“Come on, Isabelle!” Bethi said.  She was shaking it to some party rock.  I went to join her.

I danced.  I drank.  I danced some more.  Time slipped away as I let loose.

And I started to smile more than not.  A warm glow filled my belly.  I wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or the emotions of those around me.  All I knew was that I felt happy.  There wasn’t a smidge of negativity around me, not even from Bethi.

I grinned and made my way toward Carlos and the drinks.  Carlos studied my progress across the floor.  He was probably trying to judge just how far gone I was.  Not too far.  I felt like I was still walking fine, until I almost tripped.

I leaned against the bar beside Carlos.

“Done drinking?” he asked, looking down at me.

“Nah.  Just wanted to relax and check out the view.”

Charlene laughed and danced with Thomas and Jim.  Jim kept the shots lined up on the bar and his mom’s wineglass full.  None of the werewolves seemed even the least bit tipsy.  Bethi definitely was.  She was surprisingly good at tricking Luke.  Michelle’s cheeks were rosy as she swayed in Emmitt’s arms.  Gabby definitely wasn’t drunk.  However, I did see her sip from Clay’s beer a few times.

So much joy.  I felt bloated with it.  And I didn’t want to stop to spar with Carlos.  So I exhaled and tried to push some of it away from me.

Almost everyone staggered.  The bartender bumped against the bottles behind the bar and laughed.

In fact, everyone seemed happier.  A weird, crazy, might-need-to-be-locked-up kind of happy.

I started to worry when I saw Winifred laughing and leaning against Sam.  He supported her and laughed just as hard.

“Carlos?” I said, tearing my gaze from the pair.

Carlos looked at everyone with a frown.

“Did you do something?” he asked.

“I don’t know.  Maybe.”  If I had, it wasn’t something I’d ever done before.

“I’ll take Thomas, Charlene, and Grey outside and see if that helps clear their heads.”

I nodded and watched him as he moved across the room and convinced the three to leave with him.  When he opened the door, I noticed how late it had gotten and turned to the bartender.

“We’re ready to close the tab,” I said.

“He’s been paying along the way.  No tab to close,” the man said, his random amusement still clinging to him.  I tried to ignore it.

“Good.  Make sure no one else buys any.  We need to get going soon.”

He nodded.  I looked at the seven shots still waiting.

“Can I get a glass of water?”  He moved to get me one, and I downed two more shots.

When he brought the glass, I filled the shots with water.

“Bethi, come help me,” I waved her over.

Luke didn’t scowl at me this time.  I handed her the waters, and Luke got two of the real thing.  I grabbed another shot to join them.  Bethi kept giggling and spilling her water as she tried to drink it.  Luke helped her aim for her mouth, chuckling the entire time.

I needed to get away from everyone.  The mad laughter was starting to grate on my nerves.  I went over to Jim.

“Can I have your wallet?”  He reached into his back pocket and willingly handed it over.  He still had sixty dollars left.  I took it all, since he seemed to be the instigator, then walked out the front door.  The cool air felt good.

Grey, Charlene, Thomas, and Carlos stood near the road.  They spoke quietly and no one seemed to be laughing anymore.  I did, however, feel their lingering amusement.  Whatever it was seemed to have faded for them.  It gave me hope for everyone inside.

I leaned against the building and waited for the discussion to finish.  They couldn’t blame me for what happened.  I mean, I’d warned Jim.  And I didn’t think spreading some happiness was a bad thing.  Not with this group.  Besides, I’d really enjoyed myself for the first time in a very long time.

The tension I’d held slowly evaporated, and I sighed happily as the world seemed to turn soft and wavy.  Drinking was a great idea.  I owed Jim big time.  And I needed to tell him that.  I stood and reached for the door.  It moved away from me, and I had to reach for it a second time.

Inside, Jim was laughing at something Emmitt had said.  He had a nice laugh.  It made me smile.

Forgetting why I’d come back in, I let the song on the jukebox draw me to Bethi’s side where I started dancing again.  I closed my eyes and just moved.  Not too much though.  I didn’t want Luke and his wild dance moves to take me out.

It took two fast beat songs for me to notice the laughing had stopped.  And it took a slow song for me to open my eyes.  The bar was empty.  Except for Carlos.  He leaned against the wall near the jukebox, and he watched me.

My pulse leapt and my belly warmed.  He straightened away from the wall and held out his hand.

I gave him a small smile and moved toward him.  Once I slipped my hand in his, he closed his eyes for a moment.

“Home,” he whispered.

I didn’t understand what he meant.

When he opened his eyes again, he pulled me toward him.  We moved together to the music, a gentle sway that beckoned me to lean in further.  I rested my cheek against his chest and sighed, floating in peace.

The music ended too soon.  I lifted my head, but he didn’t stop dancing with me.  Our gazes locked.  Something there made my pulse flutter.  In excitement or in warning, I couldn’t tell.  My head was too fuzzy to think straight.

“I need some air.”

I pulled away from him, but he kept hold of my hand and led me toward the smoker’s exit near the back.  Trees surrounded the overgrown patio, and he tugged me toward them.

We walked a ways into the woods then he stopped and turned toward me, only inches separating us.  The distance reminded me of the night in the bathroom, and I tilted my face up toward him, wondering if he’d try something like he had that night.  Part of me hoped he would. I didn't want to be alone.  I wanted him to hold me, but I didn't want it to mean anything.

He turned away from me, confusing me.  It took me a moment to notice that the hand holding mine shook.

“Carlos?”

“Will you do something for me, Isabelle?” he asked softly.

A shiver coursed through me at the rough edge in his voice.  I tried to focus, to feel what he might be feeling, but my head was swimming too much.

“Do something?”

“Yes.  For me.”

I hesitated.  He wanted me to do something for him but wouldn’t turn around and look at me.  Even with my head swimming, I knew that, along with the shaking, couldn’t be a good thing.  Yet, he was still talking.  Asking nicely.  That couldn’t be too bad, could it?

“What do you want me to do?”

“Run,” he said.

I wasn’t expecting that.

“Why?”

He turned and using my hand, tugged me closer to him.  My breath caught when his other hand rose to my face.  His fingertips trembled against my skin as he touched me lightly along my jaw.

“Because I want to chase you.”

At first, I thought he was joking.  But his serious expression told me otherwise.

“Just run?”

He nodded.

“Like tag?”

Slowly, he shook his head.  I searched his face for a hint of what he might be thinking.  The shaking got worse as I backed up a step, then another.  He growled low, and like the insane person I’d always guessed I was, I tore free from his touch and ran.

A rumbling growl sounded behind me a moment before something came crashing through the trees after me.  I let out a squeal and pushed myself to go faster.  I dodged around trees and squeezed through bramble.  A few times, I thought I might have gained some distance, but then I’d hear another splintering crash or growl.

Either the running or the adrenaline seemed to burn off enough of the alcohol that I realized what I was doing was crazy.  I stopped suddenly and spun around to face Carlos.  Only it wasn’t Carlos that burst through the trees.