The Werewolf Order (Erotica)

His voice, slightly hopeful, only hurts her more, “You could stay here… with me. I know of an old cabin hidden deep within the woods-no one else knows it. It isn’t as much as you deserve but I promise I will acquire the best furnishings possible and I will fix it up until it is worthy of you.”

Her heart breaks at the prospect of a man willing to give up everything for her. She feels a horrible remorse that he loves her so but she does not him. He searches her face for a glimmer of hope. The song ends and they stop dancing. Her hand drifts from his shoulder to his cheek as she speaks quietly, “I do not deserve you, Warden Eric. Thank you for the wonderful dance.” Mora turns and leaves him alone on the dance floor.

Returning to Rick, she is surprised to find Rebecca swooning over him. He pays the woman no attention as he was watching Mora and Eric. When he doesn’t appear to be upset at her, she gets the feeling that he knew exactly what they were saying. As the familiar chords of the Hunter’s Waltz hits her ears, she politely curtseys to Rick, hearing Rebecca’s annoying voice begging him, “Please, Master Rickan? Just one dance, you haven’t even been out there all night.”

“I’m sorry, Rebecca, but Mora has promised me the last dance,” he replies coolly, offering his hand to Mora as she rises. Placing her fingers in his, she can see the anger on Rebecca’s face only for a moment before Rick leads her away.

He leaves her on one side of the dance floor with the other women, while he crosses it to join the men. As the waltz begins, the men bow to the women before half turn to the right and the other half turn to the left. With their hands behind their backs, they weave in and out, the whole line shifting. A few courageous men attempt to skip past two so that they will end up with a different partner once the women are in place; when Daniel grins and does it to Rick, Rick repeats the action so that he will end up with Mora. The men stop when the line has completely turned; all of the women curtsey before repeating the same movement. Mora isn’t surprised when Rebecca, still hot over Rick declining her a dance, tries to skip past her and another woman so that she will end up with him.

When she briefly glances at Rick, the worried look on his face makes her smile. Quickly, Mora steps out of line, letting the girl behind her pass while she spins gracefully, stepping back in to take her place in front of Rick. When she gets a few inquisitive looks at her unconventional ways, she can’t help but laugh-her and Amyee invented the move a few years back during the Festival. Since Franklin relied on Mora to keep him out of the clutches of one particularly annoying but infatuated girl, she has perfected the skip, which allows her back into the line wherever she needs to be.

Rick, relieved, moves forward with the other men; they bow to their partners, with hands extended. Mora places her hand into his-he grasps it tighter than any but a lover would. When the men draw their partners towards them, keeping the acceptable distance between their bodies, Rick pulls her so close she is pressed against his chest. As they begin to sway back and forth, following the rest of the group around the floor in a circle, her heart quickens. A devious smile crosses his lips. She can’t help but wonder if he holds her so close to make Rebecca jealous-then she realizes that she doesn’t care. Feeling his muscles ripple against her, she uses Rebecca as an excuse to move her hand from the side of his bicep, across his shoulders to the back of his neck, where she gently wraps her palm around it, in a too familiar sort of way. His smile softens into the look that Eric gives her but instead of feeling guilty, she feels her pulse race, her body tingle.

Distracted, being absorbed in his blue eyes, she is caught off guard when he spins her for the first time. Feeling her body respond without direction, she flutters gracefully back into his tight grip. She can see several of the women weren’t quick enough to return to their partners, making their pair now sway to the offbeat. Knowing from past experience that it will cause a problem later, she smiles, understanding Rick’s earlier comment.

“I’d say you dance more than ‘occasionally,'” his voice, secretive and tender.

She smiles, blushing at her feelings for him, “For someone who hides in a tavern every night, you aren’t so bad yourself.”

He spins her again; the couples that were on the offbeat stumble, a few dropping out in embarrassment along with some who weren’t able to catch the rhythm. Only half of the dancers remain-including Rebecca, who, though she can’t keep time, stays in the dance so she can glare at Mora. Upon returning to Rick, he slides his hand from her hip to her lower back. Her body yearns for him, her knees threatening to buckle under weakness. She tries to keep her face calm, letting her head rock back and forth with the music.

Circling the dance floor, the music quickens. The Hunter’s Waltz always continues until only one couple is left standing, the tempo speeding up to make it more difficult. Mora can’t help but get a wicked grin when Rebecca trips and falls flat on her ass. When her partner helps her up, her face as pink as her dress and they leave only Mora and Rick.

They take their last turn around the empty dance floor as the music comes to an end. On the last chord, Rick spins Mora once more, catching her before he dips her backwards. When he tilts her so far back that she is only supported by him, she gives him a worried look-Franklin has dropped her before-but he grins and winks at her, holding her tight. Flustered, she laughs lightly to cover up her doubt of him. As he draws her back up to her feet, the remaining dancers clap. She curtseys gracefully to her partner. When he bows to her he gets a hold of her hand, bringing it up to his lips. He watches her blush, lingering in his kiss before he stands.Exclusive © material by Nô(/v)elDrama.Org.

Instead of letting go of her hand, he hooks it on to his bicep and leads her out of the dance hall like a lady, nodding and smiling towards the compliments of the other men. The other women, say nothing, only glare at Mora, jealous of her grace and her partner.

Outside on the boardwalk, Daniel catches up to them as they head back to the tavern. He shakes his head, chuckling, “Hell, is there anything you Dervens aren’t good at?”

Mora ponders a moment, still flustered from the dance with Rick. With her hand clenched tightly on his bicep, he doesn’t seem to notice or mind her firm grip, “Giving up?” She offers as an answer to Daniel, not thinking of anything else.

Both men laugh deeply. Daniel bids them good morning when they reach the tavern door. Instead of going through the front, Rick leads her down the narrow alley way on the side and through the back entrance into the storeroom. Taking her hand tightly in his, he guides her through the crates and into the pitch black tavern.