Casper

I watched them laughing together.

Did he not realise he was going to get himself in trouble again?

To look at them you would have thought they were close friends. The way they leaned over to one another when they spoke, and the way they laughed, like they didn't have a care in the world.

I looked at Emily Hartley. There was no doubt that she was beautiful. Especially when she let go of herself like she was now. Her whole body had come alive; her eyes were sparkling, and her smile was beaming.

I felt a stab of jealousy twist like a knife through my chest. He wasn't supposed to be talking to her. I was. He was just staff; I was going to be the next Alpha. I should be making her look like that, not him.

He turned and looked right at me. I quickly relaxed my face muscles from the scowl I was wearing and kept my face neutral. There was no way I was going to let him think he could have this effect on me. I shouldn't be jealous. He was nothing. How could I be jealous when he was so insignificant.

Yet there he was, holding my gaze. As if he were an equal.

I heard my dad laugh a few meters away from me so I quickly looked away. By the time I looked back he was once again in deep conversation with Emily.

Emily. Emily. It was certainly a pretty name. Could I see myself marrying her? There was no reason why not. She was pretty, with a good figure, good manners and lively personality. Who wouldn't want to be with her? She was ideal marriage material.

They both burst out into another round of laughter, and again I felt the knife bury itself further into my heart.

Because I was jealous.

Oh, I was so jealous.

And I needed to face the truth.

Because I wasn't jealous of him.

Oh no.

I was jealous of her.

I walked over to them. I had to stop this, and I had to stop it now.

I saw Emily whisper something to him, then look up to me smiling.

"Hello again," I said smiling at Emily.

The Valet jumped up off his seat and turned to look at me.

With only a quick glance his way I said, "I'll look after Miss Hartley for a while. Go and see if Duncan needs any help."

I turned my back on him then offered Emily my hand. "Would you care to dance?"

Emily smiled back and put her hand in mine. "Lead the way," she said.

I led her on the dance floor and spun her round to face me. As we settled into each other's arms ready to Foxtrot, I stole a quick glance round the room to see if I could see him.

He was still stood, only a few meters from where we were a moment ago, looking right at us. I quickly looked away but not before I saw the frown on his face.

Good. I wanted him to feel what I felt. I wanted him to be jealous too. Even if it was Emily that he wanted.

As we made our way around the dance floor, I kept track on him until he disappeared out of the door. No doubt to go and see Duncan, like I had asked him to do.

Only now did I feel like I should probably make some conversation with Emily.

"So how are you enjoying yourself this evening? I hope you've not had any bother off anyone?"

"No, it's been a lovely evening so far. Thankfully, I seem to be going unnoticed. And your Valet has been wonderful company."

"Oh, he's not my Valet." I said a little too quickly. I wasn't even sure why I felt the need to say that.

After a short silence she said, "Is it a problem that I have been talking to him? I have noticed that you seem to have a different sort of relationship with your staff than we do back home."

"You're our guest," I said, "you can talk to the staff in any way you like."

"That's fine for me, but what about him? I don't want him to get into trouble after I've gone?"

"Oh don't worry about that. I'll make sure he's alright." I said. I wasn't sure if I would be able to follow through with that, but I knew I was going to do everything I could to try.

"Ok, I'll trust you, and leave him in your capable hands. But he'll always have a place on my staff if he needs it."

"I assure you that won't be necessary."

I felt her pull out of my arms a little to look at my face. I smiled at her quizzical expression.

"You like him don't you?"

I felt my heart beat a little faster, but I showed no change externally.

"Why would you think that? He's just staff to me."

Emily raised her eyebrow at me. The music had stopped so we were stood still on the dancefloor now facing each other.

"He told me otherwise," she said, the corners of her mouth tugging upwards.

Was she teasing me or had he really said something to her? I decided to humour her.

"Go on then. What did he say?" I said, narrowing my eyes at her suspiciously, but also with a slight smile, to show her I was playing her game.

"You don't believe me do you?" she said, putting her hand on her chest in mock indignation.

"Oh no, I believe that boy could have said anything," I said truthfully while nodding enthusiastically.

Emily laughed. "Now that I can believe."

I gestured towards the seats again as a rather upbeat song started playing.

Emily smiled at me, then headed over and sat down. I followed and sat next to her.

"So what's his name?" Emily asked me.

I shrugged. "I don't know."

She looked rather surprised, then shook her head at me in judgement.

"Hey!" I said with a grin, "You don't know his name either, and I can tell you now, that you've spoken to him more than I have. Tonight is the first time he's worked with me."

I wasn't going to count that one incident in the kitchen.

"Ok I guess we're as bad as each other then," she said. "Maybe we should give him a name. Tell me, what type of animal do you think he'd be?"

My jaw dropped open a little. "Oh my god, he told you that?" I said.

Emily just giggled.

I shook my head in disbelief. He really did just make friends with anyone.

"I think he'd be a cub," I said.

Emily stopped giggling and looked thoughtful. "Ok, I can see that. He's certainly cute."

I rolled my eyes at her.

"I was going more for the fact he seems quite young and childlike."

"How old is he?" she asked.

"I don't know his name, what makes you think I know how old he is?" I lied. "Although he has to be 18 to work here, so he can't be younger than that."

"Old enough to find his mate then," Emily said thoughtfully.

"I guess," I replied, wondering where her train of thought was taking her.

She remained silent for a while, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.

I watched as a frown slowly made its way onto her face. Whatever she was thinking about, it clearly didn't please her.

I was just about to ask her if she was ok, when she said, "Does it ever bother you that you haven't found your mate?"

I looked at her pained expression, and suddenly realised she was in the same position as me. She was also around my age and had yet to find her mate. I had been so caught up in myself, I had never thought that she would feel the same as me.

"Every day," I replied honestly.

She turned to look at me in surprise. "Really?" she said, "I wasn't expecting that!"

My eyebrows furrowed together. "Why not. We're in the same position, so why wouldn't I feel like you?"

"But that's my point. I don't feel like you. I never really felt an urge to find my mate. I've never liked the whole idea of 'mates'. I just wanted to fall in love, without the aid of some magic forcing the issue."

"Oh right," I said, not really knowing what else to say.

"Do you think that makes me odd?" she said, looking directly into my eyes.

I could tell that my answer mattered to her.

"I guess it does make you......different, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I can't say I've ever met anyone who didn't want to find their mate before. But I can see your logic."

She smiled at me, but there was a definite sadness behind it.

"It doesn't matter now anyway. It turns out that I was never going to have any say in who I married. If it wasn't some magical force telling me, then it was always going to be my father's choice."

"I'm sorry" I said. "I wish I could say that wasn't the case, but I know exactly how you feel."

I looked around at everyone enjoying themselves, laughing and dancing, and I suddenly felt a pang of sadness. But then I looked across at the person sitting next to me, and for once I didn't feel alone. I realised that I wasn't the only one going through this afterall.

Taking a breath and fiddling with my hands I said, "do you ever feel that you have no control over your life, and that you're just mindlessly moving along a path that has already been set out for you?"

Emily chuckled lightly. "I do sometimes. But then I just remind myself that I am still young. And there will be a time when I will have more say over my life."

I admired her positive thinking, but it didn't make me feel any better.

"And on a good day.....a really good day," she added, "I actually believe that."

I smiled at her honesty and she smiled back. 

 Maybe things wouldn't turn out so bad afterall.