Chapter 22

Ella awkwardly ran back to her room and shut the door, leaning against it for a second. She hadn’t been on a fancy date in so long that she didn’t even know if she had a dress fit for the occasion. Mumbling to herself, she walked over to her closet and opened it, seeing all the drab clothes she wore repeatedly.

She pushed hangers aside, looking for anything she could wear to match Adam’s elegant dress. Then, in the back, she noticed an aqua-blue dress hanging. She certainly had never seen this dress before. Ella pulled it out.

The dress was just her size. It was a beautiful sleeveless gown. She put it on and did up the zipper. It hugged all her curves in all the right places as if it was tailored just for her. Ella stood in front of the mirror, taking in her reflection, completely breathless. She knew what this dress needed. It was her favorite heels. She had only worn them a handful of times, but loved how they looked. On top of that, she could actually wear them for hours without wanting to tear them off her feet.

Ella slipped the silver shoes on, buckling the strap around her ankle, and looked at herself in the mirror again. She had to admit she looked incredibly hot. But something was wrong. Her brows furrowed as she tried to figure it out. Then, a strand of her hair tickled her shoulder, and she realized it was completely unkempt.

Ella sighed, knowing she wouldn’t have time to do much to it. So instead, she grabbed her brush and got all the knots out before pulling it up into a ponytail. She then twisted the hair around into a bun, pinning it in place with a gemstone-studded bobby pin. She added a pair of diamond stud earrings and dabbed on a bit of makeup.

Ella did a twirl in front of the mirror to double check she was ready. She strutted out of her room back toward Adam. He stood up from the couch. This time, he was speechless. Ella did a twirl for him, giggling.

“Wow, Ella. You look...” Adam gulped and took in a breath. “You look absolutely stunning.”

He shook his head, ridding it of the fog, and offered her his elbow. Ella looked up at him, still slightly hesitant.

“Come on. I won’t bite… yet” Adam said with a wink.

Ella laughed at the joke and linked her hand in the crook of his elbow. Adam led her out the door, closing it behind them. He moved to lead her to his car, but she stopped, turning back. “I should let my dad know.”

“Don’t worry, he already does,” Adam assured her.

She then turned to the window, seeing her dad shooing her away.

“Have a great time, sweetheart!” he called through the glass.

Ella smiled and turned back toward Adam, who led her to his Camaro. He opened the passenger door for her and closed it once glided into the seat. He moved his way around to the driver’s side and got in, immediately starting the car.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

Adam turned to her with a mysterious glint in his eye. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

He grinned and shifted the car into reverse, backing out of the driveway. He drove off, saying nothing more. Ella stared at him, looking for any hint of where they would be going, but when he gave nothing away, she turned her attention to the window. She watched as the scenery sped past, leading her out of the compound and into town, taking streets she had never been down before.

They stopped before a grand building with beautiful columns and an ornate French door entrance. Adam turned the car off and moved swiftly to Ella’s door, opening it and offering her his hand. She grabbed it and stepped out into the beautiful night air.

“Where are we?” she asked, looking around.

“You’ll see,” Adam replied with a playful smile.

He led her up the steps to the doors and ushered her inside. They entered a lavish entryway where a ticket taker stood in uniform.

“Tickets, sir?” she asked.

Adam pulled out two elaborate tickets from the inner pocket of his suit jacket and handed them to her.

“Thank you, sir. Enjoy the festivities,” the attendant said with a smile.

Adam led Ella down the red-carpeted hallway to a grand set of doors where another two attendants in uniform stood to pull open so they could enter. Ella stepped through the doorway into the ballroom, her mouth opening in awe. She turned her head, taking in the sight of it all. Music played and people danced on the floor already.

Adam’s face was alight with a giant grin as he led Ella to the dancefloor. He placed his hand around her waist as she moved hers to his shoulder. He elegantly led her gliding across the dancefloor, not missing a step.

The movement and music made everything else disappear. Ella thought of nothing else than Adam - not of her children sleeping at home, nor Cassius, whom she had hung up on. It was just her and Adam dancing together as one. Ella felt as if she was dancing on clouds. It was all so magical.

***

The hours passed, and they felt like minutes; when the clock chimed ten, Ella wondered where the time had gone. The ball was winding down and the last dance was a slow one. Lights dimmed romantically as a serenade started. Adam stared deeply into Ella’s eyes. She could see so many emotions portrayed within them. His gaze was mesmerizing, and Ella found she couldn’t look away.

Her heart skipped a beat as the song ended and Adam dipped her. She flushed as Adam brought her back up. With the song over, the crowd clapped politely.

“That was amazing,” Ella gasped.

Adam grinned. “I’m not even done yet.”

The mischievous twinkle in his eye was back, and he led Ella back outside. Instead of taking her to his car, he walked her down the sidewalk toward a lush, green park.

“Where are you taking me now?” she asked.

“Tsk, tsk. You should know by now you’re just going to have to wait.”

Adam let out a chuckle. It was so effortless and easy - a sound Ella hadn’t heard in a long time. It awoke the bond between them, the one that had been scratching at the back of her head. Ella sighed as she leaned into Adam while they walked. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her head.

“I missed you,” he said after they crossed the street.

“I know that you’re seeing Cassius, but I want you to know that I’m going to fight for you. The way I should have fought five years ago. He’s not the one for you, and I am going to show you that.”

As he finished, Ella noticed they had arrived at a lake. She hadn’t even realized that they had left the park behind. In the water was a beautifully decorated rowboat. Adam helped Ella step into the boat and then he sat opposite her, taking the oars.

He easily rowed them out onto the lake. Ella gasped as a swarm of fireflies fluttered out from the grass, lighting up the sky. It was beautiful. And it seemed almost as if he had orchestrated the whole thing, even though she knew that was impossible.

When they were in the middle of the lake, Adam stopped rowing. The moonlight filtered through some clouds in the sky, gently lighting the lake. A loose strand of hair fell from Ella’s bun, and Adam swiped it out of her face. Leaning closer, he moved his hand to her chin, persuading her lips closer to his.

They met in a passionate kiss. Time seemed to slow as the two of them breathed each other in. In that moment, it felt so right, and Ella allowed herself to be pulled in further to deepen the kiss. The fire between them elicited a moan from Ella’s lips.

“I missed you too,” she whispered, leaning her forehead on his.

Her hands found the hem of his shirt and slipped under it, feeling his hard abs. She felt him tense as her fingers brushed over the nearly healed scars. Ella leaned in closer, wanting their bodies closer. Her touch drew a moan from Adam. His hands moved around her curves, pulling her right onto his lap.

Adam grasped the zipper on the back of Ella’s dress and slowly zipped it down. She eagerly shrugged off the straps, letting the dress pool onto Adam’s legs. She started to unbutton his shirt as they continued making out. He let his suit jacket fall to the space behind him, with his shirt quickly following. Adam leaned over and nibbled on Ella’s ear before moving down to kiss her neck.

“I thought you said you wouldn’t bite,” Ella said softly with a small laugh.

“I do remember saying ‘yet,’” Adam purred, then silenced her with a kiss to her lips. “You just thought I was joking.”

Adam grinned before shifting his arms to unhook Ella’s bra. Suddenly, the boat started to tip. The two of them lost their balance and splashed into the lake. The chill of the water snapped them right out of their passionate moment. Ella shrieked before plunging under the water. She swore she could see someone swimming away quickly, but with the darkness, she couldn’t be sure.

Ella resurfaced, sputtering. The chill of the night air quickly caused her to shiver, her teeth chattering uncontrollably. Her dress sank to the bottom of the lake as she tread water. Her eyes widened as she realized she was no longer clothed.

“I-I–” She tried to form a sentence but couldn’t.

She swam toward the far shore, shifting into her wolf. She shook her wet fur, trying her best to dry off.

“Wait!” Adam called after her.

But she was already gone.