DeVille

Two

Fire.

That was the intensity of his gaze. They burned.

  It took a moment. A whole spent moment with just the two of us, staring at each other, not knowing why, but our eyes never fell apart.

It was like a staring contest, one that I was used to. Lewis and I always did it anytime we wanted to decide who get to do the hard part of chores. It annoyed me that I always lost.

But here right now, with this stranger, I didn't want to lose. Losing to one person was enough, so I stared right back. I matched his intense gaze with mine. I saw his brow arch, almost like he knew what I was doing, and was willing to play.

He even found it amusing.

The way one corner of his lips tilted half an inch upwards, his eyes slowly raked me, all over. Wherever his eyes fell, they burned. Metaphorically.

I could feel my eyes tear up now, my legs wanting to give up due to how long I've stood with those stupid heels on. I needed someone to relieve me of this, an excuse to not think of my loss, because I was clearly losing.

I bit my lip and was glad when in perfect timing, my mother stood, her chair screeching against the tiled floor, and she was walking to me.

It didn't matter that I was the first to look away. And it didn't matter either that I had all the eyes in the room on me. I felt open, and uncomfortable. Vulnerable.

Their stares were creepy, like they wanted something to happen. I wanted then to pluck their eyes out.

"Oh honey you look beautiful."

I did my best to respond politely with a smile. "I'll play along in whatever this is, but this dress was unnecessary."

"It suited the occasion. I'm sorry it was all a rush." She pulled my chair for me, surprisingly. I could do that myself. "Sit." I sat calmly, my eyes moving across the table with my head slightly bowed as a sight of respect, especially to my Alpha...and to the man who's gaze still hasn't left me.

Weirdly enough, they still burned. My eyes just couldn't help staring at his again, it drew me in like magnet. It made me tense.

My Alpha said something to him, all he did was shrug. I just had to arch a brow at him with a roll of my eyes.

"Alpha DeVille, this is Emily Brown..."

"Did you just roll your eyes at me?" His voice came out calmly, cutting my Alpha short in his words. I was surprised by his sudden question since I was sure there was no way he caught me do that. I was always discreet.

I lifted my eyes to his again when the whole room fell in a hush. His face wasn't amused anymore. I looked around to be sure it wasn't me, but it was. I rolled my eyes at him, but I knew how to lie. "No."

"No?"

"I did not."

"It was hard to grasp but you did."

"Apologies, Alpha DeVille." My father was fast to laugh nervously. "I'm sure it wasn't directed at you..."

"I was speaking to my mate, not you." He said lowly with a growl.

Mate?

My lips parted, confused. My father met my gaze, so did my mother's. And...

Hold on!

I've heard them call him Alpha DeVille twice now, if I'm not mistaken. Does that mean... "No."

"I asked you a question, Emily." My dazed self was brought back to the gathering after the realization dawned on me.