Twelve

It is the day of Isaac's Alpha ceremony, and after Amira finally explained everything that has happened between her and Isaac after their interrogation during dinner the other night, her mother has gone above and beyond to make sure her daughter looks the best she can possibly look. 

      Her mother loans her a pastel blue, floor-length gown that has a slit running up the right side of the dress to give more mobility, as the silk material hugs her waist and hips. Amira's chest is a little larger than her mother's was when she was younger, the material around her chest stretching to fit a little and the thin spaghetti straps sinking into her skin slightly. Other than that, it is a perfect fit and gives her mother a brief emotional throwback to her own days as a young woman, seeing herself in Amira as they share the same strawberry blonde hair that she wears down in soft curls for the night. 

      After picking a simple pair of short tear drop diamond earrings, she hears a honk and sees a familiar black car parked outside the front door. It isn't until she is putting on her shoes that the nerves kick in and her palms start to sweat. 

      She swings the front door open and sees Calix leaning against the side of his car waiting for his, looking down at his phone with a small bouquet of roses in the other hand. He doesn't notice her at first until she walks up to him and clears her throat. 

      When his head lifts to look at her, he is so startled he tosses his phone. 

      "Is it that bad?" she jokes, but deep down wonders if she has overestimated her ability to dress up. 

      "Fuck no it isn't," he mutters, then clears his throat and fixes his tie. "You look breathtaking." 

      He grabs her hand and forces her to do a small twirl in front of him, but she stops when she hears a quiet growl erupt from him. She turns around to see if he is all right, but Calix pulls her into his chest and hides her face in the crook of his neck. 

      "This is going to be a difficult night, we better get going," he whispers. He pulls away and opens the door for her to slide into the passenger sear. 

      This will be her first date since meeting Isaac, and it's to attend a party held by her ex-boyfriend, who will also be there with his new girlfriend. 

      Can this night be anymore of a disaster in the making? 

~*~ 

      As they pull up to the pack house, Amira already has to face Isaac and Eris, seeing them stand outside the front door with his parents to greet guests as they arrive, getting staff to help direct them once inside. 

      She watches as Eris clings to Isaac's arm, and they shake the hands of others, looking like the picture perfect couple she always thought they would be. She is so lost in the view that she doesn't realize tears have gathered in her eyes until Calix grabs her face and turns it gently, wiping them away before they have a chance to fall. 

      "I know this will be hard to go through, but you are here with me tonight, do not forget that" he says, smiling gently at her. He grans her hand and squeezes it, giving her the bit of confidence, she needs to suck the tears back. 

      Calix gets out of the car to open the door for her and she finds her eyes wandering back toward Isaac and Eris on the doorstep. When he closes the door, Calix turns to stop her from going any further and crowds her against the side of the car, holding her face roughly in his hands to force her gaze on his. 

      He leans down into the crook of her neck and licks it, then bites down rather rough and sucks hard on the skin. Amira gasps and tries to pull away, but he keeps her there for a dew seconds more before backing away enough to whisper in her ear. 

      "Let this be a reminder for the night of who you are here with. I won't allow your eyes to stray away or your attention land on anyone other than me for tonight." 

      Amira feels her bottom lip tremble but her heart beat erratically in excitement, unable to mutter a word. Calix squeezes her cheeks lightly and bites her neck again in the same tender spot. 

      "I need you to nod so I know you understand me, sweetheart." Amira nods slowly. "Good girl," he says, shocking her again with a kiss on the corner of her mouth. She feels her heart lurch against her rib cage and touches the still hot and sensitive skin on her neck as he finally pulls away from her. 

      Dear God, I'm not going to survive the night, she thinks and allows this sexual demon to lead her away. Isaac notices them right away as they approach the front door, and Amira rushes to try and hide the mark on her neck with her hair, ashamed that she doesn't want Isaac to see it and get the wrong idea as she shows up to his party with another guy. 

      "Why are you two here together?" he asks them. Eris gives him a subtle glare before smiling at the two of them and holding out her hand. 

      "It's so great to see you again, Amira. I have been worried about your wellbeing since we last saw each other, but you look amazing tonight." 

      Amira tries to put on the best smile she can muster and mimics Eris by wrapping her arm around Calix's and clinging to him. 

      "I appreciate the concern, but as you can see, there is no need to worry. Calix and I are here together, I'm his plus one." 

      "What? But you were sent an invitation," Isaac butts in again. 

      Amira feigns ignorance. "Did I? I guess it was thrown out with the rest of the junk mail. Oh well, I'm here now, I hope it's everything I am expecting." She adds the last part with a snarky smirk in Isaac's direction, hoping he gets the message that she can't wait to see what else she prepared and made for his big day. 

      They push past the shocked and angered couple into the house, Amira holding her breath until they reach the party room and instantly rushes to the refreshment table to grab a glass of champagne. 

      "Aren't you a little young to be having alcohol?" Calix asks, then grabs a glass himself. 

      "I'll be 19 in 2 months, and you know very well that the legal age here is 18. We might be in the province of British Colombia, but pack rules apply in the pack house." 

      He just chuckles and watches as she downs two glasses in a few seconds before grabbing a steamed bun to eat. "I didn't realize you're a year older than Isaac. How are you in the same grade?" 

      "I was held back in the second grade, before I was diagnosed with ADD. I really struggled with repetitive or boring things, so reading was a doozey for me growing up." 

      Calix spits his drink out as he is swallowing, shocking Amira and a few people around them as champagne splashes on the ground. He sets the glass down and leans over to cough a few times as he seems to laugh. 

      "What did you just say?" he asks once he catches his breath. "It was a 'doozey'?" He continues to laugh at her. 

      Amira rolls her eyes and stops crouching over out of concern, slapping him on the back. She feels the small tug of a smile on the corner of her lips as she turns to grab another glass of champagne and realizes she is having a rather good time. 

      She continues to talk and joke with Calix over glasses of champagne, forgetting for a few minutes where she is and who she is avoiding, until a loud roar is let out over the ballroom, causing even the live music to come to a dead stop. 

      Amira and Calix look across the room as the sea of people seems to part for them to witness the raging Isaac from across, his gaze directed at them.