Little Ruby Red

Caleb The ten-second countdown had begun. “Ten . . . nine . . . eight . . . seven . . . six . . . five. . . four . . . three. . . two. . . one. Happy birthday, Caleb!” my guests chanted in unison. The ballroom was filled with celebratory cheers. Then, moments later, the mini-orchestra resumed playing. My mother had been planning this occasion since the day I was born. I wasn’t keen on parties. It was an excuse for people to freeload and snoop around our house. When I became Alpha, I intended to ban any such functions. “Caleb, do you see her? Have you felt drawn to anyone yet?” Aaron asked. Aaron, my comical best friend, was standing around trying to look all sophisticated with his champagne glass like James Bond, dressed in his black Tux, white shirt, and bow tie. He glanced over his shoulder at a group of giggling girls. He was such a flirt, running a hand through his dark-blond hair, his blue eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief. I rolled my eyes. “No, not yet,” I replied, managing a strained smile. Aaron clapped me on the back. “Don’t worry, man, she’ll be here. I mean, your mate has to be someone from town, right?” he attempted to reassure me, despite the lingering doubt evident in his voice. I gulped down the champagne that they had given me to toast with. The sweet effervescent liquid fizzed on my tongue, but at that moment, I just needed something to take the edge off. My nerves were getting the better of me, despite all the training to stay calm. This was the most important day of my life. Everyone was waiting to see who the next Luna would be. All eyes were on me, waiting for my reaction. I saw my mother from across the crowded hall. Her hand raised, signaling for me to stay put. She swayed across the crowded dance floor in her glittering black ball gown; the music and laughter swallowed the determined clacking of her designer heels. It was only as she approached me that I saw she’d brought company. “Caleb, you remember Rachel Miller, don’t you?” she introduced, in a superficial tone. Rachel shied away, but it was all part of her performance. I remembered her from school. The words ‘shy’ and ‘Rachel’ didn’t belong in the same sentence. Mom may have fallen for her girl-next-door act, but I hadn’t. Rachel peered up at me, holding her bottom lip between her teeth. She was much shorter than me. I stood at six-foot-five inches in my socks. Alphas were taller than everyone else in the pack. The moment I hit puberty, my body changed, and now I'm as large as my father. “Yeah . . . hi, Rachel,” I responded out of politeness. “Hey, Caleb, maybe you could save a dance for me later?” she suggested in a seductive tone. “Um, yeah sure, why not?” I returned a polite, but disinterested reply. Rachel giggled, toying with the blue diamond pendant that hung around her neck in an attempt to draw my eyes towards her cleavage. She was good . . . I’d give her that. Weaker men would’ve fallen for that trick because that’s all it was. It was a tactic she used to draw me in like a fish, in the hope I would take the bait and bite. If she was my mate, I would have succumbed to her flattery. My woman will be here any moment. Then Mom could stop playing matchmaker. I grabbed a fresh glass of champagne from a passing server and chugged the contents in three long gulps. “Caleb!” Mom hissed through her gritted teeth, embarrassed by my actions. “If you don’t mind, I’m expecting someone,” I excused, leaving them both stunned as I weaved my way through the crowd, dumping the empty flute into a nearby plant pot. I was used to getting all my own way, having no consequences for my appalling behaviour. People knew never to question an alpha male, especially an adolescent one. Yes, I was spoiled, arrogant, and expected people to jump at my command …it was just in my nature. It never occurred to me to appreciate my fortunate lifestyle. It was all that I knew. The guests parted like the red sea as I passed by, giving me a wide berth. A prodigious crystal chandelier glittered above me, casting particles of sparkling light onto everything it touched. The delicious scent from the canapés drifted past my nose, causing my stomach to growl. I had been too anxious to eat today, and that impacted my mood.  “Sir, would you care for some caviar?” a server offered, holding out a golden tray. Silver was harmful to werewolves; it wasn’t a myth. I waved my hand in dismissal, not wanting bad fishy breath to spoil my first kiss. “No, thank you,” I declined, then made my way to the exit, pushing through the ornate doors and out into the entrance hall. What if my mate had witnessed Rachel flirting with me, and left the party early? My mother should have known better, but that was her problem. She didn’t think. Rachel didn’t care about me. She only cared about my status. I’m not stupid. Plenty of girls had propositioned me just because I was next in line to become Alpha. The attention was flattering. But contrary to what the pack thought about me being a conceited and privileged prick, I was saving myself for ‘the one’. I had spent the entire day with knots twisting around my stomach. This was the night that I would find my mate. My head snapped towards the door each time it opened, only for disappointment to stab my heart. I took a seat, slumping down at the bottom of the stairwell with my elbows resting against my thighs. It was useless … she should be here by now. Burying my face in my hands, I exhaled a weary sigh. As another hour flew by, it dashed all my hopes. It wasn’t happening. I had waited all this time for nothing. Aaron approached, stopping to lean against the banister rail. “Anything?” he inquired again, wincing with sympathy. I shook my head with annoyance, losing count of how many times someone had asked me that tonight. “You never know. She may arrive fashionably late like Cinderella,” he said, attempting to cheer me up with his light-hearted humor. I groaned, scrubbing a hand over my face. I loved him like a brother. We had more or less grown up together, but sometimes, he could utter the weirdest crap. “Well, at least she bothered to show up,” I retorted with sarcasm. “Oh yeah, my bad,” he replied cringing, having taken the time to think about it. “I better find Angie. I said I would get her a drink. Will you be all right?” he asked, reaching out to place a hand on my shoulder. I nodded. “Yeah, go.” I jerked my head towards the ballroom, noticing the pace of the music had quickened. Guests rushed off to grab their dancing partners. Then the sound of jubilant laughter, clapping and cheering, filtered into the hall. The floor vibrated with the thrum of thundering footsteps. Everyone clapped in time with the melody, all taking part in an age-long traditional dance. The tempo matched my pounding heartbeat. I needed to get out of here. As the hall emptied all around me, I hung back until I was sure that I could slip away unnoticed. I struggled to maintain the façade I’d been putting up, not mustering the willpower to smile. My throat swelled, making my voice sound strangled. Alphas weren’t supposed to show weakness. It would be a huge dent in my pride that I would never live down. So, I waited until nobody was around before slipping out through the front door and into the night.