Chapter 94

It was the day of the charity ball. Ethan and I decided on a masquerade theme to stand out against the several other parties of the year that only required black-tie attire. We wanted our guests to dress regally, beautifully. We wanted the press to report about our party for years.

Therefore, it was a masquerade theme.

Ethan and I were dressed as elegantly as we could - our costumes cost thousands of dollars and were specially tailored for us.

My dress and mask were inspired by Christine from ‘Phantom of the Opera’, Ethan was the Phantom. His white mask covered only half his face and he slicked his dark hair back. I wore my own hair in curly tendrils that waved down my back in cascades.

I never felt so pretty before in my life - not even on my wedding day.

Ethan and I stayed arm-in-arm for the first half of the night, going around and greeting our guests as they came through. Every single person in attendance took the theme seriously, not a single guest was dressed less than extravagantly.

It warmed my heart and as I saw each costume on each guest, I beamed and grinned as I greeted them.

My heart swelled even more when a group of children and one adult came into the ballroom.

I dragged Ethan over to them, squealing as I saw all the little ones in their suits and dresses. They were not as extravagant or ornate as the patrons of the party were. I wanted the children to have nice, sensible clothes to wear in the future - not a dress or suit that they could only wear once.

“Mrs. Hudson,” I greeted the matron warmly, “I’m so glad to see you!”

Mrs. Hudson gave me a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek, Ethan shook her hand and pulled her in for a small, polite hug as well.

“Thank you both for the outfits for the children,” She smiled at us, looking behind her at the children who were hiding behind each other shyly.

“Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Velasco,” They sang together in unison at Mrs. Hudson’s pointed look.

I giggled and embraced the children in a group hug, missing being able to work with them as often as I used to.

“We are only staying for an hour,” Mrs. Hudson told me decidedly, “I don’t want the children out too long. They need their rest, and your guests will want to fully enjoy their party.”

I nodded atMrs. Hudson, happy that she spared the time to attend, and thankful that she was mindful of both the children and the guests’ time.

“It’s a shame Baron didn’t want to come,” I conversed with Mrs. Hudson lightly, calling back to when Baron fully turned down an invitation from us.

Mrs. Hudson’s eyes grew wide and she whispered to me conspiratorially, “I talked to him about why he declined yesterday! He told me that he wasn’t invited, that you both were just being polite. He said that he knew you didn’t want him there at all.”

I stepped back, a little surprised at what Mrs. Hudson had said.

She was there, she knew that wasn’t the case I’m sure. Ethan looked just as taken aback as I was. Neither of us held any contempt towards Baron. My feelings for him were brief and due to not understanding my feelings for Ethan.

And even then I was never sure if I truly liked Baron. Ethan’s jealousy is the only thing that made his distaste for Baron grow, but now that we were mated we were far beyond that.

It was just strange.

“Thank you for letting me know that,” I told Mrs. Hudson. “Please, enjoy the party and come see me before you leave.”

Mrs. Hudson nodded her head, I could see the thoughts running through her mind as she tried to figure out what was going on between Baron and Ethan and I. As far as I knew, it was nothing. I’d have to confront Baron at another time to see what’s going on.

The rest of the ball continued smoothly, though. Ethan and I continued making our rounds and speaking to guests, happy to see everyone enjoying themselves.

Ethan dismissed himself from my side to go talk to a very important looking man standing by the refreshment counter, and I meandered into a circle of women giggling and laughing like little school girls with fistfuls of wine glasses.

“And then I said to him,” Donatello’s wife continued to hammer through another story while drunkenly sipping on her wine. Many other Lunas gathered around her, admired her, and hung on her every word.

In the months that I’ve been a part of the alpha’s inner circle, not much has changed for them socially.

I laughed with them, though, happy to not have to stress about my status or my standing with Ethan. I was officially one of them. No longer wolfless, no longer unmated, and no longer feeling like a fraud. I was a true Luna.

“And how have our newlyweds been?” A blonde Luna turned her attention to Olivia who was standing on the outskirts of the social circle.

Olivia blushed at the sudden shift of attention onto her, but she cleared her throat and answered calmly.

“Mars and I have been very happy this last month. A lot has happened in our lives, and we are just excited to finally settle down and have time for ourselves.” She smoothed out the skirt on her dress and readjusted her mask.

“What a diplomatic answer!” Rachel, Donatello’s wife, laughed and joked. It made Olivia blush a little more fiercely, but the attention was shifted from her, and she was happy to let it fade away.

Rachel started up another one of her stories, and Olivia and I made eye contact.

“We should-” I whispered, gesturing to the opposite end of the room towards the large entrance. I was already tired of listening to those women prattle on. They were fine, I supposed, but not the type of people I could be around for more than a few moments.

Olivia nodded her head ferociously, prancing away from the group as we walked arm in arm along the crowded dance hall.

It was nice, for once, to be in such a large group of people and know that people were watching me, but not for malicious reasons.

I was the hostess, the most elegantly dressed, and the reason for tonight happening at all. In a way, I found my confidence and wore it proudly on my chest.

I was Ethan Velasco’s wife, Luna, and mate, and he was all mine.

Olivia and I giggled as we gossiped about the various partygoers. Many were starting to indulge in the free drinks that were advertised at the bar, and many were beginning to sway as they felt the effects of said drinks.

Olivia was pointing to a man with a wolf mask retching into a potted plant near the front entrance where everyone was coming in and out. I laughed along with her, trying to shake away the anxiety of having to clean that up later, when I saw a very familiar figure walk into the hall.

My body froze, and I could tell Olivia saw him too as her muscles went rigid.

Andrew and three of his betas walked onto the dancefloor. He was not invited.