Two Steps Forward...

As they came in they went down a dark hallway with blue lighting. The music was loud, and the base extreme. They came out into an area where there were a lot of people dancing. There were also a good number sitting in what looked like a beach seating area with tiki torches and a bar area. Ariel knew how very 'happening' the place was known to be.

Ariel was glued to Malachi's side as they moved through the crowd. The way that she saw people dancing, how close they were and the way that the slid against each other… it terrified and intrigued her at the same time. How could they be so comfortable moving like that together? It looked intimate to her and that was something she'd never done, nor been.

She noticed a few giving glances their way. Mostly women who were looking at Malachi, but he didn't seem to notice nor care that they were there. She just moved with him toward a set of stairs and she just wanted to get up them. She really hoped that where ever they were going was far quieter.

"Hey beautiful." Ariel was nearly winded when a strong arm came around her midsection bringing her to a very sudden halt. The smell of booze was very strong from this person.

"Please let go of me." She said to the very drunk man that had grabbed her. He didn't seem able to see straight. He had his arms half around her waist.

"You're sexy, I like you."

"She's also taken." Malachi called over the music, grabbing Ariel who had been shoving at the man to let go of her. The man stumbled back at the push Malachi gave his shoulder. The man jumped up looking pissed and went to come and follow them. However they were up the stairs now and the guards at the bottom stopped the drunk irate man.

"Thanks." She said smoothing her shirt. He flashed her a bit of a smile.

"See, you're not as homely as you think."

"That man was also extremely drunk." She commented with a huff. Her face had a tint to it. He just shook his head at her refusal to see herself as anything but homely. They came into a hall and it was quieter up here. He knocked on a door with a black handle and a second later it opened.

"Ten minutes, right on cue. That's what I love about you, always punctual." Cameron said with a smile. Malachi moved into the room.

"Ariel! My favorite recluse!" Cameron said pulling her into a very tight hug. Ariel felt like the air was squeezed out of her, damn he was strong. Stronger than he looked.

"Hey muscles, human strength retard." Malachi playfully smacked the back of his head.

"Oh yeah." He said letting go of Ariel and shutting the door. Ariel pulled air into her lungs thankful to Malachi's jest. It must have been obvious he was crushing her.

"So this is Ariel, I don't think we've properly met." Said an attractive woman with dark red hair and eyes just a shade darker than Ariel's vibrant green.

"Just in passing." Ariel said holding out her hand. "Ariel Standish."

"Sally Harford." She said with a smile and then pulled Ariel into a brief hug as well with a smile. "You are different from your sister, quieter." Sally said with a smile.

"Less pompous you mean." Cameron supplied and it was obvious that he had had a few drinks.

"Hey, that's her sister and my future wife." Malachi said saying it out of duty and nothing else. Cameron waved him off with a jerk of his hand.

"Doesn't stop what is true. Talk, talk, talk. Dinner yesterday I wanted to cram a roll down her throat to shut her up." Sally stifled a laugh. Malachi looked like he was struggling not to smile and laugh as well.

"It's okay. I would have thanked you." Ariel informed. Cameron laughed out loud and slapped Ariel's shoulder and she winced and mouthed and an ow. Geez he was strong.

"So what is it, that you need me to come over here so quickly?"

"Great news!" Cameron said. It was Sally who jumped up and held out her hand. There was a beautiful ring on it with a diamond surrounded by smaller blue stones.

"Congrats. About fucking time." Malachi said hugging Sally who had a smile plastered to her face and Cameron was smiling as well. Ariel congratulated them and avoided another crushing hug by the exuberant Cameron. He needed to pull back on the drinks. He must work out a lot.

"I know, I told him that if he didn't decide soon then I was off to find someone more serious." Cameron rolled his eyes.

"I just wanted her to shut up with the hints." He said kissing Sally soundly.

"Well it's been what five years now?" Sally gave a nod.

"Where's Lee, and your sister Deirdre?" Malachi asked. Lee was a cousin of Cameron's who he got along with well. Younger than them by six years, but a good guy. He too could become a wolf, but it was a bit harder for him.

He didn't know how to control himself all that well, but they were working on it. Sally knew about Cameron's and his 'condition' if you would. Malachi was extremely jealous of that. Cameron had found someone like Sally. That being weird was okay with her. Natasha would never be okay with that.

"Lee was here just before you got here, but he couldn't stay. Deirdre was with us all afternoon. This one tried to call you earlier but then lost his phone because he can't see straight." Cameron plopped down on the couch.

The room had a center table that was low and surrounded by black furniture. A mini bar off to the side along with a stereo that was in here. However they weren't playing it at the moment. Sally sat down next to him. Malachi took a seat on the couch opposite them and Ariel was already sitting in a reclining chair.

"So when's the date?"

"Well we'd hate to clash with your huge extravaganza of a wedding, so next year in October." Malachi rolled his eyes.

"I don't really care about the wedding, if it were up to me small and quiet. I don't need all these people I don't know staring at me while I take vows with someone that I've been arranged to marry for years." It was clear that Malachi didn't care to pretend with those that were present. Ariel sighed. He clearly wasn't worried she was going to say something to her. Which she wasn't, Natasha wouldn't believe it anyways.

Ariel tended to forget how arranged this was. Natasha talked about it so differently than he did. She hadn't really heard him talk about it, but she could see him wanting something small. He wasn't a person that made a big fuss about things. She herself wouldn't mind a small intimate wedding. If she ever got married, or got the nerve to go out.

Her sister, was so excited about a huge grand wedding. All the guests that were supposed to show up for it. She made it sound like they were both really excited about this wedding. Here it sounded like Malachi could care less. It seemed that he didn't care for her sister as much as her sister seemed to think. Ariel felt a smug satisfaction at that. See not everyone thought the sun rose and set with Natasha.

"So why the big deal then?"

"Because Natasha wants it, and I figured it's just one day that I have to suffer through." Malachi said getting up and looking through the mini bar.

"Well we'll be having a smaller one. And we aren't going to be Lord or Lady over anything, just security."

"Yeah, and you better have your act together. I swear if I have to start looking that shit over too, my head might explode." Cameron saluted him.

"Yes my Lord Vento." Ariel and Sally both gave a laugh at his deep tone and serious expression. Malachi pointed at him.

"Don't make me come over there and kick your ass just to prove a point."

"Yes my alpha, that better?" Malachi gave him a sideways glance. "Look I'm all set and ready, been helping my old man with everything and seeing to it myself these days." Malachi sat down and tossed a bottle to Ariel who didn't have anything to drink.

"Don't worry, no alcohol in it. Just soda." She raised her bottle of cola to him and opened it to take a drink.

"I'm shocked, you look like such a lush." Cameron said with fake surprise. "All that bubbliness I thought it had to be from an over abundance of booze." Sally punched him in the arm.

"Be nice." She said because she thought he was being a bit to rude. Get a bit of alcohol in him and suddenly he was brutally honest. Worse than Malachi was sober, though Sally thought Malachi was a rather funny drunk.

"It's okay." Ariel said as the others moved to drink their own glasses. "Depressive temperaments and alcohol don't mix. You might have to pull me off the edge of a building or something." Ariel joked nonchalantly while taking a drink of her soda. Cameron nearly spit his drink out and looked at her.

"What?!" He said thinking she was serious and Malachi gave a laugh.

"She's kidding." Cameron put a hand to his chest. Ariel looked a little embarrassed. She didn't realize he would take her seriously, now he'd probably think she really was suicidal.

"Phew." He said. "I left my cape at home. I don't want to dive off the buildings. I didn't realize you could jest." He said with a smile sitting back and putting an arm around Sally.

They sat there for quite a bit of time just talking really and Ariel was glad to be with this group. They were nice, and honest. They listened if she had something to add and asked her opinion as well. Sally was great, and Ariel wished for a friend like her. The music was playing in here now as Cameron had decided to turn it on.

"We should go down and dance." He said, pulling Sally up and twirling her around a bit and then to him to move with her in a slow fashion.

"If you go down, I'll just stay up here or something." Ariel said suddenly worried that they would make her go down there. They were all very strong willed people who she normally ended up caving into.

"Why can't you dance?" Sally asked and Cameron let go of Sally.

"No, well…" Ariel said thinking that maybe she should say that she couldn't dance because that would maybe be a better excuse. One that didn't feel as shameful as the fact that she couldn't stand being around others because she was insecure.

"Dancing isn't hard. Get your ass up." Cameron said and she gave him a bit of a shocked look. He pulled her up out of the chair. She felt a flush to her as he proceeded to dance with her.

"See you can dance." He said to her as she moved with him, she spun away from him.

"I never said that I couldn't dance." She said haughtily before she could stop herself. "I'm just not a people person, as much as that might shock you." Sally laughed.

"Who said you have to dance with a bunch of different people? I'll dance with you, no need to worry about it. Plus I won't have to hear how I was cheating on my fiancé or something. You look just like her, they'll think Natasha dyed her hair." Malachi told her. She needed to get out of her box. He'd like to see Ariel being a free spirit for once.

"With my luck she would show up." Ariel said in a grumbling tone. "I don't want to be slapped. And that's a bit weird dancing with you, you're my sister's soon to be husband."

"Hear that Malachi. Weird, you're weird to someone." Cameron said with a laugh.

"She's just to uncomfortable with others to get close to them. She's the one that feels weird." Malachi said tossing the empty bottle he held into the bin by the mini bar. Cameron had moved back over to Sally and had his arms around her from behind his head resting on her shoulder.

"How can you be uncomfortable?" Sally said. "You could have your pick of any man down there."

"Maybe I'm just a private person." She said defensively.

"You might enjoy yourself, you never know." Malachi told her.

"Yeah, being grabbed by drunk men. Awesome." She said with a swing of her arm and her fist. The others gave a laugh at that, and she felt a bit lighter as well. Malachi made a motion with his hand for her to come over by him. She just gave him a raised eyebrow.

"You just need practice. Always cooped up in the house. You just have to do it and then it'll get easier."

"Right." She said skeptically. Malachi rolled his eyes and moved forward as Sally spoke.

"It might be fun, not like either of them would let some asshole drag you off." Malachi took hold of her by her hips and pulled her forward to him. She stiffened a bit and flushed at how close she was now to him. Close enough that she could smell him, kind of like cider oddly enough. He seemed much more sedate now that he had a couple drinks.

"Relax, I'm not going to attack you." He said exasperated with her, and she glanced up at him. One hand on his arm.

"See, grabbed by drunk people." He smiled and so did they.

"You just have this air about you that says drunk people please apply." Malachi teased taking her hand and spinning her around before pulling her back. Just a light friendly dancing, nothing more. He didn't think she could handle more. Though he nearly thought to do it. Just to see her response, bet her could make her face really flush red. She was cute, and he liked her for her modesty.

There was a sudden loud rapping on the door. Ariel along with Sally jumped. It was Malachi who moved to answer the door. Cameron was right behind him. Neither had a smile on their face, they weren't sure who this was knocking on their door. It was a private room. Malachi stood and let out a breath, a reminder that they never could be to careful.

"I'll get it. Hate for you to be shot or something." Cameron said moving around Malachi before he could protest and cracked the door open. Ariel tended to forget that those she was with were important figures. You had to be a bit more vigilant. Seeing as no one in the room had invited anyone up here they were suspicious.