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“You promise?”
“Promise.”
* * *
With Kate’s words hanging between us, I stepped closer to her and did whatever I could to ignore the crowd gathering at my back. I’d never liked having someone behind me, but having dozens of bodies in one area pushed my discomfort to a whole new level. Not only could I smell their cologne, deodorant, and full cans of hair spray, I could feel their excitement buzzing under my feet as well.
Having Kate with me helped. Holding her hand grounded me in the here and now. Until the band walked on stage, that is.
As soon as they did, the mass of people erupted around us. Bright colors flashed outside my peripheral vision and it took me a moment to realize it was the stage lights instead of some random shift my wolf had decided to put me through.
Breathing around my anxiety, I closed my eyes and focused on Kate. On her hand, her soft skin, and the way she moved back and forth. It was almost as though she were rocking, only side to side while standing up.
Following her rhythm, I leaned my head on her shoulder and breathed in her scent.
It’s hard to say what came over me after that, but as soon as the band started to play, my wolf burst to life. Maybe it was because of all the sounds and energy around us. Maybe it was because of the way Kate looked at me whenever she thought I wasn’t watching.
Whatever the reason, when Kate bobbed her head to the music, I did the same. When she cheered, I did as well, all while looking at her.
Studying her.
Admiring her.
If happiness were a person, Kate would’ve been it. From her bright smile and red cheeks to the way her ponytail bounced whenever she moved, every step, sway, and swirl was her. Just her.
And I couldn’t get enough of it. Not of her smile, her confidence, or how beautiful she looked under the multicolored lights.
When she’d first invited me out, I didn’t think I’d last more than ten minutes before going home. But even as someone bumped into me, I brushed them off, mumbled a quick apology, then went right back to moving with Kate. It wasn’t dancing so much as swaying back and forth, but it got the point across.
“There you go,” Kate said with a hint of amusement in her voice. “You’ve got it. Now, bang your head.”
“Bang it?”
“Like this.” Kate moved her head up and down, ruining her hair as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other.
“I don’t know.” It didn’t look very comfortable.
“That’s okay,” she said, breathless. “Dancing isn’t for everyone.”
“Isn’t that what we’re doing?” I asked over whatever the band was playing several feet away.
“Almost. But if you want to dance, we have to go like this.” With that, Kate faced me, then sank in my arms, keeping to the same swaying motion as before. “It isn’t very slow,” she admitted as she tried to keep up with the tempo without falling out of my embrace, “but we can make it work.”
My cheeks burned as I imagined everyone watching us–a human and a wolf–dancing in the middle of the crowd. However, when I finally scanned our surroundings, the only one watching was me.
Surprised by this and more than a little relieved, I relaxed enough to follow Kate’s example.
“If you told me I’d be dancing tonight, I would’ve thought you were crazy,” I said as I leaned in close to her ear.
“But now?”
“I’m glad I came. It isn’t nearly as bad as I thought.” Even if my wolf insisted on growling at other people from time to time. “I don’t do well in social settings.” Or around those outside my pack, for that matter.
“You psyched yourself out,” Kate said as she stepped out of my arms. “It happens to the best of us.”
