Chapter Fifty-Four Hers

I sat down on the small bench in the courtyard, directly through the large French doors that lead to the ballroom. I was overheated, and the cool early winter air felt nice on my skin. The large sitting area hosted a few small groups and a handful of couples relaxing in the dim light. A handful of contained fire barrels warmed guests as they cuddled on exterior loungers. I looked up at that dark sky, loving the almost full moon. The light from it bathed the area in an enchanting glow. It would still be a day or two before the moon was at its fullest, but the brightness was soothing. I wetted my dry lips and realized I needed a drink of water. Finn surprised me by producing a water bottle from his suit jacket and stood beside me with a small, calming smile.

"Thanks." I croaked.

"I figured you would need that after all the dancing you have done."

It felt so lovely to be off my feet for a few minutes, and I contemplated taking my heels off but thought it wouldn't be proper. Taking a huge gulp of the cold water, I asked, "Does Ollie always get pulled in 50 ba-gillion directions like that? He has been gone for over an hour."

"Yeah, Alpha used to come to all these events. He hardly had a night off. Now, he never goes because it wears him down so much."

"It must be tough for you guys to guard him like this. So I'm sure he did it to give you guys a break too."

Finn chuckled, "Nah, my brother is not that nice. He sends one of us in his stead. Mainly Neal or Hugo, but I've been to my fair share of these events."

I smiled at him, "You have more fun without Ollie here though?"

He thought briefly, then nodded, "I actually get to party a bit. So I guess."

I looked around for Aurora but hadn't seen her in a while. As if reading my mind, Finn says, "Rory left about 30 minutes ago with Hugo. She was tired."

Suddenly, a high-pitched voice called my name, "Miss Hudson?!? Is that you?"

I turned to see Bernie standing there on the balcony with a sly, smug look on her face. I instantly stiffened, and Finn stood at attention next to me, his eyes narrowing on Bernie. "Bernadette. How good to see you."

"I'm surprised to see you here, darling; your mother never said you were coming." her eyes narrowed down her nose at me. I felt panic overwhelm me.

"She doesn't know I'm here. I didn't realize she knew Andrew and his new fiance." I managed to squeak out. Finn's eyes cut to mine, and there was an apprehensive look in them. He knows Bernie, and something about how his body tightens tells me we are unsafe. I quickly stood on wobbly legs. So many questions ran through my mind: is Bernie a wolf, then? If she is here, is my mother here? What does that mean if Mother is here? How can I escape before I see her? If they are both here, does that mean HE is here too?

The drinks and food from earlier threatened to come back up, and I felt so dizzy. I needed to find Ollie right now.

"Oh! I'm sure she will be thrilled to see you here!" Bernie said in a slithery way. Well, that answered one of my millions of questions.

"Oh? Is mother here? I should go find her then." I managed to make my voice sound pleasant even though I was freaking out inside. I took a few wobbly steps back toward the open doors with Finn directly behind me. His hand went to the small of my back, and I wished it was Ollie next to me now, as Finn's touch provided no comfort besides knowing I was protected. The smell of cheap cigarettes and tacky cologne filled my nostrils right before I almost ran into a solid mass. Finn instantly grabbed my arm and shoved me behind him so that he bumped into the person and I into Finn's shoulder.

"Whoa there. Didn't mean to bump into you." Chad's snake-like voice sent chills down my spine. I internally screamed Ollie's name, and my shoulder began to itch to the point of pain. Finn's grip tightened on my arm, and his body pushed me so that I was out of reach of Chad or his mother. I closed my eyes and focused on breathing. I could already feel the tingling in my fingertips from hyperventilating. A panic attack helped no one in this situation, so I fought it as hard as I could.

"No harm done, Your Grace." Finn deadpanned, and I felt more fear at his complete seriousness. I'd never seen him so serious, and had he said your grace? I refused to look toward Chad and continued staring at the pitch-black courtyard. "If you would excuse us, we were heading in."

Bernie stepped into my sight with her eyebrows raised high in evil excitement. "How silly, my son and I are old family friends. I'm sure Gloria would be so happy if we escorted her daughter to her."

I felt Finn jerk to the side, letting go of my arm at the same time that Chad yanked my bicep, so I now stood flush with him in the bright doorway. I shoved his chest hard and managed to step back out of his reach. Finn pushed Bernie's hands down and tried to move between Chad and me, but Bernie grabbed his arm and yanked him back with unnatural strength. I caught a glimpse of something reflective before I was whipped back around by Chad. His eyes narrowed on my now visible collarbone with murderous intent. He gripped my shoulder painfully and hissed, "Who the fuck did that to my property."

Anger burned through any other emotions, and I stomped my sharp heel straight into his foot. Chad let go of my shoulder, sucking on his teeth with a painful sound. Finn pushed Bernie away enough to be next to me. Chad's eyes flashed with fury when he stood straight, reaching for me. I gripped my pendant just as Ollie had shown me and readied myself. A calming aura passed over me as Ollie stepped in between Chad and me. His hand grasped Chad's, and Ollie's throat bobbed before he turned to assess me. I dropped my pendant and gripped the fabric of his jacket like it was a lifeline. Finn made an odd noise but remained a solid wall between Bernie and me.

Ollie's eyes flicked to Chad, who was leaning slightly from Ollie's painful grip, "Ah, we meet again. I know you are old friends of my Luna's family, but I believe you must still show her the respect she deserves."

Chad scowled at Ollie until Bernie gasped from behind Finn, "Your majesty!"

Bernie bowed slightly, and Ollie let go of Chad's arm. He acknowledged the woman with an icy demeanor. "A pleasure as always, Bernadette. I recently heard you were back in the country. I didn't know that this was your son."

By the tone of his voice, Ollie knew precisely who and what Chad was. A dark feeling wrapped its claws around my throat. It tasted a lot like betrayal and fear.

Chad scoffed, averting his eyes, "Yes, I came home to claim something that was promised to me."

I flinched when Chad's furious gaze moved to me. Ollie's body trembled with anger under my touch, so I took hold of his hand. Chad narrowed his eyes at our joined hands, his jaw ticking, "But I should have come home sooner because my property seems to have been stolen."

Ollie growled, and in a voice filled with power, he commanded, "She was never yours to claim."

The people around me all shivered and lowered their eyes. Chad's face twitched in signs of pain, but he stared Ollie straight in the eyes. In that same commanding voice, Ollie pushed me behind him and said, "I will take my Luna now. You will remain here."

Chad's head bowed, and he whimpered in pain. The others around us also bowed lower, and I could see Bernie trembling. I didn't understand what was happening. Ollie tugged me with him into the ballroom, across the dance floor, down a hallway, up a flight of stairs, and shoved me into a room. It was a sitting room with many couches and chairs to sit and chat around in grand luxury. I turned to face Ollie, preparing for my punishment, but his hands gripped both sides of my face. "Are you hurt? Did he do anything to you? Fucking Finn! I knew I should have left Neal with you."

I put my hand over his mouth, "Hey, Finn defended and protected me. If it wasn't two-on-one and both pushed him away from me, we would have been fine."

"It's his job to protect you! The fact that scumbag laid his hand on you is Finn's failure!" Ollie yelled. I flinch away from him, feeling like I pushed him too far. Would this finally be his breaking point? I braced myself for whatever impact was to happen. Ollie swore under his breath before pacing away from me. I didn't realize how much I needed that space. I took a shaky inhale. I know Ollie wouldn't hurt me. There is no reason to doubt him. I release a stronger exhale before focusing on him.

"You know Bernie?" Ollie stops pacing and stares at me with a realization of what I said. He nods slowly, studying me to see what I would do next. The guarded expression on his face reminded me of when he told me about his father. It was pissing me off. "Did you know who Chad was when he attacked me?"

"No."

"No?" I raise my eyebrow at him, "But you knew he was a shifter?"

"Yes. Bernadette and her son are werewolves. They used to be loyal to my father." Ollie was so calm, and still, I could feel my conviction slipping.

"Did you know my Mother was one?" I barely whisper.

Ollie takes a few breaths, then shakes his head once, "No. The hospital was the first time I met her. I didn't know."

Ollie's anger radiated off of him, and I found myself getting turned on. I needed to trust him in order for us to move forward. I stepped into him, knowing I trusted this man with my life. I moved my fingers across his lips, and he gently pulled my pointer finger between his teeth. A very possessive look exploded across his face, and I replaced my finger with my lips.