Chapter 1: Dangerous Promises

The party was in full swing at the Wisteria mansion. I had been here before but not for a party. It was held in the ballroom of the west wing of the mansion, and the chandelier seemed to sparkle enchantingly. I imagined that it was polished before the day of the party.

There were also appetizers being served such as veggie and cheese tartlets and grilled garlic toasts. Champagne was served to anyone who was the legal age. The decorations included black tablecloths, a beautiful arrangement of flowers, and an expensive crystal vase.

I admired the decorations and atmosphere of the high-class party briefly before trying to find my boyfriend. He stood by a tall girl with black hair down to half of her back. I didn’t feel jealous as I knew he only had eyes for me.

Seconds later I was next to my boyfriend, Ash. We had been dating for a few months now, and it seemed destined as he was going to be a future Alpha of his pack too. I still couldn’t believe that he was my boyfriend. He was tall and handsome and had bright green eyes, wavy blond hair, and a sculpted jawline.

He greeted me with a happy tone to his deep voice, “There’s my beautiful girlfriend, Cleo.” He gazed at me and took my hand in his. “How are you enjoying the party?”

I smiled at him and said, “I’m having a great time.”

“I’m glad to hear. Would you like to dance with me?”

I nodded yes and he led me to the dance floor where other members of his pack were. Everyone else was dancing. He pulled me close against him, and we danced a classic slow dance. His hands traveled down to my waist, and then his soft lips were on mine. I kissed him back and wrapped my arms around his neck.

Ash pulled away after a while and looked at me with wonder. “I never get tired of kissing you Cleo Sharpe. I’d kiss you all day if I could.”

I tried to not turn red but my fair skin probably betrayed me. “That is very sweet of you to say. So why did you stop kissing me? I wasn’t done yet.”

He grinned widely at me and leaned in to whisper in my ear, “We can always kiss more away

from everyone else’s view later. I promise.”

Ash leaned in to kiss me urgently and nipped at my upper lip a little. I tried not to show how pleased I was and kept quiet. When he pulled away, I stared deep into his green eyes. He was the only one I wanted to be with.

He held my hand and brought it up to his lips to kiss and said, “I love you so much Cleo. I’m so happy you’re my girl.”

“I love you too Ash. I’m so happy that you’re my boyfriend.”

He squeezed my hand gently, and we went back to dancing. I rested my head on his shoulder as we continued to slow dance. I couldn’t believe how long we had been dating already.

It felt like just yesterday that he had first asked me out. This was a time before we both knew we were going to be future Alphas. I’ve never regretted going on that first date by our favorite spot in his pack’s territory. I remembered how nervous I was that day. Ash kept telling me how beautiful and kind I was. We ended the date with a sweet first kiss.

We kept dancing for another couple of songs and sat down at a table at the front of the ballroom. The table we were assigned to also held my parents and his. I considered the table to be all of the people who were at the top of the pack’s order.

I'd probably throw a party differently. I wanted more members to feel like equals with each other instead of feeling separated. I drew my attention back on the present when I saw steaming hot containers of food come along.

At this point, we were served a dinner of a lobster tail and steamed vegetables. I folded my napkin in my lap and began to eat. The lobster had a sweet taste that made me savor every bite. I also enjoyed the freshly made bread that was warm, airy, and buttery. The mousse chocolate cake was my favorite by far. It was sweet without being too rich and was light and melted in my mouth.

Not much conversation happened when everyone dug into their food. It was that delicious. I think I found a new favorite food with that chocolate cake. Maybe I'd have a second piece if we were allowed.

Ash put his arm around me as he sipped his champagne. He was three years older than me, but I had not turned twenty-one yet. I was one of the only few at the table without a glass of champagne and had water. I took a glance at my parents. They were laughing and talking with Ash’s parents.

Suddenly, Ash stood up and clinked his glass to get everyone’s attention. People’s conversations slowly died down. It was quiet enough that a pin drop would’ve been heard. He set his glass down and moved to stand near my chair. We all waited to see what he would say. My heartbeat started to get faster when I looked at him.

He got down on one knee and pulled out a large diamond ring before looking into my eyes, “Would you marry me Cleo Sharpe?”

I was shocked at his question and was sure my mouth had dropped open noticeably. My parents along with everyone else were also surprised at the turn in events. The rest of guests waited to see what my answer was. I went by my heart to give an answer to his question.

“Yes, I’ll marry you Ash Wisteria.”

He smiled and said, “She said yes.”

There was faint scattered applause throughout the room. Most people in the room were still in shock and whispered to each other. My parents were among the people who wore shocked expressions. Mom's hand was still over her mouth while her eyes were widened.

Ash sat back down next to me and slid the ring on my left hand’s ring finger.

The biggest issue was I didn’t even know if Ash was my destined mate. Every werewolf had a mate they had to be with. Everyone knew it was very taboo to be with someone who wasn't their mate. I only had one friend in another pack that was with a girl who wasn't his mate. He had turned down his mate for this other girl.

Finding out one’s mate doesn’t happen at any given point either. I looked at my ring in amazement and horror while hoping Ash was supposed to be my mate.