Feral Bonds: Claimed By Rogue Alpha Brothers

Evaline:

For a moment, I just stared at the hand he had extended toward me, unsure if I should really take it.

The golden ballroom was still lit up in sparkle and grandeur, filled with the finest people of the werewolf elite. And here I was... standing like a statue, questioning a simple invitation to dance.

I hadn’t expected him to ask me. Sure, he brought me here, held my arm when we entered, stayed close through the chaos of whispers and glares... but dancing?

My hesitation must have been obvious, because his brows lifted just a little under the elegant mask. "You don’t know how to dance?" he asked, his voice low but still audible over the music.

"No, it’s not that," I admitted quickly, tugging at my gloves. "I have learned. Years ago. But... I’m not sure I can keep up with you now." I wasn’t lying. From what I had seen of River’s public appearances, mostly through clips or mentions online, he wasn’t just graceful, he was flawless. Everything about him was precision, power, and control.

To my surprise, he smiled.

Not the smirk he used on others. Not the cold, knowing twist of his lips I had gotten used to. This was... soft. Almost tender. "Don’t worry," he said, gently taking my hand in his. "Just follow my lead, I’ll take care of the rest."

Then, in one swift movement, he leaned in - so close that his breath fanned the curve of my ear. "Trust me, Evaline."

My breath caught. My heart slammed against my ribs once, twice, before skipping altogether.

Then he was pulling me toward the center of the grand ballroom, our joined hands slicing through the sea of eyes and whispers like we were parting it on command.

I didn’t even have to look up to know people were watching. The silence that fell across the room was enough.