Page 8 of Tis The Season

Soft.

Perfect.

I held him tight, and I felt his hands sliding along my dress. I let out a moan when he gripped my hips, but that just seemed to encourage him.

More. I wanted so much more.

He pulled back a little, and I licked his lower lip like it was a lime flavored lollipop.

Heaven.

He trailed his lips along my jaw and down to my neck, alternating slow kisses with little licks. I tilted my head, presenting my neck to my alpha.

And then I froze.

Wait.

What was I doing? I was presenting my neck—the ultimate sign of mating and submission—to an alpha I just met and didn’t actually know!

I jolted up and pressed on the alpha’s chest, forcing him to step back.

We stared at each other, chests still heaving and hearts still pounding.

And then I did the only logical thing I could.

I turned and ran.

Well, I hustled. A lady should never run in a ball gown.

I headed for the restroom and, throwing the door open, I was relieved to find it empty. Of course it was. The omegas would want to be spending every second out there on the dance floor with the alphas. I should be out there too, not making out with a stranger in a dark hallway!

Not a stranger, my mind whispered,my alpha.

I stared at myself in the mirror and was relieved to notice that I actually still looked good. Better than good. My little lapse in judgment gave my cheeks a beautiful blush. Running my hands under the sink’s cool water, I tried to calm down. This was fine. It was my first real brush with an alpha. That didn’t mean he wasmyalpha. I needed to get back out there and dance with some other guys.

Courage and confidence restored, I dried my hands and headed back out into the hallway. I bumped into a coconut-scented alpha as I turned the corner and bowed in a silent apology. I turned to go back to the dance, but he grabbed my hand and gestured toward the dance floor. It would’ve been rude to turn him down, so I followed him out.

We danced to one thankfully brief song before I escaped to get a drink. His scent was surprisingly strong, and while I liked coconut, I didn’t like itthatmuch.

I was so focused on escaping the last alpha that I didn’t notice the one approaching me now. The alpha I’d kissed—my alpha, my mind helpfully provided again—tried to hand me a glass of champagne. I stared at it and then up at him. He noticed my hesitation, so he tossed the glass he was holding and made sure I was watching as he grabbed a new one for me from the fountain.

It wasn’t that I was worried about the champagne; I was worried about the proximity to this alpha.

I took the glass, nodded in thanks, and gulped it down. And then I hustled away again.

I danced with several more alphas as the night went on, with varying degrees of interest.

A shorter alpha who smelled like I imagined a mechanic would.

A very thin alpha with a whiskey scent.

And an alpha that I could tell would have a big laugh, even though he didn’t say a word. He was jollier than Santa, and I loved it. But I didn’t love his carrot cake scent, which was a real shame.

After a few more laps around the room and a few chocolates from the dessert table, I decided that I’d danced with all the alphas I was interested in for the night. And since I wasn’t approached again, I think the alphas felt the same.

I grabbed my coat from the beta at the coat check closet and headed out into the snow. Once I was a safe distance away, I removed my mask for the rest of the walk home. I didn’t know what would happen after this or who might request courting dates. I didn’t dance with that many alphas tonight. Was one of them my mate? This was all overwhelming and largely out of my control, which was difficult to accept. I liked to have a clear plan, but I couldn’t plan for this.

I was surprised to realize I’d made it back to my apartment and even more surprised to see Tanner in a tux sitting on the stoop.

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