42 The Engagement Party 1

Cole was standing right behind them. He coughed and then with his hands on his hips, said, "Dawn you should be here by 11PM, okay?"

Dawn shook her head. He was acting like her father. "Yeah!" she said.

Along with Azura, she went to the car.

Dawn looked so attractive that Azura had a difficult time driving. Every now and then, he would glance at her. "Are you comfortable?" he had asked her for the tenth time.

"I am fine Azura," she replied, slight irritation laced her voice. She looked outside the window and she spotted her golf course. She straightened up in her seat with a glint in her eyes. It brought back so many memories. It was here that her life had plunged for the worst. She sulked.

For the rest of the journey, Azura hummed a soft tune. The black Honda sedan stopped in front of Hotel Mellow half an hour later. Azura jumped out and before Dawn could step out, he had opened the door for her. "Thanks," she said with a smile.

As soon as they were in the lobby of the hotel, Azura wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. Dawn hesitated and he could feel her getting rigid beneath his touch. "Don't worry," he whispered, "It's all just a show." In reality, he wanted to show her off.

Feeling uneasy at the options she had, she nodded slightly.

They entered the main hall where the party was being held. The twin doors that opened into the main hall were made from heavily crafted oak with golden handles. The room was beautifully decorated. The floor was covered with red carpet, which made sure that every step subdued. Several chandeliers had brightened the room with their rainbow colors. Silk sofas that had exquisite embroidery were on the side for the guests to sit. Paintings from various artists hung on the wooden walls. Dawn gaped at the splendid sight. She felt she had returned to the place she had belonged to after so many years.

As they walked, she looked around the people who were present. Her nostrils were filled with the smells of werewolves. She flinched and clenched her fist to her chest. Staring incredulously at the people around her, she asked Azura in a very low voice, "Are there werewolves here?"

Azura gave a soft chuckle. "Yes, they all are pureblooded werewolves. Only the two of us are Neotides – the bitten ones. Purebloods do not like the bitten. They tend to hunt us every now and then."

All at once she became aware of all the people staring at her and Azura. Her body trembled. "If that is the case, why have they called you?"

Azura tightened his hold over her waist. "They have called me for political reasons. Don't worry. They won't do a thing to us since we have been invited by Gayle Silver who is Daryn's father. No one will dare to touch us." He looked straight and walked to the place where Daryn and Maya were standing. "We will simply congratulate the couple and leave as soon as possible."

"Okay," she said, quivering on the inside. The intense glares of many were falling on her. As she walked further, the same smell that she had encountered in the airport hit her senses. She stiffened. Was he here?

"What happened? Azura asked as she stopped for a moment.

"Nothing," she rasped and gulped.

They came to stop behind a group of people who had surrounded the couple.

That smell was so strong by now that Dawn's heart began to race fast like a bullet train. When the crowd cleared, she saw him standing there. He was glaring at her, his black eyes glinting with interest and lust and crazy attraction. Dawn's jaw tightened as she inspected him silently. He was the same man she saw at the airport. Was he the groom? Her gaze traveled to the woman standing beside him, in a shimmering golden gown. She looked gaudy and was too talkative.

Wearing a black suit that draped over his broad shoulders, he must have been over six feet tall. His aura was like she had seen the last time – of lethal elegance that wasn't something you would ignore. And the blunt beauty of his looks – it made Dawn's heart beat with so much fear and unreasonable attraction that her mind became dizzy.

As for Daryn, he knew that she was there the moment she had stepped in the hall. He was talking to people but after he smelled her presence, he had stopped speaking abruptly. Maya was amused and frustrated by his behavior but she didn't say anything. She noticed his bizarre conduct from the past few days. In order to mitigate the awkwardness, she talked to all on his behalf as well when they came to congratulate the couple on their engagement ceremony.

When Dawn came there along with Azura who had his hand around her waist, Daryn gave him an intense, fevered stare. His posture became stiff. His fingers retracted turning claw-like and his face became red. A vein throbbed on his forehead. His eyes travelled to her and he sensed fear. Good, he thought. He hated her. But the attraction he was feeling for her? That was just an insult. It was some crazy natural connection that he didn't want and at the same time didn't have the control over. He hated himself for wanting her so badly. He hurt inside. There was heaviness in his chest that expanded to his stomach. All he wanted was to hold her, pin her and do everything he could to his mate. Mate? Where did that come from? His gaze riveted to her lips.

Seeing him watching her so intensely, Azura narrowed his eyes. He loathed the man in front of him and he could see him making love to Dawn with his eyes. "Congratulations on your engagement Daryn," he said loudly for him to snap out of it.

Daryn's reverie broke. Immediately he felt this greeting was so wrong. "Thanks," he replied with a growl that was more of a disapproval. Once again his eyes went to the place where Azura had held Dawn. He wanted to chop that hand off. He wanted to clean Dawn of that filthy touch.

Azura growled back.

Maya held Daryn's hand to stop him. "Hello Azura," she said with tight expressions.

"Hello," he replied, as he gained control over his emotions.

The corner of his lips tugged. "This is my date for the evening, Dawn Wyatt."

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