Everyone in the room collectively sucked in a nervous breath. You could cut the tension in the air with a knife. Matteo looked like at any given moment he was going to spring across the table and strangle me to death in front of everyone, Amias and Fran just looked like they wanted to be anywhere other than here and Isabel, she was off in her own world entirely.

The snarky nature of my words was entirely lost on her, she offered me a bright smile as she eagerly nodded at me. "Precisely, Olive!" She leaned forward the table, looking at all of us with that same mischievous smile. "Except there's a small twist."

She swept up one of the bubbling pink drinks with a flourish and held it in front of us all, "This is called La Boisson de L'Ardeur, the drink of ardor and it has magical powers."

This time it wasn't me who wasn't having it, Fran snorted. "Magical powers?"

Isabel continued to nod, "What you all just drank is no ordinary beverage, it enables a person to be their most true self. Free of inhibitions and free of dishonesty, it allows for complete candor and empowers a person to embrace their emotions and feelings as is the Ardor way."

"You drugged us?" Amias exclaimed and immediately set his drink down onto the table.

She laughed, her voice coming out like delicate little bells. "But of course!"

My eyes rested on Matteo giving him an exasperated look, I couldn't believe he was so blasé about everything Isabel was doing. He stared back at me, daring me to open my mouth and say something but I quickly dropped my gaze.

"We are our best selves when we embrace our emotions, these Ardor nights help attune oneself to our ways of life." Isabel clarified as she herself took a sip from a cup that unlike ours, was not transparent.

"I don't like you." The words fell out of my mouth before I totally recognized what was happening but I couldn't stop myself. The thoughts had been pried from my subconscious and thrown out, that must be where the Fact or Fiction came into play.

I expected Isabel to lose her composure after my candid outburst but she just kept on smiling at me with that same creepy jovial attitude. "Looks like the fun is beginning."

I heard someone cough out that I was a lightweight but in the crowd of stiffs I found myself in, it was obvious the culprit was Amias. That and the fact that he was covering his face with his hands trying to stifle his laughter, it appeared that I wasn't the only one feeling the effects of the cocktail.

"I'll start." Isabel looked around our small group, "Matt,"

Big surprise there.

"Matt, fact or fiction?" She leaned forward, holding her head in her hands. As a result of her shift, Isabel's blonde hair moved away from her shoulders and displayed her neck where she sported a fresh looking bite mark. She was mated.

For the first time in our time here in Ardor, Matteo for a split second looked slightly uncomfortable. Welcome to my world. He rolled his shoulders and leaned away from the table, moving his eyes away from the juncture of her neck and shoulder. I took this strange moment of silence to down the rest of my drink, I was going to need every drop of this to get through tonight.

"Fiction." He ran his hand across his jaw before he too took another long sip from his drink but if it was affecting him at all he was doing a good job at hiding it.

Isabel nodded once, "Since you negated opening up to a fact, you have surrendered yourself to the fictional and must take part in a task where--"

"It's a dare, I get it. Lets not over complicate things." This time it was Matteo cutting into Isabel's little monologue, his face was devoid of emotion and even Isabel's steel smile seemed to falter.

She blinked, seemingly shocked by Matteo's harshness towards her, "Well, alright, a dare it is. I dare you..."

"Take off your shirt!" Amias sat cross legged, finishing Alpha Isabel's sentence with his face bright red as he giggled over his now empty drink.

Matteo looked so strange sitting at the table playing this game, he didn't seem like he belonged anywhere near something like this. He rolled his eyes but obliged, pulling the grey shirt up and over his head from the bottom hem. Matteo was exceptionally muscled but it wasn't overly bulky which made sense considering how quick he'd been fighting Alpha Jack. Strangely enough, note the sarcasm, he seemed totally comfortable going sans shirt. Arrogant prick.

I did however, manage keep my eyes downcast after I realized that I just watched him strip off his top layer and may or may not have enjoyed it.

Enjoyed. Definitely enjoyed. What was even in this drink?

"Now it's your turn to choose someone, Matt." Isabel quietly piped from her cushion.

Matteo looked up at the ceiling as if he was contemplating his existence with a great sigh before he scanned the table. "Alright, Isabel, truth or dare?"

There was silent collective eye roll between the other three members of this party, it's really alright I'm sure Amias and Fran had as little interest as I did in really participating in this.

She leaned back into her seat obviously sensing his hostility now, "Truth."

It was the answer Matteo had clearly been hoping for as a satisfied smirk crossed over his features, "What's that on your neck?"

We all knew what it was, Matteo certainly did. This was just a move to get Isabel admit to something, something I didn't quite understand at least.

Her face burned red ad she immediately looked anywhere but at the party before her. "I--I--" She struggled to find the words, most likely out of pure terror with the way Matteo was looking at her I would be frightened to even if I was an alpha like she was. I had to keep reminding myself that Isabel was supposedly this all powerful alpha wolf, it was difficult to remember that she lead an entire pack especially around Matteo's looming persona.

I took the tense environment as a sign to pour myself another glass, I helped Amias out and refilled his as well but when I went to return the large pitcher back he caught my hand and set it between us.

Isabel laughed nervously and turned to me, "Olive, why don't you take a turn! You seem to be enjoying the drink, lets have it: fact or fiction?" She was desperately trying to take the attention off of her and distract Matteo from his ruthless pursuit but we all knew better. Matteo was going in for the kill.

"No, come on, that's no fun. You wanted us to play the game so lets play the game! Fact or fiction, Isabel? What's that mark in your neck, we all want to know?" Matteo's hands grasped at the edge of the table, his knuckles turning white while Fran and Amias shook their heads in sync disagreeing. Maybe their heads weren't shaking now that I'm thinking about it, the entire room was moving so that could be it.

She suddenly stood up from the table and in that moment she lived up to her alpha status, I felt the authority and power radiating off of her. "Enough!" She took a deep breath, relishing the silence of the room before continuing. "I found my mate last week." Isabel paused again and despite the intensity of the moment I found myself leaning into Amias' shoulder and giggling softly. I felt great, this was like a soap but in real life. "He marked me and we are happy, that's all there is to it. Now, if you'll excuse me I'm going to-"

Matteo removed his hands from the table and sat back, his expression immediately shifting from dangerous to above it all in seconds. "I wish you and your mate all the best." His tone was clipped and I leaned forward towards him trying to determine what he was really feeling by getting a closer look at his face. I was having a difficult time maintaining my balance as I teetered dangerously beside him, almost falling into his lap a few times during my investigation. Despite the obvious distraction of the intense conversation taking place, Matteo took notice of my precarious position and subtly placed an arm around my shoulders, holding me in place.

Holding me into his side.

Isabel continued to stand there in front of Matteo, it was exceptionally awkward. Her eyes darted between Matteo and I. I couldn't help myself as I offered up a smug little smile directly to Isabel. Why I was feeling so entitled based off of Matteo's attention was another issue altogether but I ignored the warning bells clanging about my head and allowed myself to be content in his arms for the moment.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" He growled out as he tossed back the rest of his drink.

Isabel rubbed her wrist nervously, trying to maintain her stature and play the part of a strong alpha in front of us but it was lost and we all knew it at this point. I leaned into Matteo's arms like he actually was my mate and not some psychopath who was seemingly in love with another mated wolf.

She opened her mouth to say something before she decided better and simply left the room without another word. I had successfully marked my territory.

We all sat there in silence, taking in the whirlwind of events that led us to this stupid little party.

"Don't hide yourself in regret, just love yourself and you're set. I'm on the right track, baby, I was born this way!" Amias was putting his entire weight on Fran as he drunkenly and rather suddenly burst into song all the while Fran was working to get Amias up and off of the ground. No doubt to get him back into the room before he really got going on Lady Gaga songs.

Amias turned to me as Fran finally lifted him off of the floor, "Olive, you are beautiful. In fact, you're the most beautiful little green olive I've ever seen, Oliveee." Amias teetered on his feet and Fran tightened her grip to steady him. "As the great Lady Gaga once said, 'When I'm on a mission, I rebuke my condition. If you're a strong female, you don't need permission'. You are the strong female, Olive!"

I smiled and blew a kiss as Amias was lead away from me, he was almost down the hall and out of sight when he turned back around once more. "Rebuke this condition, Olive! Don't let her get to you, you don't need permission!"

I'm not sure if even when I was sober I would totally understand what Amias said but I think I got the gist of it even in my current state of intoxication. I think Matteo did too because he immediately tightened his grip on me.

But somewhere beneath all of the Gaga lyrics Amias just recited, there was truth to be found. Isabel had nothing on me. Well nothing besides a wolf, Matteo's good spirits, an entire pack, good looks and a killer fashion sense but other than that....she had nothing on me. I wasn't going to let her and this twisted love fest between the two of them put a damper on me and my mood.

I turned to Matteo who was just beginning to get up, the entire time he was careful to keep an arm around me at all times even as he helped me up. His attentive eye was very much appreciated considering how at this point everything in my vision was starting to swirl.

This was my moment, my mission.

I clumsily leaned forward towards Matteo, my small hands wrapping around his muscled chest to balance myself. Up close he wasn't as intimidating, he looked real. My hand reached up on its own accord and traced the stubble on his jaw, it tickled my finger tips and gave me the encouragement I needed.

Matteo stiffened under my touch, gently removing my hand from his face just as I rushed forward to try and kiss those beautiful lips of his. Matteo had other plans as he easily dodged my clumsy attempt to kiss him. He stepped back away from me, holding both of my forearms at arms length distance from him. The look on his face was unreadable.

My digestive track had other plans too it seemed. Suddenly, I was hunched over in a fit of nausea that left me puking my guts out all over Matteo's shoes.