Slippers at Midnight Pt. 01

Adrian chuckled and they both stood. Andrew offered me his hand, and when I took it, he led me off toward the other side of the dance floor.

Our progress was impeded by a slew of friends and acquaintances stopping us to chat. Each time we spoke with an unmated male Adrian's head whipped toward my face. Every time I shook my head.

Adrian and Andrew were engrossed in a conversation with a pair of brothers they knew well but with whom I was barely acquainted so I walked a few more feet and turned into the next room. I very nearly walked right into Prince Julian. I wanted to apologize but my tongue wouldn't move. Julian smiled at me and I became aware of a handsome young man I recognized but did not know to his right. "Hello," Julian offered. I couldn't breathe. "You look like someone I haven't danced with yet but would very much like to. May I?" He reached for me and I nodded. He led me to the dance floor right past his sister and her bodyguard.

My world dissolved as Julian began to lead me through the dance.

Chapter 7

I imagine you are sarcastically thinking, "Wow. Big surprise, Elle. All this build-up to the Prince's party and your impending imprinting and you imprinted on the prince. No one could have seen that coming."

And you are right. As I twirled in the arms of the gorgeous and muscular Crown Prince I did indeed struggle to keep my balance as my world shifted and swam with the power of my imprinting.

When my world restructured itself, however, it wasn't Julian at the center. It was his sister.

Daciana was standing at the edge of the dance floor watching us dance. Watching me dance. She really did look amazing. What had Mrs. Florin said? Ethereal. She was grinning at me and when I met her eyes she nodded to me.

I struggled to keep my feet under me. I wanted to run away. I wanted to run to her. Only years and years of training kept me dancing while I swallowed and tried not to faint. Julian asked me about myself and I answered on Autopilot. I forced myself to look at him and to smile but my eyes kept drifting to the woman at the edge of the dance floor. When the song ended, I composed myself enough to thank him and engage in a few minutes of small talk before I excused myself and almost ran to the patio I could see beyond the curtains.

Once outside, I moved as far from the noise and lights as I could without sprinting into the grounds. I leaned against a handrail at the edge of the patio and gripped it with both of my hands. I gasped for breath. What was happening to me? Female wolves didn't imprint on other female wolves. Ever. But even as I had the thought, my stomach tightened and everything in me begged to go and find her. Only my death grip on the handrail kept me from sprinting back inside to find Daciana. I gasped and tightened my grip. I needed to get more oxygen to my brain to help clear it. This could not be real.

"Hello there." A musical voice spoke behind me and I was undone. I knew it was her before I turned around. I hadn't heard her voice enough to recognize it but I still knew it was her voice.

I forced myself to turn slowly. I kept my right hand gripped to the rail as I turned.

There she was. The most beautiful thing I had ever seen or could ever imagine seeing. She was smiling at me and I had the most overwhelming desire to lick her lips. She waited.

"Hello." My voice was raspy.

Daciana took a step closer. "I'm Dachee." She murmured. "I don't think we've properly met."

"I'm Elle," I breathed.

Daciana's voice was every beautiful piece of music ever composed. "I imagine I looked exactly like you do this morning- when I saw you in the dress shop." She rocked slightly on her feet. "I'm sorry, I know this is a lot and I want to give you time to process it, but would it be ok if I came a bit closer? I feel like I may burst if I can't be near you."

I swallowed and tried to answer but all I could do was give a non-committal head movement.

Daciana moved very slowly. I felt like a sleeping bear she was trying not to disturb. She took a step toward me and then another. Then she reached out and stroked her fingers down my arm.

The moment her skin touched mine it was like my body figured out how to breathe. She was oxygen. She let her fingers rest with feather softness on my arm. An involuntary sigh escaped my lips and I wanted to be embarrassed but the sound seemed to strike a fire in Daciana's eyes and she inched closer.

"It's not just me, right?" Daciana breathed. Her breath on my face made me tremble with want. "Please tell me you feel it, too."

I didn't speak. I couldn't. But I looked into her face and Daciana must have seen her answer in my eyes.

"Oh thank the goddess," she sighed and closed the distance between us. She carefully slipped her arms around my waist and brought her face close to my throat. I felt her inhale my scent. She sighed deeply.

I couldn't stop myself then. I released the rail and wrapped my arms around her waist. I pulled us closer together. For a moment there was nothing but Daciana. I could feel her body against my body and her scent filled my nose. Every breath I drew was Daciana and even my heart seemed to cry her name. Her eyes met mine and then her gaze dropped to my mouth. As I studied her lips I was again overcome with the urge to llck them. I wanted to taste her. I needed to taste her. I'm still not sure if I kissed her or she kissed me but the next thing I knew our lips were touching and hers were amazing and I wanted to kiss her forever and I was deciding if I could lick her lips when I felt her tongue caress the place mine met. I opened to her mouth and she licked along the inside of my bottom lip. I moaned and she went deeper. Her tongue touched mine and I began to explore her mouth. It was her turn now to moan and the sound shot straight through me. Fire and ice chased each other in my core and electricity sparked between my thighs. I had never felt anything like this. I wanted to scream her name. I wanted to make her scream mine. An image of my face buried between her thighs while she screamed my name came unbidden to my mind. I jerked back.

There is no such thing as a lesbian werewolf. One of our greatest purposes in life is to reproduce. "To each is given one mate that by him she may increase and from her they will multiply." The scripture was used in every wedding ceremony among our kind. It wasn't homophobia, we as a people, are pretty woke. It was a biological fact. Two female wolves could not reproduce.

I came back to reality to see Daciana watching me. "Elle," my name on her tongue brought back the image of her screaming my name in pleasure. I took a step back.

"I'm sorry," I breathed. And then I fled.