Bride of the Cursed Alpha - Chapter 23: Chapter 23

Auren POV
Taking a deep breath in, I felt like a startled deer surrounded by predators. All the she-wolves were sizing up Lucien as their prime target, which angered me somehow. They all bowed to us as we walked.
Lucien led me toward the podium, his grip firm on my hand as we moved through the glittering chaos of the Celestial Soirée. I couldn’t help notice the dazzling she-wolves who flaunted their dresses that were so daring they could give lingerie a run for its money.
As my heels clicked nervously on the floor, I couldn’t help but notice the countless eyes following us. When we reached the podium, I spotted Tarian standing beside a table at the center of the arrangement. Lucien turned to me. “Sit here,” he instructed, guiding me to a table right in front of the stage.
I sank into the chair, feeling like a display under the watchful eyes of the pack. When Lucien stepped up to the podium, the chatter in the room stopped, and everyone’s attention was on him.
“As Alpha of the Shadowfang Pack, it is my honor to welcome you all to the Celestial Soirée,” Lucien began, his deep voice booming across the room.
As the speech started, from the corner of my eye, I saw Sable. She was shimmering like a disco ball in her silver dress. Her eyes were locked on Lucien. Every move she made was deliberate, calculated to draw his attention. She ran her fingers lazily down her neck, tracing the edge of her deep neckline, and then slowly ran her tongue over her teeth like she was in a toothpaste ad, and then licked her lips.
Oh, the gall. My chest tightened with anger. I clung tightly to the edge of the table until my knuckles white.
Vivi’s earlier advice came in my head: “There are going to be many girls who will vie for Alpha’s attention. So if you want to keep his attention, act sexy. Don’t just sit there like a scared pup!”
The problem was I didn’t know how to act sexy. Frustrated, my mind raced on ways to look sexy. So I did what Sable was doing. I tilted my head slightly and slowly rolled my tongue against my palate, just like I’d seen her do and then traced the line of my breasts. I leaned forward, resting my elbows lightly on the table, which in turn made my neckline fall down further, revealing the outer swells of my breasts dangerously.
Lucien’s voice faltered mid-sentence and when I glanced up at him with my heart pounding, I saw his eyes were on me, and for the first time since I’d met him, I saw something raw flash across his face. His hand gripped the edge of the podium, his knuckles white.
He quickly cleared his throat, tearing his gaze away from me. “...as I was saying,” he continued, his voice sounding strained now. “This ball is special because this time the Elders have decided not to come.” There were chuckles around. “So it will be some of you who will make you play the mating games.”
My tongue started to cramp, and I could feel my neck stiffening from leaning forward for too long. Then it happened. A moan. It escaped me before I could stop it.
Lucien froze mid-sentence. His head whipped toward me so fast I thought he might pull a muscle. His jaw tightened, his dark eyes narrowing on me with an intensity that made my cheeks burn. I leaned back and crossed my leg. And now my exposed leg was further exposed.
Lucien’s jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought he might step away from the podium and come over to me. But then he blinked, breaking the spell, and turned back to the crowd. “Enjoy the soirée,” he finished abruptly, in a gruff voice. Without waiting for applause, he stepped down from the podium and headed straight toward me.
Panic set in as I watched him approach, in long, purposeful strides. Did I do anything wrong? I just did what other she-wolves were doing. Goddess, why did I act upon Vivi’s advice? Why was I so raw with my emotions? It was then I noticed that every other wolf in the hall was staring at me, and a group of young unmated wolves, standing in the corner just a few feet away, had their gazes locked on me. I gulped, feeling dirty under their sick gazes. I turned my attention to Lucien who sat down next to me.
“What are you doing?” he asked as he pulled his chair right next to mine and sat down.
“I— what… umm…” I spluttered. Before I could say anything else, he grabbed my waist and pulled me in his lap possessively. I squeaked like a mouse as my cheeks turned beetroot red. Oh. My. Goddess.
Sable, still lurking nearby, gave me a venomous glare. Lucien pulled me against his chest, pressing his hands on my stomach. Something hot and hard poked my back. It was so hot that it branded my skin. I turned my face over my shoulder as I squirmed. “Are you okay?” I asked. “Your pee-pee is hard.”
A growl rumbled from his chest. “Don’t move!” he ordered in a strained voice. So I stayed there unmoving. No one had ever done this with me ever. I was spiraling. Every nerve in my body was hyper-aware of his warmth, the way his firm muscles rippled beneath me, and the scent of him—warm and earthy, like pine trees after a rainstorm. Did he not realize how scandalous this was? Or, worse, did he realize and not care?
The music started and the soirée commenced. As the wolves mingled, the champagne bottles opened and people started to talk or dance. But I continued to sit on Lucien’s lap, tension mounting inside me. From the periphery of my vision, I saw Tarian’s lips twitching. He leaned towards us, and said, “Alpha Lucien, a group of wolves from the Purple Moon and Redwood packs are also attending the soirée. They would like to meet you and deliver their Alpha’s message.”
Lucien gritted his teeth. “Okay, give me five minutes.” Five minutes later, I think he felt better. He made me sit on my chair and said, “Don’t move. I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Yes,” I croaked. When he left with Tarian, my gaze darted around the room, catching a few jealous stares, especially from Sable. Oh, she was glaring daggers. My heart swelled with equal parts embarrassment and satisfaction. Despite how mortified I was, a tiny, rebellious part of me couldn’t deny how thrilling it felt to be claimed by him so openly.
“So you're Auren,” a deep voice came from the side. I turned my head to see the same group of young wolves who were standing in the corner, were here. “You're beautiful!” said the tallest one in a flirty voice as his eyes roamed over my body. “I’m Finn, and these are my friends, Cody, Blake and Jace.”