Chapter 3

Jason POV: The Feeling Like Floating 

Damn, she’s beautiful.

I stare at Irene as we sway to the music and thank the moon goddess for my luck. I never knew she was this beautiful. 

Her mother, Penny, is a striking woman, and it’s obvious Irene inherited those full, inviting lips and the soft, elegant slope of her chin from her.

"I love your dress," I murmur in her left ear. 

Irene coos, "Hmm, thanks. I knew you’d love it. Mom told me no, but I told her, 'Jason loves chocolate colors for dresses.'"

I frown slightly, a brief, puzzling disconnect fluttering through my mind. I do? I don't love chocolate for dresses. In fact, if someone had asked me five minutes ago, I would have said I preferred deep blues, or maybe red. Like the shade that girl earlier was wearing.

The image of her flashes vividly in my mind, the girl who had called out to me from the crowd. The red-haired girl.

My eyes instinctively drift away from Irene, scanning the crowd for the girl. 

Where is she? 

The room is a sea of familiar and unfamiliar faces, but I can't find her anywhere. 

She must have left. 

A strange sense of disappointment pricks at me. I really liked her dress. It wasn't quite a true red, more of a rich pink that perfectly matched the fiery undertones of her hair. And she was incredibly attractive, with a wide, breathtaking smile that, for a split second, had made my heart stop.

"Are you looking for someone?" Irene asks, her voice pulling me back. 

Her grip on my shoulder tightens a little.

I drop my gaze back to her and smile. 

"There was a . . . never mind. It's nothing." 

“Okay, love.”

I look into her eyes and let the hazy, warmth wrap around my thoughts again. 

"You know, if anyone had told me a year ago, I’d never believe I’d one day be standing here as the incoming Alpha."

Irene squints at me, her smile flawless. "Why?"

"My dad," I say, exhaling. "He may be on his deathbed, but he’s still the strongest wolf I know. It feels surreal to step into his shoes."

"How sad it is that we have to lose the ones we love so much," Irene sighs softly, leaning her head against my chest. "To just helplessly watch them go."

"Yeah. But he’s still here for now," I say, patting her back. "Once we leave the hall, we’ll go straight to the pack house to see him. He’s waiting. I’m sure he’ll love to meet you as my official mate."

Irene pulls back slightly, her lips pursing. "Oh, not so fast, Jason. My family is expecting us. My mom has something special planned for us back at the house. A small party to celebrate the two of us."

"Oh. That’d be nice, I guess."

"Yeah, it will be," she says.

"Did you send an invitation out to anyone? I’m not sure my mother or the rest of my family received anything about it."

"No, Jason," Irene says gently, patting my chest. "It’s just a very intimate, small party. Just for me, you, and my family."

I stare down at her for a moment, a sudden feeling of unease taking over me. I’m not sure this is standard procedure. In fact, I know it isn't. It's going to look strange to the pack elders if the newly recognized Alpha attends an intimate celebration entirely alone, without a single member of his own bloodline present.

"At least my mom can come," I press, trying to find a compromise. "My uncles and aunts can be grouchy, traditional people, but my mom is usually cool with stuff like that. She'd want to be there."

Irene’s smile falters, her lips thinning into a tight line. "Jason, will you ever let me have my way when we’re married? It’s just one little thing. A night for my family to celebrate us."

A strange, dizzying sensation sweeps through my head, making my vision blur for a fraction of a second. I find myself nodding before I can even process the thought. 

"Okay, okay, mystical woman."

Irene’s brilliant smile instantly returns, but her eyes narrow with a trace of curiosity. She asks, "Why did you call me that?"

"I don't know. It just . . . it feels like I'm on a flying carpet or something. Like I'm breezing through the air, completely out of control."

"I understand the feeling," Irene whispers, her eyes locking onto mine with intense focus. "I feel it too."

I smile back, pulling her close. As I do, her scent fills my nose, a cloying aroma that tastes sickeningly sweet on my lips, like thick maple syrup. All I want to do is take her home already. It's a fierce, overpowering urge. 

Strange.

Even as I hold her, my eyes betray me again. I'm casting another glance around the hall for that red-haired girl. I don't even know why I'm doing it.

Mercifully, the music ends.

Within seconds, the spell of the dancefloor breaks as pack members, elders, and high-ranking officials from the Supreme Council crowd around us, offering their congratulations. My extended family swarms in next, clapping me on the back, shaking my hand, and embracing me, calling me the next Alpha.

My mother wriggles through the crowd.

Unlike the others, she isn't beaming. There is a rigid, halting smile on her lips as she comes to us and takes Irene’s hands in hers. She stares at my mate, her eyes searching. 

"How did you manage it?" she asks. 

Irene's sweet demeanor wanes for a second. "Mrs. Hurst, what are you talking about?"

My mother looks at me, worry in her gaze, before looking back to Irene. "I mean your dress. It's . . . very distinct."

I notice the hesitation immediately, the quick, guarded change in my mother's demeanor. She wasn't talking about Irene's dress at all.

"Oh," Irene says with a light giggle. "I have my mom to thank for that."

Bessie Hurst ignores the comment, and steps closer to me. She reaches up, placing a cool hand on my cheek, her eyes scanning my face with intense scrutiny. 

"Jason, are you feeling well?" she asks. 

"Yes, I am, Mom. Never better."

Just then, Penny Patton shuffles over, her husband John holding her fondly from behind. Both of them are laughing, radiating a happy energy. Penny beams at my mother. 

She says, "Luna Bessie, thanks for letting us have a chance in your family as the new Luna."

My mother gives her a stiff, half hearted smile. "Oh, you're welcome, Penny. I simply can't wait to see your daughter become the next true Luna."

I frown a little. Next ‘true’ Luna? What the hell has gotten into my mother tonight? She's being cryptic, casting dark shadows over what should be the best night of my life.

Irene tugs tightly on my hand, her voice urgent. "It's time to go, Jason. Come on—"

My mother grabs my wrist, her grip surprisingly fierce. "Where are you going?"

"There's a small party for me and Irene at her home," I explain, trying to soothe her. "We won't be long, Mom."

"Your dad . . ." says my mother. "He's waiting to meet your Luna, Jason. You should bring her to the pack house first."

Penny steps in, smiling. "Oh, Luna Bessie, it's just a tiny, quick celebration. Jason can always see his father afterward. Let the young couple enjoy themselves. It's their time, after all." She pats my mother’s arm. "Me and John can come with you to the pack house right now to see our old Alpha and keep him company."

My mother’s grip on my wrist lets go slowly, her fingers sliding away as her eyes lock onto Irene's smug, composed face.

I stare at my mother with a feeling of irritation and the foggy warmth in my head. 

I really can't see what her fuss is about.