LHiiiii, so I changed the title cover!! I'd love to see some art of what you picture my characters to look like, and I'll post you art and give you a shoutout as well (: start sending me some art dammit!!

Short chapter right now, my apologies! But with many votes and comments I may double update! :D

Walking downstairs, I'm left reeling from kissing Dalton. Everything seems okay between us...for now. 

I quickly set out to find Natalie, and for once I can't seem to find her anywhere. I spot Kaz and Gavin, talking to one another, sipping their glasses of champagne. Dalton opted to say upstairs, so I ventured down.

Walking over to them, they spot me and Gavin gives me a friendly smile.

"So, you're going to Blue River?" Kaz asks, her voice just as monotone as ever.

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

"Dalton told us," Gavin shrugged. "He's leaving Mr. Quinne in charge, and I'm going to go with you guys."

I scoff and playfully roll my eyes. "Great, you're coming along," I groan. 

"Oh come on babe, I know you'd be devastated without me," He grins and gives me a wink, but I only laugh.

"I'm going to be sick," Kaz says, eyes darting around the room out of boredom.

"What will you do?" I ask her. Her silvery hair is so sleek against the lights, and she's in a silver dress that is plain and silk.

"I'm staying here to make sure the Quinne's don't let things get out of hand. Shouldn't be too hard."

The rest of the night is spent making small talk, and eventually Nat appears out of nowhere.

"Where have you been?" I ask her, turning from Gavin who is occupied with some red head. She looks uncomfortable.

"I'll tell you later, but I got a call from Blue River pack."

At the mention of my old pack, my heart picks up its pace. "Are they okay?"

Natalie looks around us once more. "We'll talk later. Anyways," She forces herself into conversation with Kaz.

I'm starting to get bored with this stupid party. I excuse myself from the small group of familiar people, and head to the back door, taking me outside.

There's a few people on the back porch, but not too many. I sigh, and take a seat in the far corner where no one can disturb me. Looking out at the vast backyard, I start to think about my parents. Going back to Blue River is going to allow all those memories to come pouring in.

I find myself missing my parents. I wish my mom was here to help me with everything between me and Dalton. I'm still so unsure of how to move forward with him, and I know if she were here, she could give me some advice. We'd laugh about boys being stupid and annoying, and my dad would make a gruff comment about me not needing a man in my life. If he only could see me now, in this new life of mine. If only they were here. My heart sinks, as I look up at the sky to see two stars, shining next to one another.

They were such great people. It wasn't fair what happened to them. If only fate had chosen them to relive their lives over and over again. 

"Hello." A slithery voice takes me out of my pity party. I look up to see that same man, the Alpha of the Diamond Back pack.

"Alpha Leon," I say silently, feeling my skin crawl. As I look up, I realize that now it's just the two of us out here, just out of view from the back door.

"Carter, right?" He asks, pulling a chair next to me. I instinctually lean to the opposite side of my chair.

"Yes."

"I just wanted to commend you for the way you held yourself upstairs."

His comment, though nice, seems superficial as he scans me up and down like I'm a menu and he's at an all you can eat buffet.

"Thank you."

"Being Dalton's . . . cousin, must be difficult," he says, emphasizing the word 'cousin'. I look at him, and he's grinning. He reminds me of a snake, the way his eyes pierce through you.

"I manage."

"So I see. I wanted to wish you luck on your trip. I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again."

"Okay..." I'm not sure why exactly we're both even having this exchange. 

"Best regards to Dalton as well." 

With that strange encounter, Leon gets up and leaves. "Oh, and, please, refrain from speaking to my servers. They're mine, and not to be dealt with in any other way."

I ball my fists, glaring at his back.

"Oh, your enslaved pack mates that are kids?" I stand up, and he turns around with that same slimy smile.

"They love their jobs, it is how they honor the pack."

Who is this guy?!

"Love, is to their jobs, as you, is to appealing," I retort with a slight growl. 

He chuckles. "I adore your spark, Carter Blake. But you won't want to make an enemy of me." And with that he walks away. 

Yeah, well, too late pal. I already don't agree with the way he goes about treating the kids in his pack with disabilities, and I don't think I could ever get around to liking him.

As he walks inside the house, I feel like I can finally breathe.

"Carter."

Or not.

Dalton walks over to me, glancing behind him.

"What did he say to you?"

I groan, and rub my temples. "Only bullshit." A microscopic smile appears on Dalton's face.

"It's time to go."

I nod, and get up. He gives me his hand to help, which I don't need, but the gesture is unnaturally sweet and I can't pass it up.

He's about to take us inside, or so I think, but instead we go around the porch to the side of the house where it's dark.

"What are you-"

"This dress," He says, his body holding mine against the rough dry exterior of the house. Time slows, and my heart is starting to race against my chest so hard that I'm almost sure he can hear it.

I study him, taking in his messy, yet contained hair, this tux...he really is beautiful.

"Is driving me crazy," He finishes, his voice husky and shallow. 

His eyes greedily look me up and down, and I feel that strange thrumming down below. 

"I just want.." He struggles to speak, his eyes landing on my breasts, which this dress helps accentuate. 

My skin feels like it's on fire at our close contact, and I want nothing more than for him to feel me, every inch of me. And I want to feel him.

My hands wrap around his neck, pulling him to my lips. He's shocked at first, but doesn't reject me as I know he would have done once before. Instead, he turns up the heat that is between us, trailing kisses down my cheek and to my exposed neck, sucking and biting. He nears my sensitive spot, forcing me to suck in a sharp breath.

His mouth continues to assault me, surely leaving marks. I don't mind, in fact, I want him to leave marks all over me.  His mouth finds mine again, and suddenly his hands on palming my breasts through my shirt.

I let out a moan as he purposefully massages my nipples. 

"Dalton," I mutter, though it's strained and I don't know if he can hear me. Suddenly his hand trails down my sides, and to the slit of my dress. This feels so wild, so intimate. Sure, we're outside of a house full of at least sixty people, but something about that is what makes this feel so intense. 

"Do you want me to?" he whispers in my ear, and I can barely breathe. I nod. "Say it." His demanding voice only manages to turn me to mush.

"Yes," I breathe, closing my eyes. His fingers travel to my thong, hooking them with his finger and, as I think he's about to pull them off, he rips them off me with ease. While I'd usually be mad at the ruins of my underwear, these ones are an exception, and I'm only massively turned on.

Finally, he touches my core, and my body goes rigid under his touch. 

"You're already so wet," He says, rubbing me with one hand, and bringing his other to my cheek to pull me closer to kiss him. I gasp, feeling his excitement against me.  I rarely hear him speak like this, and while it's so new and foreign to me to see this new side of Dalton, I only want more. I want more of him, more of this, more of these moments, more of this trust.

His words are so dirty, but I only want to hear more. 

As he delves two fingers into me, I shriek, and clamp my hand over my mouth so no one can hear me.

"Fuck, Carter, you're tight," He mumbles against my lips, pumping his fingers in and out of me.

"I-I'm," I can't even think straight, everything is blurring together as he goes deeper, harder, faster and faster. He pulls his head from me, staring at me as my legs tense and my grip on his forearms tighten. After a couple seconds, I go stiff, and a wave of something new overcomes my senses, and nothing makes sense. I'm breathing hard, my head is light, and my body is weak. Dalton leans in to kiss me, which I return although I feel I could fall over at any second.

"Let's go." He says, wrapping an arm around me.

"W-what?" I'm so out of it, I can even process what just happened. 

"We can't stay here. It would be odd for someone to find me fucking you against the house."

I gasp at this brave side of Dalton who speaks more freely, and in that kind of language. He was so guarded not so long ago. Yet, I'm loving this bold, more intense Dalton. 

With that, Dalton stuffs my underwear into his pocket, and guides us through the house where we gather our people, and leave for the house to pack. I remain speechless, still shellshocked at what just happened with us outside. In the limo, Dalton is on the phone with someone, and I'm not sure how to act. 

But when he looks at me from the side, his eyes still dark, and his tongue darting out to pet his lips, I look away with a smile.