Chapter 35

The dance was over and Ethan left as the final note was played. Standing at the filled dancefloor, watching Ethan chase another girl, I assumed, was mortifying. Multiple people saw the way he abandoned me as the song was finishing, and the whispers already started.

Couples glanced at me suspiciously, wondering where Ethan was off to in such a hurry. I suppose I couldn’t be angry with them, I was wondering the same thing.

Where was he going?

Who was he chasing?

The longer I stood on the dancefloor, the more people were throwing around conspiratory whispers about what they just witnessed. I blinked away the confusion and tried to run in the direction I saw Ethan go.

I went through the same hallway, but there were more people in there than I had anticipated and Ethan was nowhere to be seen. Better yet, not one woman in there was wearing a red dress like the one I saw him chasing.

I walked over to a bench that lined against the wall and threw myself down, rather unladylike. If these were part of the etiquette lessons Ethan would have failed me right then and there. I didn’t care though.

While sitting, a familiar body fell into the seat beside me.

“I hate him!” Mars shouted, drawing the attention of half the party. His words were slurred and his eyes bleary. The stench of scotch permeated from his suit jacket and breath. I gagged when the subtle stench of vomit filled my nose.

Mars was drunk. Completely and overwhelmingly drunk.

“Are you okay?” I held onto his shoulder to keep him sitting upright. Without my support his body was flailing every which way.

“I need your help to find him!” Mars jumped up, suddenly finding the strength to stand. “Please Ava, help me!”

I looked around, the hallway had been cleared; probably because of Mars’ smell. I didn’t know who he was talking about, or if he should even be wandering around the party in his state.

“Maybe you should sit here and wait until someone you know better can help.” I pat his hand in a friendly way. I didn’t want him to get himself into any trouble when he wasn’t in his right mind. Plus, I wasn’t too eager to follow around a drunk werewolf who was already impulsive when he was sober.

“No! We need to find him and tell him,” Mars gripped onto my hand tightly and pulled me up with him. Though I was startled by his action, I didn’t pull away. He met my eyes, they were bleary from alcohol but tears also brimmed along his bottom lashes.

“Okay,” I relented with a sigh. “Who are we looking for?”

“Ethan!” His voice booms, way too loud to be polite. “Ethan will know how to fix this. Where is he?”

Mars looked at me as he asked this, his eyelids droopy from the drinks. Who knows how many he’d had.

“Alright we will go look for Ethan.” I figured this was the best thing for both of us. Ethan could take his friend and I’d no longer be sitting alone at the most prestigious party of the year.

Mars stumbled through the large house barging through doors to rooms that seemed to be never-ending. There was too much house to search through, I feared that it would turn into a labyrinth and keep us trapped in its maze of halls forever.

Maybe I watch too many horror movies during my newfound freetime.

While we searched, I caught another glimpse of Dora and Sarah speaking to each other in a secluded hallway. I tried to make Mars stop so I could listen, but he was too focused on finding Ethan. I pulled him back, but he was far too strong for me to compete.

He dragged me along and I lost sight of the two women once again.

Futile. That’s the word I would use to describe our searching for Ethan. There were no signs of him anywhere and the more we looked, the angrier Mars grew.

“Where is he?!” He growled out to himself, walking faster and whipping around corners. I was still trailing behind him, watching as guests looked over at us with concerned expressions.

“Mars, why don’t we take a break. I can ask if anyone has seen him - I’m sure he wouldn’t leave without me so he must be here somewhere.” I tried to reason with him, but he was too worked up to listen.

“We need to find him, we need to fix this!” Mars cried out. I didn’t understand what he was so upset about, he never told me. I asked once or twice but he only stumbled on his words and cursed under his breath in response.

It was better to stop asking.

“You’re drunk, you’re worked up.” I mimicked my mother’s matronizing tone and tried to settle him down.

“I’m not drunk-”

I gave him a look and the argument faded on his tongue. He knew that he was.

“Let’s go outside. You need to sober up and get some fresh air and then we will continue looking for Ethan for you, okay?” I gently nudged him away from another random hallway. His head fell, the anger dissipating from his body and giving way to exhaustion.

“Okay,” He mumbled, and I had to wrap an arm around his shoulder to support him. Without his urgency, he was weak and grumbly.

I helped him through the empty hallways and followed the sound of the band playing to find our way back to the main party room. A few people stopped to try and talk to us, but I made up an excuse about Mars feeling ill and needing to go outside.

With one look at the faint green sheen of his face, people would take a step back and leave us alone. No one wants to be thrown up on while wearing their expensive gowns and suits.

The party was in full swing now, the ballroom was still lively and full of people.

There was a balcony just to the side of the room. I saw two French-style doors that lead to it and had to maneuver my way to them.

“Look out, he’s gonna be sick!” I cried out, pushing Mars through the crowds of people. Just like the guests in the hallway, everyone jumped away from us, making it extremely easy to get through the room.

A small smile worked its way onto my face as everyone looked horrified at Mars while we passed. That was easy.

The doors were just ahead. Mars started getting heavier and harder to move, but his feet trudged along the ground nonetheless.

“Come on, so close!” I reassured him over and over again. My arms and back were burning with exhaustion as I supported almost his entire body weight. He was built like a house, strong and heavy. I was nowhere near in shape enough to be carrying him.

I was close enough to finally reach the silver handle of the door. I pushed it open, and Mars and I burst outside. My chest was heaving with exercise, and when I looked up, the air in my lungs disappeared.

Ethan was standing on the balcony. A woman in a red dress had her arms draped around his neck, and their bodies were pressed incredibly close together.

My heart stopped and leapt up into my throat all at once.

Ethan looked up at the two of us, his eyes widening, “Ava?”