came faster than she hoped. Robert was about to go to an urgent matter for almost half an hour after he received a rushed call, and she would remain only with her parents. They were engaged in all sorts of conversations with their friends, and she could tell they were feeling good because of the amount of champagne that they had been drinking. They were socializing with a lot of their friends, and even though they were trying to add Selene to their conversations, she was feeling odd talking with all the people that she knew for sure weren't accepting her.

She also had a glass of that expensive champagne, and she could tell for sure that it relaxed her a lot. She was so relaxed that sometimes she would peek at Raph from time to time, trying to be careful that he wasn't looking back at her. She could not think of a reason why all of a sudden he became so mouth-watering for her, but she decided, at least for the night, not to question anything anymore.

Because of the place that she chose to stay, so she could have a better look at the ballroom, she was afraid that she would bump into some of her old colleagues, so she chose a corner, near her parents, but far from any type of discussion that might come if one of them saw her. But soon she realized that from a few surprised looks from them, they were passing like they didn't even know who she was. And it was a damn good thing. She was thrilled by this discovery! She was breathing and kinda relieved because Raphael and Luna disappeared too, so she was safe, for the moment. For embarrassment, the way she was drooling for him. She did not want to think further about why they had disappeared because her stomach was feeling stirred at the thought.

The moment she realized that this was a disturbing thought for her, she decided to go out and get some fresh air. It was impossible that she would be moved by someone who treated her so badly in the past! She was furious with herself, and the champagne was not helping. She told her mother that she would go refresh herself a little bit and, without even hearing her mother answer, she went out the huge window doors that were going out into the garden.

The garden was so beautifully illuminated that she needed a few moments just to realize it. The lights were going from tree to tree, giving the impression that they were floating but also offering a calm and retreating place from the crowded ballroom. It was peaceful and smelled divine, away from all the smells in the ballroom.

She let herself step on a small pebble alee that was going deeper in the garden and was passing near the flowers with the very beautiful perfume. There were people in the garden, but not as many as she would have believed. And, not curious, they were all couples. Apparently, for some, the party was a huge success. She could not blame them. They were in their world. She wasn't in hers. She covered her arms with the shawl her mother gave her when she went out, and she looked at the sky, admiring the moon and the stars. It was a huge full moon that was making her feel strange. The longer that she was staring, the stranger she was feeling. And she was feeling incapable of looking away. She was drawn to its beauty.

" It is a bit chilly outside. You might catch a cold," a deep manly voice said.

Her legs became mush after her heart almost jumped out of her chest. She was so concentrated on looking at the moon that she did not even hear someone approaching. She slowly turned and fixated on the owner of the voice, narrowing her eyes.

"Thank you, but I am just fine. I don't think I might catch a cold in the next five minutes," she said, trying to dispose of him.

The guy was an old colleague with whom she had nothing to do. She recognized him in a second. Back in high school, he was staying away from her, and from everybody, for that matter. He was lonely and had no friends. He had been mingy to her a time or two, and that is why she recognized him now, but otherwise, she had nothing to do with him.

She wanted to turn and leave as far as possible from him before things would escalate, but he grabbed her firmly by her arm, making her squeak out of pain and surprise,

"What the hell?" she whispered while slowly turning back at him.

Like it was something normal what he was doing, he gave her a drunk man's smile, looking at her with lust in his eyes, making Selen's skin crawl out of disgust,

"I am available to heat you, little slut. You don't need to even ask. I can read all over your face..." he said while trying to pull her in his arms, but somehow, in the deep shock that she was, she was resisting.

She could not believe someone strange would put his hands on her and would try something with her in the garden of his damn Alpha! But, stupid people would do stupid things, and the guy in front of her was no exception. 

Somehow, she recovered her voice while she was constantly trying to pull her arm from his hand. She felt like a fly caught in a web, but the nerve in this guy fueled her nerves,

" You realize that if I scream, the whole ballroom will come out, right?"

He let out an evil little laugh at her, scaring her a little bit, but she would not recognize that, not even if her life depended on it. As much as they would like to break her spirit, they have never succeeded and never would, same as her dignity.

" Come who? All the high schools that lied over you?" he continued with a more serious face. She could see that he had been drinking, but he wasn't drunk, just more courageous, " I want to have what the whole school had. I might be the last fool that didn't have the chance, better later than..." his last words were interrupted by a voice Selene did not believe to hear it so close, or now.

"You let her hand, Danny boy, and you go inside before you return with only one hand. I will not have this behavior in my house."

The man called Danny froze at the hearing of the commanding voice. He released Selene a bit brutally and turned around to leave. The man wanted to return to the house, but the one who called it his house grabbed his hand while passing next to him,

"Call it your lucky day, Danny. The next time I surprise you or hear something like this, you will fly from my kingdom like you never have."

Danny shook his head vigorously, making Selene think who could frighten him so much... She could not see the man who had so much power because he was sitting in the dark. The moment he released Danny, he came near Selene, revealing himself in the light of the tree.

She could not believe she did not recognize the voice. She only felt like she recognized it and felt the legs soft. She felt the ground running from under her feet. The muscly arms she saw from a wide distance grabbed her very fast before she fell like a sack of potatoes. Now her weakness was accentuated when she realized that Raphael grabbed her, being able to look at him right in his eyes and inhale his male scent. All her senses ran wild, and she could only stare at his beautiful face.

"Raphael!" she whispered.

"I got you!" he said in a perfectly firm voice, undisturbed.

He lifted her in his arms and placed her on a bench not far from where they were, surrounded by the luxuriant vegetation, undetectable from intrusive eyes. She was feeling so close to him and did not think that would be a good position for either of them if someone were to discover them there. Now that she wasn't in his firm arms anymore, she felt like she had recovered a little bit from the thoughts.

Her feelings were so mixed up that she hasn't been able to keep her head lifted anymore. On one hand, what did that guy say, that she had been the whore of the school? That is why she had been treated so badly. And yet none of these words arrived at her ears...she could feel the tears spilling down her face. And now Raphael appeared.

"Are you ok?" he asked, whispering," You are trembling."

She raised her eyes at him, feeling a bit more confident than she was in his arms,

"You were following me?"

He smiled at her, showing a beautiful line of perfect white teeth,

"You should be followed. It seems troubles come after you."

She sighed,

"That was only a misfortune."

His smile faded,

"Then I am glad I felt the need to come and take a breath of fresh air," he answered undisturbed. " I had to come and see you closer."

Her mouth opened at his sincerity, but he continued undisturbed, approaching her very easily, like she was a bird he would not want to scare off,

" I had to see how much you have changed because from far away you seemed another woman than the one who left."

She was feeling so strange at his words and was only hoping that what she was feeling was because of the champagne. She had a stroke of memory and decided to go on defense before things changed in anything else way. 

She stood up and placed her hands on her hips, pushing her face very close to his because he got close to her while talking,

"Thank you for the knightly movement, but I don't want to see you, now or in the future. And not this close." finishing her statement, breathing a bit too heavily than normal. 

He was keeping his hands in his pockets, looking very relaxed, but she could swear she had seen the light of mischievousness in his eyes, too late,

"You liar," he whispered and took her by surprise, capturing her mouth in a kiss like she had never had. Or if she had, she could not know because all her thoughts were on the four corners of the earth the moment he approached his delicious lips to hers. He tried not to freak her out, but he felt such an imperious urge to kiss her. To see blood running throw that beautiful face of hers. And what better way to do it than not doing something extraordinary? Her moaning made him wrap his arms around her, making her stick her body to his. A movement that allowed him to part her lips softly and allow his tongue to slip inside her sweet, champagne-tasting mouth. The little moaning she was making made him tighten her even closer. She felt so drawn to his perfume and warmth that her skin was hurting her to approach him more and more. Until she remembered that she was at his engagement party and kissing in a hideaway in his gardens. Not with too much will she push him away to try to break the contact with his smell and arms.

They were both breathing hard, but their eyes were different. His gaze was igniting fire with desire, they were crystal clear for the tears she tried not to release,

"I don't know what you think you do or who you think I am, but I am not that kind of woman," and she let her look down, so he could not see that she was about to burst into tears.

He approached her, letting her see his shoe tops before he placed his finger under her chin, slowly rising it and whispering to her softly,

"I know exactly who you are..." and he placed a soft and quick kiss on her mouth.