Ryder

Ivy grabs the sleeve of my shirt as I try to get out of the car. "What?" I bark.

"Um...maybe this is a bad idea," she chuckles nervously.

"What's a bad idea? Going to a party?" I arch my brows.

"Going as your date, I mean."

I smirk at her. "What? Chickening out already?"

Ivy rolls her eyes. "No, it's just...I don't know."

I reach out and tug at her braid. "No need to be nervous. I promise not to be too mean to you tonight. I'll even act like I'm into you," I say, surprised by my own words. I don't know why, but I feel protective over her tonight.

Maybe it's because she looks so stunning in her little red dress, or maybe it's because I don't want anyone than me to be rude to her.

"Really? Why are you being nice to me all of a sudden?" Ivy asks me.

I shrug, trying to play it cool. "I don't know, maybe I just feel like being a good date tonight."

Ivy raises an eyebrow at me, clearly not buying it. "Okay...well, I don't believe you. I think you are up to something. Maybe planning revenge on me."

I chuckle and grab her hand. "Come on. Stop stalling and let's go inside."

Ivy rolls her eyes and lets out a sigh, but she follows me as we make our way to the party. The sound of music and chatter grows louder as we approach the house. I can feel Ivy's hand trembling in mine, and I give it a gentle squeeze to reassure her.

As we step inside, we're greeted by a sea of people, most of whom I don't know.

I feel Ivy tense up beside me, and I pull her closer to me. "Relax," I whisper in her ear. "Just stick with me, and everything will be fine."

Ivy nods, and I can feel her relax a bit.

Suddenly, a familiar voice calls out my name. "Ryder, my man!"

Sirius is grinning from ear to ear and holding a red plastic cup. "Dude, you're late." He eyed Ivy next to me, who shrunk back a bit.

 I step forward, placing myself in between Ivy and Sirius. "Yeah. This is my date, Ivy."

Sirius' eyes widen a bit, and he smirks. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the infamous wolfless girl."

I can feel Ivy tensing up beside me again, and I shoot Sirius a warning glare. "Don't be a dick, Sirius."

Sirius raises his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. No need to get defensive. Welcome to the party, Ivy."

Ivy nods politely, and I can tell she's still a bit uneasy. I wrap an arm around her waist and guide her towards the drinks table. "What do you want to drink?" I ask her.

Ivy looks around the table before settling on a bottle of water. "Just water, please," she says softly.

I grab a bottle of beer for myself, and then we move away from the table, finding a quiet corner to stand in.

Ivy chugs the entire bottle in one go. Jeez, she really is terrified. "I have to go to the bathroom," she breathes.

"Then go." I shrug.

"I don't know where... never mind, I'll find it," Ivy says and walks away from me quickly.

Maybe this is a good idea to bring her here. She seems nervous around people, so she will stop bothering me after this. She might never want to hang out with me again.

But then again, is that what I really want? Having her around isn't as bad anymore.

I take a sip of my beer, lost in thought. Maybe it's the alcohol, or maybe it's the sight of Ivy looking so vulnerable, but I find myself feeling protective over her again. I need to make sure she's okay, especially in a place like this. I finish my beer and make my way through the crowd, searching for Ivy.

Someone grabs my arm, it's Cassandra. "Ryder! I was looking for you."

I try to shake her off, but she's persistent. "Not now, Cassie. I'm looking for someone."

She pouts. "who?"

"My date," I say.

Cassandra's eyes turn dark. "What date? I didn't know you were bringing someone."

"Well, now you do," I say curtly.

Cassandra narrows her eyes at me. "Who is she?"

"It's none of your business," I say, feeling irritated. "Now, excuse me." I try to move past her again, but she grabs onto my arm.

"Come on, Ryder. You don't need her. You have me," Cassandra says, her voice low and sultry.

I pull my arm away from her. "Come on, Cass. I need to find Ivy. She doesn't know anyone here."

Cassandra's expression changes from seductive to angry in an instant. "Ivy? That's who you brought as your date? Are you serious, Ryder?"

I raise an eyebrow at her. "What's wrong with Ivy?"

"She's a nobody, Ryder. You can do so much better."

I feel my blood boiling. "Don't talk about her like that. You don't even know her."

Cassandra rolls her eyes. "Whatever, Ryder. I hope you come to your senses soon."

I ignore her and push my way through the crowd, searching for Ivy. I spot her standing next to Sirius and a bunch of other people. 

My heart sinks as I see Sirius has his arm around Ivy's shoulder. Anger surges through me. What the hell is going on between them?

But Ivy doesn't look uncomfortable. In fact, she looks like she is enjoying Sirius's company. Sirius leans over and says something in her ear, making her laugh.

I take a deep breath and remind myself to stay calm. I make my way over to them, trying to ignore the jealous feeling in my chest. "Hey, guys," I say, trying to keep my voice steady.

Sirius grins at me. "Ryder! I was just getting to know your lovely date here."

Ivy smiles at me, and my heart skips a beat. "Sirius is funny," she says.

I force a smile and look at Sirius. "That's great. Mind if I steal her?"

Sirius grins. "Go ahead, man. I'll catch you later." He gives Ivy a quick hug before walking away.

Ivy turns to me, looking up at me with those beautiful brown eyes. "Hey," she says softly.

"Hey," I say back.

"Why did you chase Sirius away?" she asks.

"Why were you flirting with him?" I counter.

Ivy gasps. "I wasn't!"

"Yes, you were. You are supposed to be my date, remember?" I growl.

"Fake date," Ivy reminds me.

"Yeah, whatever. Fake or not, we are supposed to act like we are into each other. That means you don't get to flirt with other guys," I say.

"I wasn't flirting with him! You are acting like a jealous boyfriend, Ryder," Ivy says.

My cheeks warm. "I'm not. I couldn't care less, but I thought we were on a mission."

"Well., yeah. But still. I can talk to other guys if I want. Maybe I will find my real mate at this party. Wouldn't that be awesome?" Ivy's eyes are glowing with the possibility.

"Yeah, right," I say distractedly and move closer to her. "Let's go. We are dancing."

I take Ivy's hand and lead her toward the dance floor. The music is loud and the lights are flashing, but I'm focused on Ivy. I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her close. She looks up at me, her eyes meeting mine.

"You're a good dancer," she says, smiling.

"I've had some practice," I reply, trying to ignore the flutter in my chest from her compliment.

We dance for a few songs, moving together in sync. Ivy's body is pressed against mine, and I can feel the heat between us. My thoughts are jumbled as I try to figure out what I'm feeling. I know this is just a fake date, but why does it feel so real?