Chapter 62

Why would I think of Victor while I am dancing with William?

I quickly shook my head, trying to focus on my dance with William.

“What’s wrong?” William asked.

“Oh…Nothing particular…” I replied, feeling a bit uneasy for being caught.

It was a fun time dancing with William. He is a good and gentle dancer, just as I have imagined.

After my dance with William ended, I stood close to him to keep the others away.

“Do you think I could sit down for a while?” I whispered into his ear.

But before he could answer, my father appeared and took my elbow.

“Sweetheart, you really should dance with some of the others to prevent any mistrust or hard feelings. Some of the young men here tonight belong to families that have been close to ours for centuries.”

I froze at first as my heart did a flip. Then I nodded and allowed him to lead me to a grinning young Alpha male.

“This is Rafe Foster,” Alex said. “Rafe, this is my daughter, Daisy.”

Rafe grinned wider. I couldn’t help noticing his smile didn’t reach his eyes. It wasn’t real. Maybe he wasn’t interested in dancing with me and was just being polite.

But he extended his hand and said, “Shall we dance, Daisy?”

My father gave me a nod.

“Of course,” I agreed. It felt like the best part of the evening was over. The way Rafe looked at me creeped me out, but I had to dance with him.

As Rafe took my hand, his smile melted. But he put a hand on my waist and took my other hand, and we began to dance.

He wasn’t anywhere as good of a dancer as Victor or William, so I had to pay more attention to the steps. At times it felt as if I was leading him.

He must’ve been trying to watch his steps, too, because half of the dance was over before he spoke.

“My father promised to buy us a house overlooking the ocean if we get married,” he said.

“We?” I thought he was kidding. Who would say that to a woman they met two minutes ago? And what a way to propose!

But he wasn’t kidding.

“Yes, you and me. I told him it had to have at least six bedrooms,” Rafe said as he stumbled again. “Really, Daisy. You must be more careful not to trip me.”

I was still too flabbergasted to say anything. I’ve dealt with bullies and people who thought they were better than me, but I have never encountered anyone like Rafe.

I was grateful the dance was slowing down, and it would soon end.

“Do you like that idea?” Rafe asked as the song ended.

I detached my hand from his and backed up a step. And shaking my head emphatically, I said, “No.” Then I turned and walked away.

My heart was pounding as another male hand was thrust my way. “Miss Wilson, would you honor me with a dance?”

At least this one was polite.

He was about my height when I wasn’t wearing heels, and he had pale, almost white hair and equally pale blue eyes. His shy smile made me feel a twinge of pity.

I nodded and took his hand.

As we began to dance, I said, “You can call me Daisy. What’s your name?”

His smile brightened. “I’m Noah Walker. My dad worked for yours until he died last year.”

“I’m so sorry, Noah,” I said. “It must be hard to get used to life without him.”

“Thanks,” Noah replied. “Yeah, I don’t think my mom will ever get over it. I guess she’ll have to live with us when we get married, haha…”

Unbelievable! And I had thought Victor was a self-absorbed jerk.

“Excuse me,” I said, and I turned and walked away from him before the dance was over.

What was wrong with Alpha males? They assumed I would marry them as soon as we met.

This was why Victor was concerned about me meeting these young men. It was apparent they only wanted my inheritance.

Throughout the evening, I had several similar encounters with Alpha males. They were all rude, arrogant, and determined to marry me. One even had the nerve to talk about taking over my father’s leadership position!

None of them cared about me or my feelings or bothered to ask me what I wanted from life. They were typical greedy Alphas.

In need of a cold drink, I finished a dance and hurried toward the refreshment table before my partner could follow me.

But before I could get a glass of soda, Noah appeared at my side and grabbed my hand.

Thinking he wanted to dance with me again, I shook my head. I needed a few minutes to myself. I’d had enough of him and the others for a while.

But instead of letting go of my hand, he began pulling me toward a set of double glass doors to the outside.

“What are you doing?” I demanded.

“I think you need some air,” Noah replied. “There’s no need to tell your father. I’m sure it’ll be fine with him.”

Victor’s words about not going outside with anybody I didn’t know came to my mind, and I knew Noah was up to no good.

I tried to yank my hand out of Noah’s grasp, but he was stronger than I expected.

“Let me go!” I demanded. “I mean it. Let me go, or I’m going to scream.”

“Stop being ridiculous. There’s nothing to scream about,” Noah insisted. “We’re just going outside for some air.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I told him and tried to pull away again.

As I backed away, I ran into a hard body that was standing behind me.

It was Victor.

“Noah, you heard what my fiancé said. If you want to keep that arm, let her go.”

“My apologies, Victor,” Noah said and released his grip on my hand. “Your engagement has not been officially announced. Many of us assumed it had been called off. I just wanted a chance! ”

“You should never assume anything. Daisy and I are engaged to be married.” Victor tucked my hand into his arm. “Aren’t we, sweetheart?”

“Yes,” I replied. My father wanted to let us get to know each other better before a formal announcement.”

Noah bowed. “Please accept my apologies.”

Victor nodded cooly and led me onto the dance floor. It felt safe in his arms.

“Thanks for the rescue,” I told him. “You were right about the males at this ball. They’re far too bold and arrogant for my taste. All they want is my inheritance.”

Victor and I danced, and then I asked him to escort me for a cold drink. After my experience with Noah, I was nervous about going near the doors to the outside.

Amy was standing near the refreshment table. I stood next to her as I drank my cola. “Sorry, I haven’t had much time for you tonight.”

“I’ve been having a wonderful time,” Amy said. “Most of the Alphas have been friendly, except a handful who just ignored me.”

I gave her a side hug. “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. Did you dance with anyone special?”

“Nobody is as special as my guy,” she replied.

“Do you mean the mystery guy you’re going on a picnic with on Sunday?”

Amy giggled. “His name is Justin, and no one here is as special as him.”

“Ooh, do you think he’s your fated mate?” I asked.

“He may be.” Amy shrugged. “I’m not sure how to tell. And these days, hardly anybody finds their Fated Mate.”

“Because Alphas refuse to marry anyone except another alpha, it has become nearly impossible.”

I sighed. “Yet, most of us seem happy enough with our chosen mates. It must be possible to find someone to love without them being your Fated Mate.”

After finishing my glass of cold soda, William asked me to dance again, and I accepted.

It was nice to dance without fending off a marriage proposal. But halfway through the song, I realized it was almost time to leave the ball and prepare for the Moon Goddess ceremony.

William sensed my change of mood. “Are you okay?” he asked.“Your whole body just went stiff.”

“It’s almost time for the ceremony,” I replied.

William gave me a gentle smile. “Don’t be nervous, Daisy. I’ll be nearby until morning.”

I had chosen William to be my second Alpha Guide. He and Victor would escort me to the altar and remain nearby during my first shift while I explored my new wolf form.

After our dance was over, I saw Alex signaling to me. My stomach felt ice cold when I saw Jennifer was at the ballroom door to escort me to my room.

It was time for me to prepare for the Moon Goddess ceremony.