Page 4 of The Ballerina

“Why don’t you pour us each a shot of whatever you brought in here with you?” he says with a smug grin. “Then we can decide what to do next.”

Rising from my spot I bend over at the waist, making sure the man behind me has an obscene view up my skirt. I’m not usually so brazen but if this is going to be my last night of freedom, I may as well enjoy myself.

“Fuck me,” he grumbles, and I feel giddy at his reaction.

Slowly, I pour the drinks and pass one to each of the men. Turning, I face the dark stranger once more.

“Which one of you is the lucky bachelor?”

“Me.”

That single word carries more weight than anyone could imagine. He sounds about as happy about his upcoming nuptials as I am. Probably got some stupid girl knocked up and now her father is demanding the mating ceremony. Some people are more traditional in their views than others are. I know I wouldn’t be going through with this if not for my father. I had always pictured finding my fated mate and spending the rest of my life with him. In love. Yes, I’m a romantic, not that it matters anymore. Romance will be the last thing I find with my forced mating.

“Well,” I say with an impish smile, clearing the damning thoughts, before grabbing the remote for the sound system and hitting PLAY. “Let’s make sure you enjoy your last night as a freeman.”

Walking back around the table, I straddle his hips without waiting for his permission. I place his hands on my hips, already gyrating, making sure he knows this lap dance isn’t for anyone else but him. His fingers dig into the flesh of my ass, and I know I will carry the bruises in the morning. I guess I’ll have to shift before the ceremony to make sure my future husband doesn’t see it. I wouldn’t want to start my mating with a fight straight off the bat.

“What are you doing?” he asks, staring at my breasts as I slowly unbutton my shirt.

“Lap dance, silly. Just sit back and enjoy the ride.”

His friends laugh in the background, but I am more focused on the sound reverberating from his chest. The deep growl builds, making it clear his animal is more than happy to comply.

I have decided that I won’t run from my responsibilities. Tomorrow I will be mated to a stranger but tonight I am still a free woman.

If I must quit my job tomorrow, at least tonight will have been worth it.

Chapter Four

Atlas

I should be focused on everything that is happening around me, but I couldn’t care less. Not about the guests, the pack elder about to chain me to a stranger for the rest of my life, or my father—my Alpha—glaring at me from his seat in the front row. I almost flip him the bird, but I know there will be hell to pay if I do something that stupid in front of this massive gathering.

All the members from both packs are here to witness this momentous mating. The thing that will bind and strengthen both packs. From today forward, we will have the strongest alliance in Northern America.

I should be worried about where Jana is and what she is doing, but that isn’t a priority for me either. The last part should make me feel like a horrible person, but I can’t find it in me.

No. My head is still reeling from last night. The woman who danced for me.Ballerina. Damn, I wish I knew her real name. I wish quite a few things were different about last night.

She has consumed my every waking thought since I left Dark Side of the Moon. Hell, she even haunted my dreams last night. Unblemished skin, perky tits, swaying hips, and an ass I wanted to take a bite out of. Not to mention her dark green eyes that seemed to look right into my soul.

What the fuck is wrong with me? I’ve never been the type of man to fall into lust. Why now? Why her? Is this an effect of what my father is doing? Or am I only now realizing that the mate I do not want will be the second, and last woman I ever sleep with?

It was my first time visiting the burlesque club everyone in the area has been raving about this past year. And I can honestly say I wasn’t disappointed. I only wish I had decided togo sooner.

She was stunning. Her confidence. Her sexuality. All of it folded into each other to create the most beautifully sexual being I have ever laid eyes on. And the way she danced? Goddess, she was stunning.

I would have loved to spend more time with her, perhaps to fold her over the black leather couch in that back room and fuck her until she screamed my name, but I couldn’t. I already had enough on my plate, and I didn’t feel like dealing with any extra bullshit. So, I left the club after a few hours, horny and somewhat pissed off even though I wasn’t quite sure why except that I didn’t want to leave her there. I did leave a ridiculous tip for Ballerina and vowed to forget about the strange woman whose real name I didn’t even know.

I need to focus on being the son my father wants. I am going to be the Alpha of this pack someday and as such I need to learn to fall in line and follow orders. Even those I don’t want to.

Which is how I ended up here. I am standing in a clearing in the middle of the forest, darkness creeping in as the stars twinkle in the night sky, ready to be mated before both our packs to a woman I have never laid eyes on. Hopefully, she will be as disinterested in this mating as I am, and we can go on with our own lives even if we must live together.

I know I won’t be able to ignore her completely, as we will be expected to procreate, but I don’t have any interest in getting to know her beyond the bare minimum.

A hush falls over the crowd. Lifting my head I clear my thoughts and look down the aisle to see a woman with long, wavy, dark brown hair, standing in a white knee-length sundress. Her father, the Alpha of the Clover pack, takes her arm in a grip that is clearly firmer than it should be and all but drags her toward me.

She is tall with long, tan legs peeking out beneath the lace.Her curves are on display in the dress she chose, accentuating her breasts. In her hands she holds a bouquet of wildflowers and my lips twitch slightly. I can’t think that either of our fathers would be happy with such a simple thing. Looks like my future mate at least has a mind of her own. If I have to spend any amount of time with her, at least she won’t be a complete idiot.

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