Chapter 6 A Stange Man
Zora
Other guests noticed this and all started walking towards me as well. What were they doing?
I could see Lori paled and Casey was noticeably angry.
The guests were all asking me by my name, I had to politely tell them to go to Alpha Casey.
"But he doesn't know about things that only Luna knows. Where's the caviar we were promised?"
"Then please ask whoever he brought with him. I'm here to enjoy my night."
The guests were all looking at Casey and Lori now. Casey's eyes were fixed on me. I didn't know whether he was mad about my dress or my reply.
Casey couldn't bear their intense looks, he grabbed my wrist a pulled me aside. He did it so quickly that I didn't even have time to push him away.
"Can you help her?" He asked in a hushed tone as if he was afraid that someone might hear him.
"Why should I? According to you, I shouldn't even be here tonight, so what would you do if I'm not here?"
I didn't stay to hear what he had to say next, first, he wouldn't let me go to this ball, but now he wanted me to act like a Luna again. Had Lori do it!
I don't care, I'm just here to enjoy myself. For the past five years, I had never had the chance to enjoy a Ball like this, as the Luna, it was almost a duty for me to tend to everyone's needs. I was either practicing my battle skill or performing my Luna duty, I rarely had time for myself, and I hadn't danced since our wedding day.
A tide of rage surged through me, I pushed him away and ignored his growling behind me. This was a ball after all. I thought I could enjoy some dancing. So I walked over to the dance floor, and admire the people slow dancing there.
"Hello." I noticed someone approaching me from behind, I spun around to look at him.He was tall and slender, most of all, I had never seen him before.
Because I had been the Luna of the strongest Pack in this region, I knew a lot of faces, but I had never seen his.
He caught me looking at him, I quickly averted my gaze.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare, I just noticed that I have never seen you before."
"It's my fault, I haven't introduced myself, my name is Hardy, and I'm from the Oceania."
"The Oceania? What are you doing here in the America?"
"I'm here for business, but since I have never been to a Harvest Moon Ball in the east before, so I thought I should check it out."
"Oh... Where's my manner, I'm Zora, from the Magic Fang Pack."
"I know, I heard them call you Luna Zora."
"It's complicated." I didn't want to explain the whole situation to a strange man I just met.
After that, we fell into awkward silence.
Just then I saw Casey and Lori entered the dance floor. They were now dancing? First he took her to the Ball without me, now he was dancing with her in front of everyone, what was he going to do next?
I watched as they danced along the music, they looked so perfect together, like a match made in heaven.
I couldn't tear my eyes from the dance floor, I could feel Hardy's gaze fell on me, but I couldn't care less.
"Do you want to dance? With your Alpha?" He suddenly asked.
"He... He's busy." That was all I could manage.
"Then do you want to dance with me? If you feel like it." His question surprised me.
I turned around to look at him, hoping to see that he was joking. But when I looked at him, his face was full of seriousness.
I had never danced with someone who wasn't Casey. Yet this strange man from the Oceania, made me feel that I could dance with him. I looked up to find Casey looking at me warningly. How dare he? He was dancing with another woman! How could he look at me like this?
Hardy extended his hand to me, I nodded to Hardy's invitation.
"Let's go then."
Without a word, I took his hand, while I stared straight into Casey's eyes, I could sense he was fuming, I could practically see the steam coming out of his ears.
Because in our many years of relationship, never had I ever been so close with another man. He was so possessive of me, he didn't allow me to wear dresses, and he didn't want me to wear make-up, and he forbade me from going any near another man, that was why I only make friends with other Luna.
Tonight I was about to disobey him for the third time.
I smiled at Hardy and we headed to the dance floor, I didn't look at Casey again.
He could dance with his Lori if he wants.
We entered the dance floor as the music started, and he put his hand on my lower back, and his other hand held mine, I was not used to dancing, so I stepped on him a few times.
"Sorry, I'm not used to doing this."
"It's okay, just follow my moves."
He spoke so gently, he almost reminded me of Casey before everything went down. He said the same thing to me during our wedding, he led me to dance when I stepped on his feet, and he didn't mind.
"It was like holding the whole world in my arms." He later commented.
We used to be so good together. Now...
As we moved through the dance floor, we came near Casey and Lori.
"Stop this right now, go back, you are not allowed to dance with another man!" Casey warned me in a low and angry tone.
I looked back at Hardy, I was sure he heard it too, but he didn't seem afraid or bothered, he was looking at me with something in his eyes that I couldn't name.
"You are so beautiful." He praised. My face flushed all of a sudden, I had never gotten such a direct compliment from men. All the men in the Pack feared Casey's jealous streak, they wouldn't even go near me if not for Pack duties.
Even for Casey, he rarely complimented on me, when I asked him about this, he said I was beautiful enough that he didn't need to tell me every day. But what woman could resist being told beautifully every day?
"Thank you, I haven't heard this in a long time." I quickly come to my senses and thanked him.
"Not even from Alpha Casey?"
I shook my head.
"And other men?"
I laughed, "They wouldn't dare to."
"Jealous much?" He quirked his brow.
"Well then, the men around you are all blind."
"So you are not blind?" I asked.
But he was not from around me... Now came to think about it, what was he doing here if he was from the Oceania?
Casey and Lori moved to the middle of the dance floor without us noticing, he was dancing right behind me.
"You have been dancing with my wife, the Luna of the Magic Fang Pack," Casey said sternly.
"I saw Lady Zora sitting alone, and I see that you were busy dancing with his lady," He looked at Lori who was moving along with Casey, "So I invited Lady Zora for a dance."
He didn't even call me Luna Zora. But since Casey treated me like this, I guessed I wouldn't be Luna for long now.
Casey looked furious, I guessed even if he had Lori now, he still viewed me as his possession, no one could touch what was his.
"It's Luna Zora to you, and I don't like other men touching what's mine."
"Am I? Am I yours?" I almost laughed at his words.
Casey didn't expect me to defy him publicly and in front of another man. He looked so shocked.
"Couldn't I just enjoy a dance with this gentleman? You did so much more with Lori."I was referring to last night, and he knew it.
As the music developed, we spun, Casey unexpectedly pushed Lori out to Hardy, and he grabbed me. Hardy had no choice but to catch Lori with his hands, he was not like Casey, he was not about to see Lori fall.
"What are you doing?! Let me go!" I was taken by surprise, I almost lost my footing.
"Lori is my fated mate! Stop this right now! Let's talk about this when we get home." He leaned in and whispered to me, I could feel his hot breath on my neck, I shuddered. His grip on my wrist tightened.
I stopped the dance and took a step back to moved away from him.
"And who knows if he is my fated as well?" I said as I pointed at Hard, also enraged.
It was suddenly eeriely quiet but then a resounding slap as Casey struck me violently across my face, in front of everyone. He didn't hit hard, maybe?
I didn't feel the burn when his hand clashed with my face. But the sound of the impact echoed throughout the room, it drew everyone's attention. I thought I would cry, but instead, I slapped him back without any words.
I did it differently, my slap was much heavier.
The whole crowd gasped and looked around uneasily at each other, except Casey, he glared at me like a bull at a red rag.