RISEN: THE LYCAN PRINCESS

Chapter 12 - Party

Asteria D´Angelo

Zoe picked me up and parked near the house where the party was hosted. The blasting music and people walking around were clear indicators that we were in the correct location.

It was about average to have a party like this organized by the school warriors. They were the handsome, popular, manwhore of campus. Their parties were popular and usually highly attended, and this was no exception.

Zoe laced her arm with mine, and with a steady step, we made our way to the house. Zoe opened the door, and she scanned the cramped place. Where a living room was supposed to be, there was a space with a DJ serving as entertainment, and the empty area was the dance floor. Around the kitchen was a bar set up, with all sorts of drinks, legal and illegal, to make sure, as werewolves, we had high tolerance for human liquor; thus, those were the legal drinks, but we were not old enough to be able to drink the werewolf stuff.

In the back was a pool; people were jumping into it, fully clothed or just in their underwear.

“Zoe! Tery!” Fin walked towards us holding one of the strong drinks.

“Fin!” Zoe perked up, and I sighed. She was a walking neon sign trying to get the attention of a blind man... It was that sad.

“So, Zoe... are you ready to have some fun?” he said, handing her a closed drink, and she nodded eagerly. “You know, as Maddox´s causing you should be off-limits, unless you are the one making the move...” Fin taunted, and she perked up.

“Well, then, this might be your lucky night.” She said, and I almost wished to vanish into thin air, before being a bystander of that accident waiting to happen.

“I’m getting some water...” I said to Zoe, and she dismissively nodded at me, clearly not hearing what I was saying. I could have told her that I was about to run around the area naked, and she would have ignored me the same.

I made my way through the crowd of people and headed to the kitchen. I opened a cooler filled with human beer, another with soft drinks, another with weredrinks, and another just the same... I huffed... “What can I do to get a f*****g bottle of water around here?” I muttered, and then in a far-away corner, I spotted another cooler. Finally, water!

I took a bottle of water and sipped, making sure the cap was unopened. I sighed and smiled at everybody´s antics—the typical high school party on full flare.

“What is the most beautiful girl doing in the corner?” A husky voice said beside me, and I looked to the side to see Maddox raking his eyes over me, almost eye-f*****g me.

“I believe Tiffany is the most beautiful, and she is dancing with Hudson...” I pointed out the head cheerleader. The picture-perfect Barbie doll, who had legs for days, perky breasts, and a face of a doll... I was just an average girl with some good looks, but I never felt above average, or at least, never above Tiffany.

“You know I am talking about you, Asteria...” he said, and I smiled.

“Maddox... you are too kind then,” I said, and he nodded.

“So about that dance...” he said, and I chuckled.

“I barely walked in here...” I smiled sweetly, trying to be as patient as possible. Zoe had insisted that Maddox liked me, and I wasn’t so sure if he wanted me for who I was, or for how I looked, or because I was a D´Angelo princess...

“Fair enough...” he said, removing himself from the wall he was leaning and offering me his arm. “Let´s take a walk around... maybe can I offer you something with a bit more flavor?” he said, and I took a deep breath.

“How about a Coke?” I asked, sweetly smiling. Maddox was not a bad guy; he was Zoe´s cousin. I should feel safe around him, but the way he insisted and blurred the boundaries of personal space from time to time made me feel a bit uncomfortable.

He walked back holding an opened can o Coke... Damn it... I didn´t see him retire it or open it... I took a deep breath and took it in my hand... “Cheers,” he said, lifting his beer, while I placed the Coke on my lips and pretended to drink. I had a general rule at these types of parties... Never leave your drink unattended, never take an open drink, and in doubt, never play dumb.

Before he could ask me to drink some more... I heard a change of tune and jumped up... “I love this song!” I yelled and rushed to the dance floor. I thought I would be leaving him behind, but slowly, like a predator, he chased after me, and by the middle of the song, I felt his big hands around my waist, pulling me into him. I gasped, “Maddox!” I placed my hand over my chest and stepped away from him. “You scared me!” I giggled, following my rule number three: in doubt, pay dumb.

“You promised me a dance...” he said in a husky voice, and I nodded, smiling at him.

“Yeah, but in all fairness... I was not expecting you to grab me like that...” I said sweetly. I knew how to handle myself around pushy guys, and the only thing preventing me from slapping Maddox´s annoying smirk is that he is Zoe´s cousin.

The music changed to a ballad, and he extended his hand towards me. I slowly took it, and he pulled me into his arms. It was almost impossible to see where my body ended and his body began, how tightly he held me to him. “You smell divine...” he said, burying his nose on my neck, making me feel too uncomfortable to finish the song.

“And you are drunk...” I said, pushing him away as I tried to regain control over the situation.

“Not drunk enough to not know what I am doing...” he said lowering his hand from my waist to my ass, making me yelp and take a step back.

“Maddox...” I protested, and he chuckled.

“It was worth the try,” he said, and I shook my head.

“You asked me for a dance, and I agreed... I hope you don´t take further liberties...” I said, and allowed him to pull me back into his arms to finish the piece. Damn this royal education... i it was not for that, I would have let the f*****g dance floor the moment he pulled me incredibly close to him.

The song ended, and I smiled, “Thanks, that was interesting...” I said, and he squinted his eyes. “I need some air,” I said, and he nodded.

I knew he was not fully drunk, but right on the tipsy side. I made my way to the balcony and sighed. I looked at the people jumping into the pool. Some people are playing around with the water, while others are having a steamy make-out session.

I could only imagine what the results would be if we lab-tested that water. Yuck, I'd take a hard pass on that one.

I was deep in thought when I saw someone standing beside me. It was Maddox, again. One would believe that he would have gotten the picture by now, but he was persistent—I give him that. “Can I ask you a question?” he said, his words slurring more than before.

I silently nodded, waiting for him ask his question, “Why don´t you like me?” he said, his voice rough, a bit hurt and more pissed.

“It is not that I don´t like you. I do like you, Maddox... but I don´t like you the way you wished me to like you...” I said. I liked him; he was fun, handsome, and sometimes a goofball. I wanted him as a friend, nothing more.

“Right, so are you putting me in the friend zone?” he asked, laughing dryly at me.

“Sort of?” I hesitated, and he took a deep breath.

“Alright, let´s take a walk... friend,” he said, and I rolled my eyes. I walked down the stairs towards the open patio, where wet people ran around.

“So... There is no way you will change your mind?” He asked, and I took a deep breath.

“I am not looking for a relationship, at least not now, maybe in the future,” I said, and he nodded.

Suddenly the air shited and when we walked beside a fence, he turned around and pinned me between the wall and his body. “You drive me crazy...” he said, and I shivered in fear. Then I felt it, a tiny prick on my arm, and I looked at the place.

“Now, let the real fun begin...” he said, and I started to feel dizzy...

Fuck No.... the f*****g prick just drugged me... bastard.